Inkjet printer with reciprocally movable maintenance station
View Patent ↗An inkjet printer comprises a stationary pagewidth inkjet printhead and a printhead maintenance station. The maintenance station comprises a chassis having a maintenance roller and a transfer roller mounted thereon. An engagement mechanism reciprocally moves the chassis towards and away from the printhead such that a contact surface of the maintenance roller is sealingly engaged with or disengaged from the face. A rotation mechanism rotates the maintenance roller only when the maintenance roller is disengaged from the face, and the transfer roller receives ink from the maintenance roller during rotation of the maintenance roller.
1. An inkjet printer comprising:
(a) a stationary pagewidth inkjet printhead;
(b) a printhead maintenance station comprising a chassis having mounted thereon:
a maintenance roller having an elastically-deformable non-absorbent contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of said printhead; and
a transfer roller engaged with said maintenance roller;
(c) an engagement mechanism for reciprocally moving said chassis towards and away from said printhead such that said contact surface is sealingly engaged with or disengaged from said face; and
(d) a rotation mechanism for rotating said maintenance roller only when said maintenance roller is disengaged from said face, whereby said transfer roller receives ink from said maintenance roller during said rotation.
2. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is substantially coextensive with said printhead.
3. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said contact surface is substantially uniform.
4. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller comprises a rigid core having an elastically deformable shell, said contact surface being an outer surface of said shell.
5. The inkjet printer of claim 4 , wherein said shell is comprised of silicone or polyurethane.
6. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is offset from said printhead.
7. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said transfer roller has a wetting surface for receiving ink from said contact surface.
8. The inkjet printer of claim 7 , wherein said transfer roller is a metal roller.
9. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said transfer roller is positioned distal from said printhead relative to said maintenance roller.
10. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance station further comprises a cleaning pad in contact with said transfer roller, said cleaning pad receiving ink from said transfer roller when said transfer roller is rotated.
11. The inkjet printer of claim 10 , wherein said transfer roller and said cleaning pad are substantially coextensive with said maintenance roller.