# US 10,369,796 B2 · Printing apparatus and performance maintaining method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,796 B2 - Document ID: US10369796B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/657,532 - Filed: 2017-07-24 - Published: 2018-02-01 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-01 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Muneharu Fujikawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369796B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/16511: {Constructions for cap positioning (B41J2/16547 takes precedence)} - B41J 2/16508: {connected with the printer frame} - B41J 2/16526: {by applying pressure only} - B41J 2/16532: {by applying vacuum only} - B41J 2/16538: {with brushes or wiper blades perpendicular to the nozzle plate} - B41J 2/16544: {Constructions for the positioning of wipers} - B41J 2/04505: {aiming at correcting alignment} - B41J 2/16514: {creating a distance between cap and printhead, e.g. for suction or pressurising} - B41J 2002/1657: {Cleaning of only nozzles or print head parts being selected} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A printing apparatus includes: a printhead configured to discharge ink; a carriage, on which the printhead is mounted, configured to move in a first direction such that the printhead moves across a printing region where a printing operation by the printhead is performed and a standby region adjacent to the printing region; a cap arranged in the standby region and configured to suck the ink from the printhead; and a wiper configured to perform wiping for the printhead. The cap can be displaced to a first position and a second position farther from the printing region in the first direction than the first position. At the second position, the cap can be displaced to an upper position to cap the printhead and a lower position to be separated from the printhead allowing the wiper to wipe the printhead. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printing apparatus comprising: a carriage on which a printhead, which is configured to discharge ink, is mounted, the carriage being configured to move in a first direction such that the printhead moves across a printing region where a printing operation by the printhead is performed and a standby region adjacent to the printing region in the first direction; a cap arranged in the standby region and configured to cap the printhead, a wiper configured to perform wiping for the printhead, a first moving mechanism configured to move the cap in a gravity direction to an upper first position where the cap caps the printhead, a lower first position which allows the wiper to wipe the printhead, and a middle first position between the upper first position and the lower first position; and a second moving mechanism configured to move the cap to the middle first position and a second position, which is located nearer to the printing region than the middle first position and allows the printhead to perform preliminary discharge to the cap. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first moving mechanism includes a driving unit, a cam member configured to be displaced by a driving force from the driving unit, and a cap base configured to (i) support the cap and (ii) move in the gravity direction according to a displacement of the cam member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cam member includes: a first cam portion configured to displace the cap in the first direction; and a second cam portion configured to displace the cap in a second direction crossing the first direction and the gravity direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a first movable member configured to be displaced between a closing position to close a tube configured to connect the cap and a pump and a releasing position, wherein the cam member includes a third cam portion configured to displace the first movable member between the closing position and the releasing position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a second movable member configured to be displaced between a lock position to lock the carriage at a predetermined position in the standby region and an unlock position, wherein the cam member includes a fourth cam portion configured to displace the second movable member between the lock position and the unlock position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pump and the driving unit use different driving sources. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second movable member at the unlock position abuts against the first movable member located at the releasing position and regulates the displacement of the first movable member to the closing position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a third movable member configured to be displaced between a closing position to close a tube for atmosphere communication connected to the cap and a releasing position, wherein the cam member includes a fourth cam portion configured to displace the third movable member between the closing position and the releasing position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second moving mechanism includes the driving unit, the cam member and a slider configured to move in the first direction with regard to the cap base according to a displacement of the cam member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cam member is displaced by the driving force in a second direction crossing the first direction and the gravity direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiper wipes the printhead by passing through a space between the cap at the first lower position and the printhead.