Service station serving a print head

Abstract

An apparatus configured as a three-dimensional (3D) printer is disclosed. The apparatus includes a print head assembly, which includes a print head and a nozzle plate, the nozzle plate configured to dispense droplets of liquid provided from the print head. The apparatus includes a build bed configured to receive at least some of the droplets from the nozzle plate, and a service station. The service station includes a spittoon assembly configured to receive at least some of the droplets from the nozzle plate, a vacuum knife assembly configured to remove at least one of: debris, or at least some of the droplets from a surface of the nozzle plate, and a non-contact wash assembly comprising a plurality of weirs configured to upwell a washing fluid and immersively receive the nozzle plate in the washing fluid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.