Positive stop capping system for inkjet printheads
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorJeremy A. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A positive stop capping system is provided for sealing an inkjet printhead in an inkjet printing mechanism during periods of printing inactivity. A positive stop or brace is provided in a cavity defined under a cap cover skin, with the skin also forming a sealing lip which surrounds ink-ejecting nozzles of the printhead when sealed. The flexible skin supporting the lip deflects into the cavity toward the brace when the cap is moved into a sealing position, in some cases contacting the brace, and in other cases, compressing the brace. An inkjet printing mechanism having the positive stop capping system and method of capping using this system are also provided.
Claims21
A capping system for sealing around ink-ejecting nozzles of a printhead in an inkjet printing mechanism, comprising:
- a support movable between a sealing position and a rest position;
- and
- a cap extending from the support and having (a) an outer layer which defines a hollow interior portion and (b) a brace portion inside the hollow interior portion, with the outer layer terminating in a lip having an exterior surface which surrounds the nozzles when the support is in the sealing position, and with the lip having an interior surface spaced apart from the brace portion when the support is in the rest position, and the lip interior surface approaching toward the brace portion when the support is in the sealing position.
A method of sealing ink-ejecting nozzles of a printhead in an inkjet printing mechanism, comprising:
- moving a cap between a sealing position and a rest position;
- surrounding the nozzles with a lip portion of the cap when in the sealing position;
- and
- when moving the cap into the sealing position, compressing the lip portion into a hollow interior portion of the cap defined by an outer layer of the cap and toward a brace portion of the cap housed within the hollow interior portion.
An inkjet printing mechanism, comprising:
- a support movable between a sealing position and a rest position;
- a printhead supported by said support and having ink-ejecting nozzles;
- a capping system for sealing around the ink-ejecting nozzles, comprising:
- a cap extending from the support and having (a) an outer layer which defines a hollow interior portion and (b) a brace portion inside the hollow interior portion, with the outer layer terminating in a lip having an exterior surface which surrounds the nozzles when the support is in the sealing position, and with the lip having an interior surface spaced apart from the brace portion when the support is in the rest position, and the lip interior surface approaching toward the brace portion when the support is in the sealing position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.