Printhead assembly having a wicking element and a printhead maintenance station

Abstract

Provided is a printhead assembly that includes a support structure and a printhead mounted on the support structure, said printhead having an ink ejection face. The assembly also includes a print media guide proximate the support structure for guiding print media past the printhead for printing, and a wicking element mounted on the support structure between the support structure and the print media guide. Further included is a pad with an angled contact surface to facilitate the transfer of ink from the printhead to the wicking element, as well as a printhead maintenance station. The maintenance station has a body defining an elongate slot along a length thereof, said pad slidably mounted inside said body to be slidable to a first position, where the pad protrudes from the slot, and a second position, where the pad is inside the body.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.