Injet printer maintenance arrangement and method
AssigneeDelphax Technologies Inc.
InventorsKe LI, Christopher Thomson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Inkjet printing apparatus has a printhead mounted on a printer carriage and a maintenance assembly mounted on a maintenance carriage. Media are transported to the printhead for printing. To prepare for maintenance operations, a printer drive unit drives the printhead carriage between a printing position and a printer parked position where it is spaced from the printhead. A maintenance drive unit drives the maintenance assembly between a maintenance assembly and a position next to the printhead where it occupies the space vacated by the printhead.
Claims25
Inkjet printing apparatus comprising a printhead mounted on a first carriage, a printhead maintenance assembly including a first maintenance element, the printhead maintenance assembly mounted on a second carriage, a transport assembly operable to move sheet media past the printhead in a transport direction along a transport path for printing thereon by the printhead, a first reciprocal drive to drive the first carriage between a first position in which the printhead is positioned for printing onto sheet media in the transport path and a second position in which a space is established between the printhead and the transport path, a second reciprocal drive to drive the second carriage between a third position in which the maintenance assembly is parked at a position allowing printing of transported sheet media by the printhead and a fourth position in which the maintenance assembly occupies the space and the first maintenance element is positioned for performing a maintenance operation on the printhead.
A method of operating inkjet printing apparatus having a printhead mounted on a first carriage, a printhead maintenance assembly including a maintenance element, the printhead maintenance assembly mounted on a second carriage, and a transport assembly operable to move sheet media past the printhead in a transport direction along a transport path for printing thereon by the printhead, the method comprising driving the first carriage reciprocally between a first position in which the printhead is positioned for printing onto sheet media in the transport path and a second position in which a space is established between the printhead and the transport path, and driving the second carriage reciprocally between a third position in which the maintenance assembly is parked at a position allowing printing of transported sheet media by the printhead and a fourth position in which the maintenance assembly occupies the space and the maintenance element is positioned for performing a maintenance operation on the printhead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.