Printhead cap for attenuating the drying of ink from a printhead during periods of printer inactivity
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsDouglas A. Gutberlet, Richard A. Kalb, Patrick J. Howe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A capping station is configured for storing a printhead during printer inactivity to restore and preserve the operational status of the nozzles in the printhead. Each capping station has a receptacle having at least one wall and a floor configured to enclose a volume partially, and a sealing member mounted to an upper surface of the at least one wall of the receptacle so the sealing member extends away from the upper surface of the at least one wall. The sealing member has a surface that slopes toward the volume within the receptacle to direct fluid on the sloping surface of the sealing member into the volume within the receptacle.
Claims20
A capping station for storing printheads during periods of printhead inactivity comprising:
- a receptacle having at least one wall and a floor configured to enclose a volume partially;
- and
- a sealing member mounted to an upper surface of the at least one wall of the receptacle so the sealing member extends away from the upper surface of the at least one wall, the sealing member having a surface that slopes at an angle within a range of about 10 degrees from a vertical line extending from the upper surface of the wall forming the receptacle in a direction away from the volume partially enclosed by the receptacle to about 40 degrees away from the line extending vertically from the upper surface of the at least one wall of the receptacle to direct fluid on the sloping surface of the sealing member into the volume within the receptacle.
(canceled)
A printer comprising:
- a plurality of printheads;
- and
- a capping station for each printhead in the plurality of printheads, each capping station including:
- a receptacle having at least one wall and a floor configured to enclose a volume partially;
- and
- a sealing member mounted to an upper surface of the at least one wall of the receptacle so the sealing member extends away from the upper surface of the at least one wall, the sealing member having a surface that slopes at an angle within a range of about 10 degrees from a vertical line extending from the upper surface of the wall forming the receptacle in a direction away from the volume partially enclosed by the receptacle to about 40 degrees away from the line extending vertically from the upper surface of the at least one wall of the receptacle to direct fluid on the sloping surface of the sealing member into the volume within the receptacle.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.