Service station for ink-jet printer
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsPaul W. Martin, J. Paul Harmon, Kris M. English, Wen-Li Su
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The service station provides components for wiping and capping the orifice plate of an ink-jet pen that is installed in a printer that can carry more than one pen-type. Certain service station components are dedicated for use with only one type of pen and other components are dedicated for use with another type of pen, thereby avoiding ink contamination that may occur, where, for example, a single wiper is used to wipe pens of both type.
Claims17
A method for servicing a pen that is installed in a printer for movement between a printing position and a service position, comprising the steps of:
- installing into a printer a selected one of first and second pens for movement between a printing position and a service position within the printer;
- providing a rotatable carrier upon which a first capping member and second capping member are carried;
- detecting which of the first and second pens is installed in the printer;
- rotating the carrier for placing the first capping member in position for capping the first pen when the first pen is detected as installed in the printer;
- and
- rotating the carrier for placing the second capping member in position for capping the second pen when the second pen is detected as installed in the printer.
An apparatus for positioning a selected one of at least two service components in a linear path traversed by a pen that is installed in a printer, the apparatus comprising:
- a base of a printer;
- a carrier mechanism mounted to the base for rotation about a first axis relative to the base, the carrier mechanism being located adjacent to the path with the first axis being generally parallel to the linear path;
- a first service component mounted to the carrier mechanism;
- a second service component mounted to the carrier mechanism;
- and
- drive means for rotating the carrier mechanism between a first orientation wherein the first service component is located at a first position in the path of the pen for contacting the pen and a second orientation wherein the second service component is located at the first position in the path of the pen for contacting the pen, wherein the location of the first axis relative to the base is unchanged as the first and second service components are moved into the first position.
An apparatus for moving a selected one set of at least two sets of service components into a first position along a path traversed by a pen, the apparatus comprising:
- a carrier mechanism;
- a first service component set mounted to the carrier mechanism, the first service component set including a wiper mechanism for wiping part of a pen and a capping mechanism for capping part of the pen;
- a second service component set mounted to the carrier mechanism;
- and
- drive means for moving the carrier mechanism between a first orientation wherein the first service component set is located at a first position for contacting the pen and a second orientation wherein the second service component set is located at the first position for contacting the pen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.