High deflection capping system for inkjet printheads

An inkjet printing mechanism, comprising:

• an inkjet printhead having ink-ejecting nozzles;
• and
• a capping system for sealing of the inkjet printhead nozzles, with the capping system comprising:
• a sled which moves between a rest position and a sealing position;
• a cap base supported by the sled;
• and
• a cap supported by the cap base, with the cap having a sealing lip configured to surround and seal the nozzles when the sled is in the sealing lip position, wherein the sealing lip has a sealing region which when viewed in cross section when sealing the nozzles forms a smile-shaped deflection having two extreme edges forming a dual seal against the printhead;
• the sled comprises a flexible frame having a border portion and a spring portion that couples the cap base portion to the border portion;
• and
• wherein the frame border portion defines a reference plane, and the spring portion allows at least a fraction of the cap base portion to move out of the reference plane when the frame is in the sealing position.

An inkjet printing mechanism, comprising:

• an inkjet printhead having ink-ejecting nozzles;
• and
• a capping system for sealing of the inkjet printhead nozzles, with the capping system comprising:
• a sled which moves between a rest position and a sealing position;
• a cap base supported by the sled;
• and
• a cap supported by the cap base, with the cap having a sealing lip configured to surround and seal the nozzles when the sled is in the sealing position, wherein the sealing lip has a sealing region which when viewed in cross section when sealing the nozzles forms a smile-shaped deflection having two extreme edges forming a dual seal against the printhead;
• wherein the sealing lip and the printhead define a sealing chamber therebetween when the sled is in the sealing position;
• wherein the base portion defines a vent hole therethrough to couple the sealing chamber to atmosphere;
• and
• wherein a neck member that surrounds the vent hole and projects into the sealing chamber above the bottom wall of the cap.

An inkjet printing mechanism, comprising:

• an inkjet printhead having ink-ejecting nozzles;
• and
• a capping system for sealing of the inkjet printhead nozzles, with the capping system comprising:
• a sled which moves between a rest position and a sealing position;
• a cap base portion supported by the sled;
• and
• a cap supported by the cap base portion, with the cap having a sealing lip configured to surround and seal the nozzles when the sled is in the sealing position, wherein the sealing lip has a sealing region defined by an interior wall and an exterior wall bridged by a planar sealing wall and defining thereunder a hollow deflection cavity, so when sealing the nozzles, the sealing wall deflects downwardly into the deflection cavity and at least one of the interior and exterior walls flexes;
• wherein the sled comprises a flexible frame having a border portion and a spring portion that couples the cap base portion to the border portion;
• and
• wherein the frame border portion defines a reference plane, and the spring portion allows at least a fraction of the cap base portion to move out of the reference plane when the frame is in the sealing position.

An inkjet printing mechanism, comprising:

• an inkjet printhead having ink-ejecting nozzles;
• and
• a capping system for sealing of the inkjet printhead nozzles, with the capping system comprising:
• a sled which moves between a rest position and a sealing position;
• a cap base portion supported by the sled;
• and
• a cap supported by the cap base portion with the cap having a sealing lip configured to surround and seal the nozzles when the sled is in the sealing position, wherein the sealing lip has a sealing region defined by an interior wall and an exterior wall bridged by a planar sealing wall and defining thereunder a hollow deflection cavity so when sealing the nozzles the sealing wall deflects downwardly into the deflection cavity and at least one of the interior and exterior walls flexes;
• wherein the sealing lip and the printhead define a sealing chamber therebetween when the sled is in the sealing position;
• wherein the base portion defines a vent hole therethrough to couple the sealing chamber to atmosphere;
• and
• wherein the cap includes a bottom wall joining the sealing lip and extending across the base portion, and the cap also includes a neck member that surrounds the vent hole and projects into the sealing chamber above the bottom wall of the cap to define an ink retaining pool within the sealing chamber.

An inkjet printing mechanism, comprising:

• an inkjet printhead having ink-ejecting nozzles;
• and
• a capping system for sealing of the inkjet printhead nozzles, with the capping system comprising:
• a sled which moves between a rest position and a sealing position;
• a cap base portion supported by the sled and defining a vent hole therethrough;
• and
• a cap supported by the cap base portion, with the cap having a sealing lip configured to surround and seal the nozzles when the sled is in the sealing position to define a sealing chamber therebetween, with the sealing chamber being coupled to atmosphere by the vent hole, with the cap including a bottom wall joining the sealing lip and extending across the base portion, and with the cap also including a neck member that surrounds the vent hole and projects into the sealing chamber above the bottom wall of the cap to define an ink retaining pool within the sealing chamber.