Two stage print cartridge capping technique

A service station for servicing first and second ink-jet printheads mounted in a scanning carriage of an ink-jet printing system, the printheads having nozzles that selectively eject ink therethrough, comprising:

• a sled structure;
• an elevator mechanism coupled to the sled structure for moving the sled structure between a rest position and a sled extended position;
• first and second printhead caps supported on said sled structure and movable relative to the sled structure for movement between a retracted position and a printhead capping position, said caps adapted to surround and seal the printhead nozzles of a corresponding printhead when said sled has been moved to said sled extended position and said printhead cap has been moved to the printhead capping position;
• first and second piston structures on which are respectively mounted said first and second printhead caps, said piston structures arranged for sliding movement transverse to a sled surface;
• a retainer structure supporting said first and second piston structures;
• an actuating mechanism for moving the retainer structure and thereby said piston structures and said printhead caps relative to the sled structure to move said first and second printhead caps from the retracted position to the printhead capping position.

A service station for servicing an ink-jet printhead of an ink-jet printing system, the printhead having nozzles that selectively eject ink therethrough, comprising:

• a sled structure;
• an elevator mechanism coupled to the sled structure for moving the sled structure between a rest position and a sled extended position;
• a printhead cap supported on said sled structure and movable relative to the sled structure for movement between a retracted position and a printhead capping position, said cap adapted to surround and seal the printhead nozzles when said sled has been moved to said sled extended position and said printhead cap has been moved to the printhead capping position;
• an actuating mechanism for moving the printhead cap from the retracted position to the printhead capping position;
• and
• wherein said elevator mechanism includes a motor, a gear drive, a rotatable cam driven through the gear drive, a primary cam track located on a first cam surface, and a primary cam follower engaging the primary cam track and adapted to transfer force to the sled structure, and wherein said actuator mechanism includes a secondary cam track located on a second cam surface of said rotatable cam, a secondary cam follower engagable with the secondary cam track and adapted to transfer force to a retainer structure supporting the printhead cap.

A service station for servicing first and second ink-jet printheads mounted in a scanning carriage of an ink-jet printing system, the printheads having nozzles that selectively eject ink therethrough, comprising:

• a sled structure;
• an elevator mechanism coupled to the sled structure for moving the sled structure between a rest position and a sled extended position;
• first and second printhead caps supported on said sled structure and movable relative to the sled structure for movement between a retracted position and a printhead capping position, said caps adapted to surround and seal the printhead nozzles of a corresponding printhead when said sled has been moved to said sled extended position and said printhead cap has been moved to the printhead capping position;
• first and second piston structures on which are respectively mounted said first and second printhead caps, said piston structures arranged for sliding movement transverse to a sled surface;
• a retainer structure supporting said first and second piston structures;
• an actuating mechanism for moving the retainer structure and thereby said pistons structures and said printhead caps to move said first and second printhead caps from the retracted position to the printhead capping position, said actuating mechanism including first and second pivoted toggles intermated by involute teeth, said first and second toggles including respective contact surfaces for contacting said retainer structure as said toggles are pivoted.

A service station for servicing an ink-jet printhead mounted in a scanning carriage of an ink-jet printing system, the printhead having nozzles that selectively eject ink therethrough, comprising:

• a sled structure having a sled datum structure adapted for mating with a corresponding carriage datum structure;
• a first actuating mechanism coupled to the sled structure for moving the sled structure between a rest position and a sled extended position to position the sled relative to the scanning carriage during a servicing mode when the scanning carriage is positioned at the service station, such that the sled datum structure mates with the carriage datum structure to accurately locate the sled relative to the carriage;
• a printhead cap supported on said sled structure and movable relative to the sled structure for movement between a retracted position and a printhead capping position, said cap adapted to surround and seal the printhead nozzles after said sled has been moved to said sled extended position as said printhead cap has been moved to the printhead capping position;
• and
• a second actuating mechanism for providing relative motion between the sled structure and the printhead cap to move the printhead cap from the retracted position to the printhead capping position.

An ink-jet printing system, comprising:

• a scanning carriage having a carriage datum structure;
• an ink-jet printhead mounted in the carriage, the printhead having nozzles that selectively eject ink therethrough;
• a service station for servicing the printhead, comprising:
• a sled structure having a sled datum structure adapted for mating with the carriage datum structure;
• a first actuating mechanism coupled to the sled structure for moving the sled structure between a rest position and a sled extended position to position the sled relative to the scanning carriage during a servicing mode when the scanning carriage is positioned at the service station, such that the sled datum structure mates with the carriage datum structure to accurately locate the sled relative to the carriage;
• a printhead cap supported on said sled structure and movable relative to the sled structure for movement between a retracted position and a printhead capping position, said cap adapted to surround and seal the printhead nozzles after said sled has been moved to said sled extended position as said printhead cap has been moved to the printhead capping position;
• and
• a second actuating mechanism for providing relative motion between the sled structure and the printhead cap to move the printhead cap from the retracted position to the printhead capping position.

A method for capping ink-jet nozzles of an ink-jet printhead carried by a carriage of an ink-jet printing system, the carriage movable along a carriage scan axis, the printhead having nozzles that selectively eject ink therethrough, comprising the steps of:

• positioning the carriage at a service station;
• moving a sled structure from a rest position to a sled capping position wherein a sled datum structure engages a corresponding carriage datum structure on the carriage to accurately locate the sled relative to the carriage;
• providing relative movement between said sled structure and a printhead cap carried by said sled structure to move the printhead cap from a retracted position to a printhead capping position, said cap adapted to surround and seal the printhead nozzles when said sled has been moved to said sled capping position and accurately located relative to the carriage and when said printhead cap has been moved to the printhead capping position;
• applying carriage drive forces to the carriage to incrementally move the carriage back and forth along the carriage scan axis about a carriage service position as the sled is being moved to facilitate said engaging of said sled datum structures with said carriage datum structures.