Print head wiper, inkjet image forming apparatus with the same, and method of maintaining the inkjet image forming apparatus

An inkjet image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a print head having a nozzle surface including nozzles to fire ink;
• and
• a print head wiper to wipe the nozzle surface, the print head wiper comprising:
• a first gear rotatable in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions;
• a second gear to engage with the first gear, the second gear being rotatable around the first gear;
• a cleaning roller fixed to the second gear to wipe the nozzle surface of the print head;
• and
• a link arm to connect the first gear and the second gear,
• wherein when the first gear is rotated, the second gear and the cleaning roller revolve in an upward direction around the first gear by a frictional force between the first gear and the link arm until the cleaning roller contacts the nozzle surface, and when the cleaning roller contacts the nozzle surface, the second gear and the cleaning roller rotate around an axis of the second gear by a rotational force of the first gear to wipe the nozzle surface.

A method of maintaining an inkjet image forming apparatus having a print head and a print head wiper, the print head having a nozzle surface including nozzles to fire ink, the print head wiper having a rotatable first gear, a second gear engaged with the first gear, a cleaning roller fixed to the second gear, and a link arm to connect the first gear and the second gear, the method comprising:

• rotating the first gear to revolve the second gear and the cleaning roller around the first gear until the cleaning roller contacts the nozzle surface;
• further rotating the first gear to rotate the second gear and the cleaning roller around an axis of the second gear to wipe the nozzle surface;
• spraying ink from the print head toward the cleaning roller;
• and
• absorbing the sprayed ink via the cleaning roller.

A wiper unit to wipe an inkjet print head, the wiper unit comprising:

• a cleaning unit to clean a nozzle surface of the print head;
• a rotatable cleaning gear connected to the cleaning unit to rotate the cleaning unit around an axis of the cleaning gear to clean the nozzle surface when the cleaning unit contacts the nozzle surface;
• a positioning gear to rotate the cleaning gear and the cleaning unit around an axis of the positioning gear to move the cleaning unit towards and away from the nozzle surface;
• and
• a driving unit to rotate the positioning gear,
• wherein the driving unit comprises a worm guide to rotate the positioning gear and a motor to rotate to the worm guide.

An inkjet printer, comprising:

• a print head including a plurality of nozzles and a nozzle surface;
• a platen which comprises a pair of bosses on one side of the platen to support a print medium as the print medium passes under the nozzle surface;
• a print head wiper to move adjacent to and clean the nozzle surface when the platen is away from a moving path of the print head wiper;
• and
• a platen moving mechanism to move the platen away from the moving path of the print head wiper, the platen moving mechanism comprises a platen motor and a platen gear to move the platen closer to or further from the nozzle surface based on a rotational direction of the platen motor.

A cleaning roller to clean a nozzle surface of an inkjet print head, the cleaning roller comprising:

• an outer layer to contact and to clean the nozzle surface;
• a support pipe to support the outer layer;
• and
• a heater inside of the support pipe to heat the support pipe.

A cleaning unit to clean a nozzle surface of an inkjet print head, the cleaning unit comprising:

• a cleaning roller to rotate around an axis thereof to clean the nozzle surface when in contact therewith;
• a pivoting member to pivot the cleaning roller into contact with and away from the nozzle surface, the pivoting member comprising:
• a cleaning gear connected to the cleaning roller to rotate the cleaning roller around the axis thereof to clean the nozzle surface;
• and
• a positioning gear to pivot the cleaning gear and the cleaning roller around an axis of the positioning gear to move the cleaning roller into contact with and away from the nozzle surface;
• and
• a driving member to drive the pivoting member.

A print head wiper, comprising:

• a first gear rotatable about a first axis;
• and
• a second gear to engage with the first gear, the second gear rotatable about a second axis and around the first axis,
• wherein when the first gear is rotated in a first direction, the second gear rotates about the second axis and around the first axis to allow a cleaning portion of the second gear to contact a nozzle surface of a print head.