The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 1993
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1991
Almon P Fisher, Rochester, NY (US);
Herman A Hermanson, Penfield, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A maintenance station for an ink jet printer of the type having a printhead movable between an operating position and a maintenance position provides the capability of priming the printhead as well as maintaining a humid environment to prevent ink from drying out in the printhead orifices. The maintenance station is located adjacent the printhead maintenance position periodically occupied by the printhead and is positionable towards and away from the printhead. The maintenance station comprises a movable chamber having a rigid wall confronting the printhead and the chamber wall has an aperture. A seal means comprises a resilient floating bed base with a opening similar in size to the chamber wall aperture and resilient lips extending from the periphery of the base opening, the outer edge of which is larger than the base opening, so that the lips of the seal means have a predetermined slope. This seal means enable fluid-tight sealing between the chamber and the printhead, even if they are not in alignment with each other.