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:
Mar. 23, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 16, 1996
Mutsuo Fukuoka, Ama-gun, JP;
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
A print head maintenance mechanism used for an inkjet printer including a print head having a nozzle plateformed with nozzles and a head transport mechanism capable oftransporting the print head along a transport pathway from aprint region to a non-print region, the print head ejecting ink contained in an ink cartridge from the nozzles onto a print sheet while in the print region, the print head maintenance mechanism including: a purge unit disposed in confrontation with the non-print region of the transport pathway and for sucking ink from the nozzles of the head when needed; and a wiper unit disposed in confrontation with the non-print region of the transport pathway and wiping the nozzle plate only after the purge unit has sucked ink from the nozzles.