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. 18, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 20, 1995
Fred Young Brandon, Lexington, KY (US);
Bruce David Gibson, Lexington, KY (US);
Edmund Hulin James, III, Lexington, KY (US);
Michael David Lattuca, Lexington, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
An ink jet printhead body includes one or more zones for cleaning, guiding and stabilizing a printhead wiper of an ink jet printer. The printhead body includes a receptacle providing a reservoir for ink, and the receptacle includes a wall having an outer surface. The wall includes a region at which location of one or more ink discharge nozzles is established. A plurality of ribs is located in each of the wiper cleaning zones, which in turn is located to be adjacent the wall region. The orientation of the ribs may be defined with reference to a first axis extending in the plane of the outer wall surface and intersecting the wall region in a first direction, and by a second axis, or axis of symmetry, extending in the plane of the outer wall surface and extending substantially parallel to an edge of the wall and through a central portion of the region to perpendicularly intersect the first axis. The orientation of the plurality of ribs is such that a direction of elongation of at least some of the plurality of ribs is in a direction substantially non-orthogonal to both the first axis and the second axis. The plurality of ribs defines a plurality of non-rectangular cavities. The plurality of ribs and plurality of cavities cooperate to remove and collect excess ink and contaminants from the printhead wiper.