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:
Sep. 25, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 27, 1998
David G. Anderson, Ontario, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
An ink jet printer including a movable printhead assembly having printheads including ink and nozzles for printing onto a recording medium, a maintenance assembly having liquid application members for cleaning and priming the printheads, and a customer replaceable, multiple function capping assembly for assuring effective cleaning and continued quality operation of the printheads. For a first function, the capping assembly has a housing defining a fluid chamber containing cleaning liquid, a liquid flow aperture formed through the housing from the fluid chamber, and a snap-in, snap-out valve connector mounted over the liquid flow aperture for supplying cleaning liquid to the maintenance assembly, and for enabling economical, easy customer removal and replacement of the capping assembly within the ink jet printer. For another function, the capping assembly has a fluid release aperture formed through the housing from the fluid chamber, and gasket members mounted around the fluid release aperture for capping, sealing and humidifying the printheads when in a capped position on the capping assembly. The ink jet printer then has a liquid conduit member connected to snap-in, snap-out valve connector of the capping assembly and to the maintenance assembly supply cleaning liquid from the fluid chamber to the maintenance assembly, thus assuring effective cleaning and continued quality operation of the printheads.