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:
Dec. 10, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 03, 2001
David Cipolla, Macedon, NY (US);
Steven J. Dietl, Ontario, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A priming system for selectively priming one of the two printheads of a multicolor ink jet printer. When one of the printheads require periodic priming, the printheads are transported to the printer's maintenance station where individual caps are moved to cover the nozzle faces of the printheads. The priming system has two individual peristaltic pumps, each one of which is connected to a respective one of the caps. The two peristaltic pumps have a single mechanical input to drive selectively one of the pumps and not the other by a positionable swing gear. Each one of the pumps is adapted to prime only one of the printheads. The swing gear engages the drive gear of one pump when the direction of rotation of the input is clockwise and the swing gear engages the drive gear of the other pump when the direction of rotation of the input is counterclockwise.