Claims
- 1. A printing system for servicing a plurality of printing components mounted in a predetermined spaced-apart locations on a printer carriage comprising:
a carriage for holding the printing components in the predetermined locations; a guide member for supporting said carriage in proximity to a service station; multiple servicing elements on the service station which each perform a same function; a first group of said servicing elements which are positioned for interactive alignment with at least one of the printing components during a given time period for a first servicing mode; a second group of said servicing elements which are positioned for interactive alignment with at least another of the printing components during another time period for a second servicing mode; and wherein said first group of said servicing elements are in a non-aligned inactive position during said another time period, and said second group of said servicing elements are in a non-aligned inactive position during said time period.
- 2. The printing system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of printing components includes a plurality of nozzle arrays each holding a different type of ink.
- 3. The printing system of claim 1 wherein said servicing elements include a wiper adapted to directly contact at least one of the printing components.
- 4. The printing system of claim 1 wherein said servicing elements include a solvent applicator adapted to directly contact at least one of the printing components.
- 5. The printing system of claim 1 which further includes a first motor coupled to said carriage for moving said carriage from a first servicing place for said first servicing mode to a second servicing place for said second servicing mode.
- 6. The printing system of claim 5 wherein said first motor also moves said carriage from a print zone to said first servicing place
- 7. The printing system of claim 6 wherein said first motor moves said carriage in a scan axis direction.
- 8. The printing system of claim 7 which further includes a second motor coupled to said servicing elements for moving said servicing elements along a path while said carriage is stationary during said first servicing mode and said second servicing mode.
- 9. The printing system of claim 8 wherein said second motor moves said servicing elements along said path which is a linear path substantially perpendicular to said scan axis direction.
- 10. The printing system of claim 8 wherein said second motor moves both said first group and said second group of said servicing elements along said path during said first servicing mode and said second servicing mode.
- 11. A printing system for servicing a plurality of printheads on a printer carriage comprising:
a carriage for holding the plurality of printheads in locations which are spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance; a guide member supporting said carriage in a print zone and also in a service station zone; a first motor coupled to said carriage for moving said carriage to a first servicing mode position in said service station zone and to a second servicing mode position in said service station zone; a first servicing element positioned in said service station zone for alignment with a first printhead when said carriage is in said first servicing mode position; a second servicing element positioned in said service station zone for alignment with a second printhead when said carriage is in said second servicing mode position; with said first servicing element and said second servicing element performing a same type of servicing function for said first printhead and said second printhead, respectively; and wherein said first servicing mode position and said second servicing mode position are in different locations such that said first servicing element is not capable of active operative engagement with said first printhead when said carriage is in said second servicing mode position, and said second servicing element is not capable of active operative engagement with said second printhead when said carriage is in said first servicing mode position.
- 12. The printing system of claim 11 wherein said first servicing element is part of a replaceable service component dedicated for servicing said first printhead, and said second servicing element is part of a replaceable service component dedicated for servicing said second printhead.
- 13. The printing system of claim 12 wherein said first servicing element and said second servicing element each include servicing elements selected from the group consisting of wiper, solvent applicator, capper, and spittoon.
- 14. The printing system of claim 11 which includes three or more servicing mode positions and a third or more servicing elements associated respectively therewith.
- 15. The printing system of claim 11 which includes a plurality of different printheads having different types of ink, and wherein said first servicing element includes one or more servicing elements associated with one or more printheads, as well as one or more other printheads associated with one or more second servicing elements.
- 16. The printing system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the printheads is capable of being serviced in both said first servicing mode and in said second servicing mode.
- 17. The printing system of claim 11 which further includes a second motor coupled to said servicing elements for moving said servicing elements along a path while said carriage is stationary during said first servicing mode and said second servicing mode.
- 18. The printing system of claim 17 wherein said second motor moves said servicing elements along said path which is a linear path substantially perpendicular to a scan axis direction of said carriage.
- 19. A method of color inkjet printing which includes a plurality of different printheads having different color inks and mounted on a scanning carriage which moves in a carriage scan direction between a print zone and a service station comprising:
providing a separate replaceable servicing component associated respectively with each of the printheads; mounting the service station components in a housing which moves as a unit back and forth in a servicing direction; moving the carriage to a first servicing mode position which is in interactive alignment with one set of servicing elements for servicing of a first group of the printheads; moving the carriage to a second servicing mode position which is in interactive alignment with another set of servicing elements for servicing of a second group of the printheads; and moving the housing during a first time period while the carriage is in the first servicing mode position, and moving the housing during a second time period while the carriage is in the second servicing mode position.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the housing is moved along a servicing path which is approximately perpendicular to the carriage scan direction.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/227,448 filed on Jan. 8, 1999 entitled “Replaceable Capping System For Inkjet Printheads”, assigned to the present assignee and incorporated herein by reference.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09253381 |
Feb 1999 |
US |
Child |
09793316 |
Feb 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09227448 |
Jan 1999 |
US |
Child |
09253381 |
Feb 1999 |
US |