Claims
- 1. A service station for sealing ink ejecting nozzles of an inkjet printhead of a printing mechanism during periods of printing inactivity, comprising:a reservoir; a capping liquid stored in the reservoir; and an applicator that transfers the capping liquid from the reservoir to the printhead and seals the printhead nozzles with the capping liquid by forcing the capping liquid into the nozzles and leaving the capping liquid clinging to the printhead to avoid evaporation of ink components from the printhead.
- 2. A service station according to claim 1 wherein the applicator comprises a porous member and a wiper, with the porous member transferring the capping liquid from the reservoir to the wiper, and with the wiper forcing the capping liquid into the printhead nozzles when transferring the capping liquid to the printhead.
- 3. A service station according to claim 2 wherein:the printhead comprises a thermal inkjet technology which ejects ink for printing by heating the ink to a boiling point; and the capping liquid has a boiling point that allows the thermal inkjet technology of the printhead to eject the capping liquid from the nozzles by heating the capping liquid.
- 4. A service station according to claim 1 wherein the applicator transfers the capping liquid to the printhead through relative movement of the printhead and the applicator.
- 5. A service station according to claim 4 wherein:the service station further includes a sled moveable between a dispensing position and another position; and the applicator comprises: a dispenser that supplies the capping liquid from the reservoir; and a sealing wiper supported by the sled to receive the capping liquid from the dispenser when the sled is in the dispensing position and to apply the received capping solution to the printhead through relative movement of the printhead and the sealing wiper.
- 6. A service station according to claim 5 wherein:the sled is also moveable to a servicing position; and the service station further includes a printhead servicing appliance supported by the sled to service the printhead when the sled is in the servicing position.
- 7. A service station according to claim 6 wherein the printhead servicing appliance comprises a cleaning wiper that services the printhead by wiping ink residue from the printhead through relative movement of the printhead and the cleaning wiper.
- 8. A service station according to claim 7 wherein:the sled is also moveable to a wiper scraping position; and the service station further includes a wiper scraper that, through relative movement of the scraper and the cleaning wiper, scrapes ink residue from the cleaning wiper.
- 9. A service station according to claim 5 wherein:the sled is also moveable to a servicing position; and the sealing wiper also services the printhead by wiping ink residue from the printhead through relative movement of the printhead and the sealing wiper.
- 10. A service station according to claim 5 wherein the sealing wiper has an applicator end that contacts the printhead when forcing the capping liquid into the printhead nozzles, with the applicator end having plural lands and recesses, and with the recesses configured to receive the capping liquid therein from the dispenser and to force the capping liquid into the printhead nozzles.
- 11. A service station according to claim 10 wherein the recesses of the applicator end of the sealing wiper each comprise a groove, and the lands each comprise a ridge.
- 12. A method of servicing an inkjet printhead of a printing mechanism during a period of printing inactivity between first and second printing episodes, comprising the steps of:following the first printing episode, sealing ink-ejecting nozzles of the printhead with a capping liquid during the period of printing inactivity by forcing the capping liquid into the nozzles and leaving the capping liquid clinging to the printhead to avoid evaporation of ink components from the printhead; and before the second printing episode, removing the capping liquid from the printhead nozzles.
- 13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the sealing step comprises forcing the capping liquid into the printhead nozzles using a wiper.
- 14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the removing step comprises spitting the capping liquid from the printhead nozzles.
- 15. A method according to claim 14 wherein:the printhead comprises a thermal inkjet technology: the first and second printing episodes comprise the step of ejecting ink for printing by heating the ink to a boiling point using said thermal inkjet technology; the capping liquid has a boiling point that allows said thermal inkjet technology to eject the capping liquid from the nozzles by heating the capping liquid; and the removing step comprises spitting the capping liquid from the printhead nozzles by heating liquid sealing material using said thermal inkjet technology.
- 16. A method according to claim 12 wherein the sealing step comprises applying the capping liquid to an intermediate member, and through relative motion of the intermediate member and the printhead, transferring at least some of the capping liquid from the intermediate member to the printhead.
- 17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the relative motion of the intermediate member and the printhead comprises moving the intermediate member.
- 18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the relative motion of the intermediate member and the printhead comprises moving the intermediate member translationally.
- 19. A method according to claim 16 wherein the applying step comprises applying the capping liquid to an intermediate member comprising a wiper.
- 20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the method further includes the step of cleaning the printhead with the wiper through relative motion of the wiper and the printhead.
- 21. A method according to claim 19 wherein the method further includes the step of cleaning the printhead with a cleaning wiper through relative motion of the cleaning wiper and the printhead.
- 22. A method according to claim 12, further including the steps of:storing the capping liquid in a reservoir; and before the sealing step, moving the capping liquid from the reservoir to a dispensing portion of an applicator through capillary action.
- 23. A method according to claim 22 wherein:the applicator is of a capillary action inducing material, with the applicator having a base portion extending into the reservoir to absorb the capping liquid therein; and the moving step comprises moving the capping liquid through capillary action within the applicator to move the absorbed capping liquid from the applicator base portion to the applicator dispensing portion.
- 24. A method according to claim 22 wherein the sealing step comprises applying the capping liquid to an intermediate member, and through relative motion of the intermediate member and the printhead, transferring at least some of the capping liquid from the intermediate member to the printhead.
- 25. A printing mechanism, comprising:an inkjet printhead having ink-ejecting nozzles; and a service station for sealing the printhead nozzles during periods of printing inactivity, with the service station including: a reservoir; a capping liquid stored in the reservoir; and an applicator that transfers the capping liquid from the reservoir to the printhead and seals the printhead nozzles with the capping liquid by forcing the capping liquid into the nozzles and leaving the capping liquid clinging to the printhead to avoid evaporation of ink components from the printhead.
- 26. A printing mechanism according to claim 25 wherein:the printhead has plural nozzles which eject inkjet ink therefrom during printing; and the service station further includes a wiper which forces the capping liquid into the printhead nozzles when transferring the capping liquid to the printhead.
- 27. A printing mechanism according to claim 26 wherein:the printhead comprises a thermal inkjet technology which ejects ink for printing by heating the ink to a boiling point; and the capping liquid has a boiling point that allows the thermal inkjet technology of the printhead to eject the capping liquid from the nozzles by heating the capping liquid.
- 28. A printing mechanism according to claim 25 wherein the applicator transfers the capping liquid to the printhead through relative movement of the printhead and the applicator.
- 29. A printing mechanism according to claim 28 wherein:the service station further includes a sled moveable between a dispensing position and another position; and the applicator comprises: a dispenser that supplies the capping liquid from the reservoir; and a sealing wiper supported by the sled to receive the capping liquid from the dispenser when the sled is in the dispensing position and to apply the received capping solution to the printhead through relative movement of the printhead and the sealing wiper.
- 30. A printing mechanism according to claim 29 wherein:the sled is also moveable to a servicing position; and the service station further includes a cleaning wiper supported by the sled to service the printhead by wiping ink residue from the printhead through relative movement of the printhead and the cleaning wiper.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/838,477 filed on Apr. 7, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,518, issued on May 15, 2000.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
6-143597 |
May 1994 |
JP |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/838477 |
Apr 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/560800 |
|
US |