Claims
- 1. A method of cleaning an inkjet printhead cartridge having a printhead, comprising:providing a wiper cleaning station integrally formed on the printhead cartridge; providing said wiper cleaning station with a pair of recessed wiper debris collectors, each having a generally rectangular box like shape, wherein each individual recessed debris collector opens into a corresponding debris accumulation channel; engaging the printhead with a stationary wiper mounted within a printing device; and accumulating removed wiper debris within the debris accumulation channels.
- 2. A method of cleaning according to claim 1, wherein said step of engaging includes:removing wiper debris from said wiper; and removing printhead debris immediately after said wiper debris has been removed from said wiper.
- 3. A method of cleaning according to claim 2, wherein said printing device includes a base and a stall coupled to the base for supporting therein the printhead cartridge, said printhead cartridge having a width dimension; and wherein said step of removing wiper debris from said wiper includes:moving the stall to transport said wiper service station along a path of travel substantially less in length than said width dimension of the printhead cartridge; contacting the integrally formed wiper service station with said wiper as the service station travels along the path of travel in a first direction; disengaging the wiper from the wiper service station by continuing the travel of the service station in the first direction to bring the wiper over a linear translation reversing space defined by an external sidewall of the wiper service station and a front wall of the printhead cartridge; and reversing the direction of movement of the stall to again contact the wiper service station as the service station travels along the path of travel in a second direction, wherein the linear translation reversing space permits the wiper to disengage from said wiper service station when said printhead cartridge is opposite said wiper to reduce wiper wear as said printhead cartridge reverses its traveling direction along said path of travel.
- 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:disengaging the wiper from the wiper service station by continuing the travel of the service station in the second direction to bring the wiper over another linear translation reversing space defined by a second external sidewall of the wiper service station and the front wall of the printhead cartridge.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the printhead further includes a printhead nozzle array disposed adjacent the wiper service station, and wherein the step of engaging the printhead includes:contacting said printhead nozzle array with said wiper to wipe the nozzle array as the service station travels along the path of travel in said first direction and in said second direction.
- 6. A method of cleaning according to claim 2, wherein said step of providing said wiper cleaning station further includes:providing dams in each debris accumulation channel to facilitate directing fluid communication with printhead debris into said debris collectors.
- 7. A method of cleaning according to claim 6, further comprising:providing a printhead cartridge stall within the printing device, said stall being mounted for rectilinear movement along a path of travel and being dimensioned to support from below the printhead cartridge.
- 8. A method of cleaning according to claim 2, wherein the step of providing a wiper cleaning station includes:providing a first linear translation reversing space adjacent a first one of said debris accumulation channels, said first space defined by a first external sidewall of said wiper service station and a front wall of the printhead cartridge, and a second linear translation reversing space adjacent a second one of said debris accumulation channels, said second space defined by a second external sidewall of said wiper service station and the front wall of the printhead cartridge for permitting the wiper to disengage from said wiper service station when said first or second linear traversing space of the printhead cartridge is opposite said wiper.
- 9. A method of cleaning according to claim 8, wherein the printhead is disposed between said corresponding debris accumulation channel of a first one of said pair of wiper debris collectors and said corresponding debris accumulation channel of a second one of said pair of wiper debris collectors, and includes a nozzle array positioned to engage said wiper to clean the nozzle array as the printhead cartridge travels along the path of travel.
- 10. A method of cleaning according to claim 2, wherein said stall is dimensioned to support the printhead cartridge to facilitate the ejecting of ink onto a transaction receipt having a width dimension of about three inches.
- 11. A method of cleaning a wiper, comprising:providing a printhead cartridge having an integrally formed wiper cleaning station disposed between a pair of spaced apart linear translation reversing areas; holding the wiper constantly in a fixed stationary position within a rectlinear path of travel followed by said printhead cartridge; moving the printhead cartridge along said rectlinear path to a wiper cleaning position to facilitate removal of wiper debris by said wiper cleaning station; moving said printhead cartridge along said rectlinear path to a printhead cleaning position to facilitate removal of printhead debris by the wiper; and moving the printhead cartridge along said rectlinear path to one of said pair of linear translation reversing areas to disengage the wiper from the printhead cartridge to facilitate reducing wiper wear as said printhead cartridge reverses its traveling direction along said rectilinear path of travel.
- 12. A method of cleaning according to claim 11, wherein said step of moving the printhead cartridge to a printhead cleaning position includes:removing the printhead debris immediately after said wiper debris has been removed from said wiper.
- 13. A method of cleaning an inkjet printhead wiper, comprising:providing a printhead cartridge having an integrally formed wiper cleaning station disposed between a pair of linear translation reversing spaces; said pair of linear translation reversing spaces each being defined by an external sidewall of said wiper cleaning station and a front wall of the printhead cartridge; moving the printhead cartridge repeatedly along a rectlinear path of travel having a length substantially less than the width dimension of said printhead cartridge and extending between said pair of linear translation reversing spaces to cause said wiper to repeatedly engage said wiper cleaning station and to repeatedly disengage said wiper cleaning station for removing wiper debris from said wiper and without creating any substantial wiper wear as said printhead cartridge reverses direction along said rectlinear path of travel.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a divisional of copending application Ser. No. 09/472,716 filed on Dec. 23, 1999 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
This application is related to co-pending patent application Serial No.: 09/471,860 by Yinan Xu, entitled “Wiper Cleaning Apparatus and Method of Using Same” filed Dec. 23, 1999, and co-pending patent application Ser. No.: 09/471,436 by Yinan Xu et al., entitled “Transaction Printing Device and Method of Using Same,” filed Dec. 23, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
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