Patent ID: 6511155
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink jet printer comprising:an ink jet printhead having an orifice plate; a cleaning station, the cleaning station comprising: a cleaning station housing; first and second rollers, wherein: the first and second rollers have substantially parallel, horizontal axes of rotation; outer surfaces of the first and second rollers contact one another along a substantially horizontal contact line to form above the contact line a roller cavity; a dispenser for dispensing cleaning fluid into the roller cavity; a drive mechanism connected to the first roller for rotating the first roller about its axis of rotation, wherein: as the drive mechanism rotates the first roller in one direction, the second roller is rotated in the opposite direction; the drive mechanism is capable of rotating the first roller in a first direction so that the second roller rotates in a second direction that tends to retain the fluid in the roller cavity; and the drive mechanism is additionally capable of rotating the first roller in the second direction so that the second roller rotates in the first direction that tends to remove the fluid from the roller cavity; and a printer controller connected to the printhead for moving the printhead to a position at the cleaning station in which the orifice plate is substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the first and second rollers, and spaced slightly above the first and second rollers.