Patent ID: 6406124
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A ganged capping system for sealing nozzles of plural inkjet printheads in an inkjet printing mechanism during periods of printing inactivity, comprising:a cap sled moveable between a sealing position and a rest position; plural caps each supported by the sled to engage an associated one of the plural printheads when the sled is in the sealing position to form a sealing chamber surrounding the nozzles between each cap and each printhead; a pressure chamber structure having an interior defining a pressure chamber which is fluidically coupled to each sealing chamber to isolate the sealing chambers from external environmental conditions when the cap sled is in the sealing position; and a pressure regulating device coupled to isolate the pressure chamber from said external environmental conditions; wherein said pressure regulating device comprises: a hollow tubular structure coupled to the pressure chamber, with the tubular structure having an ambient port at ambient external environmental conditions when the cap sled is in the sealing position; and a liquid housed within the hollow tubular structure between the pressure chamber and the ambient port.