Patent ID: 6398337
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A method of scrubbing and priming an ink jet printhead, the method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a printhead capping member including a bottom wall and side walls defining a capping recess having a first portion and a second portion; (b) forming an enclosed gap containing air within the second portion of the capping recess, the enclosed gap being defined by the bottom wall, the side walls, and a nozzle face of a liquid ink containing printhead inserted into the first portion of the capping recess; (c) increasing fluidic pressure within the enclosed gap by forcibly ejecting drops of liquid ink from nozzles in the nozzle face of the liquid ink containing printhead into the enclosed gap so as to force air contained therein back into the nozzles, thereby scrubbing the nozzles and facilitating easy and effective subsequent priming of the nozzles; and (d) applying a suction force to the enclosed gap and to the nozzle face of the liquid ink containing printhead so as to easily and effectively prime the nozzles.