Source: http://www.google.fr/patents/US6139129
Timestamp: 2017-12-12 20:08:07
Document Index: 290246794

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 35', 'art 35', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 50']

Brevet US6139129 - Ink-jet printer having a maintenance station assembly - Google Brevets
The printer comprises a maintenance assembly station (18) in the form of a compact module with a support (30) upon which two maintenance assemblies (27, 28) are mounted, each comprising a sealing member (20) suitable for being applied against a printhead, a wiping member (22) for wiping the printhead...http://www.google.fr/patents/US6139129?utm_source=gb-gplus-shareBrevet US6139129 - Ink-jet printer having a maintenance station assembly
Numéro de publication US6139129 A
Numéro de demande US 09/162,505
Autre référence de publication DE69819650D1, DE69819650T2, EP0906829A2, EP0906829A3, EP0906829B1
Numéro de publication 09162505, 162505, US 6139129 A, US 6139129A, US-A-6139129, US6139129 A, US6139129A
Inventeurs Alain Tabasso, Georges Zoganas, Alessandro Scardovi
Cessionnaire d'origine Olivetti Lexikon, S.P.A.
Citations de brevets (11), Référencé par (12), Classifications (5), Événements juridiques (5)
US 6139129 A
The printer comprises a maintenance assembly station (18) in the form of a compact module with a support (30) upon which two maintenance assemblies (27, 28) are mounted, each comprising a sealing member (20) suitable for being applied against a printhead, a wiping member (22) for wiping the printhead and a cleaning member (24) for removing the ink from the wiping members (22). A suction member (26) is arranged between the two assemblies (27, 28) and connected by flexible pipes (41, 42) to the sealing members, in which it enables a sucking effect to be created. A camshaft (31) is fitted centrally in the support (30) parallel to the direction of movement of the carriage, is driven by a motor and controls the entire range of movements and functions of all the movable members of the maintenance assembly station.
1. Ink-jet printer comprising a chassis (15); a movable carriage (10) bearing at least one printhead (11, 12) and suitable for being moved according to a direction of movement (16); and a maintenance assembly station (18) consisting of at least one sealing member (20) suitable for being applied against the printhead (11, 12) and a wiping member (22) for wiping the ink off the printhead (11, 12); the maintenance assembly station (18) comprising a camshaft (31) fitting rotatingly with its axis oriented substantially parallel to the direction of movement (16) and arranged so as to activate all the movable members (20, 22) of the maintenance assembly station,
wherein said maintenance assembly station (18) comprises one or more sealing members (20), one or more wiping members (22), one or more cleaning members (24) intended for removing the ink accumulated on the wiping members (22) and at least one suction member (26), connected to the sealing members (20) to produce a sucking effect therein, all these members being fitted on said maintenance assembly station (18) one after the other in said direction (16) and each being activated by elements forming cams (48, 53, 55, 67, 72) integral with the said shaft (31).
2. Printer according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance assembly station (18) comprises a module provided with a support (30) constituting the body of the module, wherein said camshaft (31) is fitted with an orientation parallel to said direction of movement (16) in a substantially central position, said sealing (20), wiping (22) and cleaning (24) members each comprising a part (35, 46, 50) fitted movably on the support (30), having a central aperture (44, 56, 73) to allow the said camshaft (31) to pass and a portion (45, 49, 52) intended for co-operating with the camshaft (31).
This invention relates to an ink-jet printer comprising a chassis, a movable carriage bearing at least one printhead and suitable for being moved according to a direction of movement and a maintenance assembly station comprising at least one sealing member intended to be applied against the printhead and a wiping member for wiping the ink off the printhead.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,497 describes a maintenance assembly station for a printer with interchangeable printheads. This station comprises a support rotating at 180° about an axis parallel to the direction of movement of the carriage and upon which two caps are mounted in opposite positions by means of two slides which can be moved longitudinally along this direction of movement of the movable carriage. Upon detection of the type of printhead mounted on the carriage, the rotating support performs a rotation to put the slide and the cap that correspond to the head in position, and the carriage then moves the slide longitudinally in order to apply the cap against the nozzle-carrying plate.
The object of this invention is to produce a printer having a maintenance assembly station that is very easy to build, works reliably, has a low cost price, is suitable for integration in existing printers and applicable on printers with one, two or more printheads. The invention is characterized to this end by the fact that the maintenance assembly station comprises a camshaft fitted rotatingly with its axis oriented substantially parallel to the direction of movement and arranged so as to activate all the moving members of the maintenance station.
Other advantages will become apparent from the characteristics set down in the associated claims and in the more detailed description of the invention provided below, with the aid of drawings representing one embodiment schematically and by way of a non-limiting example.
The printer illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a carriage 10 provided with two printheads 11, 12. This carriage is fitted slidingly on a shaft 14 affixed to the chassis 15 of the printer and moves backwards and forwards along a document to be printed according to a direction 16. The printer possesses a maintenance assembly station 18, disposed to one side outside the printing zone. This station consists of a compact module serving the two printheads, ensuring that they are cleaned, and also that they are sealed when in the rest position in order to prevent the ink from drying in the nozzles of the printheads and the nozzles from becoming clogged.
In the position illustrated in FIG. 4, the sliding part 35 is in the lower position. When the shaft 31 has turned by about 180°, the sliding part 35 is in the upper position, wherein the flexible cap 21 comes to rest against the face of the nozzles of one of the printheads 11, 12, which is thus sealed in order to prevent the ink from drying when the printer is in the idle position.
The cleaning members 24 depicted in FIG. 6 comprise a pivoting part 50, provided with two pivots 51 engaging in apertures made in the support 30. The upper portion of this pivoting part is chamfered in order to constitute the scraper 25. In its central portion, the pivoting part 50 is provided with a finger 52 engaging in a groove 53 in the shape of a cam of the shaft 31 and a spring 54 is arranged so as to urge this finger 52 against one of the faces of this groove in order to define a very precise position of the pivoting part 50. The camshaft 31 traverses the pivoting part 50 thanks to a central aperture 73. In the position illustrated in FIG. 6, the scraper 25 is disengaged from the bib 22. Following a rotation of about 90° in a right-handed direction, this scraper 25 is moved forward and gathers the ink deposited on the bib 23 while the latter is moved downwardly. The ink flows downwards thanks to the corrugated part of the scraper 25.
In a more forward position of the camshaft 31, by rotation through an angle of about 180°, a protrusion 72 of the latter lifts the second pin 64, which triggers the partial relaxation of the spring 60 and the displacement of the piston 59 to the left until the first, outer tooth 69, protruding more than the second tooth 70, fastens onto the support 30. During this movement, the volume of the chamber 61 is suddenly increased, causing a sucking effect in the chambers 39 of the sealing members 20. The suction member 26 can thus exert a depression on the nozzles of the printheads, which leads to there being only a small amount of ink on the face of the nozzles, permitting a priming of the latter and promoting the cleaning of the front face of the printheads 11, 12 and of the nozzles during the passage over the bibs 23.
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Classification aux États-Unis 347/33, 347/29
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:TABASSO, ALAIN;ZOGANAS, GEORGES;SCARDOVI, ALESSANDRO;ANDOTHERS;REEL/FRAME:009495/0796;SIGNING DATES FROM 19971210 TO 19980914