Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6139129?dq=6,788,314
Timestamp: 2014-07-14 10:01:41
Document Index: 394701901

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

Patent US6139129 - Ink-jet printer having a maintenance station assembly - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsThe 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.com/patents/US6139129?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6139129 - Ink-jet printer having a maintenance station assemblyAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6139129 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/162,505Publication dateOct 31, 2000Filing dateSep 29, 1998Priority dateOct 2, 1997Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE69819650D1, EP0906829A2, EP0906829A3, EP0906829B1Publication number09162505, 162505, US 6139129 A, US 6139129A, US-A-6139129, US6139129 A, US6139129AInventorsAlain Tabasso, Georges Zoganas, Alessandro ScardoviOriginal AssigneeOlivetti Lexikon, S.P.A.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (11), Referenced by (9), Classifications (5), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetInk-jet printer having a maintenance station assemblyUS 6139129 AAbstract 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.
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.
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.