Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses a wiping device for an inkjet printer including a wiper mount moveable between a wiping position and a non-wiping position. A slider is coupled to the wiper mount and translates between a retracted position and a deployed position. A first translation of the slider to the deployed position causes the wiper mount to move into the wiping position. A trigger, operable between a cocked position and an un-cocked position is coupled to the slider. In the cocked position, the trigger locks the wiper mount in the wiping position. When actuated, the trigger moves to the un-cocked position and the wiper mount moves to the non-wiping position. The wiping device includes logic to control the actuation and non-actuation of the trigger.

<CIT> discloses a power transmitter for transmitting power to a wiper for wiping a nozzle surface of an ink-jet head. The power transmitter is configured to transmit power from a drive source to a driven member and includes: a cam connected to the drive source and having a cam surface, a cam follower connected to the driven member and including a sliding portion slidable on the cam surface, and a cover configured to cover the cam surface, the cover being configured to move together with the cam follower when the sliding portion of the cam follower slides on the cam surface of the cam driven by the drive source.

<CIT> discloses a maintenance device for shielding a print-head includes a casing having a first traveling path and a second traveling path transverse to the first traveling path, a sliding member disposed back and forth along the first traveling path; and a shielding unit including a seat movable back and forth along the second traveling path, and having two flanges for engaging a guiding track unit of the sliding member, and a shield fixed on the seat. Movement of the sliding member along the first traveling path in a first direction results in pushing of the seat by the sliding member, thereby moving the seat along the second traveling path so as to press the shield against the print-head. Movement of the sliding member along the first traveling path in a second direction results in removal of the shield from the print-head. The maintenance device may further comprise a wiper fixed on said sliding member such that said wiper is adapted to wipe the print head when said sliding member moves.

In the following, a detailed description of various examples is given with reference to the figures. The figures show schematic illustrations of.

A print head of a printing device may for example be cleaned by wiping the print head with a wiper to remove contaminants like dirt particles, dried ink or paper fibers, which may accumulate on the print head e.g. during manufacture, transport, or printing. To this end, a printing device may comprise a maintenance assembly with a wiper plate. In some examples, the wiper plate may be oriented perpendicular to a scanning direction of the print head such that a wiping operation may for example be performed by moving the print head back and forth across the wiper plate. For this, the wiper plate may be moved into the print head path, e.g. by mounting the wiper plate on an actuated maintenance cartridge. With the increasing size of print heads, larger wiper plates may be used, which may cause issues due to space constraints within the printing device.

The present invention provides a print head maintenance assembly according to claim <NUM>, and a method of cleaning a print head using a print head maintenance assembly according to claim <NUM>. Examples thereof are detailed in the dependent claims. <FIG> shows a schematic illustration of a print head maintenance assembly <NUM> according to an example in side view. The print head maintenance assembly <NUM> may for example be employed in or be part of a printing device (not shown) such as a large-format ink-jet printer, e.g. to clean a print head <NUM>. In one example, the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> may be used in the printing device <NUM> described below with reference to <FIG>.

The print head maintenance assembly <NUM> comprises a maintenance cartridge <NUM> that is movable along a first direction as indicated by the arrow labeled "Y" in <FIG>. In the following, the first direction may thus also be referred to as the Y direction. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> may for example comprise an actuator such as an electric motor or may be coupled to an actuator, e.g. via a drive belt or a worm drive. In some examples, the first direction may be perpendicular to a scanning direction of the print head <NUM>, which may e.g. be parallel to the direction of view in <FIG>. In the context of this disclosure, the scanning direction of the print head <NUM> may also be referred to as the X direction. In some examples, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> or at least a part thereof may be a user-replaceable item for a printing device. In other examples, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may not be removable, but may be permanently installed in a printing device.

The print head maintenance assembly <NUM> further comprises a wiper assembly <NUM> with a wiper blade or wiper element <NUM> for wiping the print head <NUM>. The wiper element <NUM> extends along the Y direction. In some examples, the wiper element <NUM> may be oriented perpendicular to the scanning direction of the print head <NUM> and may thus also be referred to as a crosswipe. The wiper assembly <NUM> may not be mounted on or rigidly attached to the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. Instead, the wiper assembly <NUM> may for example be mounted on or attached to a support frame (not shown) of the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> or of a printing device, e.g. as described below with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. Accordingly, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may be moved without moving the wiper element <NUM> or the wiper element <NUM> may be moved relative to the maintenance cartridge <NUM>, in some examples.

The maintenance cartridge <NUM> comprises a guide rail <NUM> that extends along the Y direction. The guide rail <NUM> is to engage with the wiper assembly <NUM> to adjust a position of the wiper element <NUM> depending on a relative position between the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and the wiper assembly <NUM> in the Y direction. In other words, the guide rail <NUM> may provide a mechanical contact between the wiper assembly <NUM> and the maintenance cartridge <NUM> such that a motion of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along the Y direction may induce a motion of the wiper element <NUM>. The guide rail <NUM> may for example engage with the wiper assembly <NUM> when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is within a certain range along the Y direction. The guide rail <NUM> may for example comprise a guiding surface extending outwards from a side wall of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> in the direction of view of <FIG> and extending along the side wall of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> in the Y direction. In some examples, the guide rail <NUM> may be a guiding cam that is to engage with a cam follower of the wiper assembly <NUM>. The guide rail <NUM> may extend over the entire length of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along the Y direction or over a fraction of the length of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>, e.g. between <NUM>% and <NUM>%, in one example between <NUM>% and <NUM>% of the length of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>.

An example for this is illustrated in <FIG>, which depicts the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> with the guide rail <NUM> being engaged with the wiper assembly <NUM>. The guide rail <NUM> may for example comprise a surface that is inclined relative to the Y direction, wherein the guide rail <NUM> may e.g. be arranged on a side face or an edge of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> that extends parallel to the Y direction and faces the wiper assembly <NUM>. An inclination angle of the inclined surface relative to the Y direction may for example be between <NUM>° and <NUM>°. As the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved along the Y direction, the inclined surface of the guide rail <NUM> may come in contact with the wiper assembly <NUM>. When the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved further along the Y direction, the inclined surface may exert a force on the wiper assembly <NUM> and may thereby move the maintenance assembly <NUM> in a second direction as illustrated by the arrow labeled "Z" in <FIG>. The second direction, which may also be referred to as the Z direction in the following, may be perpendicular to the first or Y direction in some examples and may be the vertical direction, i.e. the guide rail <NUM> may be to adjust the position of the wiper element <NUM> in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction depending on the relative position between the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and the wiper assembly <NUM> in the Y direction. For example, the guide rail <NUM> may be to adjust the position of the wiper element <NUM> upwards and downwards.

Additionally or alternatively, the guide rail <NUM> may also be to adjust the position of the wiper element <NUM> in the Y direction depending on the relative position between the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and the wiper assembly <NUM> in the Y direction, e.g. by pushing or pulling the wiper assembly along the Y direction. For this, the inclination angle of the inclined surface relative to the Y direction may e.g. be larger than <NUM>°. In some examples, the guide rail <NUM> may additionally or alternatively be to tilt or rotate the wiper element <NUM>, e.g. around an axis in the X or Y direction, depending on the relative position between the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and the wiper assembly <NUM> in the Y direction. The wiper assembly <NUM> may for example be mounted pivotably and the guide rail <NUM> may be to tilt or rotate the wiper element <NUM> by pressing against a portion of the wiper assembly <NUM>. In another example, the guide rail <NUM> may push the wiper assembly <NUM> along the X direction, e.g. away from the maintenance cartridge <NUM>, when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved along the Y direction, wherein the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> may comprise a second guide rail or guiding cam (not shown) that is in contact with the wiper assembly <NUM> and is to lift the wiper assembly <NUM> in the Z direction as the wiper assembly <NUM> is pushed along the X direction. The second guide rail may e.g. be part of or attached to the support frame of the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> or of the printing device.

The guide rail <NUM> may allow for moving the wiper element <NUM> by moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> with the corresponding actuator, i.e. without using a dedicated actuator for the wiper element <NUM> even though the wiper element <NUM> may be arranged outside of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. Thereby, the wiper element <NUM> may be moved from a disengaged position, in which the wiper element <NUM> is arranged outside of the path of the print head <NUM>, e.g. as illustrated in <FIG>, to an engaged position, in which the wiper element <NUM> is arranged in the path of the print head <NUM> and may thus come in contact with the print head <NUM>, e.g. as illustrated in <FIG>. For example, the wiper element <NUM> may be moved up and down by engagement with the guide rail <NUM>.

In some examples, the guide rail <NUM> may comprise an inclined portion extending at an angle to the Y direction as well as a flat portion extending parallel to the Y direction. In the example of <FIG>, a center portion of the guide rail <NUM> is an inclined surface, whereas the two opposing end portions of the guide rail <NUM> are flat surfaces. This may e.g. allow for holding the wiper element <NUM> in a fixed position such as the engaged or disengaged position while the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in a certain range along the Y direction.

<FIG> show a schematic illustration of a maintenance cartridge <NUM> of a print head maintenance assembly in accordance with an example. <FIG> depict the maintenance cartridge in side view and in a perspective view, respectively. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> may for example be part of the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> described below with reference to <FIG> or of the printing device <NUM> described below with reference to <FIG>.

The maintenance cartridge <NUM> may for example comprise a spittoon subsystem <NUM> with a reservoir for receiving material ejected from a print head. In some examples, the spittoon subsystem <NUM> may also comprise a split roller for transferring ejected material into the reservoir. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> may further comprise a wiping subsystem <NUM> with an additional wiper, which may for example be used for wiping a nozzle plate of a print head in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> may also comprise a capping subsystem <NUM> with a cap for covering the nozzle plate of the print head, e.g. while the print head is not used. In some examples, the maintenance cartridge may comprise a plurality of reservoirs, spit rollers, additional wipers, and/or caps, e.g. one each for every print head of the printing device.

A guide rail <NUM> is arranged on a side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. In some examples, the guide rail <NUM> may be similar to the guide rail of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> of <FIG>. In the example of <FIG>, the guide rail <NUM> comprises a pair of guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B, which may also be referred to as the lower guiding cam <NUM>-A and the upper guiding cam <NUM>-B. The guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B form a slot <NUM>-C that extends along the first or Y direction and is to receive a pin of a wiper assembly, e.g. the pin <NUM> of the wiper assembly <NUM> as detailed below. In the example of <FIG>, the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B are elongated protrusions protruding from the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. The guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B may for example comprise or be formed of a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a metal such as aluminum, or a combination thereof. The guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B may be attached to the maintenance cartridge <NUM> or may be integrally formed with the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. The guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B may e.g. be glued to the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> or molded thereon or may be formed together with the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>, e.g. molded as one piece. In some examples, the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B may e.g. be the upper and lower wall of a longitudinal recess in the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> forming the slot <NUM>-C, i.e. may not protrude from the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>.

The slot <NUM>-C comprises a flat portion <NUM>-I and an inclined portion <NUM>-II, which together form a main portion of the slot <NUM>-C. In the main portion, the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B may be substantially parallel such that the main portion has a substantially uniform first width perpendicular to the Y-direction and parallel to the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. The guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B may extend parallel to the Y direction in the flat portion <NUM>-I and at an angle to the Y direction in the inclined portion <NUM>-II. In some examples, the inclined portion <NUM>-II may comprise two inclined segments with opposite orientations as illustrated in <FIG>, e.g. an upwardly inclined segment and a downwardly inclined segment.

In addition, the slot <NUM>-C may comprise an insertion portion <NUM>-III, which may for example be arranged at one end of the guide rail <NUM> adjacent to the inclined portion <NUM>-II as shown in <FIG>. The insertion portion has a second width perpendicular to the Y-direction and parallel to the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. The second width may be larger than the first width. For example, the insertion portion may be shaped like a funnel-cross section. In one example, the second width may be between two and five times as large as the first width. This may facilitate inserting the pin <NUM> into the slot <NUM>-C. In some examples, the slot <NUM>-C may comprise an opening <NUM> at one end for inserting the pin <NUM> into the slot <NUM>-C along the Y direction. The opening <NUM> may e.g. be arranged in the insertion portion <NUM>-III and may face in the Y direction. As illustrated in <FIG>, the lower and upper guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B may extend at an angle relative to each other in the insertion portion <NUM>-III in some examples, e.g. such that a width of the slot <NUM>-C increases towards the opening <NUM>, which may further facilitate inserting the pin <NUM> into the slot <NUM>-C. In one example, a width of the opening perpendicular to the Y-direction and parallel to the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may be between two and five times as large as the first width.

In some examples, the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> of <FIG> may comprise a biasing member such as a spring or elastic body that is to press the pin <NUM> of the wiper assembly <NUM> against the lower guiding cam <NUM>-A or the upper guiding cam <NUM>-B. Accordingly, the other one of the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B may not be needed in some cases. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> may thus not comprise one of the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B in some examples, e.g. similar to the maintenance cartridge <NUM> of <FIG>.

<FIG> shows a schematic illustration of a wiper assembly <NUM> of a print head maintenance assembly according to an example in an exploded view. The wiper assembly <NUM> may for example be part of the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> described below with reference to <FIG> or of the printing device <NUM> described below with reference to <FIG>.

The wiper assembly <NUM> comprises a wiper element <NUM> for wiping a print head. The wiper element <NUM> may for example comprise or be formed of a flexible material such as a rubber material, e.g. ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. In some examples, the wiper element <NUM> may e.g. be a rectangular or trapezoidal plate.

The wiper assembly <NUM> further comprises a wiper mount <NUM> that is to removably receive the wiper element <NUM>. In one example, the wiper mount <NUM> comprises a pair of openings <NUM> that are to receive a pair of protrusions <NUM> extending from the wiper element <NUM>, e.g. a pair of protrusions <NUM> extending parallel to a side surface of the wiper element <NUM> from a bottom edge / end face of the wiper element <NUM>. The wiper mount <NUM> may further comprise an opening or recess <NUM> that is to receive a pin <NUM>. When the pin <NUM> is arranged in the opening <NUM>, the pin <NUM> may protrude from the opening <NUM>. The pin <NUM> may be to engage with a guide rail of a maintenance cartridge, e.g. the guide rail <NUM> of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> as detailed below with reference to <FIG>. The wiper mount <NUM> and/or the pin <NUM> may for example comprise or be formed of a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a metal such as aluminum, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the pin <NUM> and/or the wiper mount <NUM> may comprise a fastener such as a hook or clip for holding the pin <NUM> in the opening <NUM>. In other examples, the pin <NUM> may be permanently fixed in the opening <NUM>, e.g. by gluing the pin <NUM> to the opening <NUM>. In one example, the pin <NUM> may be integrally formed with the wiper mount <NUM>. The wiper mount <NUM> and the pin <NUM> may for example be molded as one piece. Instead of the pin <NUM>, the wiper mount <NUM> may also comprise a protrusion or cam follower in some examples, e.g. a protrusion extending downwards from a bottom edge of the wiper mount <NUM> opposing the openings <NUM>.

The wiper mount <NUM> is to be mounted or attached to a frame of a print head maintenance assembly and/or of a printing device, e.g. to a wall <NUM> of a frame as illustrated in <FIG>. The wiper mount <NUM> is to be movably attached to the wall <NUM> such that the wiper element <NUM> can be moved and/or tilted, e.g. by engaging a guide rail such as the guide rail <NUM> of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> with the pin <NUM>. In one example, the wall <NUM> comprises a pair of longitudinal holes <NUM> that are to receive a pair of clips or hooks (not shown) of the wiper mount <NUM>, e.g. a pair of clips arranged on a backside of the wiper mount <NUM> opposing the opening <NUM>. This may allow for slidably attaching the wiper assembly <NUM> to the frame as the clips of the wiper mount <NUM> can slide along the holes <NUM>. In some examples, the holes <NUM> may extend along a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of motion of a maintenance cartridge such as the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and/or perpendicular to the scanning direction of a print head such as the print head <NUM> of the printing device <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts a schematic illustration of a print head maintenance assembly <NUM> according to an example in a perspective view. The print head maintenance assembly <NUM> comprises a frame <NUM>, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> of <FIG> and the wiper assembly <NUM> of <FIG>. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> is arranged in the frame <NUM> and is movable along the first or Y direction. The frame <NUM> may be to guide the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and may separate the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> from other components of a printing device that the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> is employed in, e.g. the printing device <NUM> of <FIG>. The frame <NUM> may be part of or attached to a frame or body of the printing device.

The wiper mount <NUM> of the wiper assembly <NUM> is slidably attached to a wall <NUM> of the frame <NUM>, e.g. as described above with reference to <FIG>. The wiper mount <NUM> may for example be attached to the wall <NUM> such that the wiper element <NUM> can move along the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction. The pin <NUM> protruding from the wiper mount <NUM> faces the side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> on which the guide rail <NUM> is arranged. By moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM>, the pin <NUM> may be inserted into and moved along the slot <NUM>-C. The interaction between the pin <NUM> and the guide rail <NUM> is described in more detail below with reference to <FIG>. In some examples, the frame may comprise a spring (not shown) that is to press the wiper mount <NUM> downwards or upwards, e.g. to ensure a robust contact between the pin <NUM> and one of the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B.

<FIG> shows a schematic illustration of a printing device <NUM> in accordance with an example in top view. The printing device <NUM> comprises a print head <NUM>, which is movable along a print head path <NUM>. The print head path <NUM> may e.g. extend across a print medium such as paper along a scanning or X direction as indicated by the arrow labeled "X" in <FIG>. The print head <NUM> may be to distribute a printing fluid such as ink on the print medium. The printing device <NUM> may for example be a large-format ink-jet printer. In other examples, the printing device <NUM> may be a 3D printer, wherein the print head <NUM> may e.g. be to deposit a binding agent onto a bed of build material. In one example, the print head <NUM> may be moveable along two or three directions.

The printing device <NUM> further comprises a print head maintenance assembly <NUM>. The print head maintenance assembly <NUM> may for example be similar to the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> of <FIG> or to the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> of <FIG>. The print head maintenance assembly <NUM> comprises a maintenance cartridge <NUM> and an actuator <NUM> for moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> perpendicular to the print head path <NUM>, e.g. along a transverse path <NUM> extending along the Y direction as indicated by the arrow labeled "Y" in <FIG>. The actuator <NUM> may for example be an electric motor and may be coupled to the maintenance cartridge <NUM> via a drive belt or a worm drive for moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> or at least a part thereof may be user-replaceable or may be permanently installed in the printing device <NUM>.

The print head maintenance assembly <NUM> further comprises a wiper <NUM> that is attached to a frame <NUM> of the printing device <NUM>. In some examples, the wiper <NUM> may be similar to the wiper assembly <NUM> of <FIG> or to the wiper assembly <NUM> of <FIG>. The frame <NUM> may comprise a wall that the wiper <NUM> is attached to. The wall may e.g. be similar to the wall <NUM> of the frame <NUM> of the maintenance assembly <NUM>, i.e. the wiper <NUM> may be slidably attached to the frame <NUM>.

The wiper <NUM> is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, e.g. as illustrated in <FIG>. In the engaged position, the wiper <NUM> is in contact with the print head <NUM> when the print head <NUM> is in a wiping position along the print head path <NUM>, i.e. the wiper <NUM> may be arranged in the path of the print head <NUM>. In the disengaged position, the wiper <NUM> may be arranged outside of the path of the print head <NUM>, i.e. such that the wiper <NUM> does not come in contact with the print head <NUM> even when the print head <NUM> is in the wiping position. The wiper <NUM> may for example be arranged below the print head <NUM> in the direction of view of <FIG> and may be lowered and raised along the direction of view of <FIG> to disengage and engage the wiper <NUM>, respectively. In the following, the direction of view of <FIG> may also be referred to as the Z direction.

For moving the wiper <NUM>, the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> comprises a positioner <NUM> that is to move the wiper <NUM> between the disengaged position and the engaged position depending on the position of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> perpendicular to the print head path <NUM>, e.g. depending on the position of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along the transverse path <NUM>. The positioner <NUM> may for example comprise a guiding cam <NUM> and a cam follower <NUM> that is to engage with the guiding cam <NUM>. The guiding cam <NUM> may for example be arranged on the maintenance cartridge <NUM>, e.g. on a side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> facing the wall of the frame <NUM>.

In some examples, the guiding cam <NUM> may be similar to the guide rail of maintenance cartridge in the print head maintenance assembly <NUM>. The guiding cam <NUM> may e.g. comprise a surface extending along the X and Y directions, wherein the surface may comprise flat portions <NUM>-I and <NUM>-III that are parallel to the Y direction and an inclined portion <NUM>-II that is inclined relative to the Y direction, e.g. similar to the guide rail <NUM> illustrated <FIG>. The guiding cam <NUM> may extend over the entire length of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> or over a fraction thereof.

In other examples, the guiding cam <NUM> may be similar to the guide rail of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. The guiding cam <NUM> may for example comprise an upper guiding cam and a lower guiding cam, e.g. similar to the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B in <FIG>. In some examples, the upper and lower guiding cams are arranged at a substantially uniform first distance. The upper and lower guiding cams may for example extend parallel to each other along a side face of the maintenance cartridge. The upper and lower guiding cams may e.g. extend along the Y direction in <FIG> and may be displaced from each other by the first distance along the Z direction or direction of view in <FIG>. In some examples, end portions of the upper and lower guiding cams may form an opening facing in the Y direction. The opening may e.g. be similar to the opening <NUM> of the slot <NUM>-C in <FIG>. The opening may have a width in a direction parallel to the side face that is larger than the first distance, in one example at least two times as large as the first distance, e.g. between two and five times as large as the first distance.

The cam follower <NUM> may for example be connected to the wiper <NUM>. The cam follower <NUM> may e.g. be similar to the pin <NUM> of the wiper assembly <NUM> or may be a protrusion extending from the wiper <NUM>, e.g. a protrusion extending along the X direction or the Z direction from a mount of the wiper <NUM>. The wiper <NUM> may e.g. be attached to the frame <NUM> such that the cam follower <NUM> comes in contact with the guiding cam <NUM> when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in a predetermined range along the transverse path <NUM>, e.g. as detailed below.

In some examples, the positioner <NUM> may comprise other elements in addition to or instead of the guiding cam <NUM> and the cam follower <NUM> to move the wiper <NUM> between the disengaged position and the engaged position depending on the position of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> perpendicular to the print head path <NUM>. The positioner <NUM> may for example comprise a spring (not shown) that is to press the cam follower <NUM> against the guiding cam <NUM>. In some examples, the positioner <NUM> may comprise a pivotably mounted lever (not shown) that is engaged with or mechanically coupled to the wiper <NUM>, wherein the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may come in contact with the lever at a predetermined position along the transverse path <NUM> and may rotate the lever to move the wiper <NUM> between the disengaged position and the engaged position when advancing further along the transverse path <NUM>. In another example, the positioner <NUM> may e.g. comprise a spring and a trigger (not shown) that are to move the wiper <NUM> between the disengaged position and the engaged position depending on the position of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> perpendicular to the print head path <NUM>. The spring may be to move the wiper <NUM> from the disengaged position to the engaged position or vice versa. The trigger may be to release and compress the spring. The trigger may e.g. be a mechanical trigger that is mechanically coupled to the maintenance cartridge <NUM> or an electromechanical trigger, which may e.g. be triggered by a sensor detecting the position of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>, for example a photoelectric relay. The trigger may e.g. be to release the spring when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in a first position to move the wiper <NUM> to the engaged position and to release the spring when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in a second position to return the wiper <NUM> to the disengaged position, e.g. due to gravity and/or a force generated by a second spring. In other examples, the positioner <NUM> may e.g. comprise a gear drive, a hydraulic system and/or a wire or cord that are to selectively couple the maintenance cartridge <NUM> to the wiper <NUM> and to thereby move the wiper <NUM> depending on the position of the maintenance cartridge <NUM>.

In some examples, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may comprise a spittoon subsystem (not shown) with a reservoir that is to receive material ejected from the print head <NUM>. The spittoon subsystem may e.g. be similar to the spittoon subsystem <NUM> of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and may also comprise a spit roller in some examples. The positioner <NUM> may be to move the wiper <NUM> to the engaged position when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved to a spitting position, in which the reservoir is aligned with the print head path <NUM>, i.e. such that the reservoir is located underneath the print head path <NUM> in the direction of view of <FIG>. In one example, the flat portion <NUM>-III of the guiding cam <NUM> may be elevated along the Z direction relative to the flat portion <NUM>-I, e.g. similar to the guide rail <NUM> in <FIG>, and may be adjacent to the spittoon subsystem. The guiding cam <NUM> may be aligned with the print head path <NUM>, e.g. as illustrated in <FIG>, such that the guiding cam <NUM> is in contact with the elevated flat portion <NUM>-III when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in the spitting position and the wiper <NUM> is thus raised to the engaged position.

<FIG> depicts a flow chart of a method <NUM> of cleaning a print head using a print head maintenance assembly in accordance with an example, wherein the print head maintenance assembly comprises a maintenance cartridge and a wiper. The method <NUM> may for example be used to clean the print head <NUM> of the printing device <NUM> and is described in the following using the printing device <NUM> of <FIG> as an example. Accordingly, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is used as an example of a maintenance cartridge and the wiper <NUM> is used as an example of a wiper. In other examples, a different printing device and/or a different print head maintenance assembly may be used, e.g. the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> of <FIG> or the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> of <FIG>, e.g. as described below for the method <NUM>. The method <NUM> is not limited to the order of execution indicated by the flow chart in <FIG>. As far as technically feasible, the method <NUM> may be executed in an arbitrary order and parts thereof may be executed simultaneously at least in part.

The method <NUM> comprises, in block <NUM>, moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along a first or Y direction without moving the wiper <NUM>. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved perpendicular to the print head path <NUM> of the print head <NUM>, e.g. along the transverse path <NUM>. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved from a first position to a second position.

In some examples, the wiper <NUM> may not be mechanically engaged with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is at the first position and/or between the first and second positions. In the context of this disclosure, the wiper <NUM> not being mechanically engaged with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may refer to a situation in which the wiper <NUM> is not in contact with or coupled to the maintenance cartridge <NUM> or is in contact with or coupled to the maintenance cartridge <NUM> in a way that permits moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> without moving the wiper <NUM>. Accordingly, when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is at the first position and/or between the first and second positions, the cam follower <NUM> connected to the wiper <NUM> may e.g. not be in contact with the guiding cam <NUM> and/or may be in contact with a flat portion of the guiding cam <NUM>, e.g. with the flat portion <NUM>-I. Accordingly, the cam follower <NUM> may e.g. slide horizontally along the flat portion <NUM>-I when moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. No force is applied to the wiper <NUM> such that the wiper <NUM> remains in place. The wiper <NUM> may for example remain in a disengaged position while the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved from the first to the second position. In some examples, the second position may be the position at which the wiper <NUM> mechanically engages with the maintenance cartridge <NUM>, e.g. as detailed below for block <NUM>. In other examples, the wiper <NUM> may not be mechanically engaged with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is at the second position.

The method <NUM> further comprises, at block <NUM>, moving the wiper <NUM> from a disengaged position to an engaged position. In the disengaged position, the wiper <NUM> is arranged outside of the print head path <NUM>, e.g. since the wiper <NUM> is lowered such that the print head <NUM> cannot come in contact with the wiper <NUM>. In the engaged position, the wiper <NUM> is arranged in the print head path <NUM>, e.g. since the wiper <NUM> is raised such that the print head <NUM> can come in contact with the wiper <NUM> when moved to a wiping position along the print head path <NUM> above the wiper <NUM>.

The wiper <NUM> is moved by mechanically engaging the wiper <NUM> with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along the Y direction from the second position to a wiping position. In the context of this disclosure, mechanically engaging the wiper <NUM> with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is to be understood as mechanically coupling the wiper <NUM> to the maintenance cartridge <NUM> such that a motion of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may induce a motion of the wiper <NUM>, e.g. due to a force on the cam follower <NUM> generated by the guiding cam <NUM>, e.g. by the inclined portion <NUM>-II.

In some examples, the wiper <NUM> may engage with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is at the second position. The second position may e.g. be the position at which the cam follower <NUM> comes in contact with the inclined portion <NUM>-II. In other examples, the wiper <NUM> may engage with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is at a position between the second position and the wiping position. When the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in the wiping position, the cam follower <NUM> may for example be in contact with the elevated flat portion <NUM>-III and may e.g. be arranged at the center of the elevated flat portion <NUM>-III. As the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved from the second position to the wiping position, the cam follower <NUM> may slide along the inclined portion <NUM>-II, thereby pressing the wiper <NUM> upwards from the disengaged position to the engaged position (cf.

In other examples, the wiper <NUM> may additionally or alternatively engage with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and/or be moved by the maintenance cartridge <NUM> by other means, e.g. as described above for the positioner <NUM> of the printing device <NUM>.

The method <NUM> also comprises, at block <NUM>, moving the print head <NUM> along the print head path <NUM> while the wiper <NUM> is in the engaged position to wipe a nozzle plate of the print head <NUM> with the wiper <NUM>. For this, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may for example be kept in the wiping position, e.g. such that the cam follower <NUM> is placed at the center of the elevated flat portion <NUM>-III. In some examples, the print head <NUM> may be moved back and forth across the wiper <NUM> in block <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts a flow chart of a method <NUM> of cleaning a print head using a print head maintenance assembly with a maintenance cartridge and a wiper according to another example. The method <NUM> is similar to the method <NUM> and is described in the following using the printing device <NUM> of <FIG> and the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> of <FIG> as examples. Accordingly, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is used as an example of a maintenance cartridge and the wiper assembly <NUM> is used as an example of a wiper. In other examples, a different printing device and/or a different print head maintenance assembly may be used, e.g. the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> of <FIG> or the print head maintenance assembly <NUM> of <FIG>. The method <NUM> is not limited to the order of execution indicated by the flow chart in <FIG>. As far as technically feasible, the method <NUM> may be executed in an arbitrary order and parts thereof may be executed simultaneously at least in part.

The method <NUM> comprises, at block <NUM>, moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along the first or Y direction perpendicular to the print head path <NUM> of the print head <NUM> from a first position to a second position without moving the wiper assembly <NUM>, e.g. similar as described above for block <NUM> of method <NUM>.

The first position may for example be the position in which the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is depicted in the example of <FIG>, i.e. a first end position at one end of the frame <NUM>. In the first end position, the pin <NUM> is located outside of the slot <NUM>-C adjacent to the opening <NUM> and the wiper assembly <NUM> is not mechanically engaged with the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. The wiper assembly <NUM> may be in the disengaged position, e.g. due to gravity and/or a spring pressing the wiper assembly <NUM> downwards. As the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is moved away from the first end position, e.g. along the negative Y direction in <FIG>, the pin <NUM> may enter the insertion portion <NUM>-III through the opening <NUM>. In the insertion portion <NUM>-C, the width of the slot <NUM>-C may decrease as depicted in <FIG> such that the pin <NUM> may be guided towards the inclined portion <NUM>-II by the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B. The second position may for example be a position in which the pin <NUM> is arranged in the opening <NUM> or within the insertion portion <NUM>-III. In some examples, the second position may be the position at which the wiper assembly <NUM> mechanically engages with the maintenance cartridge <NUM>, e.g. as detailed below. In other examples, the first and second positions may e.g. be positions in which the pin <NUM> is arranged within the flat portion <NUM>-I or outside of the slot <NUM>-C adjacent to the flat portion <NUM>-I. Accordingly, the pin <NUM> may slide along the flat portion <NUM>-I when moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> from the first to the second position. No force is applied to the wiper assembly <NUM> and the wiper assembly <NUM> remains in place.

The method <NUM> further comprises, at block <NUM>, mechanically engaging the wiper assembly <NUM> with the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. This may comprise moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along the Y direction in some examples, e.g. past the second position. Mechanically engaging the wiper assembly <NUM> to the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may comprise engaging a pin that is attached to the wiper assembly <NUM>, e.g. the pin <NUM>, with a guiding surface that is arranged on a side face of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and inclined relative to the Y direction, e.g. a surface of the inclined portion <NUM>-II of the slot <NUM>-C.

In the example of <FIG>, the pin <NUM> may come in contact with the upper and/or lower guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B and thereby mechanically engage the wiper assembly <NUM> with the maintenance cartridge <NUM>. The pin <NUM> may in particular come in contact with an inclined surface of the upper and/or lower guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B, e.g. in the inclined portion <NUM>-II, such that a motion of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along the Y direction generates a force on the wiper assembly <NUM> along the Z direction due to the inclination of the inclined surface. In some examples, the second position may thus be the position at which the pin <NUM> comes enters the inclined portion <NUM>-II.

In some examples, mechanically engaging the wiper assembly <NUM> with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may comprise guiding the pin <NUM> towards the inclined portion <NUM>-II, e.g. by bringing the pin <NUM> in contact with an inclined surface of the guiding cams <NUM>-A, <NUM>-B in the insertion portion <NUM>-III. This may allow for reliably capturing the pin <NUM> in the slot <NUM>-C irrespective of an initial position of the wiper assembly <NUM>.

The method <NUM> further comprises, at block <NUM>, moving the wiper assembly <NUM> from the disengaged position to the engaged position, thereby placing the wiper element <NUM> in the print head path <NUM>. The wiper assembly <NUM> is moved by moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> to the wiping position, e.g. from the second position. The wiping position may e.g. be the position at which the pin <NUM> is at the highest point of the inclined portion <NUM>-II along the Z direction, e.g. at the center of the inclined portion <NUM>-II as illustrated in <FIG>.

Moving the wiper assembly <NUM> from the disengaged position to the engaged position may comprise moving the pin <NUM> along a guiding surface by moving the maintenance cartridge from the second position to the wiping position. When moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> in the example of <FIG>, the pin <NUM> may slide along a surface of the lower guiding cam <NUM>-A in the inclined portion <NUM>-II of the slot <NUM>-C and the surface of the lower guiding cam <NUM>-A may press the maintenance assembly <NUM> upwards to the engaged position.

In block <NUM>, the print head <NUM> is moved along the print head path <NUM> while the wiper assembly <NUM> is in the engaged position to wipe a nozzle plate of the print head <NUM> with the wiper element <NUM>, e.g. as described above for block <NUM> of method <NUM>.

The method <NUM> may further comprise, in block <NUM>, ejecting printing fluid from the print head <NUM> to a reservoir. The maintenance cartridge <NUM> may for example comprise a spittoon subsystem such as the spittoon subsystem <NUM> described above with reference to <FIG>. In block <NUM>, the print head <NUM> may be moved to a spitting position along the print head path <NUM> and printing fluid may be ejected from nozzles of the print head <NUM>, e.g. to prevent the nozzles from clogging. In some examples, block <NUM> may also comprises moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> to a spitting position along the transverse path <NUM>, in which the reservoir and/or a spit roller of the spittoon subsystem <NUM> is aligned with the print head path <NUM>. In other examples, the spitting position of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may correspond to the wiping position of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> and the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may not be moved in block <NUM>.

In some examples, the maintenance cartridge <NUM> may comprises a capping subsystem such as the capping subsystem <NUM> with a cap for covering the print head <NUM>, e.g. a cap for covering a nozzle plate of the print head <NUM>. The method <NUM> may further comprise, in block <NUM>, moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> between the wiping position and a capping position. When the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in the capping position, the cap may cover the nozzle plate of the print head <NUM>, e.g. when the print head <NUM> is at a capping position along the print head path <NUM>. In some examples, the wiper assembly <NUM> may be in the disengaged position when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in the capping position. The pin <NUM> may for example be arranged in the flat portion <NUM>-I of the slot <NUM>-C when the maintenance cartridge <NUM> is in the capping position.

In some examples, block <NUM> may be executed after blocks <NUM> and <NUM> with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> initially in the wiping position and may comprise moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> from the wiping position to the capping position, e.g. after the printing device <NUM> has finished a print job. In other examples, block <NUM> may be executed before blocks <NUM> and <NUM> with the maintenance cartridge <NUM> initially in the capping position, e.g. after switching on the printing device <NUM> or prior to execution of a print job. Accordingly, block <NUM> may comprise moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> from the capping position to the wiping position.

The methods <NUM> and <NUM> may also comprise additional elements which are not illustrated in <FIG> and/or <NUM>. For example, the methods <NUM> and <NUM> may further comprise wiping the print head <NUM> using the additional wiper of the wiping subsystem <NUM> of the maintenance cartridge <NUM> by moving the maintenance cartridge <NUM> along the transverse path <NUM>.

The methods <NUM>, <NUM> may be part of a regular maintenance routine of a printing device, which may e.g. be executed when switching on the printing device, at the beginning and/or end of a print job and/or in regular intervals. In some examples, the methods <NUM>, <NUM> may be executed whenever a new print head is installed in the printing device and/or whenever the printing device was opened or serviced.

Claim 1:
A print head maintenance assembly (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), the print head maintenance assembly (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
a maintenance cartridge (<NUM>, <NUM>) that is moveable along a first direction (Y); and
a wiper assembly (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprising a wiper element (<NUM>) for wiping a print head (<NUM>), the wiper element (<NUM>) extending along the first direction (Y),
wherein:
the maintenance cartridge (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprises a guide rail (<NUM>, <NUM>) extending along the first direction (Y); and
the guide rail (<NUM>, <NUM>) is to engage with the wiper assembly (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to adjust a position of the wiper element (<NUM>) depending on a relative position between the maintenance cartridge (<NUM>, <NUM>) and the wiper assembly (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) in the first direction (Y).