Patent ID: 7648231

Claim:
An insulating assembly for insulating solid ink printheads including an upper printhead having a front face disposed in a first plane for ejecting ink onto a receiving surface and a lower printhead having a front face disposed in a second plane different than the first plane and forming an angle with the first plane for ejecting ink onto the receiving surface, the insulating assembly comprising: a first printhead insulator having a car having a front end pivot connection, a back end pivot connection and thermal insulation; a track having a first portion extending parallel to the first plane and a second portion extending parallel to the second plane, the track supporting the first printhead insulator car front end pivot connection and back end pivot connection for travel of the first printhead insulator car along a first insulator path interposed between the upper printhead and the receiving surface from a first printhead insulator home position not interposed between the upper printhead front face and the receiving surface to a first printhead insulating position wherein the thermal insulation is disposed adjacent to the upper printhead front face for insulating same; and a second printhead insulator having a car having thermal insulation and connected to the first printhead insulator car for travel along a second insulator path interposed between the lower printhead and the receiving surface from a second printhead insulator home position not interposed between the lower printhead front face and the receiving surface to a second printhead insulating position wherein the thermal insulation is disposed adjacent to the lower printhead front face for insulating same, wherein the first printhead insulator and the second printhead insulator are stacked together in the home positions and unstacked in the corresponding first and second printhead insulating positions.