Patent ID: 8157348

Claim:
A page wide array printer, comprising: a print head bar which carries an array of print nozzles substantially disposed in a line that spans a printable width of a print medium, and which is static during a printing operation; and a carriage comprising print head service elements and spanning less than the printable width, the service elements including a spittoon, a wiper and a drop detector, wherein the print head bar is movable perpendicularly to a plane of the print medium beneath the print head bar, between a lowered print position and a raised service position, wherein the carriage is moveable along the print head bar in a lateral direction along the printable width, perpendicular to the print medium feed direction, to perform a service operation on substantially all of the print nozzles in sequence when the print head bar is in the raised position, and wherein the spittoon, the wiper, and the drop detector are disposed on the carriage such that movement of the carriage along the print head bar in the lateral direction causes an individual print nozzle to be serviced sequentially by the spittoon first, the wiper second, and the drop detector third.