Patent ID: 7472981

Claim:
A printhead assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition, said assembly comprising: a printhead having an ink ejection face; and a printhead maintenance station comprising: an elastically deformable pad having a contact surface for sealing engagement with said face; an engagement mechanism for moving said pad between a first position in which said contact surface is sealingly engaged with said face and a second position in which said contact surface is disengaged from said face; and a wicking element and channel positioned adjacent an edge of said printhead for removing ink from an edge portion of said contact surface and/or said face, the wicking element comprising a resilient film configured to be resiliently moved through contact with the pad so as to taper the wicking channel, wherein said printhead assembly is configured such that said contact surface is progressively contacted with said face during sealing engagement and peeled away from said face during disengagement.