Patent ID: 7699433

Claim:
A method of maintaining a stationary pagewidth inikjet printhead in an operable condition and/or remediating the stationary pagewidth inikjet printhead to an operable condition, said method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a chassis having mounted thereon: a maintenance roller having an elastically-deformable non-absorbent contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of said printhead; and an ink removal system for removing ink from said maintenance roller, said ink removal system comprising a transfer roller engaged with said maintenance roller; (ii) moving said chassis towards said stationary pagewidth inkjet printhead such that said contact surface is sealingly engaged with said face; (iii) moving said chassis away from said stationary pagewidth inkjet printhead such that said contact surface is disengaged from said face; (iv) rotating said maintenance roller such that said transfer roller receives ink from said maintenance roller; and (v) optionally repeating steps (ii) to (iv); wherein said chassis is moved substantially perpendicularly with respect to said face in steps (ii) and (iii), and wherein said maintenance roller does not rotate when sealingly engaged with said printhead.