Patent ID: 8011754

Claim:
A print assembly for a wide format pagewidth inkjet printer, the print assembly comprising an elongate carrier that is mountable on a support structure of the printer and is positioned an operative distance from a platen of the printer; a number of printhead chips that are mounted on the carrier, the printhead chips being provided in a number and configuration such that the printhead chips define a printing zone between the carrier and the platen, the printing zone having a length of at least 36 inches (914 mm), each printhead chip being of the type that incorporates a plurality of nozzle arrangements, each nozzle arrangement being in the form of a micro electromechanical system to achieve the ejection of ink from the nozzle arrangement; a plurality of controllers positioned on the carrier, each controller being operatively connected to a respective group of the printhead chips to control operation of the connected printhead chips; a plurality of capping devices that are mounted on the carrier to correspond with respective printhead chips, each capping device being displaceable between a first position at which the respective printhead chip is capped and a second position at which the respective printhead chips is uncapped; and a camshaft rotationally mounted to the carrier so as to be positioned behind the printhead chips with respect to the printing zone and translating member interconnecting the camshaft and the capping devices so that rotational movement of the camshaft causes reciprocal movement of the capping devices between the first and second positions.