Patent ID: 7850277

Claim:
A printhead maintenance station for a printer having a print carriage movable along a first axis including at least one print cartridge, said print cartridge having a printhead, comprising: a printhead maintenance sled movable along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, said sled having a sled rack; a lifting assembly having a cap which may be moved from said sled along a third axis, said third axis perpendicular to said first and said second axes; a wiping assembly attached to said sled and movable along said second axis; a sled drive assembly driving said sled, said lifting assembly and said wiping assembly, said sled drive assembly comprising a base rack and a pinion gear engaging said base rack wherein said base rack and pinion gear drive said sled along said second axis; a sled drive gear coaxially coupled to said pinion gear, said sled drive gear having a diameter that is greater than that of said pinion gear and engaging said sled rack, wherein said base rack, said pinion gear, said sled drive gear and said sled rack drive said sled along said second axis at a speed that is faster than that of said base rack; and a motor driving a media picking assembly and said printhead maintenance station.