Color capable single-cartridge inkjet service station

Details Color capable single-cartridge inkjet service station Color capable single-cartridge inkjet service station

1995-09-25

1998-05-26

Fuller, Benjamin R.

Incremental printing of symbolic information

Ink jet

Ejector mechanism

347 29, 347 32, B41J 2165

Patent

active

057573956

ABSTRACT:
A service station for a single-cartridge inkjet printing mechanism interchangeably receives different types of inkjet cartridges, with each type of cartridge having different servicing needs. To hermetically seal each cartridge printhead during periods of inactivity, two caps are gimbal-mounted at opposing ends of a retaining sleeve. The caps are spring-biased away from one another by a single spring, which may be compressed during printhead capping to accommodate for variations in printhead height between different cartridges. Gimbal mounting the caps allows each cap to compensate for any tilting of the printhead face when the cartridge is installed, which insures an adequate seal. The sleeve is rotated to bring the proper cap into alignment with the installed printhead. The service station also has two wipers, a spittoon, and a carriage locking mechanism. A method is also provided of servicing different types of cartridges in a single-cartridge inkjet printing mechanism.

REFERENCES:
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patent: 5103244 (1992-04-01), Gast et al.
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Hewlett-Packard Patent application Ser. No. 08/059402 filed on May 11, 1993.
Hewlett-Packard Company, the present assignee of Ser. No. 08/348,624, filed on Dec. 3, 1994, first offered for sale to OEM manufacturers as a facsimile inkjet mechanism, known as the GPM-3 engine, in Jul. 1993. Two sketches showing the service station assembly for the GPM-3 engine.
Hewlett-Packard Patent application Ser. No. 08/289876 filed Aug. 12, 1994.
Hewlett-Packard Patent application Ser. No. 08/218391 filed Mar. 25, 1994.
GPM3 Service Station Design first sold by Hewlett-Packard Company on Jul. 1, 1993.

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