Printhead cleaning assembly

摘要

System and methods for cleaning printheads and printhead wipers. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a belt configured to rotate in a loop, and a wiper attached to the belt configured to wipe ink from a printhead. The apparatus also includes a tank configured as a reservoir for a cleaning solution, and a controller configured to drive the belt so that an end of the wiper drags across the printhead when in an upper portion of the loop and submerges in the cleaning solution of the tank when in a lower portion of the loop.

主权项

1. A printhead cleaning system comprising:
a print engine operable to mark a print media, the print engine including a printhead; a cleaning assembly comprising:
a belt configured to rotate in a loop;a wiper attached to an outer perimeter of the belt; anda tank configured as a reservoir for a cleaning solution; a drive unit configured to drive the belt so that an end of the wiper is able to drag across a surface of the printhead when in an upper portion of the loop and able to submerge in the cleaning solution of the tank when in a lower portion of the loop; a positioning system configured to move the cleaning assembly in a lateral direction from a storage position away from underneath the printhead to a cleaning position underneath the printhead so that the wiper contacts the printhead; and a controller configured to determine to initiate cleaning for the printhead, and to direct the positioning system to move the cleaning assembly from the storage position to the cleaning position; wherein the controller configured to direct the drive unit to rotate the belt a first distance to cause the wiper to contact the surface of the printhead for removal of ink from the printhead, and to rotate the belt a second distance to cause the wiper to contact the cleaning solution for removal of ink from the wiper.