Printhead assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition

摘要

A printhead assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The assembly comprises a printhead having an ink ejection face and a printhead maintenance station. The printhead maintenance station comprises an elastically deformable pad having a contact surface for sealing engagement with the face, and an engagement mechanism for moving the pad between a first position in which the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face. The printhead assembly is configured such that the contact surface is progressively contacted with the face during sealing engagement and peeled away from the face during disengagement.