| 摘要 |
An ink jet printer maintenance or cleaning system (10) for continuous ink jet printing systems having an ink collecting gutter (12) on the print head (12, 46). The maintenance or cleaning system (10) generally comprises a hydrodynamic cleaning fluid nozzle (24) disposed within the print head (12, 46), a wiper (26, 52) for engaging the print head (12, 46), and a spittoon (28, 66) for collecting discharged cleaning fluid. Relative translational movement between the wiper (26, 52) and the print head (12, 46), along with a discharge of cleaning fluid from the hydrodynamic cleaning fluid nozzle (24), cleans the ink nozzle (18) of the print head (12, 46). In a preferred embodiment, the wiper (26, 52) is disposed on the spittoon (28), which is positioned along one end of the guide shafts (16a, 16b) such that movement of the print head (12) over the spittoon (28) causes the wiper (26) to engage the print head (12) and clean the ink nozzle (18). In an alternate embodiment, the wiper (52) is disposed on a wiper shuttle (44) that is slidably attached to the print head (44). As the print head (44) moves over the spittoon (66), a pair of pins (56a, 56b) along with a corresponding pair of mechanical stops (64a, 64b), causes the print head (44) to move relative to the wiper (52), thereby cleaning the print head (44).
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