US 11,679,591 B2
Printhead maintenance system
Zhenya Yourlo, North Ryde (AU); and Reza Behi, North Ryde (AU)
Assigned to Memjet Technology Limited
Filed by Memjet Technology Limited, Dublin (IE)
Filed on Sep. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/475,037.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/081,765, filed on Sep. 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0088932 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B41J 2/165 (2006.01); B41J 2/045 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/16552 (2013.01) [B41J 2/04563 (2013.01); B41J 2/1652 (2013.01); B41J 2/16532 (2013.01); B41J 2/16535 (2013.01); B41J 2002/16558 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printhead maintenance system comprising:
an elongate inkjet printhead having a nozzle face containing a plurality of inkjet nozzles;
a carriage movable longitudinally along the printhead in a cleaning direction, the carriage including a maintenance member comprising: a fluid bath having a mouth opposing the nozzle face of the printhead, a primary fluid inlet at an upstream end of the fluid bath relative to the cleaning direction and a fluid outlet at a downstream end of the fluid bath relative to the cleaning direction; and
a traversing mechanism for traversing the carriage longitudinally along the printhead in the cleaning direction,
wherein:
the maintenance member does not contact inkjet nozzles of the printhead; and
the fluid bath is configured to provide a greater fluid velocity at the downstream end relative to the upstream end.