US 7,552,994 B2
Print-head maintenance device for use in an inkjet printer
Huai-Wen Hsu, Taipei (Taiwan)
Assigned to Qisda Corporation, Taoyuan County (Taiwan)
Filed on Feb. 22, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/359,724.
Claims priority of application No. 94106376 A (TW), filed on Mar. 03, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2006/0197798 A1, Sep. 07, 2006
Int. Cl. B41J 2/165 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 347—32  [347/29; 347/33] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
7. A maintenance device for maintaining two print-heads of a pair of ink cartridges that are juxtaposed to each other, wherein the ink cartridges are movable back and forth along a guiding rail and the maintenance device is disposed securely below one end of the guiding rail, the maintenance comprising:
a casing having a bottom, and left and right sides formed with a pair of first guiding grooves extending parallel to of said bottom, said casing further being formed with a pair of second guiding grooves that are located inwardly with respect to said pair of first guiding grooves and extend perpendicularly from said bottom of said casing;
a sliding member disposed within said casing, and having left and right outward tongues engaging slidably said pair of first guiding grooves in said casing so as to permit two-way movement of said sliding member within said casing, said sliding member having a pair of inclined third guiding grooves and a pair of inclined fourth guiding grooves;
a first shielding unit including a first mounting seat that has front and rear positioning stubs respectively engaging said pair of second guiding grooves in said casing, and two flanges on left and right lateral sides for engaging said pair of inclined third guiding grooves in said sliding member, and a first shield fixed on said first mounting seat; and
a second shielding unit including a second mounting seat that has front and rear positioning stubs respectively engaging said pair of second guiding grooves in said casing, and two flanges on left and right lateral sides for engaging said pair of inclined fourth guiding grooves in said sliding member, and a second shield fixed on said second mounting seat;
whereby, movement of said sliding member along said pair of first guiding grooves in a first direction results in simultaneous pushing of said first and second mounting seats by said sliding member, thereby moving said first and second mounting seats along said pair second guiding grooves so as to press said first and second shields respectively against the print heads, and movement of said sliding member along said pair of first guiding grooves in a second direction opposite to said first direction results in removal of said first and second shields respectively from said print-heads.