US 11,919,307 B2
Mobile printhead cleaner for print module
Willard Charles Raymond, Plymouth, MN (US); Charles Carlson Langford, Plymouth, MN (US); Nathan Albert Bergman, Minneapolis, MN (US); Michael Laurence Beauchene, Dayton, MN (US); Anthony David Kaufhold, Chaska, MN (US); Richard Charles Raymond, Fridley, MN (US); and Nicholas Todd Mann, Orono, MN (US)
Assigned to Prototype and Production Systems, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Appl. No. 17/270,942
Filed by Prototype and Production Systems, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 29, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/048871
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 24, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/051066, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 12, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/726,489, filed on Sep. 4, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0339535 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. B41J 2/165 (2006.01); B41J 2/14 (2006.01); B41J 2/175 (2006.01); B41J 11/00 (2006.01); B41J 25/00 (2006.01); B41J 25/304 (2006.01); B41J 25/34 (2006.01); B41J 29/02 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/1433 (2013.01) [B41J 2/16505 (2013.01); B41J 2/16508 (2013.01); B41J 2/16511 (2013.01); B41J 2/1652 (2013.01); B41J 2/16532 (2013.01); B41J 2/16547 (2013.01); B41J 2/16552 (2013.01); B41J 2/16588 (2013.01); B41J 2/1752 (2013.01); B41J 11/008 (2013.01); B41J 25/001 (2013.01); B41J 25/003 (2013.01); B41J 25/304 (2013.01); B41J 25/34 (2013.01); B41J 29/02 (2013.01); B41J 2002/16555 (2013.01); B41J 2002/16558 (2013.01); B41J 2/16585 (2013.01); B41J 2202/20 (2013.01); B41J 2202/21 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mobile printhead cleaner for a print module, comprising:
(a) a printing apparatus having a print module with an array of printhead fluid dispensers;
(b) a printhead cleaning member movably connected to said print module and being transitional between a cleaning position for said printhead fluid dispensers and a non-obstructing storage position relative to said printhead fluid dispensers;
(c) said cleaning member upon activation being constructed to travel across said printhead fluid dispensers and remove accumulated debris therefrom;
(d) said cleaning member upon deactivation being constructed to transition to said non-obstructing storage position relative to said printhead fluid dispensers so as to permit printing therewith;
(e) said cleaning member being carried on a printhead capping panel which enables said printhead fluid dispensers to be covered when not in use;
(f) said cleaning member and said capping panel transition together between said cleaning position and said storage position; and
(g) said print module having a defined outer confines, and said cleaning member and said capping panel remaining within said outer confines of said print module during transition between said cleaning position and said storage position.