Synchronized carriage and wiper motion method and apparatus for ink-jet printers

Claim 1

An ink-jet printer pen wiping method wherein a pen is mounted on a horizontally movable carriage such that its working surface is at a given level and wherein a wiper having a tip is mounted on a vertically movable sled forming part of a service station of the printer, with movement of the carriage and sled being provided by one or more motors responsive to a controller of the printer, the method comprising the step of: positioning the sled at a first predefined elevation relative to the carriage such that the wiper is below the level of the pen; first moving the carriage in a first direction to a position above the service station while concurrently moving the sled to a second predefined elevation relative to the carriage, thereby producing controlled-direction flexure of the wiper as the tip of the wiper comes into interference contact with the pen; wiping the pen with the wiper by a second movement of the carriage in the first direction in such position above the service station relative to the sled with the wiper remaining in interference contact with the pen; and ceasing said second moving of the carriage before the wiper reaches a far end of the pen. wherein said first moving of the carriage is performed at a first predefined speed as the wiper tip comes into said pen contact and wherein said second moving of the carriage is performed at a second predefined speed as the wiper wipes the pen, such second predefined speed being substantially greater than such first predefined speed.

Claim 5

An apparatus for use in an ink-jet printer having a printhead mounted on said carriage, a chassis and a pen-wiping station positioned generally along a reciprocal motion axis of said printhead carriage for selective wiping of one or more pens of said printhead mounted on the carriage, the appartus comprising: a sled forming a part of the pen-wiping station, said sled mounting one or more wipers, said sled being mounted relative to the chassis of the printer for vertical movement relative thereto into a pen-wiping elevation relative to the printhead when the carriage is moved into a service position; a motor operatively connected with the carriage and with said sled for moving said sled into operative pen-wiping engagement with the printhead responsive to a first control signal; and a controller coupled with said motor, said controller producing said first control signal, thereby providing for synchronous generally horizontal movement of the carriage and generally vertical movement of said sled by way of said first control signal, thereby to wipe the pen mounted on the carriage, said control signal causing said motor to move the carriage at a first predefined speed until said sled is moved into operative pen-wiping engagement and for a predetermined wiping period of time thereafter to move the carriage at a second predefined speed that is substantially greater than such first predefined speed and after such predetermined period of time to move the carriage at a third predefined speed that is substantially less than such second predefined speed and thereafter causing the motor to lower said sled out of operative pen-wiping engagement, wherein said controller provides for horizontal movement of the carriage by way of a second control signal to a motor operatively coupled with the carriage, and wherein said synchronous movements include simultaneously horizontal movement of said carriage in proximity to said sled and upward vertical movement of said sled when a pen-wiping commences as said sled-mounted wiper first engages the pen.

Claim 6

An apparatus for use in an ink-jet printer having a printhead mounted on said carriage, a chassis and a pen-wiping station positioned generally along a reciprocal motion axis of said printhead carriage for selective wiping of one or more pens of said printhead mounted on the carriage, the appartus comprising: a sled forming a part of the pen-wiping station, said sled mounting one or more wipers, said sled being mounted relative to the chassis of the printer for vertical movement relative thereto into a pen-wiping elevation relative to the printhead when the carriage is moved into a service position; a motor operatively connected with the carriage and with said sled for moving said sled into operative pen-wiping engagement with the printhead responsive to a first control signal; and a controller coupled with said motor, said controller producing said first control signal, thereby providing for synchronous generally horizontal movement of the carriage and generally vertical movement of said sled by way of said first control signal, thereby to wipe the pen mounted on the carriage, said control signal causing said motor to move the carriage at a first predefined speed until said sled is moved into operative pen-wiping engagement and for a predetermined wiping period of time thereafter to move the carriage at a second predefined speed that is substantially greater than such first predefined speed and after such predetermined period of time to move the carriage at a third predefined speed that is substantially less than such second predefined speed and thereafter causing the motor to lower said sled out of operative pen-wiping engagement, wherein said controller provides for horizontal movement of the carriage by way of a second control signal to a motor operatively coupled with the carriage, and wherein said synchronous movements include simultaneously horizontal movement of said carriage in proximity to said sled and upward vertical movement of said sled when a pen-wiping commences as said sled-mounted wiper first engages the pen.