A maintenance device for a print head and a printing system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of printing, in particular to a kind of maintenance device of printing nozzle and printing system.The maintenance device of printing nozzle includes shell, cover assembly, wiping assembly and drive assembly.Cover assembly is installed in shell in a way that it can be lifted up and down.Wiping assembly includes lifting unit and wiping roller.Lifting unit is set in shell in a way that it can be lifted up and down.Wiping roller is rotatably installed in the free end of lifting unit.The outer circumferential surface of wiping roller is flexible surface.Drive assembly is used to drive wiping assembly and cover assembly to lift up and down.Wiping roller can contact with printing nozzle and wipe when it rises up.Cover assembly is used to form closed ink suction cavity after it rises up, which is formed by sticking to the end face of printing nozzle.Drive assembly is located in shell.In the state that maintenance device is installed in printer, printing nozzle passes through the upper side of wiping assembly in the path from printing work area to the upper side of cover assembly.In this way, the problem of poor cleaning effect of printing nozzle is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of printing technology, and more specifically, to a printhead maintenance device and a printing system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most industrial inkjet printers are equipped with maintenance stations, which are primarily responsible for two types of operations: printhead moisturizing and sealing, and residual ink removal. Existing mainstream maintenance station transmission mechanisms can simultaneously perform two sets of actions: the cap's vertical lifting and the scraper's forward and backward movement. These actions are completed in a time-sharing manner, including printhead moisturizing and sealing, ink extraction and unblocking, and residual ink removal. Under normal conditions, the cap adheres to the printhead end face to form a sealed space, preventing the nozzles from drying out and becoming clogged. During ink extraction, the cap adheres to the printhead to apply pressure and remove blockages. Residual ink removal relies on the horizontal movement of a linear scraper, where the printhead actively impacts the scraper's rubber strip to remove residual ink adhering to the printhead end face.

[0003] However, the straight scraper is only compatible with planar piezoelectric printheads. The nozzle of the thermal inkjet printhead has a raised encapsulation structure. When the scraper scrapes in a straight line, it will form a continuous large amount of interference friction with the raised part. Long-term operation can easily cause the printhead encapsulation to crack and fall off. In addition, the straight passive scraping method is not very effective at removing residual ink from the raised part. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problem of poor printhead cleaning performance, this invention provides a printhead maintenance device and printing system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a printhead maintenance device, comprising:

[0006] case;

[0007] A cover assembly is mounted in the housing in a height-adjustable manner;

[0008] A wiping assembly includes a lifting unit and a wiping roller; the lifting unit is vertically and vertically disposed within the housing; the wiping roller is rotatably mounted on the free end of the lifting unit; the outer circumferential surface of the wiping roller is a flexible surface.

[0009] A drive assembly is used to drive the wiping assembly and the capping assembly to rise and fall; the wiping roller rises to contact the print head and wipe it; the capping assembly rises to fit against the end face of the print head to form a sealed ink extraction chamber; the drive assembly is located inside the housing.

[0010] When the maintenance device is installed in the printer, the print head moves from the printing work area to above the cover assembly, passing above the wiping assembly.

[0011] Optionally, the drive assembly includes a drive unit and a first transmission unit;

[0012] The drive unit includes a drive motor, a main drive wheel, a first gear, a drive center, and a cam; the main drive wheel is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor; the main drive wheel meshes with the first gear; the rotation axes of the first gear and the drive center extend vertically and are coaxially driven; the cam is connected to the outer peripheral wall of the drive center.

[0013] The first transmission unit includes a push rod and a rack; the lifting unit includes a swing seat and transmission teeth; the swing seat is rotatably mounted on the housing about a horizontal axis, and the transmission teeth are connected to the swing seat; a plurality of transmission teeth are distributed around the swing axis of the swing seat; the push rod and the rack move in the horizontal direction and are connected in transmission; the axis of rotation of the swing seat is parallel to the wiping roller and has a gap.

[0014] Optionally, the wiping roller extends axially along a first horizontal direction; the first horizontal direction is perpendicular to a second horizontal direction; the capping assembly and the wiping assembly are spaced apart along the second horizontal direction; the drive hub is spaced apart from the wiping roller and the capping assembly along the first horizontal direction; the rack extends along the second horizontal direction.

[0015] The first transmission unit further includes a first wedge portion and a second wedge portion that slide together; the first wedge portion is connected to the push rod; the second wedge portion is connected to the rack; the wedge surface of the first wedge portion slides and fits into the wedge surface of the second wedge portion.

[0016] Optionally, the drive assembly further includes a second transmission unit; the second transmission unit includes a drive rod; the outer peripheral surface of the drive center is recessed to form a drive groove; the height of the drive groove gradually decreases along the fourth rotation direction; one end of the drive rod is connected to the cover assembly, and the other end extends into the drive groove.

[0017] Optionally, the outer peripheral surface of the drive center is further recessed to form a first horizontal groove and a second horizontal groove; the first horizontal groove, the drive groove, and the second horizontal groove are connected sequentially along the fourth rotation direction;

[0018] The cam includes a first arc surface and a second arc surface; a third arc surface is provided on the drive pivot; the shortest distance from each position of the third arc surface to the central axis of the drive pivot is equal; the third arc surface, the first arc surface, and the second arc surface are connected along a fourth rotation direction; the distance from the first arc surface to the central axis of the drive pivot gradually increases along the fourth rotation direction; the shortest distance from each position of the second arc surface to the central axis of the drive pivot is equal; the shortest distance from each position of the third arc surface to the central axis of the drive pivot is equal.

[0019] When the first arc surface abuts against the push rod, the drive rod is located in the second horizontal groove;

[0020] When the drive rod is located in the drive groove, the push rod abuts against the third arc surface.

[0021] Optionally, the drive assembly further includes an incomplete gear set; the incomplete gear set is coaxially connected to the first gear; the end face of the incomplete gear set abuts against the first gear; and the incomplete gear set is fixedly connected to the drive hub.

[0022] The cam further includes a first abutting surface; the first abutting surface is connected between the second arcuate surface and the outer peripheral wall of the drive center;

[0023] When the first contact surface abuts against the push rod, the push rod restricts the cam from rotating in the fourth direction, and the incomplete gear set is spaced apart from the main drive wheel;

[0024] When the drive rod is located in the drive groove or when the first arc surface abuts the push rod, the incomplete gear set meshes with the main drive wheel.

[0025] Optionally, the driving unit further includes a third transmission unit, which connects the wiping roller and the driving unit; when the driving unit rotates along the second rotation direction, the third transmission unit synchronously drives the wiping roller to rotate around its own axis.

[0026] Optionally, the third transmission unit includes a fourth gear, a fifth gear, and a clutch module; the clutch module includes a first clutch part and a second clutch part; the first gear is drivenly connected to the fourth gear; and the fifth gear is drivenly connected to the wiping roller.

[0027] The rotation axes of the first clutch portion and the second clutch portion extend along a first horizontal direction; the first clutch portion includes a clutch protrusion; the second clutch portion includes a first clutch abutment surface, a second clutch abutment surface, a clutch inclined surface, and a first clutch tooth; the fifth gear is provided with a second clutch tooth that engages with the first clutch tooth.

[0028] The first clutch abutment surface and the second clutch abutment surface are arranged opposite each other circumferentially along the second clutch portion; the clutch ramp is connected between the first clutch abutment surface and the second clutch abutment surface; the distance from the clutch ramp to the first clutch portion gradually decreases in the direction from the first clutch abutment surface to the second clutch abutment surface; the clutch protrusion extends into the space between the first clutch abutment surface and the second clutch abutment surface along a first horizontal direction.

[0029] Optionally, the wiping assembly includes an ink-absorbing roller;

[0030] The axial direction of the ink-absorbing roller is parallel to the axial direction of the wiping roller; the outer peripheral wall of the ink-absorbing roller abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the wiping roller; the ink-absorbing roller and the fifth gear are connected by a transmission.

[0031] When the fifth gear rotates, it drives the wiping roller and the ink-absorbing roller to rotate in the same direction.

[0032] Secondly, the present invention provides a printing system comprising a printhead maintenance device as described in any one of the first aspects, the printing system further comprising:

[0033] Print head;

[0034] A housing assembly, wherein the housing and the print head are disposed within the housing assembly; the print head is used for printing on paper; and a printing working area is provided within the housing assembly.

[0035] To solve the problem of poor printhead cleaning effect, this invention has the following advantages:

[0036] By replacing the rigid, linear scraper with a flexible wiping roller, and raising the roller under the drive of the lifting unit to contact the printhead end face for wiping, the flexible surface conforms to the raised encapsulation structure at the thermally heated printhead nozzle upon contact, achieving a close-fitting wiping effect. This avoids the hard interference friction between the rigid scraper and the raised structure, reduces contact stress, and prevents the printhead encapsulation from cracking or falling off, solving the problem of easy damage to the encapsulation during thermally heated printhead maintenance. At the same time, the flexible surface continuously covers the raised areas as the wiping roller rotates, improving the removal effect of residual ink on the raised areas and solving the problem of poor removal of residual ink on raised areas by linear passive scraping. In addition, by simultaneously driving the wiping assembly and the capping assembly to rise and fall with the same drive component, and setting the necessary path for the printhead to move to the capping assembly above the wiping assembly, the wiping cleaning and capping moisturizing are sequentially connected in the same device, achieving the above maintenance effects while making the structure more compact. Furthermore, when the print head moves toward the capping assembly for capping, the wiping roller can be kept in a descending position to avoid excessive friction between the wiping roller and the print head end face during the capping stroke, thereby reducing unnecessary wear. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a printhead maintenance device according to one embodiment;

[0038] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view of the maintenance device after it has been concealed within its housing;

[0039] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the drive assembly, the cover assembly, and the wiping assembly;

[0040] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A bottom view of the first transmission unit and the cam.

[0041] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first gear, the incomplete gear set, and the drive center;

[0042] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Exploded view of an incomplete gear set;

[0043] Figure 7 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the clutch module.

[0044] Reference numerals: 10, housing; 20, cover assembly; 30, wiping assembly; 31, lifting unit; 311, swing seat; 312, transmission gear; 32, wiping roller; 33, ink-absorbing roller; 40, drive assembly; 41, drive unit; 411, drive motor; 412, main drive wheel; 413, first gear; 414, drive center; 4141, drive groove; 4142, first horizontal groove; 4143, second horizontal groove; 415, incomplete gear set; 4151, second gear; 4152, abutment groove; 4153, third gear; 4154, abutment protrusion; 416, cam; 4161, first arc surface; 416 2. Second arc surface; 417. Third arc surface; 42. First transmission unit; 421. Push rod; 422. Rack; 423. First wedge-shaped part; 424. Second wedge-shaped part; 43. Second transmission unit; 44. Third transmission unit; 441. Fourth gear; 442. Clutch module; 4421. First clutch part; 44211. Clutch protrusion; 4422. Second clutch part; 44221. First clutch contact surface; 44222. Second clutch contact surface; 44223. Clutch inclined surface; 44224. First clutch tooth; 443. Fifth gear; 4431. Second clutch tooth; 51. First direction of rotation; 52. Second direction of rotation. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to imply any limitation on the scope of the disclosure.

[0046] As used herein, the term "comprising" and its variations are to be interpreted as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be interpreted as "at least partially based on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are to be interpreted as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is to be interpreted as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal", etc., indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements, or components to having a specific orientation or being constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the above terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientations or positional relationships; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "installed", "set up", "equipped with", "connected", and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, elements, or components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements, or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, elements, or components. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0047] Printhead maintenance devices are used in industrial inkjet printers for cleaning, wiping, and sealing / moisturizing printheads, especially suitable for thermal inkjet printheads with raised encapsulation structures at the nozzles. Existing linear wiper blade maintenance methods are only compatible with planar piezoelectric printheads and cannot be used with the raised encapsulation structures at the nozzles of thermal inkjet printheads. Wiping generates significant frictional interference, easily causing the printhead encapsulation to crack or detach, and it is also ineffective at removing residual ink from the raised areas.

[0048] Example 1:

[0049] This embodiment proposes a printhead maintenance device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the maintenance device includes a housing 10, a cover assembly 20, a wiping assembly 30, and a drive assembly 40.

[0050] The cover assembly 20 is retractably mounted in the housing 10.

[0051] The wiping assembly 30 includes a lifting unit 31 and a wiping roller 32. The lifting unit 31 is vertically and vertically disposed within the housing 10; the wiping roller 32 is rotatably mounted on the free end of the lifting unit 31; the outer circumferential surface of the wiping roller 32 is a flexible surface.

[0052] The drive assembly 40 is used to drive the wiping assembly 30 and the capping assembly 20 to rise and fall. The wiping roller 32 rises to contact the print head and wipe it. The capping assembly 20 rises to fit against the end face of the print head to form a sealed ink extraction chamber. The drive assembly 40 is located inside the housing 10. When the wiping roller 32 contacts the print head and moves relative to it, it removes residual ink from the print head end face and the edge of the raised encapsulation structure through rolling friction, enhancing the ability to remove residual ink from the raised parts and surrounding areas, thereby improving the cleanliness of the print head end face and solving the problem of poor removal effect of residual ink from raised parts by the traditional linear passive scraping method. Moreover, the drive assembly 40 simultaneously drives the rising and falling wiping assembly 30 and capping assembly 20, which can realize the linkage control of two sets of lifting mechanisms by a single drive assembly 40, thereby simplifying the drive transmission structure, reducing the number of parts and reducing equipment costs, and avoiding the problems of multiple independent drive sources occupying a large space and complex system control.

[0053] With the maintenance device installed on the printer, the printhead moves from the printing area to above the capping assembly 20, passing above the wiping assembly 30. Wiping and capping actions are completed sequentially during printhead reset or ink extraction, avoiding redundant reciprocating movement of the printhead. It also eliminates the need for additional wiping space on the side of the wiping assembly 30 away from the capping assembly 20 for the printhead to pass through, thus simplifying the maintenance process, reducing the space occupied by the housing 10, and improving the operational efficiency and overall structural integration of the maintenance station.

[0054] Furthermore, when the print head moves toward the capping assembly 20 for capping, the wiping roller 32 can be kept in a downward position to avoid excessive friction between the wiping roller 32 and the print head end face during the capping stroke, thereby reducing unnecessary wear.

[0055] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the drive assembly 40 includes a drive unit 41 and a first transmission unit 42;

[0056] The drive unit 41 includes a drive motor 411, a main drive wheel 412, a first gear 413, a drive center 414, and a cam 416. The main drive wheel 412 is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 411. The main drive wheel 412 meshes with the first gear 413. The rotation axes of the first gear 413 and the drive center 414 extend vertically and are coaxially driven. The cam 416 is connected to the outer peripheral wall of the drive center 414. When the main drive wheel 412 rotates along the first rotation direction 51, it drives the first gear 413 to rotate along the third rotation direction. When the main drive wheel 412 rotates along the second rotation direction 52, it drives the first gear 413 to rotate along the fourth rotation direction.

[0057] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the first transmission unit 42 includes a push rod 421 and a rack 422; the lifting unit 31 includes a swing seat 311 and a transmission gear 312; the swing seat 311 is rotatably mounted on the housing 10 around a horizontal axis, and the transmission gear 312 is connected to the swing seat 311; multiple transmission gears 312 are distributed around the axis of the swing of the swing seat 311; the push rod 421 and the rack 422 move in the horizontal direction and are connected by transmission; the axis of rotation of the swing seat 311 is parallel to the wiping roller 32 and has a gap. By using a cam 416 to push the push rod 421, the push rod 421 drives the rack 422 to translate, and the rack 422 meshes with the transmission gear 312 on the swing seat 311, a large transmission ratio thrust amplification and motion trajectory constraint can be achieved, thereby reducing the mechanism resistance and friction during the lifting process of the wiping roller 32, and improving the smoothness of the lifting process of the wiping assembly 30 and the reliability of the mechanism operation. Furthermore, by rotating the main drive wheel 412 along the first rotation direction 51, the first gear 413, drive center 414, cam 416, push rod 421, rack 422 and swing seat 311 can be driven in sequence, which can realize the continuous control of the single motor to drive the wiping roller 32 to rise in a single direction, thereby simplifying the control logic and drive program of the maintenance device and improving the automation level and control efficiency of the lifting response of the maintenance device.

[0058] Furthermore, the wiping roller 32 extends axially along a first horizontal direction; the first horizontal direction is perpendicular to a second horizontal direction; the capping assembly 20 and the wiping assembly 30 are spaced apart along the second horizontal direction; the drive hub 414 is spaced apart from the wiping roller 32 and the capping assembly 20 along the first horizontal direction; and the rack 422 extends along the second horizontal direction. By arranging the drive hub 414 spaced apart from the wiping roller 32 and the capping assembly 20 in the first horizontal direction, a spatially staggered layout of the power drive source and the maintenance mechanism can be achieved, thereby effectively preventing residual ink, ink extraction waste liquid, or cleaning liquid from directly dripping onto the drive hub 414 and the gear transmission parts, ultimately preventing the drive transmission mechanism from being contaminated or blocked by ink, and extending the service life of the maintenance device.

[0059] The first transmission unit 42 also includes a first wedge-shaped portion 423 and a second wedge-shaped portion 424 that are slidably engaged; the first wedge-shaped portion 423 is connected to a push rod 421; the second wedge-shaped portion 424 is connected to a rack 422; the wedge-shaped surface of the first wedge-shaped portion 423 and the wedge-shaped surface of the second wedge-shaped portion 424 are slidably engaged.

[0060] By setting a rack 422 extending along the second horizontal direction, and a first wedge-shaped portion 423 and a second wedge-shaped portion 424 that slide and fit together, the transmission conversion effect of the wedge-shaped inclined surface can be used to change the thrust motion of the push rod 421 along the first horizontal direction into the translational motion of the rack 422 along the second horizontal direction, thereby realizing the change of thrust direction and motion trajectory, which can improve space utilization and make the internal transmission layout more compact.

[0061] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 As shown, the drive assembly 40 also includes a second transmission unit 43; the second transmission unit 43 includes a drive rod; a drive groove 4141 is formed by a recess on the outer peripheral surface of the drive pivot 414; the height of the drive groove 4141 gradually decreases along the fourth rotation direction; one end of the drive rod is connected to the cap assembly 20, and the other end extends into the drive groove 4141. Utilizing the guiding effect of the cam 416 on the drive rod by the sidewall of the drive groove 4141 when the drive pivot 414 rotates, the rotational motion of the drive pivot 414 is directly converted into the vertical lifting linear motion of the drive rod and the cap assembly 20, simplifying the structural complexity of the lifting transmission mechanism of the cap assembly 20. Furthermore, this allows for the separate control of the wiping assembly 30 and the cap assembly 20 using different spatial geometries of the same drive pivot 414, thereby achieving high-precision timing linkage and time-sharing control of the wiping and capping actions using single-axis rotation, ultimately ensuring the rigor of the maintenance operation logic and further improving the spatial integration of the overall mechanism.

[0062] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the outer peripheral surface of the drive center 414 is also recessed to form a first horizontal groove 4142 and a second horizontal groove 4143; the first horizontal groove 4142, the drive groove 4141, and the second horizontal groove 4143 are connected sequentially along the fourth rotation direction.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown, the cam 416 includes a first arcuate surface 4161 and a second arcuate surface 4162; as Figure 5As shown, a third arc surface 417 is provided on the drive center; the shortest distance from each position of the third arc surface 417 to the central axis of the drive center 414 is equal; the third arc surface 417, the first arc surface 4161, and the second arc surface 4162 are connected along the fourth rotation direction; the distance from the first arc surface 4161 to the central axis of the drive center 414 gradually increases along the fourth rotation direction; the shortest distance from each position of the second arc surface 4162 to the central axis of the drive center 414 is equal; the shortest distance from each position of the third arc surface 417 to the central axis of the drive center 414 is equal.

[0064] When the first arc surface 4161 abuts against the push rod 421, the drive rod is located in the second horizontal groove 4143;

[0065] When the drive rod is located in the drive slot 4141, the push rod 421 abuts against the third arc surface 417.

[0066] This allows the controlled actions of the first transmission unit 42 and the second transmission unit 43 to be staggered on the time axis during the rotation of the drive hub 414, thereby achieving interference-free time-sharing independent linkage between the wiping action and the capping action, ultimately avoiding mechanical collisions and spatial interference problems caused by the simultaneous lifting of the wiping assembly 30 and the capping assembly 20.

[0067] Furthermore, the drive rod is located within the second horizontal groove 4143, which maintains a constant height. This allows the capping assembly 20 to remain locked in the lower, unobstructed position during the wiping operation, ensuring that the print head can pass unimpeded through the wiping roller 32 to wipe away residual ink, thus improving the smoothness and reliability of the wiping and maintenance process. When the drive rod moves within the drive groove 4141, the push rod 421 abuts against the third arc surface 417 of equal radius. This keeps the wiping assembly 30 in the lower, reset position during the capping operation, thereby minimizing the possibility of the wiping roller 32 accidentally lifting and interfering with the seal between the print head and the capping assembly 20. Ultimately, this ensures the sealing effect of the ink extraction chamber during the ink extraction and unblocking operation.

[0068] Furthermore, the drive assembly 40 also includes an incomplete gear set 415; the incomplete gear set 415 is coaxially connected to the first gear 413; the end face of the incomplete gear set 415 abuts against the first gear 413, and the incomplete gear set 415 is fixedly connected to the drive pivot 414. The cam 416 also includes a first abutting surface; the first abutting surface is connected between the second arc surface 4162 and the outer peripheral wall of the drive pivot 414. When the first abutting surface abuts against the push rod 421, the push rod 421 restricts the cam 416 to rotate along the fourth rotation direction, and the incomplete gear set 415 is spaced apart from the main drive wheel. When the drive rod is located in the drive groove 4141 or when the first arc surface 4161 abuts against the push rod 421, the incomplete gear set 415 meshes with the main drive wheel. The main drive wheel 412 is also connected to a suction pump, which is used to cooperate with the cap assembly 20 for suction. When the main drive wheel 412 rotates along the first rotation direction 51, the suction pump performs suction. By disengaging the incomplete gear set 415 from the main drive wheel when the first contact surface abuts against the push rod 421, power contact can be achieved between the drive pivot 414 and the main drive wheel 412. This allows the drive pivot 414 to remain stationary and locked with the cap assembly 20 while the main drive wheel 412 continues to rotate along the first rotation direction 51 to drive the suction pump for ink extraction. Ultimately, this enables the suction and unblocking operation to be performed independently and continuously while the cap assembly 20 is in contact with the sealed printhead. Furthermore, by reusing the connection between the main drive wheel 412 and both the suction pump and the drive pivot 414, the entire set of maintenance actions—wiping and lifting, cap lifting and lowering, and suction and unblocking—can be completed sequentially using the same drive source. This minimizes the hardware cost and control complexity of the drive system, and enhances the overall integration and automation level of the maintenance device.

[0069] In other embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the incomplete gear set 415 includes a second gear 4151, a third gear 4153, an abutment groove 4152, and an abutment protrusion 4154. The first gear 413, the third gear 4153, the second gear 4151, and the drive pivot 414 are arranged coaxially along the axis of the first gear 413. The first gear 413 and the third gear 4153 elastically abut against each other. The abutment groove 4152 is recessed into the upper surface of the second gear 4151. The abutment protrusion 4154 connects to the lower surface of the third gear 4153 and extends into the abutment groove 4152. The second gear 4151 and the drive pivot 414 are fixedly connected. The second gear 4151 and the third gear 4153 are both incomplete gears. When the first abutment surface abuts against the push rod 421, the push rod 421 restricts the cam 416 and the second gear 4151 to rotate along the second rotation direction 52. The incomplete gear set 415 is spaced apart from the main drive wheel. When the drive rod is located within the drive groove 4141 or when the first arc surface 4161 abuts against the push rod 421, the second gear 4151 and the third gear 4153 mesh with the main drive wheel. The third gear 4153 has a certain elastic deformation capability. When it is necessary for the incomplete gear set 415 to move from a state of separation from the main drive wheel to a state of engagement, the first gear 413 rotates and rubs against the third gear 4153, causing the third gear 4153 to deform. The third gear 4153 will mesh with the main drive wheel 412 in the deformed state. Then, the second gear 4151 follows the rotation of the third gear 4153 through the cooperation of the abutment protrusion 4154 and the abutment groove 4152, thereby driving the drive pivot 414 to rotate. Compared with the first gear 413 directly driving the second gear 4151 to rotate through friction, this embodiment makes the change from a state of separation to engagement between the incomplete gear set 415 and the main drive wheel smoother through the elastic deformation capability of the third gear 4153. Moreover, even if there is an angular misalignment between the tips of the second gear 4151 and the third gear 4153, the third gear 4153 can adaptively adjust its tooth position by relying on its own elastic deformation, and successfully engage with the tooth groove of the main drive wheel.

[0070] Furthermore, the drive unit 41 also includes a third transmission unit 44, which connects the wiping roller 32 and the drive unit 41. When the drive unit 41 rotates along the second rotation direction 52, the third transmission unit 44 synchronously drives the wiping roller 32 to rotate around its own axis. This utilizes the power of the drive unit 41 rotating along the second rotation direction 52 to synchronously drive the wiping roller 32 to rotate around its own axis, thereby changing the wiping roller 32 from passive following friction to active rotation wiping, which enhances the cleaning effect of the wiping roller 32 on the printhead end face and the area around the raised encapsulation structure of residual ink. Moreover, by reusing the drive unit 41 to provide the power for the rotation of the wiping roller 32, there is no need to configure an additional power source or motor for the rotation of the wiping roller 32, thus further saving internal space and hardware costs of the maintenance device, ultimately improving the integration and control integration of the entire machine's transmission system.

[0071] In other embodiments, the arc length of the second arc surface 4162 can be greater than the arc length of the first arc surface 4161. During the cleaning operation, when the cam rotates to the point where the second arc surface 4162 abuts against the push rod, the wiping roller 32 has been raised to the working position and its height remains unchanged. The main drive wheel 412 rotates along the first rotation direction to engage the clutch module 442, and the wiping roller 32 rotates actively around its own axis. The print head passes over the wiping roller 32 and rubs against the wiping roller 32 to complete the cleaning of residual ink. Since the arc length of the second arc surface 4162 is greater than the arc length of the first arc surface 4161, the active rotation wiping time of the wiping roller 32 at a fixed height can be extended, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0072] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 7 As shown, the third transmission unit 44 includes a fourth gear 441, a fifth gear 443, and a clutch module 442; the clutch module 442 includes a first clutch part 4421 and a second clutch part 4422; the first gear 413 is connected to the fourth gear 441 in a transmission connection; the fifth gear 443 is connected to the wiping roller 32 in a transmission connection.

[0073] The rotation axes of the first clutch portion 4421 and the second clutch portion 4422 extend along the first horizontal direction; the first clutch portion 4421 includes a clutch protrusion 44211; the second clutch portion 4422 includes a first clutch contact surface 44221, a second clutch contact surface 44222, a clutch inclined surface 44223, and a first clutch tooth 44224; the fifth gear 443 is provided with a second clutch tooth 4431 that engages with the first clutch tooth 44224.

[0074] The first clutch contact surface 44221 and the second clutch contact surface 44222 are arranged opposite each other in the circumferential direction of the second clutch portion 4422; the clutch ramp 44223 connects the first clutch contact surface 44221 and the second clutch contact surface 44222; the distance from the clutch ramp 44223 to the first clutch portion 4421 gradually decreases in the direction from the first clutch contact surface 44221 to the second clutch contact surface 44222; the clutch protrusion 44211 extends into the space between the first clutch contact surface 44221 and the second clutch contact surface 44222 in the first horizontal direction.

[0075] The main drive wheel 412 rotates along the first rotation direction 51, driving the fourth gear 441 to rotate. The first clutch part 4421 rotates along the fifth rotation direction, causing the clutch protrusion 44211 to abut against the clutch inclined surface 44223 and the second clutch abutment surface 44222. The second clutch part 4422 moves away from the first clutch part 4421 along the first horizontal direction until the first clutch tooth 44224 engages with the second clutch tooth 4431. The fifth gear 443 rotates, driving the wiping roller 32 to rotate.

[0076] The main drive wheel 412 rotates along the second direction of rotation 52, driving the fourth gear 441 to rotate. The first clutch part 4421 rotates along the sixth direction of rotation, causing the clutch protrusion 44211 to abut against the first clutch contact surface 44221. The first clutch tooth 44224 slips with the second clutch tooth 4431, causing the second clutch part 4422 to move closer to the first clutch part 4421 along the first horizontal direction until the first clutch tooth 44224 and the second clutch tooth 4431 separate.

[0077] When the main drive wheel 412 rotates along the first rotation direction 51, the clutch protrusion 44211 slides along the clutch inclined surface 44223 and the second clutch abutment surface 44222 to push the second clutch part 4422 to move axially in the first horizontal direction, so that the first clutch tooth 44224 and the second clutch tooth 4431 can reliably mesh, which can realize the efficient transmission of driving power to the fifth gear 443 and the wiping roller 32, thereby ensuring that the wiping roller 32 accurately and stably performs active self-rotation wiping during the rising contact with the printhead wiping stage, and ultimately ensures the residual ink removal effect.

[0078] When the main drive wheel 412 rotates along the second rotation direction 52, the clutch protrusion 44211 abuts against the first clutch contact surface 44221, causing the second clutch part 4422 to move back in the opposite direction along the axial direction, realizing the complete separation of the first clutch tooth 44224 and the second clutch tooth 4431. This allows the wiping roller 32 to be disconnected from the drive source in time, thereby eliminating the power consumption and mechanical noise in the non-wiping state, ultimately reducing the overall energy consumption of the maintenance device and extending the service life of the wiping roller 32 and its transmission tooth 312 wheel.

[0079] Furthermore, the wiping assembly 30 includes an ink-absorbing roller 33.

[0080] The axial direction of the ink-absorbing roller 33 is parallel to the axial direction of the wiping roller 32; the outer peripheral wall of the ink-absorbing roller 33 abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the wiping roller 32; the ink-absorbing roller 33 and the fifth gear 443 are connected by a transmission.

[0081] When the fifth gear 443 rotates, it drives the wiping roller 32 and the ink-absorbing roller 33 to rotate in the same direction. By using the fifth gear 443 to drive the wiping roller 32 and the ink-absorbing roller 33 to rotate in the same direction, the wiping roller 32 and the ink-absorbing roller 33 can form a relatively reverse squeezing and friction at the contact surface where they abut. This squeezes and absorbs the residual ink wiped and absorbed from the printhead end face by the flexible surface of the wiping roller 32 and transfers it to the ink-absorbing roller 33 in real time. This prevents the residual ink from accumulating or remaining excessively on the outer circumference of the wiping roller 32, thus avoiding the wiping roller 32 from reapplying old ink to the printhead end face during subsequent rotation and wiping. This can improve the cleanliness and maintenance quality of the printhead end face and the raised encapsulation structure. Furthermore, by sharing the fifth gear 443 for synchronous transmission between the ink-absorbing roller 33 and the wiping roller 32, a single power source can be used to simultaneously drive the wiping roller 32 for wiping and the ink-absorbing roller 33 for cleaning, thereby eliminating the need for an additional drive mechanism. Ultimately, while ensuring efficient secondary ink cleaning, the internal structure of the maintenance device is simplified, reducing hardware costs and space occupation.

[0082] It is worth noting that the working process of the maintenance device proposed in this embodiment is as follows:

[0083] In the first stage, the main drive wheel 412 is rotated by a first angle along the second rotation direction 52, and the wiping assembly 30 is driven to descend and move closer to the waiting position (avoiding the print head) through the drive center 414 and cam 416; at the same time, the cover assembly 20 is in the waiting position and remains stationary.

[0084] In the second stage, the wiping assembly 30 stops moving after reaching the waiting position; the print head is controlled to move horizontally along the horizontal path, passing over the wiping assembly 30 and moving towards the capping assembly 20.

[0085] In the third stage, after the print head reaches the capping position, the main drive wheel 412 continues to rotate along the second rotation direction 52 at a second angle, causing the capping assembly 20 to move upward and seal against the bottom of the print head, forming a sealed suction chamber; at the same time, the wiping assembly 30 remains stationary in the waiting position and does not move.

[0086] In the fourth stage, while the capping assembly 20 maintains a sealed fit, the main drive wheel 412 continues to rotate along the second rotation direction 52, and the suction pump continuously suctions and unclogs the print head to remove residual ink from the clogging.

[0087] In the fifth stage, the main drive wheel 412 is driven to rotate by a third angle along the first rotation direction 51 (the opposite direction of the second rotation direction 52), causing the capping assembly 20 to descend and disengage from the print head, returning to the waiting position.

[0088] In the sixth stage, the wiping assembly 30 rises to the wiping position; at the same time, the main drive wheel 412 drives the wiping roller 32 to rotate around its own axis via the third transmission unit 44.

[0089] In the seventh stage, the print head passes over the wiping assembly 30 again along a horizontal path and rubs against the rotating wiping roller 32 to complete the active cleaning of residual ink on the print head end face and around the raised encapsulation structure.

[0090] This embodiment also proposes a printing system, which includes a printhead maintenance device according to any of the embodiments in the first embodiment. The printing system also includes a printhead and a housing device. The housing 10 and the printhead are disposed within the housing device; the printhead is used to print on paper; and a printing working area is provided within the housing device.

[0091] This rolling friction removes residual ink from the printhead end face and the edges of the raised encapsulation structure, enhancing the ability to remove residual ink from the raised areas and surrounding regions. This improves the cleanliness of the printhead end face and solves the problem of poor ink removal effect on raised areas by traditional linear passive scraping methods. Furthermore, the drive assembly 40 simultaneously drives the lifting and lowering wiping assembly 30 and the capping assembly 20, enabling a single drive assembly 40 to control both lifting mechanisms in a coordinated manner. This simplifies the drive transmission structure, improves space utilization, and reduces the size of the printing system.

[0092] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are specific examples of implementing this disclosure, and in practical applications, various changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A printhead maintenance device, characterized in that, The maintenance device includes: case; A cover assembly is mounted in the housing in a height-adjustable manner; A wiping assembly includes a lifting unit and a wiping roller; the lifting unit is vertically and vertically disposed within the housing; the wiping roller is rotatably mounted on the free end of the lifting unit; the outer circumferential surface of the wiping roller is a flexible surface. A drive assembly is used to drive the wiping assembly and the capping assembly to rise and fall; the wiping roller rises to contact the print head and wipe it; the capping assembly rises to fit against the end face of the print head to form a sealed ink extraction chamber; the drive assembly is located inside the housing. When the maintenance device is installed in the printer, the print head moves from the printing work area to above the cover assembly, passing above the wiping assembly.

2. The printhead maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a drive unit and a first transmission unit; The drive unit includes a drive motor, a main drive wheel, a first gear, a drive center, and a cam; the main drive wheel is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor; the main drive wheel meshes with the first gear; the rotation axes of the first gear and the drive center extend vertically and are coaxially driven; the cam is connected to the outer peripheral wall of the drive center. The first transmission unit includes a push rod and a rack; the lifting unit includes a swing seat and transmission teeth; the swing seat is rotatably mounted on the housing around a horizontal axis; the transmission teeth are connected to the swing seat; a plurality of transmission teeth are distributed around the swing axis of the swing seat; the push rod and the rack move and are connected in a transmission direction in the horizontal direction; the axis of rotation of the swing seat is parallel to the wiping roller and has a gap.

3. The printhead maintenance device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wiping roller extends axially along a first horizontal direction; the first horizontal direction is perpendicular to a second horizontal direction; the capping assembly and the wiping assembly are spaced apart along the second horizontal direction; the drive hub is spaced apart from the wiping roller and the capping assembly along the first horizontal direction; the rack extends along the second horizontal direction. The first transmission unit further includes a first wedge portion and a second wedge portion that slide together; the first wedge portion is connected to the push rod; the second wedge portion is connected to the rack; the wedge surface of the first wedge portion slides and fits into the wedge surface of the second wedge portion.

4. A printhead maintenance device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive assembly further includes a second transmission unit; the second transmission unit includes a drive rod; the outer peripheral surface of the drive center is recessed to form a drive groove; the height of the drive groove gradually decreases along the fourth rotation direction; one end of the drive rod is connected to the cover assembly, and the other end extends into the drive groove.

5. A printhead maintenance device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer peripheral surface of the drive center is also recessed to form a first horizontal groove and a second horizontal groove; the first horizontal groove, the drive groove, and the second horizontal groove are connected sequentially along the fourth rotation direction. The cam includes a first arc surface and a second arc surface; a third arc surface is provided on the drive pivot; the shortest distance from each position of the third arc surface to the central axis of the drive pivot is equal; the third arc surface, the first arc surface, and the second arc surface are connected along a fourth rotation direction; the distance from the first arc surface to the central axis of the drive pivot gradually increases along the fourth rotation direction; the shortest distance from each position of the second arc surface to the central axis of the drive pivot is equal; the shortest distance from each position of the third arc surface to the central axis of the drive pivot is equal. When the first arc surface abuts against the push rod, the drive rod is located in the second horizontal groove; When the drive rod is located in the drive groove, the push rod abuts against the third arc surface.

6. A printhead maintenance device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive assembly further includes an incomplete gear set; the incomplete gear set is coaxially connected to the first gear; the end face of the incomplete gear set abuts against the first gear; and the incomplete gear set is fixedly connected to the drive hub. The cam further includes a first abutting surface; the first abutting surface is connected between the second arcuate surface and the outer peripheral wall of the drive center; When the first contact surface abuts against the push rod, the push rod restricts the cam from rotating in the fourth direction, and the incomplete gear set is spaced apart from the main drive wheel; When the drive rod is located in the drive groove or when the first arc surface abuts the push rod, the incomplete gear set meshes with the main drive wheel.

7. A printhead maintenance device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive unit further includes a third transmission unit, which connects the wiping roller and the drive unit; when the drive unit rotates along the second rotation direction, the third transmission unit synchronously drives the wiping roller to rotate around its own axis.

8. A printhead maintenance device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third transmission unit includes a fourth gear, a fifth gear, and a clutch module; the clutch module includes a first clutch part and a second clutch part; the first gear is drivenly connected to the fourth gear; the fifth gear is drivenly connected to the wiping roller; The rotation axes of the first clutch portion and the second clutch portion extend along a first horizontal direction; the first clutch portion includes a clutch protrusion; the second clutch portion includes a first clutch abutment surface, a second clutch abutment surface, a clutch inclined surface, and a first clutch tooth; the fifth gear is provided with a second clutch tooth that engages with the first clutch tooth. The first clutch abutment surface and the second clutch abutment surface are arranged opposite each other circumferentially along the second clutch portion; the clutch ramp is connected between the first clutch abutment surface and the second clutch abutment surface; the distance from the clutch ramp to the first clutch portion gradually decreases in the direction from the first clutch abutment surface to the second clutch abutment surface; the clutch protrusion extends into the space between the first clutch abutment surface and the second clutch abutment surface along a first horizontal direction.

9. A printhead maintenance device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The wiping assembly includes an ink-absorbing roller; The axial direction of the ink-absorbing roller is parallel to the axial direction of the wiping roller; the outer peripheral wall of the ink-absorbing roller abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the wiping roller; the ink-absorbing roller and the fifth gear are connected by a transmission. When the fifth gear rotates, it drives the wiping roller and the ink-absorbing roller to rotate in the same direction.

10. A printing system, characterized in that, The printing system includes a maintenance device for the printhead according to any one of claims 1-9, and further includes: Print head; A housing assembly, wherein the housing and the print head are disposed within the housing assembly; the print head is used for printing on paper; and a printing working area is provided within the housing assembly.

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