Ink Supply System
J007/J010/J011 6-20 SM
6.4.7 MAINTENANCE UNIT
Overview
The maintenance unit performs two important functions:
Keeps the surface of the print heads moist when they are not being used.
Cleans the print heads with suction during print head cleaning. (The print heads are
also cleaned automatically at prescribed intervals.
Caps [1] and [2] cover the print heads when the carriage is at the home position on the
right side of the printer.
Cap [2] is the only cap that can siphon excess ink from a print head. The ink gets
siphoned from the head with a simple, pressure tube-pump mechanism.
During print head cleaning:
The maintenance motor [4] runs forward. Two cams lower the bottom of the unit.
Next, the motor reverses. When the motor reverses, it disengages a one-way clutch
attached to the main shaft. This allows it to rotate a second shaft that rotates a cam
against the side of the plastic tube. This alternating pressure and release on the side
of the tube comprises a very simple pump mechanism.
At the prescribed time, the motor runs forward again until a feeler on the main shaft
reaches the gap of the maintenance HP sensor (located at [5] (but not shown). This
switches the motor off.
Another cam attached to the main shaft raises and lowers the wiper [3]. The wiper
cleans the surface of the print head above as the carriage moves left and then right.
Maintenance Unit Cleaning Cycle
The operator can start the cleaning operation from the printer driver or the operation panel.
You can set the print head for cleaning (or clean them all) if you start the clean job with the
printer driver. All the print heads are cleaned if the job starts from the operation panel.
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