Importance

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Abstract

An ink jet printer including a movable printhead assembly having printheads including ink and nozzles for printing onto a recording medium, a maintenance assembly having liquid application members for cleaning and priming the printheads, and a customer replaceable, multiple function capping assembly for assuring effective cleaning and continued quality operation of the printheads. For a first function, the capping assembly has a housing defining a fluid chamber containing cleaning liquid, a liquid flow aperture formed through the housing from the fluid chamber, and a snap-in, snap-out valve connector mounted over the liquid flow aperture for supplying cleaning liquid to the maintenance assembly, and for enabling economical, easy customer removal and replacement of the capping assembly within the ink jet printer. For another function, the capping assembly has a fluid release aperture formed through the housing from the fluid chamber, and gasket members mounted around the fluid release aperture for capping, sealing and humidifying the printheads when in a capped position on the capping assembly. The ink jet printer then has a liquid conduit member connected to snap-in, snap-out valve connector of the capping assembly and to the maintenance assembly supply cleaning liquid from the fluid chamber to the maintenance assembly, thus assuring effective cleaning and continued quality operation of the printheads.

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First Claim