Embodiments of the present invention comprise geometric features in the fluid interconnect region of an ink container which inhibit residual ink from contacting a removable seal on the container or the fingers and clothing of the container installer. The features comprise a fluid accumulator and capillary break.

A universal capping system seals the printhead of either a single-chamber or a multi-chamber style inkjet cartridge, such as a black ink cartridge or a multi-color ink cartridge installed in an inkjet printing mechanism. In an imaging inkjet cartridge system, the normal single-chamber black cartridge for printing text is replaced with a multi-chamber imaging cartridge. Some imaging cartridges carry ink formulations having reduced colorant concentrations, which, when used in conjunction with a full color cartridge carrying full colorant concentrations of color inks, provides near photographic image quality, as well as crisp black text and line art. The printing mechanism is provided with a universal capping system, including several banks of flexible sealing sublips, capable of sealing either style cartridge when installed. One sublip has an asymmetrical cross section selected to control the direction of bending. The cap is spring-biased to push the sealing lips into engagement with the installed printhead.

A service station device in an inkjet printer head includes a cap portion which moves together with a case under guide of the case by a pressure force of a carriage moving to a service area for performing next printing and is then ascended to tightly close a nozzle of a head; a wiper portion which moves and is ascended along with the case under the guide of the case, upon movement of the cap portion, to stand by a cleaning state, and upon printing operation, which moves and descends only the cap portion to a printing area and at the same time cleans a surface of the nozzle; a locking portion integrated with the wiper portion as one unit, which moves together with the wiper portion, to thereby be locked to the case during a standby state, and upon the printing operation, returns to an original state with the wiper portion by releasing the standby state by means of the carriage being continuously moved; and an elastic portion coupled to the case and to the locking portion, which is elastically extended to lock the locking portion to the case, upon movement of the locking portion, and at the same time, releases the locking state by the carriage to return the locking portion to the original state.

A high deflection capping system has an elastomeric sealing member with a sealing lip that, when viewed in cross section, forms a smiling-shaped seal against an inkjet printhead to provide improved printhead sealing, particularly when sealing over surface irregularities on the printhead. This high deflection sealing member may be onsert molded onto a support frame. A series of these sealing lips being molded on a single flexible frame to simultaneously seal several adjacent inkjet printheads, with the flexible frame having a border region with one or more cap bases attached to the frame by plural suspension spring elements. The suspension spring elements have both cantilever and torsional characteristics which allow the bases to tilt and twist independent of one another to seal each printhead. Alternatively, the support frame may be designed to support only a single high deflection sealing member. A venting system is also provided with vapor diffusion handling capabilities.

A wet capping system is provided for inkjet printheads used in various inkjet printing mechanisms, such as printers, facsimile machines, scanners, plotters and the like. A wicking cap has an elastomeric body with an ink wicking area surrounded by a sealing lip to seal a region of the pen face surrounding the printhead nozzles. Optionally, the wicking area is lined with an elastomer or a compliant thin film, such as a sheet of mylar film, to define a wicking surface. The wicking surface draws ink from the pen through capillary action. While the pen is capped, the extracted ink dissolves any ink solids or residue accumulated around the nozzles. While useful with conventional dye based inks, this wet capping system is especially useful to remove the tough residue left on a printhead by pigment based inks.