US Patent 7246875 Protector for a printhead capping facility

A protector is provided for a capping facility for a printhead. The protector comprises a covering member which is arranged to engage with the capping facility during intervals when the capping facility is not engaged with the printhead, whereby the capping facility is protected against loss of moisture and/or ingress of contaminating material. In one of its possible forms, the protector is provided fora capping facility in the form of a capping mechanism for a printhead having a plurality of ink-delivery nozzles. In this embodimenta) the capping mechanism comprises a capping member that is configured to contact the printhead in nozzle capping engagement, a carrier supporting the capping member, and an actuating mechanism arranged to effect movement of the carrier back and forth between a first position at which the capping member is located remotely with respect to the printhead and a second position at which the capping member is located in contact with the printhead, andb) the protector comprises a covering member which is arranged to be engaged by the capping member when the capping member is located in the first position.