US Patent 7455383 Printhead maintenance station having maintenance belt with belt-cleaning station

A printhead maintenance station for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance station comprises: an endless maintenance belt having a contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead; a cleaning station for cleaning the belt; and a conveyor mechanism for conveying the belt past the face and past the cleaning station. The belt is reciprocally movable between a first position in which part of the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face, and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face.