US Patent 7607755 Method of maintaining a printhead using a maintenance roller

A method of maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing a maintenance roller having an elastically deformable contact surface (ii) moving the roller into a first position in which a clean part of said contact surface is sealingly engaged with an ink ejection face of printhead; (iii) moving the roller into a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face; and (iv) rotating the roller to clean ink from the contact surface.