Head Maintenance Mechanism; Components And Functions; Mechanism - Brother MP-21C Service Manual

3.4

Head Maintenance Mechanism

3.4.1

Components and Functions

(1) Suction Mechanism
Components :
Functions :
(2) Storage Mechanism
Components :
Functions :
(3) Wiper Mechanism
Components :
Functions :
(4) Carriage Lock Mechanism
Components :
Functions :
(5) Sensor
Components :
Functions :
3.4.2 Mechanisms
• The Maintenance cam connects the drive from the Paper feed motor to the Purge unit
ASSY and rotates it.
• The up-and-down movements of the suction cap, the cap, the wiper and the carriage
locker and suction and ejection operations of the pump are performed by one rotation of
the Maintenance cam.
(1) Suction Mechanism :
The suction cap is pressed on the nozzle plate by rotating the Maintenance cam.
After the cap is pressed onto the nozzle face, the piston in the pump is activated to
generate negative pressure in the pump. The negative pressure is sent to the
suction cap and ink is sucked from the head nozzle. The pump ejects the sucked
ink and feeds it into the waste ink foam of the Ink cartridge BC.
(2) Wiping Mechanism :
The wiper goes up after the suction mechanism has ejected the ink. When it
reaches the upper limit, the Maintenance cam stops rotating and the carriage
moves one head width and the wiper wipes the nozzle surface. After the wiping
operation, the carriage moves another head width distance and the wiper goes
down.
Suction cap, Pump, Maintenance cam
Guides ink to the head channel.
Removes dry ink from around the nozzle.
Removes air and waste in the head channel.
Ejects sucked ink towards the ink absorber.
Storage cap
Prevents the nozzle tip from drying out when it is
not printing.
Wiper, Maintenance cam
Removes ink deposited on the nozzle surface
after the ink has been purged by the suction

mechanism.

Carriage locker, Maintenance cam
Aligns the suction cap and the head for the
cleaning of each color.
Prevents carriage movement so that the head will
not move away from the storage cap when the
power is off.
Photo detector
Detects the Maintenance cam position.
II-15