Patent ID: 8540338

Claim:
A maintenance station apparatus for a printhead including a nozzle face, the nozzle face including a nozzle array for jetting a liquid, the maintenance station comprising: a capping unit including a drain; a waste liquid tank that receives a waste liquid from the capping unit; a valve in fluid communication with the capping unit through a first fluid passage, the valve being in fluid communication with the waste liquid tank through a second fluid passage, the valve including a first state that permits the waste liquid to flow from the capping unit through the valve to the waste liquid tank, the valve including a second state that prevents the waste liquid from flowing from the capping unit through the valve to the waste liquid tank; and a cleaning liquid tank in fluid communication with the valve through a third fluid passage, the cleaning liquid tank being configured to provide a cleaning liquid through the valve and into the first fluid passage when the valve is in the second state.