Patent ID: 7887167

Claim:
An inkjet printing apparatus comprising: at least one printhead comprising at least one ink chamber and a plurality of nozzles, at least one ink container remote from the printhead, an ink delivery system comprising a source of gas under pressure operable to supply ink from said remote ink container to said ink chamber on the printhead, a priming device arranged to prime at least one printhead and comprising a connecting assembly to connect the source of gas under pressure to the printhead to be primed, and a controller to control the flow of gas through said connecting assembly to provide upon demand gas under pressure to the printhead in order to cause a flow of ink from the ink chamber through the nozzles to prime the printhead, wherein the priming device comprises at least one coupling member and a positioning unit operable to selectively position the coupling member in a priming position in which the coupling member engages a vent hole of an air chamber of the printhead, and an inactive position in which the coupling member is disengaged from the vent hole, whereby, in the priming position, the coupling member provides fluid communication between the source of gas under pressure and the air chamber of the printhead.