Patent ID: 7357475

Claim:
A printhead for an inkjet printer, the printhead comprising: an array of nozzles for selectively ejecting drops of ink towards a print medium; a protective structure situated between said nozzles and said print medium, the structure configured so as not to obstruct ink drops ejected from the nozzles; an air supply for supplying positive air pressure to the protective structure, the air supply having an air intake with a filter and shut off valve for stopping air supply to the structure when the printer is in a non-printing operational mode; and, an air distribution ducting having one or more air passages in communication with the protective structure, the shut off valve having an apertured member with a plurality of apertures corresponding to each of the air passages; wherein, the apertured member is movable between a valve open position in which the air apertures are in communication with the air passages and a valve closed position in which the air apertures are not in communication with said air passages.