Patent ID: 8714721

Claim:
A printing apparatus comprising: a housing forming a receptacle configured to hold a volume of ink; an opening in the housing configured to enable liquid ink to enter the receptacle; an outlet formed through the housing, the outlet being configured to enable liquid ink in the receptacle to exit the housing; a liquid path member having a first end positioned within the receptacle and a second end extending from the receptacle and the housing, the liquid path member being heated to a first temperature that enables liquid ink from the plurality of inkjets to move toward the receptacle in response to engagement of the second end of the liquid path member with the face of the printhead, and the housing maintaining a second temperature that is below the first temperature to enable the liquid ink to solidify in the receptacle; a positioning system operatively connected to the housing and configured to: move the housing to engage the second end of the liquid path member with a face of a printhead at a location below a plurality of inkjets formed in the printhead to provide a fluid path to the receptacle for ink emitted from the plurality of inkjets; and move the housing to a second location to place the outlet in fluid communication with an ink supply; a heater configured to generate heat to melt solidified ink in the receptacle; and a controller operatively connected to the heater, the controller being configured to: activate the heater in response to the outlet being in fluid communication with the ink supply to melt the solid ink in the receptacle and enable the melted ink to enter the ink supply.