Patent ID: 7401888

Claim:
A method of maintaining a printhead in an operable condition, said method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a printhead maintenance station, said maintenance station comprising: a capper sealingly engageable around said printhead, said capper comprising a constriction member for defining a blast channel adjacent an ink ejection face of said printhead; a vacuum system in fluid communication with said capper; an air inlet valve in fluid communication with said capper; and an engagement mechanism for moving said capper between a first position in which said capper is sealingly engaged around said printhead and a second position in which said capper is disengaged from around said printhead; (ii) moving said capper into said first position such that said constriction member is spaced apart from said face, thereby defining said blast channel; (iii) generating a vacuum over said face using said vacuum system, thereby purging ink from printhead nozzles onto said face, said air inlet valve being closed for said purging; and (iv) opening said air inlet valve, thereby blasting air through said blast channel and removing ink from said face, wherein the step (iv) of blasting air through said blast channel is performed subsequent to the step (iii) of purging ink from said nozzles.