Patent ID: 8602543

Claim:
A printing system comprising: an inkjet printhead having a plurality of first ports and a plurality of second ports; a plurality of ink containers fluidically connected to respective first ports via a respective plurality of first ink tubes; a plurality of second ink tubes interconnecting the plurality of second ports with the plurality of ink containers; a plurality of gas tubes connected to the first ink tubes, each of the plurality of gas tubes having an inlet open to atmosphere; a pump positioned between the plurality of second ports and the plurality of ink containers for pumping fluid in the plurality of second ink tubes; and a multi-channel valve arrangement for selectively moving a first pinch element into and out of pinching contact with the first ink tubes so as to respectively block and allow fluid flow through the first ink tubes and selectively moving a second pinch element into and out of pinching contact with the gas tubes so as to respectively block and allow fluid flow through the gas tubes.