Patent ID: 8070251

Claim:
An inkjet printer maintenance system, comprising: a manifold having an elongated air removal passageway defined in the manifold extending between one side of an ink reservoir and a location away from the ink reservoir for communicating flow of air from the ink reservoir via the air removal passageway; a valve having an elongated bore communicating with the air removal passageway, a piston movable in the bore between first and second positions to correspondingly close and open the air removal passageway, and a biasing member extendible and contractible and biased to normally extend and move the piston to the first position closing the air removal passageway; and a valve actuator extending through the elongated bore and connected to the piston, the valve actuator responsive to the application of an electric current thereto by contracting and causing the biasing member to contract and the piston to be moved to the second position opening the air removal passageway to flow communication for drawing out air from the ink reservoir, the valve actuator responsive to termination of application of the electric current thereto by extending and allowing the biasing member to extend and move the piston to the first position closing the air removal passageway.