US Patent 7387358 Printhead maintenance assembly configured for air blast cleaning

A printhead maintenance assembly is provided, comprising a printhead and a maintenance station. The maintenance station comprises a capper sealingly engageable around the printhead. The capper includes a constriction member for defining a blast channel adjacent an ink ejection face of the printhead. The maintenance station also comprises a vacuum system in fluid communication with the capper and an engagement mechanism. The engagement mechanism is provided for moving the capper between a first position in which the capper is sealingly engaged around the printhead and a second position in which the capper is disengaged from around the printhead.