Printhead assembly incorporating an ink supply arrangement and printed circuit board

1. A printhead assembly which comprises

an elongate support structure that has a base portion and at least a pair of longitudinally extending side wall portions, one side wall portion extending from each edge of one side of the base portion;

a plurality of carriers that are mountable, end-to-end, on the support structure so that each carrier engages a respective wall portion;

a printhead segment that is mounted on each carrier, each printhead segment having a plurality of ink supply holes;

at least one printed circuit board that is mountable on an opposite side of the base portion; and

a plurality of tape automated bonding films connected between the printed circuit board and each respective printhead segment.

2. A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which a number of internal, longitudinally extending wall portions extend from the base portion, the side wall portions and the internal wall portions being configured so that free edges of the wall portions define an arcuate channel curved towards the base portion and each carrier has a corresponding arcuate surface such that each carrier is positioned in the channel with the arcuate surface bearing against the free edges of the wall portions, the wall portions and the carriers defining a plurality of ink supply conduits.

3. A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 2 , in which each carrier defines a recess in which the respective printhead segment is mounted.

4. A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 3 , in which each carrier defines a plurality of ink supply passages that extends from the arcuate surface and open into the recess, such that each ink supply passage is in fluid communication with at least one respective ink supply hole of the printhead.

5. A printhead as claimed in claim 3 , in which each printhead segment and its corresponding recess are elongate, with the recesses being oriented so that the printheads extend along the channel.

6. A printhead as claimed in claim 5 , in which each carrier has a pair of opposed end faces, the end faces being configured so that the carriers nest with respect to each other, the recesses being positioned on each carrier so that the printheads are staggered with respect to a line extending centrally along the channel.

7. A printhead as claimed in claim 1 , in which said opposite side of the base portion defines a fastening formation and the printed circuit board is fastened to the base portion with fasteners that engage the fastening formation.