Pagewidth printhead cartridge having an integral capper unit associated therewith

1. A cartridge unit for an inkjet printer comprising:

a body portion having one or more ink storage compartments;

a pagewidth printhead assembly mountable to said body portion and configured to receive ink from the one or more compartments for printing; and

a capper unit mountable to said body portion so as to extend along the length of the printhead assembly, the capper unit housing a capping element which is movable with respect to the capper unit to contact a surface of the printhead assembly.

2. A cartridge unit according to claim 1 , wherein the capper unit includes a mounting element for mounting the capper unit to the body portion, the mounting element comprises one or more clips projecting from the capper unit which engage with corresponding clips provided on the body portion.

3. A cartridge unit according to claim 2 , wherein the capper unit is mounted to the body portion such that a gap is provided between the printhead assembly and capper unit, said gap being sufficient to enable print media to pass therethrough for printing by said printhead.

4. A cartridge unit according to claim 3 , wherein a surface of the capper unit opposite said printhead acts as a media guide, and supports said print media as it passes said printhead for printing.

5. A cartridge unit according to claim 4 , wherein the surface has a slot formed therein which extends the length of the body.

6. A cartridge unit according to claim 5 , wherein the capping element is movable to project through said slot and across said gap to cap a printing surface of the printhead assembly.

7. A cartridge unit according to claim 6 , wherein the printing surface comprises a plurality of nozzles, each of the nozzles being arranged in use to deliver ink onto the passing print media.

8. A cartridge unit according to claim 7 , wherein the capping element has an open rim portion which contacts said printing surface of the printhead assembly and seals the nozzles within an internal space of the capping element.

9. A cartridge unit according to claim 8 , wherein the internal space of the capping element comprises an absorbent material for receiving ink ejected by the nozzles.

10. A cartridge unit according to claim 6 , wherein the capping element is movable to retract into said capper unit to uncap said printing surface to enable printing to occur.

11. The cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the inkjet printer comprises:

a media input tray for supplying print media for printing;

a print engine for printing an image on said print media; and

a media output tray for collecting the printed media;

wherein the print engine comprises the cartridge and a cradle having a body adapted to receive the removable inkjet cartridge and to control the operation of the printhead assembly for printing.

12. The cartridge according to claim 1 arranged for use in a print engine further comprising:

a cradle having a body adapted to receive the removable inkjet cartridge and to control the operation of the printhead for printing;

wherein the cradle is configured to be secured to the inkjet printer to receive print media from a media input tray and to deliver printed media to a media output tray.

13. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the pagewidth printhead assembly is mountable to said body and configured to receive ink from the one or more compartments and to distribute the ink along the length of the printhead assembly.

14. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the pagewidth printhead assembly is configured to receive ink from the one or more ink storage compartments and has a plurality of nozzles arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and wherein the cartridge further comprises an electrical connector being in electrical communication with the nozzles of the printhead assembly and disposed along the length of the printhead assembly for mating with a corresponding connectors of the inkjet printer to control operation of the nozzles.

15. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the pagewidth printhead assembly is configured to receive ink from ink storage compartments and distribute said ink to a plurality of nozzles arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and

wherein the ink storage compartments comprise an absorption material which stores the ink therein under capillary action for supply to the nozzles of the printhead assembly.

16. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the pagewidth printhead assembly comprises:

a body portion for receiving ink from one or more ink sources and distributing the ink along the length of the printhead assembly;

a plurality of integrated circuits extending the length of the printhead assembly, each integrated circuit having a plurality of nozzles formed in rows thereon, each of the nozzles being arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and

an ink distribution member upon which the integrated circuits are fixed and which distributes the ink from the body portion to the nozzles of the integrated circuits;

wherein the integrated circuits are aligned in an abutting arrangement across the length of the ink distribution member.

17. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the pagewidth printhead assembly comprises:

a body portion for receiving ink from one or more ink sources and distributing the ink along the length of the printhead assembly;

one or more integrated circuits extending substantially the length of the printhead assembly, the or each integrated circuit having a plurality of nozzles formed thereon, each of the nozzles being arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and

an ink distribution member upon which the or each integrated circuit are fixed and which distributes the ink from the body portion to the nozzles of the or each integrated circuit;

wherein the body portion has one or more connectors formed thereon for securing the printhead assembly to the one or more ink sources to facilitate ink flow therebetween.

18. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the pagewidth printhead assembly comprises:

a body portion for receiving ink from one or more ink sources and distributing the ink along the length of the printhead assembly;

one or more integrated circuits extending substantially the length of the printhead assembly, the or each integrated circuit having a plurality of nozzles formed thereon, each of the nozzles being arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and

an ink distribution member upon which the or each integrated circuit is fixed and which distributes the ink from the body portion to the nozzles of the or each integrated circuit;

wherein an electrical connector in electrical communication with the or each integrated circuit extends along the length of the printhead assembly for mating with a corresponding electrical connector of the inkjet printer.

19. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the pagewidth printhead assembly comprises:

a body portion for receiving ink from one or more ink sources and having one or more channels formed therein for distributing the ink substantially along the length of the printhead assembly;

one or more integrated circuits extending substantially the length of the printhead assembly, the or each integrated circuit having a plurality of nozzles, each of the nozzles being arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and

an ink distribution member upon which the or each integrated circuit is fixed and which distributes the ink from the body portion to each of the integrated circuits;

wherein the ink distribution member is a unitary element having a plurality of conduits formed therethrough, each of the conduits having an inlet which receives ink from one of the channels of the body portion and an outlet which delivers the ink to a predetermined number of nozzles of the one or more integrated circuits.

20. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the pagewidth printhead assembly comprises:

a body portion for receiving ink from one or more ink sources and having one or more channels formed therein for distributing the ink substantially along the length of the printhead assembly;

one or more integrated circuits extending substantially the length of the printhead assembly, each integrated circuit having a plurality of nozzles, each of the nozzles being arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and

an ink distribution member upon which each integrated circuit is fixed and which distributes the ink from the body portion to each of the integrated circuits;

wherein the ink distribution member comprises a first layer which directs the ink from the one or more channels of the body portion for delivery to each integrated circuit, and a second layer attached to said first layer for receiving and securing each integrated circuit in a position to receive the ink from the first layer.