Printhead assembly with a gas duct

1. A printhead assembly comprising:

an ink distribution assembly including an ink distribution molding, the ink distribution molding including a plurality of ducts; and,

at least one printhead integrated circuit in fluid communication with the ink distribution assembly;

wherein the at least one printhead integrated circuit receives ink via at least some of the plurality of ducts of the distribution molding, and a gas is introduced in the vicinity of a printing surface region of the at least one printhead integrated circuit via at least one of the plurality of ducts, and

the ink distribution molding includes a plurality of ink inlet ports in fluid communication with an ink cassette via a plurality of ink hoses.

2. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ducts extend substantially along a longitudinal length of the ink distribution molding.

3. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , including a plurality of printhead integrated circuits, where a printhead integrated circuit physically overlaps an adjacent printhead integrated circuit.

4. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of laminate layers are formed in or as part of an underside of the ink distribution molding.

5. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 4 , including at least one flexible connector providing electrical signals to the at least one printhead integrated circuit, the at least one flexible connector positioned between two of the plurality of laminate layers.

6. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of laminate layers direct ink from the plurality of ducts to at least one slot aligned with the at least one printhead integrated circuit.

7. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of ducts distributing the gas is a gas duct, and the gas duct includes a gas valve molding formed as a channel with a series of apertures in the base of the channel.

8. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the gas valve molding is longitudinally movable within the gas duct.

9. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 8 , including at least one compression spring to maintain sealing inter-engagement between a bottom of the gas valve molding and a base of the gas duct.

10. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the gas valve molding includes a cam follower extending from one end thereof, the cam follower engaging a gas valve cam surface provided on an end cap of a platen, so as to selectively longitudinally move the gas valve molding according to a rotational position of the platen.

11. The printhead assembly as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the platen has rotational positions corresponding to printing, capping and blotting operation of the printhead assembly.