PRINTHEAD ASSEMBLY HAVING A PLURALITY OF MODULAR PRINTHEAD TILES
A printhead assembly includes a support. A plurality of modular printhead tiles is arranged on the support and the support has a retaining mechanism to retain the modular tiles in position. A plurality of elongate printhead integrated circuits is arranged on respective tiles. Each printhead integrated circuit has a plurality of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements for printing on a print medium. A flexible printed circuit board (PCB) provides the printhead integrated circuits with electrical energy.
1 . A printhead assembly which comprises
a support; and
a plurality of modular printhead tiles arranged on the support, the support having a retaining mechanism to retain the modular tiles in position;
a plurality of elongate printhead integrated circuits arranged on respective tiles, each printhead integrated circuit having a plurality of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements for printing on a print medium; and
a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) for providing the printhead integrated circuits with electrical energy.
2 . A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which the support is in the form of a casing and a channel arranged in the casing, the printhead tiles being positioned in the channel.
3 . A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 2 , in which the tiles have stepped end regions and the printhead integrated circuits are configured so that, when the tiles are butted together, end-to-end, the printhead integrated circuits overlap each other in the end regions.
4 . A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which the support includes a fluid channel member positioned in the channel and configured to deliver at least printing ink to the printhead integrated circuits.
5 . A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 4 , in which each tile defines a number of inlet ports, the fluid channel member defining ducts that correspond with the inlet ports.
6 . A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which each tile is in the form of a laminated fluid distribution stack that is configured to reduce a macro-sized flow diameter at the inlet ports to a micro-sized flow diameter at the nozzles of the printhead integrated circuits.
7 . A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , which includes a plurality of printed circuit boards, the printhead integrated circuits being connected to respective printed circuit boards, which, in turn, are connected to respective flexible printed circuit boards for providing power and data to the printhead integrated circuits.