Printhead including moving portions and sealing bridges

1. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a nozzle plate having a stationary portion and

a plurality of moving portions for ejection of ink; and

a plurality of seal members, each seal member connecting a respective moving portion with said stationary portion,

wherein each seal member is configured as a bridge spanning between its respective moving portion and said stationary portion.

2. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein said nozzle plate comprises a flexible polymeric coating, said coating comprising said seal members.

3. The printhead of claim 2 , wherein said polymeric coating is hydrophobic.

4. The printhead of claim 2 , wherein the polymeric coating is comprised of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

5. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein said seal member is absent from a space between said moving portion and said stationary portion.

6. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein said seal member has a non-planar profile configured for facilitating movement of said moving portion.

7. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein each seal member comprises at least one ridge and/or at least one furrow in profile.

8. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein each seal member comprises a crown portion, said crown portion standing proud of a first end of said seal member connected to said moving portion and a second end of said seal member connected to said stationary portion.

9. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein each seal member is corrugated.

10. The printhead of claim 1 comprising a plurality of nozzle assemblies, each nozzle assembly comprising:

a nozzle chamber comprising a roof having a nozzle opening defined therein, said roof comprising one of said moving portions moveable relative to said stationary portion, such that movement of said moving portion relative to said stationary portion causes ejection of ink through the nozzle opening;

an actuator for moving said moving portion relative to said stationary portion; and

one of said seal members bridging between said moving portion and said stationary portion.

11. The printhead of claim 10 , wherein said nozzle opening is defined in said moving portion.

12. The printhead of claim 10 , wherein said nozzle opening is defined in said stationary portion.

13. The printhead of claim 10 , wherein said actuator is a thermal bend actuator comprising:

a first active element for connection to drive circuitry; and

a second passive element mechanically cooperating with the first element, such that when a current is passed through the first element, the first element expands relative to the second element, resulting in bending of the actuator.

14. The printhead of claim 13 , wherein said first and second elements are cantilever beams.

15. The printhead of claim 13 , wherein said thermal bend actuator defines at least part of the moving portion of said roof.

16. The printhead of claim 15 , wherein said roof and said sidewalls are comprised of a ceramic material depositable by CVD, said ceramic material being selected from the group comprising: silicon nitride, silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride.

17. The printhead of claim 10 , wherein said nozzle chamber comprises sidewalls extending between said roof and a substrate, such that said roof is spaced apart from said substrate.

18. The printhead of claim 17 , wherein said moving portion is configured to move towards said substrate upon actuation of said actuator.

19. An inkjet printer comprising the printhead according to claim 1 .