Printhead assembly having supporting structure of alternating materials
View Patent ↗A printhead assembly includes a support beam formed of two types of material having different coefficients of thermal expansion, the two materials being repeatedly alternated in segments over the length of the support beam to form the support beam; and a plurality of spaced apart printhead modules supported by the support beam. A first one of the materials has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than that of silicon, and a second one of the materials has a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of silicon.
1. A printhead assembly comprising:
a support beam formed of two types of material having different coefficients of thermal expansion, the two materials being repeatedly alternated in segments over the length of the support beam to form the support beam; and
a plurality of spaced apart printhead modules supported by the support beam, wherein
a first one of the materials is invar and has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than that of silicon, and a second one of the materials has a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of silicon.
2. A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein apart from at ends of the support beam, each segment of one type of material is interposed between adjacent segments of the other type of material.