METHOD OF ASSEMBLING PRINTHEAD FLUID DISTRIBUTION COUPLING

1 . A method of assembling a coupling for distributing fluid to a printhead, the method comprising:

mounting a seal member on a housing;

inserting a shaft through a hole in the housing and the seal member;

positioning a compression spring on the shaft; and

mounting a port plate on the shaft using a washer about the shaft so that the spring is compressed between the port plate and the housing and a plurality of ports in the port plate align with respective ones of a plurality of seals of the seal member for receiving respective fluid spouts of the printhead.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the seal member is mounted into a recess of the housing.

3 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the seal member has linking portions which link the seals together.

4 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the seals are circular and the linking portions define an arc between each seal, and the recess comprises circular recesses into which the circular seals are received and curved recesses between the circular recesses into which the linking portions are received.

5 . A method according to claim 4 , wherein the recess has slots across the curved recesses which serve to capture and wick away any fluid present in the recess.

6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the port plate has rims about the ports for compressing the respective seals of the seal member when pressed thereagainst.

7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the washer is a groove-less ring which is press-on fitted on a reduced section of a cylindrical portion of the shaft.