Abstract: A carriage assembly for use with an assembling apparatus is provided. The assembling apparatus is used to assemble operatively upper and lower portions of an integrated circuit carrier with co-operative upper and lower clamping members. The carriage assembly includes a linear carriageway in a working zone of the assembling apparatus and spaced from a support surface of the apparatus. Also included is a first holding mechanism movable along the linear carriageway and configured to hold the upper carrier portion and to displace said upper portion substantially orthogonally with respect to said linear carriageway towards and away from a support surface of the assembling apparatus, and a second holding mechanism movable along the linear carriage and configured to hold the upper clamping member and to displace the upper clamping member towards and away from the support surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to an adhesive application apparatus for use with an assembling machine for assembling operatively upper and lower components for carrying printhead integrated circuits. The application apparatus includes a plate and a dispensing mechanism which includes an adhesive reservoir, said mechanism being operatively engaged with said plate in a sealing and sliding manner, the mechanism configured to dispense adhesive onto the plate when sliding along the plate. The apparatus also includes a displacement mechanism to slide the dispensing mechanism along the plate, and a control system to control operation of the dispensing and displacement mechanisms.

Abstract: A cradle assembly for a pressure decay leak tester is provided. The assembly operatively receives a printhead integrated circuit carrier having a plurality of printing fluid paths defined therein, respective fluid inlets in fluid communication with respective fluid paths and a locating formation to facilitate correct location of the carrier on the tester. The assembly includes at least one complementary locating formation for engaging the locating formation of the carrier, and at least one fluid outlet for charging the carrier with fluid via a respective fluid inlet of the carrier. Also included is a clamping device for clamping the carrier to the fluid outlet, so that the integrity of the fluid paths is observable via pressure decay testing, and a control system operatively connected to the clamping device for controlling operation of the clamping device.

Abstract: Provided is a method for testing integrity of a base for printhead integrated circuits. The base has at least one fluid inlet in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid outlets via discrete fluid paths. The method includes the steps of engaging the, or each, fluid inlet of the base to a fluid supply in a sealing manner, charging the base with pressurized fluid until a predetermined pressure is reached, and monitoring the pressure in the base for a predetermined period of time, wherein a rate of pressure decay is indicative of an integrity of the base.

Abstract: A pneumatic assembly for a pressure decay tester of printhead integrated circuits includes a pressurized air supply. A pneumatic clamping arrangement is in fluid communication with the pressurized air supply for clamping a carrier for the printhead integrated circuits such that the carrier is in fluid communication with the printhead integrated circuits. A valve arrangement applies a predetermined pressure to the carrier. A sensing arrangement senses a static pressure in the carrier. A control system is in communication with the clamping, valve and sensing arrangements to control operation thereof and to generate a discernible signal representing said static pressure such that a decay in said static pressure can be determined.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for assembling a carrier for integrated circuits. The carrier has upper and lower parts. The method includes the steps of positioning the lower part in a bottom clamp portion retained in a bottom clamp receptacle, positioning a top clamp portion in a top clamp receptacle, the clamp portions being configured to engage each other in a locking manner, and positioning the upper part in a first gripper. The method also features the steps of applying adhesive to at least one of the parts, pressing said upper part onto the bottom part retained by the bottom clamp receptacle with the first gripper, whilst retrieving the top clamp portion with a second gripper, and locking the top clamp portion to the bottom clamp portion with the second gripper to clamp the parts together.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bonding device for bonding a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) to a printhead assembly. The printhead assembly includes a printhead carrier and an ink ejection printhead carried by the carrier. The bonding device includes a support structure assembly and a first heater assembly arranged on the support structure assembly to be movable along a first path and configured to bond the flexible PCB to the printhead. A bending mechanism is arranged on the support structure and is configured to bend the bonded PCB. A second heater assembly is arranged on the support structure assembly to be movable along a second path and is configured to bond the bent PCB to the printhead carrier. A control system controls operation of the heater assemblies and the bending mechanism.