Abstract: The contact pads of a print cartridge are formed on a flexible tape. Each of the uniformly spaced contact pads is preferably a square separated from an adjacent square by a minimum distance to provide each contact pad with a maximum area. Conductive traces run along the flexible tape and between the contact pads to allow for a minimum separation between contact pads, thus allowing the contact pads to be made relatively large. This improves the reliability of the interconnection between the pads and the printer electrodes.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a tape automated bonding circuit with interior sprocket holes including: a substrate; at least one conductor deposited on the substrate; a functional area on the substrate defined by a polygon surrounding the conductor with all sides of the polygon adjacent to a segment of the conductor and with interior angles of the polygon between the sides of the polygon greater or equal to ninety degrees and having at least one sprocket hole within the functional area on the substrate. The sprocket hole is used to engage and drive the tape automated bonding circuit through processing steps. In a specific embodiment the functional area on the substrate has a first set of two sprocket holes within the functional area, which are used to engage and drive the tape automated bonding circuit through processing steps.

Abstract: The contact pads of a print cartridge are formed on a flexible tape. Each of the uniformly spaced contact pads is preferably a square separated from an adjacent square by a minimum distance to provide each contact pad with a maximum area. The contact pads are arranged on the flexible tape only along the side portions of the plastic print cartridge body, where body is generally flat, to avoid the pads being located in the sunken middle portion of the body, where the sinking occurs during the injection molding process used to form the body. This improves the reliability of the interconnection between the pads and the printer electrodes.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes a compact substrate having transmission circuitry such as actuation signal lines and address circuitry and ground lines in connection with resistors in a plurality of vaporization chambers on the substrate, with a minimal number of interconnect junctions located at both ends of the substrate. A print cartridge holding the inkjet printhead has a flexible circuit member with conductive traces permanently bonded at one end to the interconnect junctions and terminating at the other end at cartridge interconnect pads.

Abstract: Slits are cut in a nozzle tape and aligned with encapsulant beads on a printhead. The slits mechanically decouple portions of the tape stuck to the beads from a central portion of the tape stuck to a nozzle plate, and thereby prevent lifting of the tape off the nozzle plate in the event that the tape subsequently contracts. A method of attaching the tape to the printhead aligns blades with the beads on the printhead, so that the blades cut slits in the tape that are aligned with the beads. The tape is then adhesively secured to the printhead, preserving the alignment.

Abstract: An ink jet pen supply cartridge having a spring biased ink bag with a visual indication of remaining ink quantity. The spring-bag reservoir tends to collapse laterally as the ink supply decreases due to differential pressure exerted thereto. The spring-bag is contained in a rigid cartridge and a pair of flexible tape members are cemented or welded, one to each side of the spring-bag, and extend generally parallel toward a narrow end surface of the cartridge at which they overlap and can be viewed through a window. The overlapping relationship of the tape members provide ink quantity indicia which change as the spring-bag collapse draws them past each other.