Abstract: An inkjet printhead integrated circuit (IC) includes: a substrate having a drive circuitry layer; a plurality of nozzle assemblies disposed on an upper surface of the substrate and arranged in one or more nozzle rows extending longitudinally along the printhead IC; a nozzle plate extending across the printhead IC; and a conductive track fused to the nozzle plate which extends longitudinally along the printhead IC and parallel with the nozzle rows. The conductive track is connected to a common reference plane in the drive circuitry layer via a plurality of conductor posts extending between the drive circuitry layer and the conductive track.

Abstract: A printhead integrated circuit includes one or more nozzle rows extending along a longitudinal axis thereof. The printhead IC has first and second ends for butting engagement with other printhead ICs so as to define a pagewidth printhead. Each nozzle has an associated primary dot position, wherein a first nozzle positioned at the first end is configured to fire some ink droplets skewed towards the first end in addition to firing some ink droplets at its own primary dot position.

Abstract: A printhead integrated circuit (IC) for a stationary pagewidth printhead, includes nozzle rows extending along a longitudinal axis thereof. A length of a printable zone corresponding to the nozzle row is longer than a length of the nozzle row.

Abstract: A liquid discharge substrate includes a first substrate having an element, on a first surface, that generates energy for discharging liquid; a plurality of first electrodes electrically connected to the element and passing from the first surface to a second surface of the first substrate opposite to the first surface; a second substrate that is in contact with the second surface to support the first substrate; and second electrodes provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and electrically connected to the plurality of first electrodes.

Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a plurality of firing cells, a clocked latch switch, and a data latch switch. Each firing cell includes a heater used to fire ink through a nozzle, a drive switch, and a memory cell used to store a control value used to control the drive switch. The memory cell includes a data switch. A clocked latch switch receives a data-in signal and latches the data-in signal. All of the firing cells in the plurality of firing cells use the data-in signal latched by the clocked latch switch. The data latch switch latches the data-in signal to the data switch of at least two, but not all of the firing cells in the plurality of firing cells.

Abstract: Micro-fluid ejection apparatuses and devices, and methods related to communication in and with the same. One such micro-fluid ejection apparatus includes a controller configured to generate a data signal, and a transmitter configured to convert the data signal to a current signal. The apparatus further includes a conductor capable of carrying the current signal, and a receiver configured to receive the current signal from the conductor and to convert the current signal to a second data signal. The micro-fluid ejection apparatus is configured to operate on the second data signal. In one embodiment, the micro-fluid ejection apparatus may be a printing apparatus, such as an inkjet printing apparatus. In some embodiments, the current signal comprises a pair of corresponding differential current signals and/or current transfer logic signals offset from a base amperage level.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead integrated circuit includes a substrate; a drive circuitry layer positioned on the substrate, the substrate and the drive circuitry layer defining a plurality of ink inlet channels; nozzle chamber walls positioned on the substrate, the nozzle chamber walls supporting roof structures to define nozzle chambers in fluid communication with the ink inlet channels; ink ejection ports defined in the roof structures; ink ejection members positioned in respective nozzle chambers and displaceable with respect to the roof structures to eject ink from the ink ejection ports; fulcrum formations fast with the substrate, each fulcrum formation having an effort formation on one side and a load formation on an opposite side; and thermal actuators outside of and associated with respective nozzle chambers and connected to the drive circuitry layer to move with respect to the substrate on receipt of electrical signals from the drive circuitry layer.

Abstract: An ink supplying mechanism includes a circulating system that connects an ink jet head having a nozzle, a pressure chamber opposed to the nozzle, and an upstream port and a downstream port that communicate with the pressure chamber, an upstream side tank that communicates with the ink jet head via the upstream port and is capable of storing an ink, a downstream side tank that communicates with the ink jet head via the downstream port and is capable of storing the ink, and a circulating pump that feeds the ink from the downstream side tank back to the upstream side tank. The ink supplying mechanism has a relief valve that is capable of opening and closing at least a liquid surface of the downstream side tank with respect to the atmospheric pressure, closes the relief valve to drive the circulating pump, sets the liquid surface of the downstream side tank to a negative pressure, and feeds the ink from the downstream side tank back to the upstream side tank via a feedback channel to circulate the ink.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head for ejection liquid includes an electric wiring member including a plurality of contact pads which are electrically contactable to a liquid ejecting apparatus; a storing element for storing individual information; and a liquid ejection member, provided with an ejection outlet, for ejecting the liquid using electric energy supplied through a part of the plurality of contact pads. The contact pads include an array of information contact pads electrically connected with the storing element, a voltage source contact pad for supplying the electric energy and a grounding contact pad. Directly adjacent to each of front and rear sides of the information contact pads constituting the array, the voltage source contact pad or the grounding contact pad is disposed.

Abstract: A recording head includes a substrate provided with a recording element that generates energy for ejecting liquid and electrical wiring that supplies power to the recording element; and a passage-forming member provided in contact with one face of the substrate and having a nozzle for ejecting the liquid and a passage for supplying the liquid to the nozzle. A groove formed by a through-hole provided in the passage-forming member is disposed such that a bottom face of the groove is located along and above the electrical wiring and positioned so as not to overlap an edge of the electrical wiring.

Abstract: A printing head is provided in which a distance between an ejection port face of the printing head and a print medium is reduced to improve an ink ejection accuracy during a printing operation. The printing head of the present invention is a back shooting-type printing head. The heater and an electrode connected thereto are formed at the back face of the substrate. The electrode and an in-support-base wiring for supplying electricity to the heater via the electrode are connected to each other at the back face side of the substrate. The substrate and the support base have therebetween a liquid chamber wall member including therein a space. The substrate, the support base, and the liquid chamber wall member constitute a liquid chamber that communicates with the ejection port and that stores ink supplied to the ejection port.

Abstract: An ink jet head is constituted by a recording element substrate, comprising ejection outlets for ejecting ink, to which an electrical connecting portion is provided at an outer portion of the recording element substrate; an electric wiring member having an end portion to be electrically connected to the electrical connecting portion; a supporting member comprising an outer surface, a first recess which is provided in the outer surface to accommodate the recording element substrate, and a second recess which is provided in the outer surface in a depth less than that of the first recess to accommodate the end portion of the electric wiring member; and a sealant for sealing a spacing between the second recess and the end portion of the electric wiring member.

Abstract: An apparatus (such as a printer) including a combination engine controller circuit board having a integrated circuit (IC) chip configured to process (format) incoming data as well as to control the operations of the apparatus is disclosed. The IC chip is adapted to receive and process data as well as to control the operations of the apparatus. For this reason, the IC chip is referred to as a combined controller IC.

Abstract: A droplet discharge head including a nozzle substrate having nozzle openings, a cavity substrate having discharge chambers that communicate with the nozzle openings and discharge droplets from the nozzle openings, a reservoir substrate having a reservoir concave portion that serves as a reservoir which communicates commonly with the discharge chambers. The reservoir substrate is provided between the nozzle substrate and the cavity substrate and a resin thin film is formed on a whole inner face of the reservoir concave portion and on a bottom face of a second concave portion. The second concave portion is provided in a peripheral of the reservoir concave portion and has a depth which is smaller than the depth of the reservoir concave portion. The resin thin film is cut circularly so as to surround the reservoir concave portion, and a part of the resin thin film serves as a diaphragm buffering pressure variation. serves as a diaphragm buffering pressure variation.

Abstract: A recording element substrate includes a recording element array including a plurality of recording elements, a drive circuit configured to drive the recording elements, and a heater located to surround the recording element array as viewed in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the recording element substrate and located above or below a capacitive element or a resistive element included in the drive circuit as viewed on a cross section of the recording element substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid transporting apparatus which includes a substrate having an insulating surface, a plurality of liquid transporting channels, a common liquid chamber which supplies a liquid to the liquid transporting channels, a plurality of individual electrodes arranged on the plurality of liquid transporting channels respectively, an insulating layer which covers the individual electrodes, a plurality of wire portions which are connected to the individual electrodes respectively, and a driver IC which applies a driving electric potential to the individual electrodes. Accordingly, it is possible to make simple a structure of the liquid transporting apparatus, and to reduce a manufacturing cost.

Abstract: A printhead IC with an array of nozzles 3. A chamber 7 and a heater 14 correspond to each nozzle respectively. The heater has a heater element 10 extending between a pair of electrodes 15. The heater element 10 is suspended in the chamber 7 by the electrodes 15 to heat printing fluid and generate a vapour bubble to cause a drop of the printing fluid to eject through the nozzle 3. Integrated circuit metalization layers corresponding to each of the nozzles supply electrical energy to the heater 14. The heater 14 and the integrated circuit metalization layers 23 are substantially planar and at least partially overlapping, the metallization layers electrically connected to the heater electrodes 15 by vias, the cross sectional area of all the vias being greater than 50% of the surface area of one side of the heater 14. A relatively large number of vias lowers the electrical resistance between the electrodes and the CMOS metalization layers.

Abstract: The electrical connection structure includes: a first substrate which has a first electrode part; a second substrate which has a second electrode part opposing the first electrode part, and a wiring pattern connected to the second electrode part; an insulating cavity substrate which is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and has a through hole in a position corresponding to the first electrode part, the through hole being deeper that a sum of a height of the first electrode part and a height of the second electrode part and having an opening surface area not smaller that an area of the first electrode part; and conductive material which is filled in the through hole.

Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for a pagewidth inkjet printhead assembly. The nozzle arrangement includes a substrate defining an ink supply channel; an ink chamber in fluid communication with the ink supply channel, the ink chamber defining an ink ejection port around which an ink spreading prevention rim is provided; a thermal actuator mechanism arranged in the substrate and configured to eject ink from the chamber via the ejection port, the mechanism having a thermal actuator arm adapted to deflect as a result of relative thermal expansion; and control logic architecture provided on the substrate for controlling the thermal actuator arm. The architecture has a plurality of successive shift registers, a transfer register for receiving data output from a last shift register, and a firing control gate. The firing control gate has an enabling input and a gate data input for receiving an output from the transfer register. The gate operatively drives the thermal actuator according to the enabling and gate data inputs.

Abstract: A printer is provided having a slot for removably receiving a printhead having a plurality of fluid ejection nozzles, and protrusions arranged in the slot to cooperate with a flat surface of a plurality of corners of the printhead upon mounting of the printhead to the printer, the cooperation providing information on the location of the nozzles.

Abstract: A device package structure includes: a base body having a conductive connection portion and a level difference portion; a device arranged on the base body, having a connection terminal electrically connected to the conductive connection portion via the level difference portion on the base body; and a connector electrically connecting the connection terminal and the conductive connection portion, having substantially the same height as a height of the level difference portion.

Abstract: A printhead assembly comprises an elongate support structure; a series of side wall sections extending a length of the support structure and defining a plurality of ink supply channels, edges of the walls delineating a gap; a plurality of carriers positioned end-to-end in the gap and supported at a bottom surface thereof by said edges of the walls; and a printhead integrated circuit mounted to each carrier. The bottom surface of each carriers defines a plurality of apertures each in fluid communication with a respective ink supply passage defined through the carrier and respective ink supply channels defined by the series of side wall sections.

Abstract: A silicon chip has a plurality of ink jetting structures. Each ink jetting structure of the plurality of ink jetting structures includes a heater stack having an electrical heater element. A power transistor is electrically connected to the electrical heater element. A planarization layer is interposed between the power transistor and the heater stack. The planarization layer has a planar base surface on which the heater stack is formed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for dispensing liquid are disclosed. The method includes the steps of storing one or more liquids in a thermal inkjet print head and providing a well plate having at least one well. At least one of the liquids is dispensed from the thermal inkjet print head into at least one well. The volume of the dispensed liquid is a fraction of the total required volume of the liquid in the at least one well, and the dispensing step is performed multiple times to dispense the required volume of the at least one liquid in at least one well.

Abstract: A small-size element substrate with high electrical efficiency can be achieved when a plurality of printing element arrays having the same discharge amount exist on a single element substrate, and transistors which form driver arrays corresponding to the respective printing element arrays are formed at different array densities including transistors which form a driver array corresponding to a printing element array having a different discharge amount. The area of each transistor of the first driver array corresponding to the first printing element array is set larger than that of each transistor of the second driver array corresponding to the second printing element array. The wiring width of the first power supply wiring pattern corresponding to the first printing element array in a direction perpendicular to the printing element array is set smaller than that of the second power supply wiring pattern corresponding to the second printing element array.

Abstract: A recording head includes: an actuator having a plurality of operable portions operable to cause the recording head to perform a recording; a drive circuit for driving the operable portions of the actuator; a wiring member on which the drive circuit is mounted, which is joined to the actuator, and which has a plurality of conductor wires including a first common voltage wire connected to a common voltage portion of the actuator that is common to the operable portions and a second common voltage wire connected to a common voltage portion of the drive circuit. The recording head further includes (A) a conductor for establishing, in an outer surface of the wiring member, an electrical conduction between the first common voltage wire and the second common voltage wire, or (B) conducting means for establishing, in the outer surface of the wiring member, the electrical conduction between the first and second common voltage wires. Also disclosed are methods for manufacturing and inspecting the recording head.

Abstract: Various embodiments and methods relating to an adhesive paste layer (34, 134) sandwiched between a flexible circuit (30) and a fluid delivery system (26) to form a seal at least partially about a print head (28) are disclosed.

Abstract: A printhead assembly has an elongate casing. A plurality of printhead modules is mounted serially on the casing. Each printhead module has a fluid channel member defining a number of channels extending along a longitudinal axis of the casing. A printhead tile defines a fluid distribution assembly mounted on the fluid channel member in fluid communication with the channels. The fluid distribution assembly is defined by a laminated structure of the printhead tile. A micro-electromechanical printhead integrated circuit is mounted on the tile to receive fluid from the fluid distribution assembly. The fluid distribution assembly is configured to supply the integrated circuit with at least ink and to adjust fluid flow to compensate for microscopic nozzles of the printhead integrated circuit.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead integrated circuit includes a substrate. A drive circuitry layer is positioned on the substrate, the substrate and the drive circuitry layer defining a plurality of ink inlet channels. Nozzle chamber walls and roofs spanning the nozzle chamber walls are positioned on the substrate to define nozzle chambers in fluid communication with respective ink inlet channels, the roofs defining respective ink ejection ports. Ink ejection members are positioned in respective nozzle chambers and are displaceable with respect to the roofs to eject ink from the ink ejection ports. Fulcrum formations are fast with the substrate and each fulcrum formation has an effort formation arranged on one side and a load formation on an opposite side. Each ink ejection member is fast with a respective load formation.

Abstract: An ink jet head circuit board is provided which has heaters to generate thermal energy for ink ejection. This board has the heaters formed with high precision to reduce their areas. It has provisions to protect the electrode wires against corrosion and prevent a progress of corrosion. The substrate is deposited with the thin first electrodes made of a corrosion resistant metal. Over the first electrodes the second electrodes made of aluminum are formed. The second electrodes are deposited with a resistor layer. The heater is formed in the gap between the first electrodes. With this construction, the heaters are formed without large dimensional variations among them. Should a defect occur in a protective layer above or near the heaters, a progress of corrosion can effectively be prevented because the material of the resistor layer is more resistant to encroachment than aluminum and the first electrodes are corrosion resistant.

Abstract: To ensure satisfactory reliability even if the wiring pattern is formed of a wiring material having an enhanced electromigration resistance, by providing a protective layer for protecting heating elements from dry etching for forming a wiring pattern, on the ink chamber side or other liquid chamber side of each heating element.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes plural ejection outlets for ejecting droplets; liquid flow paths in fluid communication with the ejection outlets; and a liquid supply opening for supplying the liquid to the liquid flow paths. The ejection outlets include first and second ejection outlets disposed at least at one side of the liquid supply opening and are staggered. The first ejection outlets are nearer to the liquid supply opening than the second ejection outlets. Each of first recording elements corresponding to the first ejection outlets includes one rectangular heat generating resistor having a long side extending along a direction crossing with an arranging direction of the ejection outlets. Each of second recording elements corresponding to the second ejection outlets comprises plural rectangular heat generating resistors which are adjacent to each other at long sides thereof and are electrically connected in series.

Abstract: This invention provides for a print system for a pagewidth printer. The print system includes a central processing unit (CPU) subsystem having a CPU with a plurality of peripherals configured to interface said print system with the printer and to control operation of the printer. Also included is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) subsystem configured to store print data and to arbitrate requests received from the CPU subsystem, and a print engine pipeline (PEP) subsystem configured to accept compressed pages from the DRAM subsystem and to render said pages to bi-level dots for printing by a bi-lithic printhead of the pagewidth printer.

Abstract: In a printhead element board including a plurality of printing elements which align in a predetermined direction, driving circuits which drive the printing elements, and an element selection circuit which selects printing elements within each group for each group having a predetermined number of adjacent printing elements, a plurality of element selection circuits are laid out adjacent to the driving circuits of the respective groups. With this layout, even if the number of printing elements increases, only the length in the printing element array direction increases without increasing the length in a direction perpendicular to the printing element array direction.

Abstract: A stable voltage can be supplied from a voltage converter circuit and an increase in the area of the entire element body can be suppressed even if the number of recording elements increases and the element body becomes longer. An element body for a recording head includes a plurality of arrayed recording elements, and a voltage converter circuit which converts an externally input voltage. The voltage converter circuit includes a reference voltage generating section and a voltage converter section, and the voltage converter section is formed from a plurality of distributedly arranged voltage converter elements.

Abstract: A fluid-ejecting device with simplified connectivity is disclosed herein. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a common lead is provided such that a plurality of electrical contacts on a fluid-ejecting chip are connected to the common lead, which is located on a single-layer-flex circuit. Because a common lead is provided at an edge of the single-layer-flex circuit adjacent the fluid-ejecting chip, fewer signals need to be routed through the single-layer-flex circuit to such edge, thereby reducing the complexity of such circuit. Further, bond sites at the edge of the single-layer-flex circuit adjacent the fluid-ejecting device are arranged in a manner that minimizes the required length of wire bonds for connecting such contacts to the contacts on the fluid-ejecting chip.

Abstract: Provided is a configuration for connecting common wires (a common power supply wire for connecting a plurality of printing elements commonly to a power supply and a common ground wire for connecting the plurality of printing elements commonly to a ground) to the outside, which configuration does not obstruct a constitution for reducing resistances of the common wires. For this purpose, the common wires are directly connected respectively to electrode leads of an electric wiring tape for external connection without use of electrode pads. In the case of this configuration, the widths of the common wires need not be narrower in vicinities of the electrode pads which would otherwise be in an edge of the board, and accordingly reduction of resistances of the common wires is not obstructed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a head substrate capable of reducing power loss and achieving a high integration degree or downsizing at low cost. The head substrate includes at least plural printing elements, plural driving elements which drive the plural printing elements, and plural level converters which boost the voltage of a driving signal for driving the plural driving elements, to a voltage enough to drive the respective driving elements. The head substrate further includes plural converted voltage generation circuits, arranged close to each other on the head substrate, for applying a common voltage for the boosting operation of level converters belonging to each group prepared by grouping the plural level converters. The plural converted voltage generation circuits share a reference voltage generation portion formed from a resistor and for generating a reference voltage for determining voltage values generated by the plural converted voltage generation circuits.

Abstract: Ink jet printhead comprising one or more ejection module, each with a silicon chip, a plurality of ejector nozzles arranged adjacent to a front of the module, ejection cells for the nozzles and delivery channels for the ink of the cells. The module or modules each include a distribution channel adjacent to the front and in fluid communication with the delivery channels and a nozzle layer integrated with the relative chip and in which the ejector nozzles parallel to the front are made. The head also comprises a support on which the module or modules are mounted and which defines a feeding duct for the ink in fluid communication with the delivery channels and sealing means between the module or modules and the support to guarantee fluid tightness between the feeding duct and the ejection cells.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fluid ejection device. A plurality of drive transistors is disposed on a substrate, the drive transistors each comprising contacts. A metal layer is disposed over the contacts. The plurality of drive transistors includes a primitive group of drive transistors, and the metal layer includes a power buss covering each of the contacts of the primitive group of drive transistors.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head is disclosed that includes piezoelectric elements constituting driving element rows in which plural driving piezoelectric element columns that generate energy for ejecting liquid droplets from nozzles are arranged side by side; a wiring board arranged on the side opposite to a surface in which the nozzles are formed; and two sheets of flexible printed circuits that are provided to correspond to the piezoelectric elements and have output terminal parts connected to the plural driving piezoelectric element columns and input terminal parts connected to the wiring board, the input terminal parts being drawn to the side of the wiring board. The flexible printed circuits are arranged facing each other with their input terminal parts not facing each other, and the input terminal parts of the flexible printed circuits are folded in a direction where the flexible printed circuits face each other and are connected to the wiring board.

Abstract: An inkjet head includes an ink passage unit, an actuator unit; a printed circuit board; a metallic bond for electrically connecting a land to a terminal, the metallic bond being disposed in at least one of a region between the land and the terminal and a region extending over the land and the terminal along the peripheries of the land and the terminal; and a protrusion disposed on the connecting portion between a main electrode portion and the land.

Abstract: An electrical device includes an interconnect and a pair substrates at least one of which includes an integrated circuit, the pair of substrates being bonded together by a bond that includes a structure having multiple widths and a composition that is selected from the group consisting of a graded material and a first material upon a second material.

Abstract: A wiring pattern having a plurality of terminal lands and leads independently respectively connected therewith is formed on one face of an insulator of a flexible wiring substrate. The insulator is provided with through-holes whereby the terminal lands are exposed on the other side. The terminal lands are electrically connected and fixed on the other face of the insulator by joining with the head terminals of the inkjet head with conductive adhesive, through the through-holes. Isolation between the leads and terminal lands arranged on the one side thereof from the conductive adhesive is provided by the insulator.

Abstract: A cartridge for a pagewidth printhead assembly is provided. The cartridge includes a body assembly having a lid and main body operatively defining a plurality of fluid chambers when assembled, each chamber comprising a stack of polymer layers with a micro-capillary array of channels formed therein to form an absorbent assembly. The cartridge includes a plurality of printhead integrated circuits (IC) each having a plurality of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements for ejecting printing fluid onto a printing medium, in use. The cartridge also includes a fluid distribution member operatively arranging each chamber in fluid communication with each IC.

Abstract: A printhead module assembly includes a printhead integrated circuit (IC) assembly. The printhead IC assembly includes a plurality of ink ejection nozzles arranged to form staggered rows. The printhead IC assembly defines a plurality of ink channels for supplying ink to the ink ejection nozzles. A flexible printed circuit board (PCB) is electrically connected to supply both power and data to the IC assembly. A support sheet defines a plurality of ink holes. The IC assembly is bonded to the support sheet so that the ink channels are aligned with the ink holes.

Abstract: A printhead integrated circuit assembly includes a substrate having a plurality of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements formed thereon, each micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement including a nozzle chamber defined by a crown portion, a skirt portion, and a wall portion; a lever arm included with the micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement, the lever arm connected at one end to the crown and skirt portions, and at another end to an actuator, the lever arm adapted to move the crown and skirt portions with respect to the wall portion; drive circuitry for supplying a current to the actuator, the current for heating a portion of the actuator to bend the actuator through thermal expansion; containment walls extending from the substrate to surround each micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement; and a nozzle guard mounted on the containment walls to individually enclose therein, together with the containment walls, each micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement, the nozzle guard defining therethroug

Abstract: An inkjet printhead with an array of nozzles and corresponding actuators for ejecting ink through the nozzles, the nozzles being arranged in rows such that the nozzle centres are collinear; wherein, the nozzle pitch along each row is greater than 1000 nozzles per inch. By configuring the components of the unit cell (the repeating chamber, nozzle and actuator unit) such that the overall width of the unit is reduced, the same number of nozzles can be arranged into a single row instead of two staggered and opposing rows without sacrificing any print resolution (d.p.i.). One row of drive circuitry simplifies the CMOS. fabrication and connection to a print engine controller for receiving print data. Alternatively, the unit cell configuration used in the present invention can be arranged into opposing rows that are staggered with respect to each other to effectively double the print resolution—in the case of the preferred embodiment, to 3200 d.p.i.

Abstract: A highly reliable, compact, and inexpensive ink jet recording head, includes a liquid discharge substrate having on a front surface side a discharge port for discharging a liquid, and having, on a back surface side, a liquid supply port for supplying the liquid to be discharged from the discharge port, and an electrode for transmitting and receiving a signal to drive energy generation means for discharging the liquid from the discharge port; a film-like electrical wiring member joined to the back surface of the liquid discharge substrate, the film-like electrical wiring member including a liquid supply hole communicating with the liquid supply port of the liquid discharge substrate, and an electrical connection portion connected to the electrode; and a retaining member for retaining the liquid discharge substrate with the electrical wiring member interposed therebetween, the retaining member including a liquid supply port for supplying the liquid to the liquid supply port of the liquid discharge substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cradle unit for receiving a print cartridge to form a print engine. The cradle unit includes a main body defining an opening for receiving said cartridge, the main body having a frame structure including end plates with drive and exit rollers mounted therebetween. The cradle unit also includes a printed circuit board (PCB) pivotally mounted between the end plates for housing control electronics for controlling the operation of the print engine. Also included is a cover assembly for securing said cartridge in the opening, the cover assembly pivotally mounted between the end plates, the cover assembly configured to pivot the PCB into electrical contact with a printhead controller on the cartridge when in a closed position, and to pivot the PCB out of electrical connection with said printhead controller when in an open position.