Abstract: An ink jet module that can be accurately positioned on a carrier includes a channel die and a heater die. The channel die is rectangular and has a top surface, a bottom surface, a first pair of sides, and a second pair of sides. The bottom surface has a number of spaced parallel channels disposed within it. The channels are parallel to the first pair of sides and extend through one of the second pair of sides. The top surface of the heater die is attached to and aligned with the bottom surface of the channel die. At least one pair of alignment features is disposed within and adjacent a side of the bottom surface of the channel die. The alignment features are recessed areas disposed on opposite sides from each other. The alignment features are dimensioned to receive a retainer that secures the ink jet module to a carrier.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus records by discharging ink from plural recording heads toward a recording medium. Each of the recording heads has a heat pipe mounted thereon, and protruding therefrom so as to have a length which is greater than the recording width of the corresponding recording head. The protruding portions of each heat pipe extending from the recording heads have a heat discharging member attached thereto. That member constitutes a single blower fan for applying an air stream to the heat discharging members corresponding to the recording head, and plural air stream control means for applying the air stream produced by the blower fan to the heat discharging members individually or independently.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head unit for performing a recording operation by discharging ink is desclosed. The ink jet recording head unit includes an ink jet head portion having an ink passage communicated with a discharge port for discharging ink and a substrate having an energy generating element for causing energy for discharging ink to act on ink present in the ink passage, the ink being supplied through an ink receiving port of a connecting portion; and an ink supply member having a connecting portion to be connected to the ink jet head portion so as to supply ink to the ink jet head portion via the connecting portion.

Abstract: A thermal ink jet printhead formed of a silicon substrate, a thin film resistor layer disposed on the silicon substrate, a patterned metallization layer disposed on the thin film resistor layer for defining a plurality of ink firing resistors in the resistor layer, and a barrier layer overlying the resistor layer and the metallization layer and having firing chamber openings formed therein. The metallization layer further includes a reference target pattern, and the barrier layer further includes a reference opening overlying the target reference pattern which is configured such that the alignment of reference opening relative to the target reference is representative of the alignment of the respective firing chamber openings relative to the associated underlying ink firing resistors.