TW200940351A - Fabrication of a printhead integrated circuit attachment film by photopatterning - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of fabricating a film for attachment of one or more printhead integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing an adhesive polymeric film, the film being comprised of one or more photopatternable materials; (b) exposing predetermined regions of the film through a mask; and (c) developing the film to define a plurality of ink supply holes.

Description

200940351. IX. INSTRUCTIONS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field to Which the Invention Is Ascribed] The present invention relates to a printing machine, and more particularly to an ink jet printer. [Prior Art] The applicant of the present application has developed a wide range of printers which use a page 宽 wide print head, which is not a conventional reciprocating print head design. The page width design increases the printing speed when the print head is printed and the image is traversed in the future to leave an image line. When the page-wide printhead passes at high speed, it only leaves ink on the media. This type of print head can print at full speed of 1 600 dpi at a speed of nearly 60 pages per minute, which is not possible with conventional inkjet printers. Printing at these speeds quickly consumes ink and can cause problems with the supply of ink to the print head. Not only is the flow rate high, but it is more complicated than the Q to feed the ink to the smaller reciprocating print head, the page width print head and the ink distribution along the entire length of the page width print head. Another problem in the ink supply system is to prevent any particles from reaching the nozzle, which may block or interfere with the nozzle' and affect the printing function. Therefore, any particulate deposition must be avoided as much as possible in the fabrication of each component of the ink supply system, and any particulate deposition may be carried by the ink flowing through the ink supply system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION -5-200940351 ' In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of fabricating a film for attaching one or more print head integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold, The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing an adhesive polymeric film comprising one or more photopatternable materials; (b) exposing a predetermined area of the film via a reticle; and (c) imaging the film To define a plurality of ink supply apertures to provide the film for attaching one or more printhead integrated circuits to the ink supply manifold. Optionally, the film is a laminate, each layer of the laminate comprising a photopatternable material. Optionally, all layers of the stack have a common photosensitive polarity. Optionally, the film comprises a central polymeric film sandwiched between a pair of adhesive layers. Optionally, the central polymeric film is a photosensitive polyimide film. 0 Optionally, the adhesive layer is a photosensitive epoxy layer. Optionally, the film is provided with at least one removable liner that protects at least one of the adhesive layers. Optionally, the film is initially provided with a pair of non-photopatternable substrates, and step (a) includes removing one of the pads to reveal the surface of the film. Optionally, the film is initially provided with a pair of substrates, at least one of which comprises a photopatternable material. Optionally, the reticle is the ink supply manifold. -6 - 200940351 ‘ Optionally, one surface of the film is bonded to the ink supply manifold. Optionally, the ink supply aperture is exposed via an ink outlet defined in the ink supply manifold. In another aspect, the invention provides a film for attaching one or more printhead integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold, the film being obtained or obtainable by the above method. II In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of attaching one or more printhead integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an adhesive polymeric film comprising One or more positive type photopatternable materials; (b) bonding a first surface of the film to the ink supply manifold; (c) exposing a predetermined area of the film via an ink outlet in the ink supply manifold 〇 (d) developing the predetermined area to define an ink supply aperture in the film; and (e) bonding one or more print head integrated circuits to the opposite second surface of the film. Optionally, the ink supply manifold is a liquid crystal polymer (L C P) casting. Optionally, the plurality of print head integrated circuits are attached to the ink supply manifold such that they are joined end to end to provide a page width print head. Optionally, the ink supply aperture is positioned to supply ink to the ink for the 200940351 channel, the ink supply channel being defined in the bottom side of the one or more printhead integrated circuits. Optionally, the bonding step is carried out by thermal curing and/or compression. Optionally, the ink supply aperture is substantially free of carbonaceous soot deposits. In another aspect, the present invention provides a printhead assembly including at least one printhead integrated circuit attached to an ink supply manifold for attaching an adhesive film to the printhead integrated circuit, the adhesive film having a defined And a plurality of ink supply holes therein, wherein the print head assembly is obtained or obtained by the above method. [Embodiment] Fig. 1 shows a printer 2 embodying the present invention. The main body 4 of the printer supports the rear media feed tray 14 and the front pivot surface 6. The first graph shows that the pivoting face 6 is closed so that the display screen 8 is in its upright viewing position. 〇 The control button 10 extends from the side of the screen 8 to facilitate operator input when viewing the screen. To print, a single sheet of paper is drawn from the media stack 12 in the feed tray 14 and fed through the print head (hidden in the printer). The printed sheets 16 are conveyed through the print medium exit slot 18. Figure 2 shows the pivoting face 6 open to reveal the interior of the printer 2. The print head 匣 96 in which the face is mounted is exposed before the printer is opened. The print head 匣 96 is fixedly positioned by the 匣 engaging cam 20, and the 匣 engaging cam 20 pushes it down to ensure that the ink coupling (described later) is fully engaged, and the print head IC (described in After) correctly positioned near the paper feed 200940351 'send path. The cam 20 is manually operated by the release lever 24. The pivoting surface • 6 will not close, so the printer will not operate until the release lever 24 is pushed down to fully engage the cam. Closing the pivot face 6 causes the printer contact 22 to engage the 匣 contact 104. Figure 3 shows that the pivoting face 6 of the printer is open and the printhead 96 is removed. Since the pivoting face 6 is tilted forward, the user pulls the release lever 24 upward to disengage the cam 20. This causes the handle 26 on the cymbal 96 to be gripped Q and pulled up. The upstream and downstream ink coupling members 112A and 112B are disengaged from the printer conduit 142. This will be explained in more detail below. To install a new one, the program will be the opposite. Xinyi did not inject ink when it was shipped and sold. In order to make the printer ready for printing, the active fluid system (described later) uses a downstream pump to inject the ink and print head into the ink. In Figure 4, the outer casing of the printer 2 has been removed to reveal the interior. The large ink tank 60 has separate reservoirs for all four different types of ink. The ink tank 60 itself is a replaceable weir that is coupled upstream of the printer that shuts off the valve ❹ 6 6 (see Figure 6). There is also a housing 92 for withdrawing ink from the cassette 96 by the pump 62. The printer fluid system will be described in detail with reference to Figure 6. Briefly, ink from tank 60 flows through upstream ink line 84 to shut-off valve 66 and up to printer conduit 142. As shown in Fig. 5, 'When the 匣96 is installed', the pump 62 (driven by the motor 196) can draw ink into the LCP casting 64 (see Figures 6 and 17 to 20) to enable capillary action. The print head 1C 68 (again, see Fig. 6 and Figs. 17-20) injects ink. The excess ink drawn by the pump 62 is fed into the casing 92 covered by the ink tank 60. -9- 200940351 • Because of the number of contact points used, the total connection force between the contact point 104 and the printer - the contact 2 2 is quite large. In the illustrated embodiment, the total contact force is 45 Newtons. This load is sufficient to bend and deform the crucible. In Fig. 30, the internal structure of the frame casting 100 is shown. The support surface 28 shown in Fig. 3 is schematically shown in Fig. 30. The compressive load at the touch point of the printer on the contact point 1 04 is indicated by an arrow. The force on the support surface 28 is likewise indicated by an arrow. In order to maintain the integrity of the structure of the crucible 96, the frame casting 100 has structural members 30 that extend in the plane of the joint force. In order to maintain the coupling force acting in the plane of the coupling force, the frame also has contact ribs 32 that bear against the support surface 28. This allows the load on the structural member 3 to be fully compressible so that the stiffness of the crucible is maximized, minimizing any bending. Print engine pipeline

The print engine pipeline is processed by the printer for receiving and outputting data from an external source to the print head for printing. The printing engine pipeline is described in detail in USSN U/H4769 (RRC (HmJS), filed on December 20, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. , 匣, structure and components in the ink line to avoid fluid problems. Some common fluid problems are color mixing of unfilled ink or dry nozzles, gas ejecting bubbles and cross-contamination. For -10-200940351 fluid control, Optimizing printer component design to avoid these problems is a passive approach. In general, the active component used to correct these problems is the nozzle actuator itself. However, this is often insufficient and wastes a lot of ink. In the work of correcting these problems, in the page wide print head, the problem is aggravated by the length and complexity of the ink supply tube supplied to the print head IC. The applicant has developed an initiative for the printing machine. This problem is solved by the fluid system. Some of these problems are described in US Ser. No. 11/677,049, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. One of the single pump embodiments of the active fluid system, the active fluid system being adapted for use with the printhead described in the present specification. The fluid architecture shown in Figure 6 is for a single ink line of one color only. The color printer will have separate ink lines (and separate ink reservoirs 60) for each color. As shown in Figure 6, the architecture has a single pump 62 and LCP downstream of the LCP casting 64. The upstream of the casting has a shut-off valve 66. The LCP casting supports the print head 1C 68 via the adhesive 1C attachment film 174. The shut-off valve 66 prints the ink in the ink tank 60 each time the printer power is turned off. The head 1C 68 is isolated. This allows color mixing at the print head 68 during non-operation to avoid reaching the ink tank 60. These problems are further detailed in the cross-referenced specification USSN 1 1/677049 (our file SBF006US). The ink reservoir 60 has a venting bubble point pressure regulator 72 for maintaining a relatively constant negative hydrostatic pressure in the ink at the nozzle. In the ink reservoir -11 - 200940351

The bubble point pressure regulator is detailed in the co-pending US SN. 1 1 /6403 5 5 (our file RMC007US), which is incorporated herein by reference. However, for purposes of illustration, the illustrated regulator 72 has a bubble exit 74 that sinks into the ink of the ink reservoir 60 and is vented to the atmosphere via a sealed conduit 76 that extends to the air inlet 78. When the print head 1C 68 consumes ink, the pressure in the ink tank 60 drops until the pressure difference at the bubble exit 74 draws air into the tank. This air forms bubbles in the ink and rises to the top 0 space of the groove. This pressure difference is the bubble point pressure and has an absolute relationship with the diameter (or minimum dimension) of the bubble outlet 74 and the Laplace pressure of the ink relief surface at the outlet, which prevents air from entering. The bubble point pressure regulator uses the desired bubble point pressure to create a bubble at the sinking bubble outlet 74 so that the hydrostatic pressure remains substantially constant at the outlet (when the air bulges from the concave and convex surface to form a bubble and rises to the ink tank) There will be a slight change in the top space). If the hydrostatic pressure at the outlet is at the bubble point, the hydrostatic pressure profile in the ink reservoir is known regardless of how much ink has been consumed by the ink reservoir. When the ink level drops to the outlet, the pressure on the surface of the ink in the ink tank drops toward the bubble point pressure. Of course, once the outlet 74 is exposed, the headspace is vented to the atmosphere and the negative pressure will disappear. If the ink level reaches the bubble exit 74, the ink reservoir should be refilled or replaced (if it is a carcass). The ink reservoir 60 can be a fixed reservoir that can be replenished with ink, or can be replaced (as disclosed in RRC 001 US, incorporated herein by reference). In order to prevent particle contamination, the outlet 80 of the ink tank 60 has a coarse filter 82. The system also has a fine filter at the coupling to the print head. Because the filter -12- 200940351 has a limited life span, it is especially convenient for the user to replace the old filter with a replacement ink cartridge or print head cartridge. If the filter is a separate consumable, it depends on the user's industrious and regular replacement. When the bubble outlet 74 is at the bubble point pressure and the shut-off valve 66 is open, the hydrostatic pressure at the nozzle will also be constant and less than atmospheric pressure. However, if the shut-off valve 66 has been closed for a period of time, bubbles emerging from the gas may form in the LCP casting 64 or in the print head 1C 68, changing the pressure at the nozzle. Similarly, the expansion or contraction of the bubble caused by the daily temperature fluctuations changes the pressure in the ink line 84 downstream of the shut-off valve 66. Similarly, as the dissolved gas runs out of the solution, the pressure in the ink tank changes during periods of inactivity. The ink line 86 from the LCP casting 64 to the downstream of the pump 62 can include an ink sensor 88 coupled to the electronic controller 90 for pumping. The sensor 8 8 senses the presence or absence of ink in the downstream ink line 86. Alternatively, the system may not use sensor 8 8 and pump 62 can be configured to operate for each different operation for an appropriate period of time. This can adversely affect operating costs because of the increased ink waste. The pump 62 is fed into the tank 92 (when drawn in the forward direction). The housing 9 2 is physically positioned in the printer 'to make it lower than the print head 1 C 6 8 °. This allows the ink in the downstream ink line 86 to "hang" to the LCP casting 64' during the lifetime. A negative hydrostatic pressure is generated at print head 1C 68. The negative pressure at the nozzle pulls the ink relief inwardly and avoids color mixing. Of course, the peristaltic pump 62 needs to be stopped in the open condition 'to allow liquid communication between the LCP casting 64 and the ink outlet in the pump 92. -13- 200940351 ' The pressure difference between the ink lines of the same color will be generated during the period of non-operation. In addition, paper dust or other particles on the nozzle plate can damage the ink of each nozzle. The color mixing driven by the slight pressure difference between each ink line can occur during periods when the printer is not operating. The shut-off valve 66 isolates the ink tank 60 from the nozzles of the print head 1C 68 to prevent color mixing from extending up to the ink tank 6G. Once the ink in the ink tank is contaminated with different colors, it cannot be recovered and must be replaced. 0 Cover 94 series printhead maintenance station that hides the nozzle during standby to avoid dehydration of the printhead IC 66 and to block the paper dust or other particles. A cover 94 is also provided for cleaning the nozzle plate to remove dry ink and other contaminants. When the ink solvent (usually water) evaporates and increases the viscosity of the ink, dehydration of the print head 1C 68 occurs. If the ink viscosity is too high, the inkjet actuator cannot eject ink drops. If the cover seal is sacrificed, the dewatering nozzle can be a problem when the printer is operated again after the shutdown or standby period. Q The various problems listed above are not uncommon during the life of the printer and can be effectively corrected using the fairly simple fluid architecture shown in Figure 6. It also allows the user to initially inject ink into the printer, not inject ink before moving the printer, or return the printer to a known print ready state using a simple fault check protocol. An example of several of these cases is detailed in USSN 1 1/677049 (our file SBF006US) referenced above, 〇 print head 匣-14- 200940351 • Print head 匣 96 is shown in pictures 7 to 16A . Figure 7 is a table showing the complete assembly of the print head 96. The raft system is mounted within the 匣 frame 1 〇〇 and the frame cover 102. The window of the rack 100 exposes a pick-up point 104 that receives data from a print engine controller in the printer. Figures 8 and 9 show the cymbal 96 with the snaps attached over the protective cover 98. The protective cover 98 prevents damage from contact with the electrical contact 104 and the print head 1C 68 (see Figure 10). The user can hold the top of the 匣 96 and remove the protective cover 98 immediately before installing φ in the printer. Figure 10 shows the bottom side and "back" of the print head 96 (relative to the paper feed direction). The print head contact point 104 is a conductive pad on a flexible printed circuit board 108 that is wrapped around a curved support surface (discussed below in the description of the LCP casting) to One of the rows of the print head IC 6 8 is wired at the junction 1 1 〇. The other side of the print head I c 68 is a paper cover 106 to prevent direct contact with the media substrate. Q Figure 11 shows the bottom side of the print head 96 and the "front". There are two ink coupling members 112A and 112B at either end in front of the crucible. Each ink coupling has four helium valves 114. When the crucible is mounted in the printer, the ink couplings 112A and 112B engage the complementary ink supply interface (described in more detail below). The ink supply interface has a printer conduit 142 that joins and opens the sputum valve 114. One of the ink coupling members i12a is the upstream ink coupling member' and the other is the downstream ink coupling member i i 2B. The upstream ink coupling 1 12A establishes liquid communication between the print head 1C 68 and the ink tank 6〇 (see Fig. 6)' and the downstream ink coupling U2B is connected to the case -15-200940351 92 (see also 6 figure). Figure 12 shows various views of the print head cartridge 96. The plan view of the print head 96 also indicates the position of the cross-sectional views of Figures 14, 15 and 16. Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of the print head cartridge 96. The LCP casting 64 is attached to the bottom side of the crucible frame 100. The flexible PCB 108 is then attached to the bottom side of the LCP found 64 and wrapped around to expose the printhead contact 104. The inlet manifold and filter 116 are coupled to the LCP inlet 122 via a resilient connector 120. Likewise, the LCP outlet 124 is coupled to the outlet manifold 118 via another set of resilient connectors 120. The frame cover 102 has the inlet and outlet manifolds mounted into the frame 1 from the top, and the removable protective cover 98 is quickly attached to the bottom to protect the contact points 1 〇 4 and the print head 1C (see 1 1 figure). Inlet and Filter Manifold Figure 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 12-14 of Figure 12 showing the fluid path to the LCP casting 64 via one of the helium valves 114 of the upstream coupling member A 2A. The weir valve 114 has an elastomeric sleeve 126 that is biased into sealing engagement with the fixed valve member 128. By compressing the elastomeric sleeve 126, the printer conduit 142 is opened to the manifold valve 14 (see Figure 16) such that it is opened by the fixed valve member 128 and allows ink to flow along the inlet and filter manifold 1 16 The top flows up to the top channel 1 38. The top channel 1 3 8 leads to the upstream filter chamber 1 3 2 and the wall of the upstream filter chamber 133 is defined by the filter membrane 130. The ink flows through the filter membrane 130 into the downstream filter chamber 134 and out to the LCP inlet 122. From there, the filtered ink flows along the -16-200940351 • LCP main channel 136 to feed the print head iC (not shown). • The features and advantages of the inlet and filter manifold 116 will now be described with reference to Figure 15. The exploded perspective view of Fig. 15 illustrates very clearly the intricate design of the inlet and manifold manifold 116. Some features of the design contribute to the delicate form. First, the valve system is close to each other. This is not the same as the traditional self-sealing ink valve architecture. Previous designs have used elastic members that are biased into sealing engagement with the stationary members. However, the elastic member is in the form of a film in which the ink flows through the solid shape of the φ or otherwise the ink flows therethrough. In the case of the simmering pot, the sputum valve is automatically opened automatically during installation. This can be achieved in an easy and cost effective manner by means of an abutment having a resilient member that is joined to the other valve by a rigid member. If the elastic member is in the form of a diaphragm, it will normally hold itself against the central rigid member under tension. This provides an effective seal and requires a relatively low tolerance. However, it also requires a wide peripheral mounting of the elastic member. The width of the resilient member will be a trade-off between the desired coupling force, the integrity of the seal, and the material properties of the elastomeric member used. As is apparent from Fig. 16, the dam valve 114 of the present invention uses an elastic sleeve 126' which seals against the fixed valve member 1 28 in the case of residual compression. When the crucible is installed in the printer, the valve 1 14 will open and the end of the conduit 148 of the printer valve 142 will further compress the sleeve 126. The collar 146 is opened by the fixed valve member 1 28 to connect the LCP casting 64 to the printer fluid system via the upstream coupling 1 1 2 A and the downstream coupling 1 12B (see Figure 6). The side walls of the casing are designed to bulge outwardly as the inward depression causes flow obstruction. As shown in Fig. 16, the sleeve 126 has a weaker row -17-200940351 around its intermediate portion which reinforces and guides the bend. This reduces the force required to engage the 匣 to the printer and ensures that the sleeve bends outward. The coupling member is used to disengage the crucible from the printer with "no water droplets". When the cassette is pulled up by the printer, the elastomeric sleeve 1 2 6 pushes the collar 146 to seal against the fixed valve member 128. Once the elastomeric sleeve 126 is sealed against the fixed valve member 1 28 (and thus the heel side of the seal coupling), the seal collar 146 is raised with the weir. The collar 146 is thus opened by the end of the conduit 148. When the seal breaks, the ink relief surface will form a gap through the gap between the collar and the end of the conduit 148. The shape of the end of the fixed valve member 1 28 guides the uneven surface toward the middle of its bottom surface rather than passing through it. At the middle of the circular bottom of the fixed valve member 1 28, the relief surface is driven to disengage itself from the almost horizontal bottom surface. In order to achieve the lowest possible energy state, the surface tension drives the relief surface away from the fixed valve member 128. The biasing effect of minimizing the surface area of the relief surface is strong such that little ink, if any, remains on the helium valve 114 after detachment. Before the crucible is processed, any residual ink is not enough to be one of the drops that will drip and cause contamination. When the new cartridge is installed in the printer, air within the conduit 150 will enter the ink fluid 1 52 and be absorbed by the crucible. In view of this, the inlet manifold and filter assembly have high bubble tolerances. Referring to Figure 15, the ink flows through the top of the fixed valve member 1 28 and into the top channel 138. Since the top channel is the highest point of the inlet manifold 116, the top channel can replenish bubbles. However, it is still possible for air bubbles to flow into the filter inlet 158. In this case, the filter assembly itself is tolerant of air bubbles. The bubbles on the upstream side of the filter member 130 affect the flow rate, -18- 200940351 ^ They effectively reduce the wetting on the dirty side of the filter member 130 - the filter membrane has a long rectangular shape, so that even a few bubbles are In the dirty side of the device, the wetted surface area will still be large enough to require the flow of ink. For the high speed operation provided by the present invention, when the bubbles in the upstream filter chamber 132 cannot pass over 130, the bubbles emerging from the gas may generate bubbles downstream: 1 34. The filter outlet 1 56 is positioned at the downstream filter chamber φ and obliquely opposite the inlet 158 in the upstream filter chamber 132 to minimize bubble effects in either chamber at flow rates. The filters 130 for each color are juxtaposed vertically. The partition wall 1 62 partially defines the upstream filter on one side and the downstream filter chamber which partially defines the adjacent color on the other side. The filter chamber is so thin (for delicate design), the filter It can be pushed against the opposite wall of the downstream filter chamber 134. This effectively dictates the surface area of the filter membrane 130. This results in the highest flow rate. In order to avoid this, the phase of the downstream filter chamber 134 - a series of spaced ribs 160 to maintain the diaphragm 130 from the wall to position the filter inlet and outlet diagonally diagonally also helps to initially inject ink Clean the air system during the period. In order to reduce the risk of contamination of the print head particles, the filter membrane 130 is welded to the downstream side of the wall before the next weld to the first partition wall. Thus, any small breaks in the welding process, the diaphragm 130 will be on the "dirty" side of the filter 130. Surface area. It is important to absorb the filtration rate. The bottom of the filter diaphragm filter chamber 134 is located close to the stack chamber 132, 134 该 because the diaphragm 1 3 0 is lowered too much is harmful to the wall having a wall on the system partition 1 6 2 first compartment sheet filter -19 - 200940351

• LCP casting/flexible PCB/printing head IC, LCP casting 64, flexible PCB 108, and printhead IC 68 components are shown in Figures 17 through 33. Figure 17 is a bottom perspective view of the LCP casting 64 with the flexible PCB and print head 1C 68 attached. The LCP casting 64 is secured to the truss frame 100 via countersunk holes 166 and 168. Hole 1 66 is an inverted circular hole for accepting a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch without bending the LCP. The print head 1C 68 is lined up in the longitudinal direction of the LCP casting 64 0 in a longitudinal direction. The flexible PCB 108 is bonded to the print head 1C 68 at the edges. The flexible PCB 108 is also secured to the LCP casting 64 at the edge of the printhead 1C and the edge of the tantalum contact 104. The flexible PCB is held at both edges to hold it tightly to the curved support surface 170 (see Figure 19). This ensures that the flexible PCB does not bend to a radius that is tighter than the set minimum, thereby reducing the risk of breakage of the conductive traces through the flexible PCB. Figure 18 is an enlarged view of the insert A in Figure 17, which shows φ along the side of the flexible PCB 108 side of the wire joint contact point 1 64 rows and the print head 1C 68 row. Figure 19 is an exploded perspective view of the LCP/flex PCB/print head 1C assembly showing the bottom side of each component. Figure 20 is another exploded perspective view showing the top side of each component. The LCP casting 64 has an LCP channel casting 176 sealed to its bottom side. The print head IC 6 8 is attached to the bottom side of the channel casting 176 by adhering the IC attaching film 1 7 4 . The LCP main channel 184 is on the top side of the LCP trench casting 176. In the LCP casting 64, the LCP main channel 184 is open to the ink inlet 1 22 and the ink outlet 1 24 . Go to print -20-

A series of ink supply passages 182 of the 200940351 head IC 68 are attached to the bottom of the LCP 184. The adhesive 1C attachment film 174 has a series of supply holes 186 such that the attachment side of each of the print heads 1C 68 is in fluid communication with the ink path 182. The 1C attached film will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 31 to 33. The LCP casting 64 has a recess 178 for receiving the electronic component 180 in the drive circuit on the PCB 108. For electrical efficiency and operation, the contact point 104 on the PCB 108 should be head 1C 68. However, in order to maintain the paper path adjacent to the printhead, rather than being curved or angled, the contact point 104 needs to be on the side. The conductive path in a flexible PCB is called a stitch. Because the flexibility has to bend the corners, the stitches may crack and break the joint. In this case, the stitches can be bifurcated before bending and then bent into one. If one branch of the bifurcation segment is split, the connection is maintained. Unfortunately, splitting the stitches into two, and then starting, this will cause electromagnetic interference problems, and it will not be effective to create a widening of the stitches in the circuit, because it is not broader than preventing cracking. . Once the stitching has begun to crack, it is quickly and easily spread throughout the width. It is more effective to carefully control the bend radius than to minimize the number of stitches in the box in the flexible PCB. The page width printhead presents additional complexity because the large spray weight must be emitted in a relatively short time. Immediately causing many nozzles to fire will cause a large current load on the male. This will result in a high level of inductance in the circuit and a sudden drop in pressure, which is not conducive to operation. In order to avoid this situation, the main channel ΐ drilling hole I water supply Ϊ 黏 黏 纳 纳 Ϊ Ϊ Ϊ Ϊ Ϊ Ϊ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 近 近 近 近 近 近 近 近 近 近 近 近 PCB PCB PCB PCB PCB PCB PCB PCB One after another: news. : Thread pair; will be quite i-bent ΐ 最 最 最 阵列 阵列 ί ί ί ί 造成 造成 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 The load on it. Since it is necessary to keep the paper path through the print head 1C straight, the capacitor is generally attached to the flexible PCB near the contact point on the side of the crucible. Unfortunately, they create additional stitches that expose the curved section of the flexible PCB to the risk of cracking. The solution to this problem is to install capacitor 180 (see Figure 20) next to printhead 1C 68 to reduce the chance of stitch cracking. The paper path is maintained linear by hiding the electrical container and other components within the LCP casting 64. The relatively flat surface of the flexible PCB 1 08 downstream of the print head 1C 68 and the paper cover 1 72 mounted on the front of the 匣96 (in relation to the feed direction) minimizes the risk of paper jam. Isolating the contact points from the remaining elements of the flexible P C B minimizes the number of stitches that extend through the curved segments. This has greater reliability because the chance of cracking is reduced. Placing circuit components next to the print head 1C φ means that it needs to be widened to a minimum, which is not conducive to delicate design. However, the advantages of this architecture outweigh the disadvantages of any slightly wider one. First, the contact point will be larger because no traces from the component exist between the contact points and around the contact points. With larger contact points, the connection is more reliable and more resistant to manufacturing inaccuracies between the contact point and the printer side. In this case, this is especially important, and the joint contact points rely on the user to accurately insert the flaw.

The second 'wire' is bonded to the edge of the flexible PCB on the side of the print head 1C not under residual stress and trying to break away from the bend radius. The flexible PCB -22-200940351 can be fixed to the support structure at other components of the capacitor, so that the wiring bonded to the print head 1C during manufacturing is easier to form and less cracked because it is not intended to be used Secure the flexible PCB. Third, the capacitor is especially closer to the nozzle of the print head 1C, so that the electromagnetic interference generated by the discharge capacitor is minimized. Fig. 21 is an enlarged view of the bottom surface of the print head, showing the flexible PCB 108 and the print head 1C 68. The wire bonding contact of the flexible PCB 108 is disposed in parallel with the contact pads of the printing head 1C 68 on the bottom side of the adhesion 1C adhesion film 174. Fig. 22 shows an enlarged view of the print head 1C 68 and the flexible PCB removed in Fig. 21 to reveal the supply holes 186. The holes are arranged in four lengthwise columns. Each column carries a special color of ink, and each column is aligned to a single channel on the back side of each of the print heads 1C 68. Fig. 23 shows a bottom side view of the LCP channel casting 176 in which the adhesion 1C adhesion film 174 has been removed. This reveals an ink supply path 182 that is connected to the LCP main channel G 1 84 (see Fig. 20) formed in the other side of the channel casting 176. It will be appreciated that when the adhesive 1C attachment film 174 is adhered, it partially defines the ink supply path 182. It will be appreciated that the attachment film must be accurately positioned because the respective ink supply passages 182 must be aligned with the supply holes 186 of the laser drilled holes via the membrane 1 74. Figure 24 shows a bottom side view of the LCP casting where the LCP channel casting has been removed. This reveals an array of blind holes 200 that contain air when helium injects ink to attenuate any pressure pulses. This will be discussed in further detail below. -23- 200940351 Print Head 1C Adhesive Film • Laser-fired uranium film Refer to Figures 31 to 33 for more details on the Adhesive 1C Adhesive Film. The membrane 174 can be laser drilled and wound onto the reel 198 for easy entry into the print head cartridge 96. For handling and storage, film 174 has two protective liners (typically PET liners) on either side. One of them is the active pad 18 8B, which has been attached to the film prior to laser drilling. The other pad is a replacement pad 192 that replaces the active pad 18 8A after the drilling operation. Portions of the laser-drilled film 174 shown in Fig. 32 have some of the active pads 188B that have been removed to expose the supply holes 186. The replacement liner 192 on the other side of the film replaces the active liner 188A after the laser drilling of the supply aperture 186. Figures 33A through 33C show in detail how the film 174 is fabricated by laser firing. Fig. 33A shows in detail the laminated structure of the film before laser drilling. The central film sheet 190 is typically a polyimide film and provides the strength required for the laminate. The film plate 190 is sandwiched between the first adhesive layer 19 4A and the second adhesive layer 194B, which is generally an epoxy layer. Each of the first adhesive layer 19 4A and the second adhesive layer 194B is covered with a respective pad 188A and 188B (generally a polyester pad, such as PET). The central diaphragm 190 typically has a thickness of 20 to 100 microns (typically about 50 microns). Each of the first adhesive layer 194A and the second adhesive layer 194B has a thickness of 10 to 50 microns (typically about 25 microns). Referring to Figure 33B, laser drilling is performed from the side of the film defined by pad 188A. Hole 186 is drilled through first liner 1 88A, epoxy layers 1 94A and 1 94B, and diaphragm 190. Hole 186 terminates at pad 188B some -24-200940351, such that pad 188B can be thicker than pad 188A (eg, pad • 188A can be 10 to 20 microns thick; pad 188B can be 30 to 100 microns) thick). The aperture pad 1 88A on the laser entry side is then removed and replaced with a replacement pad 192 to provide the thin film package shown in Figure 33C. This film package is then wound onto a reel 198 (see Figure 31) for handling and storage prior to attachment. When the print head cartridge is assembled, the appropriate length is removed by the reel φ 198, the liner is removed, and the film 174 is adhered to the bottom side of the LCP channel casting 176 such that the aperture 186 is aligned with the correct ink supply path 182 ( See Figure 25). Laser drilling is a standard method for defining pores in polymeric films. However, the problem with laser drilling is that it deposits carbonaceous coal ash 197 in and around the borehole location (see Figures 33B and 33C). The ash around the protective liner may be easy to handle because it is usually replaced after laser drilling. However, the coal ash 197 deposited in and around the actual supply aperture 186 is a potential problem with Q. When the film is compressed between the LCP channel casting 1 76 and the print head 1C 68 during bonding, the coal ash may be ejected. The ejected coal ash 1 97 represents that the particles may enter the ink supply system and may be clogged in the print head 1C 68. In addition, coal ash is very fast and cannot be removed by conventional ultrasonic and/or IP A cleaning techniques. The analysis by the laser drilled film 1 74, the applicant has observed that: coal ash 97 is generally present on the laser entry side of the film 1 74 (ie, the epoxy layer 194A and the film plate 190), However, it is generally not present on the laser exit side of film 174 (i.e., epoxy layer 194B). -25- 200940351 • Light patterned film The method of manufacturing the 1C adhesion film 174 must be provided so that the 1C adhesion film 174 does not suffer from the above problems associated with carbonaceous coal ash deposition 197. Photopatterning is a technique well known for defining openings in photosensitive materials such as photoresists. This technique exposes the area of the photosensitive material via a suitable mask and then develops it with a suitable imaging solvent. The exposed area can be removed with a u-image (such as a positive photoresist), or the exposed area can be removed using a development such as a negative photoresist. Many types of materials are photosensitive and therefore photopatternable. As mentioned above, the central diaphragm 190 preferably has excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical durability. Adhesive layer 194 is preferably an epoxy adhesive which also has excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical durability. Photosensitive polyimides and photosensitive epoxies are well known in the literature and, in many cases, have better properties than their non-photosensitive materials. φ Therefore, by selecting a suitable photosensitive film material, the ink supply hole 186 can be defined in the film by photo patterning technology. An advantage of photo patterning is that the ink supply apertures 186 formed are not lined with any carbonaceous soot deposits (which are characteristic of the above described laser drilling). Basically, each material in the film stack should have the same photosensitive polarity. In other words, all materials should behave like positive photoresists, otherwise they should behave like negative photoresists. The present invention does not allow a positive photoresist to be used in combination with a negative photoresist material in film 174. Figures 34A through 34C schematically illustrate the sequence of the light patterning steps -26-200940351 defining the ink supply holes 186. Figure 34A shows a photo-film package in which the film 174 has a pair of non-photosensitive polyester pads Tera® (PET film) supplied by Toray's CerapeelTM PET film $Teijin. The film 174 includes a polyimide film 190 sandwiched between a pair of photosensitive epoxy layers 194. Suitable Photosensitive Polyimine Thins Phot〇NeeceTM Films supplied by Toray Q. Microsystems offers light-definable ("PD") films. Examples of the epoxy film are DF-XP100 film limited by Hitachi Chemical, and epoxy film by Nitto Denko Co., Ltd. "MP". In Figure 34B, one of the protective pads is exposed to the film 174 by the transfer cover 196. The arrow in Figure 34B represents the light that is exposed to the film (typically UV light). After the subsequent exposed area is provided to provide a photo-patterned ink supply port, the water supply hole 186 is defined in the film 174, instead of being lined with the film, the formed film package can be wound around the reel . As described above, when the film 1 74 is used for the bottom side of the print head 1C LCP channel casting 176, and in a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the LCP channel itself can be used as a photomask. To define the exposed area of the film. The one side of the film 174 is joined to the LCp channel casting 176 as shown in Fig. 35A. Then, through the LC p-channel prior to the thinning of 1 8 8 (for example, an example of a photosensitive film placed between Dupont, and supplied by the company supplied by HD Photosensitive), and used to make thin Like the removal of the film 186. The ink pad 192 is attached for the storage 68 to be bonded to the 192 series of cast 176. This can be the first bottom side, such as the ink outlet in the casting 1 7 -27 - 200940351 ' The film is exposed and imaged to define the ink supply aperture - (Fig. 35B). Some modifications to the LCP channel casting i76 may be required to define the ink outlet 1 83 (relative to the ink supply 182, 23rd) And 25 can be used as a reticle. It is recognized that in this embodiment of the invention, the film 174 should be of all positive type photo-patternable materials because of the ink in the LCP channel 176. The area exposed by the exit must be removed in the development step. The technique of using the LCP channel casting 176 as an exposure mask is advantageous because it ensures that the ink supply holes 186 are properly aligned in the channel casting. Ink outlet. When film 174 is bonded to the bottom of LCP groove 176 When this technique is used, the alignment of the laser drill can be omitted. When one side of the film 174 is attached to the LCP channel casting 176 side and the ink supply hole 168 is defined, the spacer 18 can be moved. In addition to the 3 5C diagram) and then the print head 1C 68 is bonded to the other side of the film 174. Comparing the thin ones shown in FIGS. 33C, 34C, and 35C, it can be seen that the photo patterning method provides A film 'water supply hole 186 is much cleaner than pure laser ablation. Therefore, the film of the invention is very suitable for attaching the printing head 1C 68 to the LCP groove 176, and the ink is not contaminated by unwanted coal ash. Another advantage of the film shown in the figures is that the process ensures that the ink outlets 183 in the LCP furnish 176 are aligned with the ink supply holes 186. The improved ink supply to the print head 1C end 186 is performed to include a cast intermediate shift special LCP cast hole. The bottom (the second film is made of ink according to the original cast 35C. The cast -28 - 200940351 ' Fig. 25 shows the print head IC 68' which overlaps the ink supply hole 186 via the adhesive 1C adhesion film 74, and then overlaps the LCP The ink supply path 1 8 2 in the bottom side of the channel casting 176. The adjacent print head I c 6 8 is positioned in the end-to-end manner via the adhesive film 1 74 to the LCP trench casting 1 7 6 At the junction between the adjacent printhead ICs 6 8 , one of the print heads 1C 68 has a "droplet triangle" 206 portion of the nozzle in the column, which is laterally offset from the remaining nozzles Corresponding columns of the array 220. Thus H is printed from the printing edge of one of the printing heads 1C adjacent to the adjacent printing head 1C. By offsetting the water droplets of the nozzles 206, whether or not the nozzles are at the same 1C or On either side of the junction on the 1C, the spacing between adjacent nozzles (in the direction perpendicular to the media feed direction) remains the same. This requires precise relative positioning of the adjacent printheads 1C 68 and the use of fiducial markers 204 To achieve this goal, this process consumes time, but avoids leaving flaws on the printed image. Unfortunately, some of the nozzles at the end of the printhead 1C 68 may be deficient in ink relative to the integral nozzles in other portions of the array 220. For example, ink may be supplied to the nozzles 222 by two ink supply apertures. 224 is closest. However, if there is a hindrance or particularly large demand from the nozzle to the left side of the ink supply hole 224, the supply hole 226 will also approach the nozzle 222, resulting in a very small chance of ink being not injected into these nozzles due to lack of ink. In contrast, if it is not for the "extra" ink supply hole 210 placed at the junction between adjacent print heads 1C 68, the nozzle 214 at the end of the print head 1C 68 will only be associated with the ink supply opening 216. Liquid communication. Having an "extra" ink supply port 2 1 0 means that there is no risk that there will be no ink from the ink supply -29-200940351. The ink supply holes 208 and 210 are shared by the ink supply path. 212 is fed into the ink. The ink supply path 212 has a capacity to supply two holes, because the ink supply hole 208 has only the nozzle on the left side thereof, and the ink supply hole 210 has only the nozzle on the right side thereof. Therefore, the total flow rate through the ink supply path 212 is approximately equal to the supply path through which only one hole is fed. Fig. 25 focuses on the number of channels (colors) of the ink supply in the print head 1C 68 - 4 grooves The difference between the track and the five channels 218. The third and fourth channels 21 8 of the rear side of the print head 1C 6 8 are fed with ink from the same ink supply holes 186. These ink supply holes It is somewhat enlarged to span the two channels 2 1 8 . The reason for this is that the print head 1C 68 is manufactured for a wide range of printers and print head architectures. These can have five color channels - CMYK and IR (infrared) - but other printers (this design) may only be 4-channel printers, others may still be 3-channels (CC, MM, and Y). In view of this, a single color channel can be fed to two of the print head 1c channels. The Print Engine Controller (PEC) microprocessor can easily incorporate this into the printed material that is sent to the printhead IC. In addition, the supply of the same color provides a certain degree of nozzle backup for the two nozzle rows in 1C, which can be used for dead nozzle compensation. Pressure Pulses When the ink that flows to the print head suddenly stops, an ink pressure spike is generated. This can happen at the end of the print job or page. The assignee's high -30- 200940351 The fast page wide print head requires high flow rate supply of ink during operation. Therefore, the quality of the ink supplied to the nozzle in the ink line is quite large and moves at a slight rate. Suddenly ending the print job or just ending at the print page, this requires a fairly fast flow of ink that stops quite quickly. However, a sudden stop of ink momentum causes a shock wave in the ink line. The LCP casting 64 (see Figure 19) is particularly stiff and almost non-tacky when the ink line ink is to be stopped. Since the ink line does not have any compatibility, the shock wave will exceed the Laplace pressure (the pressure generated by the surface tension of the ink at the nozzle opening, which is used to maintain the ink in the nozzle chamber) and rush to the surface before the print head 1C 68. If the nozzle is full of ink and the ink may not be ejected, a flaw will appear in the print. When the nozzle emissivity matches the resonance frequency of the ink line, a resonance pulse wave is generated in the ink. Similarly, because of the hard structure of the ink lines, a large proportion of nozzles for simultaneous emission of one color can generate standing waves or resonant pulses. This can cause the nozzle to fill up with ink, or if the Laplace pressure is exceeded, because the pressure is suddenly reduced, the nozzle is not filled with ink. To address this issue, the LCP Cast 64 incorporates a pulse damper to remove pressure spikes from the ink line. The pulse damper can be a closed gas volume that can be compressed by ink. Alternatively, the pulse damper can be an ink line compatible portion that elastically deflects and absorbs pressure pulses. In order to minimize design complexity and maintain compact form, the present invention uses a compressible gas volume to attenuate pressure pulses. The use of gas compression to attenuate pressure pulse waves can be accomplished with a small gas volume. This keeps -31 - 200940351 'small design while avoiding the need for transient spikes in ink pressure - any nozzles are full. As shown in Figs. 24 and 26, the pulse damper is not a single compressed gas volume due to the pulse wave in the ink. The pulse damper is an array of dimples 200 that are distributed along the length of the L C P casting 64 . The pressure pulse moving through the extended print head (such as the page width print head) can be attenuated at any point in the ink fluid row. However, when the pulse wave passes through the nozzle Q in the print head integrated circuit, the pulse wave causes the nozzle to flood the ink regardless of whether the pulse wave subsequently disappears into the damper. By injecting some of the pulse dampers into the ink supply conduit adjacent the nozzle array, any pressure spikes are attenuated by the position of the ink that would otherwise be unfavorable. As shown in Fig. 26, the air damper recesses 200 are arranged in four rows. Each column of cavities is placed directly over the LCP main channel 184 in the LCP trench casting 176. Any pressure pulse in the ink in the central main channel 184 acts directly on the air in the cavity 200 and quickly disappears. 〇 Print Head Injecting Ink The following describes the injection of ink into the ink by referring specifically to the LCP trench casting 176 shown in FIG. The LCP channel casting 176 is injected into the ink by the suction applied to the main channel outlet 2 32 from the pump of the fluid system (see Figure 6). The main channel 184 is filled with ink, and then the ink supply path 182 and the print head 1C are self-injected into the ink by capillary action. The main channel 184 is relatively long and thin. In addition, if the air cavity 200 needs to be used to weaken the pressure pulse in the ink, then it must maintain the uninjected ink -32-200940351 water. This can be a problem for the ink injection process, which can easily fill the cavity 200' by capillary action or cause the main channel 184 to be completely infused with ink because of air trapping. To ensure that the LCP trench casting 176 is fully implanted with ink, the main channel 184 has a turns 228 at the downstream end prior to the exit 232. To ensure that the air recess 200 in the LCP casting 64 does not inject ink, it has an opening wherein the upstream edge is shaped to advance toward the upper surface of the cavity wall to direct the ink relief. These patterns are described with reference to Figures 28A, 28B and 29A to 29C. These figures schematically illustrate the ink injection procedure. Figures 28A and 28B show the problem if there is no flaw in the main channel, and the 29A to 29C diagram shows the function of the 堰228. Figures 28A and 28B are schematic cross-sectional views of one of the main trenches 1 84 of the LCP trench casting 176 and the array of air recesses 200 in the top of the trench. Ink 23 8 is drawn through inlet 230 and along the bottom surface of main channel 184. It is important to note that the advancing embossed surface has a steeper contact angle with the main channel 184. This causes the front portion of the ink fluid 238 to have a slightly bubble shape. When the ink reaches the end of the main channel 184, the ink level rises and the bubble front contacts the top of the channel before the ink flow stops. As shown in Fig. 28B, the channel 184 is unable to completely inject the ink, and now there is air trapping. This air bag will continue to interfere with the operation of the print head. The ink damping characteristics are changed and air can become a hindrance to the ink. In Figs. 29A to 29C, the channel 184 has 堰-33-200940351 228 at the downstream end. As shown in Fig. 29A, the ink fluid 23 8 is formed in a pool shape after the crucible 228 and rises toward the top of the channel. The 堰228 has a sharp edge 240 at the top to serve as a fixed point for the relief surface. The advancing concave surface is fixed to the fixed edge 240 such that the ink does not flow easily through the crucible 228 when the ink level exceeds the top edge. As shown in Fig. 29B, the raised surface of the bulge causes the ink to rise until it fills the channel 184 to the top. Since the ink-sealed recess 200 becomes a separate air pocket, the raised ink-concave surface at the weir 228 is broken from the sharp top edge 240 and is filled at the end of the channel 184 and the outlet 232 (see Figure 29C). The sharp top edge 240 is precisely positioned such that the ink-concave surface will bulge until the ink fills the top of the channel 184, but does not allow the ink to bulge too much to contact the end air cavity 242. If the uneven surface contacts and is fixed inside the end air cavity 242, it may inject ink. Therefore, the height of the crucible and its position under the recess are accurately controlled. The curved downstream surface of the crucible 228 ensures that there are no more fixed points, and if these are fixed, the ink relief surface may be allowed to bridge the void to the recess 242. Another way the LCP uses to keep the cavity from injecting ink is the shape of the upstream and downstream edges of the cavity opening. As shown in Figures 28A, 28B and 29A to 29C, all upstream edges have curved transition surfaces 234, however the downstream edges are sharp. The ink relief along the top of the channel 184 can be secured to the sharp upstream edge and then moved upwardly into the cavity by capillary action. The transition surface, and particularly the curved transition surface 234 at the upstream edge, removes the strong anchor points provided by the sharp edges. -34- 200940351 Similarly, the work of the applicant of the present invention found that if the cavity 200 accidentally fills up some ink, the sharp downstream edge 23 6 will enhance the injection of ink. If the printer is bumped, vibrated, or tilted, or if the fluid system must flow back for some reason, the cavity 200 may be completely or partially filled with ink. When the ink again flows in its normal direction, the sharp downstream edge 23 6 helps pull the ink relief back to the natural fixed point (i.e., the sharp corner). Thus, the control of the movement of the ink-concave surface through the LCP channel casting 176 is a means for properly injecting the crucible into the ink. The present specification has been described by way of example only. A person skilled in the art will recognize that many variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the broad inventive concept of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments illustrated and described in the drawings are merely illustrative and not restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example only with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a front and side perspective view of a printer embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 shows the printer of Fig. 1 with its front surface tied to the open position. Figure 3 shows the printer of Figure 2 with the print heads removed. Figure 4 shows the printer of Figure 3 with the outer casing removed. Fig. 5 shows the printer of Fig. 3, the outer casing of which is removed and the print head is mounted. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the fluid system of the printer. Figure 7 is a series of top and front perspective views of the print head. -35- 200940351 Figure 8 is a top view of the print head in its protective cover. Figure 9 is a top view of the printhead removed by its protective cover. The first and second pictures of the series of print heads and the front view. Figure 1 1 series of head and back view of the print head. Figure 12 shows a view of all sides of the print head. The exploded perspective view of the print head of the 1st and 3rd series. Figure 14 shows the cross-section of the ink coupling of the print head. Figure 15 shows the decomposition of the ink inlet and filter assembly. Figure 16 shows the cross-section of the print valve. Figure 17 is a perspective view of the LCP casting and the flexible PCB. Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of the insert A in Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the LCP/flexible PCB/printing head 1C assembly. Figure 20 is a perspective view of the LCP/flex PCB/printhead IC assembly. Figure 21 is a diagram of the LCP/flex PCB/print head IC assembly. Fig. 22 is an enlarged view showing the print head ic and the f in Fig. 2; Figure 23 is a view showing the attachment of the print head ic in Fig. 22. Fig. 24 is a view showing the LCP channel casting and the front view stereo and front perspective views in Fig. 23. : Body map. Figure. 〇 Decomposition of the bottom view of the exploded top view of the release of the PCB removal film removal of the release of the release -36- 200940351 large picture. Fig. 25 shows the print head IC in which the rear channel and the nozzle are superposed on the ink supply path. Figure 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of the LCP/flex PCB/print head ic assembly. Figure 27 is a plan view of an LCP channel casting. Figures 28A and 28B are schematic cross-sectional views of an LCP channel casting in which ink is injected without flaws. The 2nd 9A, 2B, and 29C are schematic cross-sectional views of the LCP channel casting in which the ink is injected and have defects. Figure 30 is an enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of the LCP casting showing the position of the contact force and force. Fig. 31 shows a reel of the 1C attached film. Figure 32 shows a cross section of the 1C attached film between the pads. Sections 33A through 33C are partial cross-sectional views showing various stages of conventional attached film laser drilling. 34A to 34C are partial cross-sectional views showing various stages of patterning the adhesion film according to the present invention; and a partial cross-sectional view of the 35A to 35C diagram showing the patterning of the adhesion film according to the present invention. Various different stages of substitution. [Main component symbol description] 2 : Printer 4 : Main body -37- 200940351 Pivot surface screen Ο : Control button: Media stack: Feed tray: Paper: Exit slot: Cam: Contact point: Release lever: Handle: Support surface : ink tank: pump: LCP casting: shut-off valve: print head 1C: pressure regulator: bubble outlet: sealed conduit: air inlet: outlet: coarse filter - ink line -38 200940351 8 6 : ink line 8 8: Sensor 90: Electronic controller 92: Case 94: Cover 96: Print head 匣 98: Protective cover 100: Rack 10: Rack cover 104: Contact point 106: Paper cover 108: Scratch Printed circuit board 1 1 0 · Wiring joint 1 12A : Ink coupling 1 1 2 B : Ink coupling 1 1 4 : 匣 valve 1 1 6 : Inlet and filter manifold 118 : Outlet manifold 120 : Connector 122: inlet 124: outlet 1 2 6 : elastic sleeve 1 2 8 : fixed valve member 1 3 0 : diaphragm -39- 200940351

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ❹ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 = Filter chamber: Filter chamber: LCP main channel: Top channel: Printer tube: Collar: Catheter : Catheter: Ink fluid: Filter outlet: Filter inlet: Spacer rib: Compartment wall: Wiring joint Contact point: Countersink: Countersink: Support surface: Paper cover: Attachment film: LCP channel Cast: Concave: Electronic components: ink supply path: ink outlet -40 1 200940351 184 : channel 1 8 6 : ink supply hole 1 88 : pad 1 8 8 A : pad 1 88B : pad 190 : diaphragm 192 : replacement pad

1 94: Adhesive layer 194A: First adhesive layer 194B: Second adhesive layer 196: Photomask 197: Coal ash 198: Reel 200: Recess 204: Reference mark 206: Water drop triangle 208: Ink supply hole 2 1 0 : Ink supply hole 2 1 2 : ink supply path 21 4 : nozzle 2 1 6 : ink supply hole 2 1 8 : ink supply channel 2 2 0 : nozzle array 222 nozzle 200940351 - 'ink supply hole: supply hole: 堰: entrance :Export 〇: Bend transition surface: Sharp downstream edge: Ink fluid: Edge: Ditch

Claims (1)

200940351 X. Patent Application Scope ι· A method of manufacturing a film for attaching one or more print head integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold, the method comprising the steps of: U) providing an adhesive polymeric film The film comprises one or more photo-patternable materials; (b) exposing a predetermined area of the film via a reticle; and φ (c) developing the film to define a plurality of ink supply holes, thereby providing A film for attaching one or more print head integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the film is a laminate, each layer of the laminate comprising a photopatternable material. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein all of the layers of the laminate have a common photosensitive polarity. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the film comprises a central polymeric film sandwiched between a pair of adhesive layers. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the central polymeric film is a photosensitive polyimide film. 6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the adhesive layer is a photosensitive epoxy layer. 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the film is provided with at least one removable liner 'which protects at least one of the layers of the adhesive layer. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the film is initially provided with a pair of non-photopatternable substrates, and step (a) comprises removing one of the pads to reveal The surface of the film. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the film is initially provided with a pair of substrates, at least one of which comprises a photopatternable material. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reticle is the ink supply manifold. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein one surface of the film is bonded to the ink supply manifold. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the ink supply apertures are exposed via an ink outlet defined in the ink supply manifold. 13. A film for attaching one or more printhead integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold, wherein the film is obtained or obtained by the method according to item 1 of the patent application. 14. A method of attaching one or more printhead integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an adhesive polymeric film comprising one or more positive light patterns (b) bonding the first surface of the film to the ink supply manifold; (e) exposing a predetermined area of the film through the ink outlet in the ink supply manifold; (d) exposing the predetermined area For example, to define an ink supply aperture in the film; and -44-200940351' (e) bonding one or more printhead integrated circuits to the opposite. second surface of the film. The method of claim 14, wherein the ink supply manifold is a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) casting. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of printhead integrated circuits are attached to the ink supply manifold such that they are joined end to end to provide a pagewidth printhead. The method of claim 14, wherein the ink supply apertures are positioned to supply ink to an ink supply channel, the ink supply channels being defined by the one or more printhead integrated circuits In the bottom side. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the joining step is performed by heat curing and/or compression. 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the ink supply aperture is substantially free of carbonaceous soot deposits. 2 0. A print head assembly comprising a print head integrated circuit attached to the ink supply manifold to Q, to adhere the print head integrated circuit to the adhesive film. The adhesive film has a plurality of adhesive films defined therein An ink supply port, wherein the print head assembly is obtained or obtained by the method according to claim 14 of the patent application. -45-