Printing system with flexible conduit portion between ink supply and print cartridge and methods for supplying ink to printing structure

摘要

In the preferred embodiment, an inkjet printer includes a replaceable print cartridge which is inserted into a scanning carriage. An ink tube extends from the scanning carriage to a separate ink supply located within the printer. A fluid interconnect on one side of the print cartridge connects to a fluid interconnect on the carriage when the print cartridge is inserted into the carriage to complete the fluid connection between the external ink supply and the print cartridge. In one embodiment, the fluid interconnection is made between the print cartridge and the ink tube simply by placing the print cartridge into a stall in the scanning carriage. The print cartridge has contact pads on another side. The contact pads electrically contact electrodes on the carriage when the print cartridge is placed in the stall. With the fluid interconnect and the contact pads on opposing sides of the print cartridge, the distance between the electrical contact and the flow of ink from the carriage to the print cartridge is maximized.