Ink-jet printer having carriage and flexible circuit movably connected, method and apparatus

摘要

An ink-jet printer includes an ink-jet cartridge having a flexible circuit connecting to a carriage in a relatively movable but movably constrained relationship. The carriage and the flexible circuit cooperatively define an instant center so that an array of electrical contact pads of the flexible circuit is reliably and repeatably positioned relative to the carriage, while manufacturing variabilities and thermal differential expansions between the carriage and flexible circuit, for example, are accommodated without loss of relative positional control of the array of contact pads and the carriage.