Importance

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Abstract

Modular partial bars include a substrate bar having a length and a plurality of printhead subunits attached to only one side of the substrate bar, each printhead subunit being spaced from an adjacent printhead subunit. These modular partial bars are used as building blocks to form full width staggered array printheads. When the printhead subunits are arranged on each substrate bar so that two substrate bars are capable of forming a full width staggered array printhead, each modular partial bar is referred to as a modular half bar. One modular half bar can be stacked on another modular half bar any number of ways. For example, two half bars can be stacked with their printhead subunit containing sides facing the same direction, away from one another or towards one another. When two half bars are stacked with their printhead subunit containing sides facing in the same direction, an ink manifold for supplying ink to the printhead subunits of the lower half bar can be provided in the substrate of the upper half bar. When half bars are arranged with their printhead subunit containing sides facing each other, a common ink supply manifold can be used to supply ink to all of the printhead subunits in the full width staggered array, thus eliminating the need for two separate ink supply manifolds. By modifying the construction of the channel plates typically used to form the printhead subunits, the need for a separate ink supply manifold can be entirely eliminated.

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First Claim