Patent ID: 7524026

Claim:
A nozzle assembly for ejecting ink, the nozzle assembly comprising: a substrate incorporating drive circuitry; an actuator support extending from the substrate; an actuator arm extending from the actuator support and having a heater element which is coupled to the drive circuitry and is configured to experience deflection when the heater element receives an electrical signal from the drive circuitry; and a nozzle chamber structure extending from the substrate and spaced from the actuator support and the heater; the nozzle chamber structure defining a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with an ink supply, an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, and a slot through which the actuator arm extends and terminates in a free end within the nozzle chamber, such that, when the heater element receives the electrical signal from the drive circuitry, the free end of the actuator arm is displaced in the ink chamber as a result of the deflection to eject ink through the ink ejection port.