Patent ID: 6984031

Claim:
A method for making a multi-compartmentalized ink cartridge body for an ink jet printer comprising the steps of: providing a mold body for molding a unitary body structure having exterior side walls and a bottom wall forming an open-topped, interior cavity, a printhead surface area on a portion of the bottom wall opposite the interior cavity, a divider wall disposed in the interior cavity between the side walls, the divider wall having first and second wall sections providing at least three segregated ink chambers within the interior cavity of the body, the ink chambers having chamber axes, and at least one ink flow path connecting each of the segregated chambers with the printhead surface; providing a mold core including first, second, and third chamber forming segments parallel with the chamber axes and a first ink flow path segment pending from the first chamber forming segment; inserting the mold core into the mold body; injecting the mold body with a thermoplastic material at a temperature sufficient to form the unitary body structure between the mold core and the mold body; cooling the thermoplastic material to a temperature sufficient to form a solidified unitary body structure; and removing the mold core from the solidified unitary body structure to provide a multi-compartmentalized ink cartridge body, wherein openings on the exterior side walls of the cartridge body for forming the ink flow paths are avoided.