Patent ID: 7004568

Claim:
A printhead chip which comprises a substrate that incorporates a drive circuitry layer and defines a plurality of ink inlet channels; a plurality of nozzle chamber structures positioned on the substrate, each nozzle chamber structure defining a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, the nozzle chambers in fluid communication with respective ink inlet channels; a plurality of shutter members that are positioned in respective nozzle chambers, each shutter member displaceable in a plane substantially parallel to the substrate between a closed position in which the shutter member closes the respective ink inlet channel and an open position in which ink is permitted to flow into the respective nozzle chamber; and a plurality of actuating mechanisms connected to the drive circuitry layer and the respective shutter members to displace the shutter members between the open and closed positions on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer.