Patent ID: 7076872

Claim:
A method of assembling a printhead assembly for a pagewidth drop on demand ink jet printer, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a channel substantially coextensive with said pagewidth, said channel having a pair of opposed sidewalls and a base from which the sidewalls extend, (b) applying a force to flex the sidewalls of the channel apart at a location along the channel where a printhead module is to be installed into the channel, (c) placing a printhead module into the channel at said location, (d) releasing the force such that the printhead module is retained by the walls of the channel, (e) repeating steps (b) to (d) at consecutive locations spaced along the channel until all modules of the assembly have been installed in the channel, wherein each printhead module is formed from silicon and the channel has a coefficient of thermal expansion matched with that of silicon.