Self cleaning ink jet printhead cartridges

In an ink jet printing apparatus for receiving an ink jet cartridge, cleaning means associated with the ink jet cartridge, comprising:

• (a) the ink jet cartridge including:
• (i) a printhead including an orifice plate having a plurality of orifices for ink ejection and a base;
• (ii) an ink reservoir for receiving ink which is adapted to be ejected through the orifices;
• and
• (iii) a cleaning manifold connected to the ink reservoir and having a plurality of inlet and outlet passages through which cleaning fluid can be applied across the surface of the orifice plate;
• and
• (b) a plurality of actuable ultrasonic transducers embedded in the base and disposed in operative relationship with respect to the orifice plate and which when actuated produce ultrasonic sound waves which impinge upon the orifice plate to loosen debris whereby the cleaning fluid directed across the surface of the orifice plate carries away such loosened debris.