Ink conduit plugs for an inkjet printhead and methods of laser welding same

An inkjet printhead, comprising:

• a unitary body substantially absorbent to laser light having an interior and an exterior with a plurality of ink compartments in the interior separated by at least one interior wall, each of the ink compartments having an initial volume of ink and an ink outlet port;
• a plurality of ink feed slots in the body equal to a number of ink compartments, each of the ink feed slots for receiving ink from one of the ink outlet ports wherein at least one ink conduit exists between one of the ink outlet ports and one of the ink feed slots, the at least one ink conduit having an opening in the exterior of the body, the opening being surrounded by and defined by a coplanarly existing surface;
• and
• at least one ink conduit plug having a lid transparent to laser light and an insertion portion, the insertion portion fitting past the opening while an undersurface of the lid is laser welded to the surface surrounding the opening to thereby substantially prevent any ink from leaking out of the opening as ink flows through the ink conduit during use.

An inkjet printhead, comprising:

• a body having an interior and an exterior with a plurality of ink compartments in the interior, each of the ink compartments having an ink outlet port;
• a plurality of ink feed slots each for receiving ink from one of the ink outlet ports;
• at least two ink conduits, each existing between one of the ink outlet ports and one of the ink feed slots and having an opening in the exterior of the body;
• and
• at least two ink conduit plug sections, one each for covering one of the openings in the exterior of the body, the at least two ink conduit plug sections being banded together with one of a flexible material and a plurality of angularly disposed links.