1. An apparatus comprising:
a fluid delivery system;
a first print head coupled to the fluid delivery system having nozzle openings and fluid passages leading to the nozzle openings;
a flexible circuit electrically connected to the first print head;
and a solidified adhesive paste layer sandwiched between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system, the nozzle openings of the first printhead extending on a first side of the solidified adhesive paste layer, and the flexible circuit extending on a second side of the solidified adhesive paste layer opposite the first side, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer forms a hermetic seal between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system completely about and completely surrounding a perimeter of the first print head.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second print head, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer forms a hermetic seal between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system at least partially about a perimeter of the second print head.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a first trench extending into the fluid delivery system adjacent the solidified adhesive paste layer, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends in at least portions of the trench.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first trench extends between the first print head and the second print head.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:
a second trench parallel to the first trench and between the first print head and the second print head; and
a landing between the first trench and the second trench, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends on the landing.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first trench extends below and along an edge of the solidified adhesive paste layer.
7. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
a second trench parallel to the first trench and between the first print head and the second print head; and
a landing between the first trench and the second trench, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends on the landing.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first trench and the second trench extend about both the first print head and the second print head.
9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer continuously extends entirely about the first print head and the second print head.
10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer continuously extends between the first print head and the second print head.
11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer includes:
a first loop continuously extending about the first print head; and
a second independent loop continuously extending about the second print head.
12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer includes:
a loop continuously extending about both the first print head and the second print head; and
a segment continuously extending from a first side of the loop to a second opposite side of the loop between the first print head and the second print head.
13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fluid delivery system includes a first pocket receiving the first print head and a second pocket receiving the second print head and wherein the apparatus further comprises a trench extending into the fluid delivery system adjacent the solidified adhesive paste layer and spaced from the first pocket and the second pocket.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid delivery system includes a pocket receiving the first print head, wherein the apparatus further comprises a trench extending into the fluid delivery system adjacent the solidified adhesive paste layer and spaced from the pocket.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adhesive paste layer is spaced from the first print head.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fluid delivery system includes a pocket receiving the first print head and wherein the adhesive paste layer is spaced from the pocket.
17. A method comprising:
providing a print head having nozzle openings and fluid passages leading to the nozzle openings;
coupling the print head to a fluid delivery system;
providing a flexible circuit electrically connected to the to the first print head;
forming a layer of adhesive paste on one of the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system; and
positioning the layer of adhesive paste against the other of the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system to sandwich said layer of adhesive paste, such that the nozzle openings of the printhead extending on a first side of the solidified adhesive paste layer, and the flexible circuit extending on a second side of the solidified adhesive paste layer opposite the first side, the layer of adhesive paste extending completely about and completely surrounding a perimeter of the print head and spaced from the print head.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the layer of adhesive paste is formed by treating a pre-form from a non-paste state to a paste state.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the layer of adhesive paste is formed by ejecting a bead of viscous adhesive paste on one of the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the layer of adhesive paste has a viscosity of less than or equal to about 200,000 centipoise during the forming of the layer on one of the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein the fluid delivery system includes a trench spaced from the print head and wherein positioning the layer of adhesive paste against the other of the flexible circuit in the fluid delivery system squeezes some of the adhesive paste into the trench.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein coupling the print head to the fluid delivery system comprises positioning the print head within a pocket and wherein the formed layer of adhesive paste is spaced from the pocket.
23. An apparatus comprising:
a fluid delivery system;
a first print head coupled to the fluid delivery system having fluid passages leading to nozzle openings;
a flexible circuit electrically connected to the first print head; and
a solidified adhesive paste layer sandwiched between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system, wherein the layer forms a hermetic seal between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system at least partially about a perimeter of the first print head;
a second print head, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer forms a hermetic seal between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system at least partially about a perimeter of the second print head; and
a first trench extending into the fluid delivery system adjacent the solidified adhesive paste layer, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends in at least portions of the trench.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first trench extends between the first print head and the second print head.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising:
a second trench parallel to the first trench and between the first print head and the second print head; and
a landing between a first trench and the second trench, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends on the landing.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of operating a tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
initiating a tournament including a plurality of electronic games playable by tournament participants using amusement devices in the amusement device network and participating in the tournament;
receiving score information from amusement devices in the amusement device network participating in the tournament, the score information associated with tournament participants playing any of the plurality of electronic games;
normalizing the received score information across the plurality of electronic games;
determining a normalized tournament score for each of the tournament participants; and
outputting to at least one amusement device in the amusement device network the normalized tournament score.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic games is a subset of all games available on the amusement device.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein normalizing the received score information further comprises increasing a score received by a tournament participant by a predetermined amount.
4. A method of initiating a tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
receiving a request to initiate the tournament from an administrator, the request defining a tournament period between a start time and an end time;
receiving selections of a plurality of electronic games included in the tournament;
conducting the tournament with the selected plurality of electronic games being playable during the tournament period on amusement devices in the amusement device network;
normalizing results of tournament participants for the plurality of electronic games included in the tournament; and
populating a leader board of the tournament participants based on the normalized scores, wherein positions of the tournament participants on the leader board are determined independently of the individual games played by the tournament participants.
5. A method of operating a tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
defining a plurality of challenges in a plurality of electronic games, the electronic games being playable on currency operated amusement devices in the amusement device network;
assigning a point value for completing each of the challenges in each of the plurality of electronic games;
conducting a tournament, the tournament including a plurality of tournament participants playing at least one of the plurality of electronic games on an amusement device in the amusement device network; and
populating a tournament leader board based on a total point score of each of the tournament participants, wherein the total point score is based on the challenges completed by each of the tournament participants.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the point values for each of the challenges are assigned based on the relative difficulty of completing the respective challenges.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein a tournament participant is awarded a point value assigned to a challenge each time the tournament participant completes that challenge during the tournament.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the total point score is independent of player scores awarded to tournament participants for completing game play of the electronic Games.
9. A method of operating a multiplayer tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
initiating the multiplayer tournament, the multiplayer tournament including at least one electronic game playable by multiple users simultaneously on one or more currency operated amusement devices in the amusement device network;
receiving combined scores for each of a plurality of game play instances of the at least one electronic game, each of the combined scores corresponding to a game play score of a team of tournament participants for the respective game play instance;
calculating team scores for each of the teams of tournament participants based on the received combined scores; and
populating a tournament leader board based on the calculated team scores.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic game is played collaboratively by the multiple tournament participants.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic game is played in a versus mode by the multiple tournament participants.
12. A method of conducting a bracket elimination tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
initiating a tournament, the tournament including at least one electronic game playable by a plurality of tournament participants on one or more currency operated amusement devices;
registering a plurality of tournament participants, the tournament participants playing the at least one electronic game on the one or more currency operated amusement devices;
assigning each of the registered tournament participants to a slot in an elimination bracket, wherein each slot is assigned a predefined opponent slot in the bracket, and wherein a winning player of the opposing slots advances to a further round of the bracket elimination tournament; and
managing game play of the at least one electronic game such that tournament participants are eliminated until a single tournament participant remains.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the registered tournament participants are assigned to one of the slots in the elimination bracket based on a skill level of the respective tournament participants.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the registered tournament participants are provided a seed, and wherein in a first round of the tournament, tournament participants with the highest seeds are assigned to play against tournament participants with the lowest seeds.