Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.

Toshio Fuji

Takao Matsuoka

Masayuki Ainoya

Takuji Torii

Shigenori Suematsu

Kazunobu Hayashi

Eiichi Toyama

Ryoji Yabuki

Syuichi Morio

Masahiro Shimohori

An ink jet printer has a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a matrix form in which each piezoelectric element is connected between one of TS lines and one of selection lines. The TS lines are connected, one by one and in a time sharing manner, to a voltage source E.sub.1 so as to be enabled. The remaining TS lines are connected to a voltage source E.sub.2 so as to be disabled. The selection lines are selectively connected to a voltage source E.sub.3 so as to be enabled. Non-selected selection lines are connected to a voltage source E.sub.4 so as to be disabled. A selected piezoelectric element connected between enabled TS line and enabled selection line is applied with a driving voltage. A non-selected piezoelectric element connected between enabled TS line and disabled selection line, or between disabled TS line and enabled selection line, or between disabled TS line and disabled selection line, is applied with a non-driving voltage. The voltages supplied from the respective voltage sources are selected so that the non-driving voltage is one third or minus one third of the driving voltage. With the thus determined non-driving voltage, no ink droplet is ejected from a nozzle corresponding to the non-selected piezoelectric element while ensuring a sufficient amount of ink to be ejected from a nozzle corresponding to the selected piezoelectric element.

Matrix driving circuit of an ink jet printer and a method of driving the

A hot-melt type ink jet printer includes a nozzle array, an ink tank containing a hot-melt ink therein, and an ink supply tube connecting the ink tank and the nozzle array, wherein a hot-melt ink is used which is a solid at room temperature but liquifies when heated. The ink supply tube is made of an elastic material that contracts and deforms corresponding to contractions and deformations of the ink contained in the ink supply tube. A cap is attached to the tip end of the ink supply tube so that the inlet of the ink supply tube that is in the ink tank faces to the side or upward.

Ink jet printer having elastically deformable ink supply tube

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Hitachinaka, Japan

Toshio Fuji