Ink-jet printer driver

Claim 2

A driver for an ink-jet printer in which a plurality of electrostriction elements (4, 13) are selectively actuated to press ink (3) so that the ink is jetted out of nozzles (1a) corresponding to the selected electrostriction elements (4, 13) to form characters/graphics in dot matrices of the ink, said driver comprising: scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) for generating a scanning voltage (V S ) having a predetermined waveform; gating means (12) for respectively giving said scanning voltage (V S ) to said electrostriction elements (13) corresponding to said gating means (12); and driving signal generating means (15) for giving driving signals to said gating means (12), respectively.

Claim 3

A driver as claimed in Claim 1, in which said scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) comprises first and second switching means for defining the rising and falling of said scanning voltage (V S ), and a feedback circuit including coil means.

Claim 4

A driver as claimed in Claim 1, in which said scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) comprises a time constant circuit constituted by a resistor and a capacitor, a switching means for actuating said time constant circuit to operate in a predetermined cycle, and an amplifier for outputting the voltage change caused in said time constant circuit as a low-­impedance output signal.

Claim 5

A driver as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, in which said ink-jet printer comprises a serial printer having a carriage which moves a printer head constituted by said nozzles (1a) and said electrostriction elements (4, 13), and in which said gating means (12) and said driving signal generating means (15) are mounted on said carriage.

Claim 6

A driver for an ink-jet printer in which a plurality of electrostriction elements (13) are selectively actuated to press ink (3) so that the ink is jetted out of nozzles (1a) corresponding to the selected electrostriction elements (4, 13) to thereby form characters/graphics in dot matrices of the ink, said driver comprising: scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) comprising a time constant circuit connected in series to an electric source through at least one switching means, and amplifier means including a pair of transistors at least one of which is controlled based on an electric potential in said time constant circuit and connected in series to said electric source; gating means (12) for applying a scanning voltage of said scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) to corresponding ones of said electrostriction elements (4, 13) in predetermined timing; driving signal generating means (15) for giving control signals to corresponding ones of said plurality of gating means (12); and scanning voltage control means for controlling said scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) in synchronism with said driving signal generating means (15).

Claim 7

A driver for an ink-jet printer in which a plurality of electrostriction elements (13) are selectively actuated to press ink (3) so that the ink is jetted out of nozzles (1a) corresponding to the selected electrostriction elements (4, 13) to thereby form characters/graphics in dot matrices of the ink, said driver comprising: scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) comprising a time constant circuit connected in series to an electric source through at least one switching means, and amplifier means including a pair of transistors at least one of which is controlled based on an electric potential in said time constant circuit and connected in series to said electric source; gating means (12) for applying a scanning voltage of said scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) to corresponding ones of said electrostriction elements (4, 13) in predetermined timing; driving signal generating means (15) for giving control signals to corresponding ones of said plurality of gating means (12); and scanning voltage control means for controlling said scanning voltage generating means (10, 40) in synchronism with said driving signal generating means (15).

Claim 8

A driver as claimed in Claim 5, further comprising time constant changing means for changing the time constant of said time constant circuit.