Apparatus for and method of ejecting ink for inkjet printer

An apparatus for ejecting an ink comprising:

• a plate member in which an ink channel is formed;
• an ink supplying source for supplying the ink to the ink channel;
• a plurality of ink chambers formed in the plate member and each communicating with the ink channel to allow the ink to be moved from the ink channel into the plurality of ink chambers;
• a plurality of piezoelectric elements allocated independently to each of the plurality of the ink chambers, respectively to change the volume of each of the plurality of ink chambers;
• a plurality of ink ejecting holes formed in the plate member and communicating with the plurality of ink chambers, respectively, to eject the ink from the plurality of ink chambers;
• means for selecting more than one of the plurality of ink chambers that actually ejects the ink;
• means for expanding a volume of each of the selected ink chambers to move the ink from the ink channel into each of the selected ink chambers;
• means for expanding a volume of each of non-selected ink chambers to absorb a pressure wave which is caused by a change of the volume of each of the selected ink chambers;
• means for reducing the volume of each of the selected ink chambers to actually eject the ink from the selected ink chambers;
• and
• means for reducing the volume of each of the non-selected ink chambers to restore the volume of each of the non-selected ink chambers;
• wherein means for reducing the volume of each of the selected ink chambers includes a first driving voltage supplying means for supplying a first driving voltage to the piezoelectric element corresponding to each of the selected ink chambers to deflect the piezoelectric element corresponding to each of the selected ink chambers, and means for expanding a volume of each of non-selected ink chambers includes a second driving voltage supplying means for supplying a second driving voltage to the piezoelectric element corresponding to each of the non-selected ink chambers to deflect the piezoelectric element corresponding to each of the non-selected ink chambers.

A method of ejecting an ink for an ink ejecting apparatus comprising:

• a plate member in which an ink channel is formed;
• an ink supplying source for supplying the ink to the ink channel;
• a plurality of ink chambers formed in the plate member and each communicating with the ink channel to allow the ink to be moved from the ink channel into the plurality of ink chambers;
• means for expanding a volume of each of non-selected ink chambers;
• a plurality of piezoelectric elements allocated independently to each of the plurality of the ink chambers, respectively, to change the volume of each of the plurality of ink chambers;
• and a plurality of ink ejecting holes formed in the plate member and communicating with the plurality of ink chambers, respectively, to eject the ink from the plurality of ink chambers, the method comprising the processes of:
• selecting more than one of the plurality of ink chambers that actually ejects the ink;
• expanding a volume of each of the selected ink chambers to move the ink from the ink channel into each of the selected ink chambers;
• expanding a volume of each of non-selected ink chambers to absorb a pressure wave which is caused by a change of the volume of each of the selected ink chambers;
• reducing the volume of each of the selected ink chambers to actually eject the ink from the selected ink chambers;
• and
• reducing the volume of each of the non-selected ink chambers to restore the volume of each of the non-selected ink chambers,
• wherein the process of reducing the volume of each of the selected ink chambers includes a first driving voltage supplying process of supplying a first driving voltage to the piezoelectric element corresponding to each of the selected ink chambers to deflect the piezoelectric element corresponding to each of the selected ink chambers, and the process of expanding a volume of each of non-selected ink chambers includes a second driving voltage supplying process of supplying a second driving voltage to the piezoelectric element corresponding to each of the non-selected ink chambers to deflect the piezoelectric element corresponding to each of the non selected ink chambers.