Ink-jet printer, head for ink-jet printer and flexible cable usable for the same

A flexible cable connectable to an head for an ink-jet printer, the head including:

• a cavity unit including a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of elongated pressure chambers communicating with the nozzles respectively, and a manifold storing an ink to be supplied to the pressure chambers;
• and an actuator unit having individual surface electrodes corresponding to the pressure chambers, respectively, and land portions which are conducted to the individual surface electrodes respectively and which are formed, corresponding to the pressure chambers respectively, such that a land portion among the land portions is formed between an individual surface electrode, among the individual surface electrodes and conducted with the land portion, and another individual surface electrode adjacent to the individual surface electrode, the actuator changing volume of the pressure chambers respectively, when driving signal is supplied to the individual surface electrodes respectively, so as to discharge the ink from the nozzles,
• the flexible cable comprising:
• a flexible and insulative substrate which is band-shaped;
• a plurality of connection terminals which are formed on the substrate;
• and
• a plurality of signal lines formed on the substrate and drawn, in an extending direction in which the substrate extends, from the connection terminals respectively, the signal lines supplying driving signal to the individual surface electrodes respectively;
• wherein three connection terminals, among the connection terminals, which are adjacent to one another in a direction different from the extending direction and arranged in the substrate on a signal-line drawn side at which the signal lines are drawn, are formed at positions shifted from one another in the extending direction.

An ink-jet printer which discharges an ink to perform recording on a recording medium, the ink-jet printer comprising:

• a head for ink-jet printer which includes a cavity unit having a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of elongated pressure chambers communicating with the nozzles, respectively, and a manifold storing the ink to be supplied to the pressure chambers;
• an actuator unit which has individual surface electrodes corresponding to the pressure chambers, respectively, and land portions which are conducted to the individual surface electrodes respectively and which are formed, corresponding to the pressure chambers respectively, such that a land portion among the land portions is formed between an individual surface electrode, among the individual surface electrodes and conducted with the land portion, and another individual surface electrode adjacent to the individual surface electrode, the actuator changing volume of the pressure chambers respectively when driving signal is supplied to the individual surface electrodes respectively so as to discharge the ink from the nozzles;
• and a flexible cable arranged to overlap with the actuator unit and having a flexible and insulative substrate, a plurality of connection terminals formed on the substrate, and signal lines formed on the substrate and drawn from the connection terminals, respectively;
• a carriage which is movable while supporting the head for ink-jet printer;
• and
• drive control unit which is connected to one end of the flexible cable, which supplies the driving signal to the individual surface electrodes, and which supplies a signal for controlling drive of the carriage to the carriage;
• wherein the land portions are electrically connected to the connection terminals, respectively;
• and
• three land portions, among the land portions, which are adjacent to one another in a short direction of the pressure chambers and on a signal-line drawn side at which the signal lines are drawn, are arranged at three positions different in the longitudinal direction of the pressure chambers respectively.