Importance

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Abstract

A switched digital drive system is used to actuate an ink jet printhead having a spaced, parallel series of internal ink receiving channels opening outwardly at front ends thereof through ink discharge orifices formed in the printhead body. The channels are laterally bounded by a spaced series of piezoelectrically deflectable internal sidewall sections of the printhead body interdigitated with the channels. The drive system includes a series of electrical actuation leads each connected to a different one of the sidewall sections, and dual transistor switch structures connected in the leads with each switch, in turn, connected to positive and negative DC voltage sources. To actuate a selected channel, the switches associated with its opposite bounding sidewall sections are operated in a manner sequentially (1) deflecting the sidewall sections outwardly away from initially undeflected positions thereof by imposing constant, opposite polarity voltages thereon, (2) reversing the polarities of the constant voltages to deflect the sidewall sections into the channel, and then (3) imposing a series of voltage pulses of sequentially opposite polarities on each of the inwardly deflected sidewall sections to controllably return them to their initial undeflected positions.

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First Claim