Patent ID: 7244008
Filing Date: 2007-07-17
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A driving apparatus for driving an ink jet recording device including a plurality of pressure chambers; a plurality of actuators to each of which a first voltage is applied to decrease a volume of a corresponding one of the pressure chambers from the volume of said one pressure chamber when a second voltage whose absolute value is smaller than an absolute value of the first voltage is applied to said each actuator; at least one first nozzle of a first group that communicates with at least one first pressure chamber of the pressure chambers; and at least one second nozzle of a second group that communicates with at least one second pressure chamber of the pressure chambers that is different from said at least one first pressure chamber, the ink jet recording device selectively operating in a first recording mode in which said at least one first nozzle is permitted to eject a first ink and said at least one second nozzle is permitted to eject a second ink, and in a second recording mode in which said at least one first nozzle is permitted to eject the first ink and said at least one second nozzle is not permitted to eject the second ink, the driving apparatus comprising: an ejection-signal producer which produces an ejection signal to apply, to said each actuator, at least one voltage cycle including a third voltage, a fourth voltage subsequent to the third voltage, and a fifth voltage subsequent to the fourth voltage, wherein when the fourth voltage is applied to said each actuator, the volume of said one pressure chamber is increased from the volume of said one pressure chamber when the third voltage is applied to said each actuator, and when the fifth voltage is applied to said each actuator, the volume of said one pressure chamber is decreased from the volume of said one pressure chamber when the fourth voltage is applied to said each actuator; a stand-by-signal producer which produces a stand-by signal to keep applying the first voltage to said each actuator; a pause-signal producer which produces a pause signal to keep applying the second voltage to said each actuator; and a signal selector which selects, based on a mode signal indicating in which one of the first and second recording modes the ink jet recording device is to operate, and image data indicating whether each of said at least one first nozzle and said at least one second nozzle is to eject a corresponding one of the first ink and the second ink, one of the ejection signal, the stand-by signal and the pause signal, such that when the ink jet recording device is to operate in the first recording mode, the ejection signal is selected as said one signal for being applied to at least one actuator corresponding to at least one operative nozzle of said at least one first nozzle and said at least one second nozzle that is to eject a corresponding one of the first ink and the second ink, and the stand-by signal is selected as said one signal for being applied to at least one actuator corresponding to at least one stand-by nozzle of said at least one first nozzle and said at least one second nozzle that is not to eject a corresponding one of the first ink and the second ink, and such that when the ink jet recording device is to operate in the second recording mode, the ejection signal is selected as said one signal for being applied to at least one actuator corresponding to at least one operative nozzle of said at least one first nozzle that is to eject the first ink, the stand-by signal is selected as said one signal for being applied to at least one actuator corresponding to at least one stand-by nozzle of said at least one first nozzle that is not to eject the first ink, and the pause signal is selected as said one signal for being applied to at least one actuator corresponding to said at least one second nozzle.