Patent ID: 6843554

Claim:
An ink jet head comprising: a channel member formed with a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of ink chambers, and an ink channel, the nozzles being aligned in a nozzle alignment direction, the ink chambers each having a width extending in the nozzle alignment direction, the nozzles and the ink chambers being provided in a one-to-one correspondence, each ink chamber being in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the nozzles and the ink channel, the ink channel supplying ink to fill the ink chambers; a diaphragm defining one portion of each of the ink chambers; a plurality of piezoelectric actuators in confrontation with the diaphragm in a one-to-one correspondence with the ink chambers; a drive unit that deforms the piezoelectric actuator to deform the diaphragm and change the pressure inside the ink chamber to eject ink from the ink chamber through the nozzle; and a plurality of relay members in a one-to-one correspondence with the ink chambers and the piezoelectric actuators, each relay member having a first abutment surface and a second abutment surface on opposite sides thereof, each first abutment surface abutting the diaphragm across a width that extends in the nozzle alignment direction, the width of each first abutment surface being shorter than the width of the corresponding ink chamber, each second abutment surface being coupled to the corresponding piezoelectric actuator and having a width that extends in the nozzle alignment direction, the width of each second abutment surface being equal to or shorter than the width of the corresponding piezoelectric actuator, the width of each first abutment surface being shorter than the width of each second abutment surface.