| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet printer capable of always maintaining an orifice plate and a nozzle clean in order to obtain a defect-free printed output. SOLUTION: This ink jet printer accommodates ink cartridges 72, 74, 76, 78 each including an orifice structure having respective orifice plate 72a, 74a, 76a, 78a. Each orifice plate 72a, 74a, 76a, 78a has a plurality of nozzles for forming an image by ejecting ink drops on a receiver. The ink jet printer includes a maintenance mechanism 40 that comprises ultrasonic wave transducers 81-84 provided away from the plurality of nozzles and thin layers 81a-84a each made of viscous fluid provided between each of ultrasonic wave transducers 81-84 and the respective orifice plate 72a, 74a, 76a, 78a to be contacted thereto in order to transmit ultrasonic wave energy. Each ultrasonic wave emitted from the respective ultrasonic wave transducer 81-84 passes through the respective thin layer 81a-84a to collide with the orifice structure so that sludge is softened, then the sludge is removed by each of wipers 91-94.
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