Fluid dispensing apparatus

The present invention relates to a fluid dispensing apparatus, primarily though not exclusively for use in ink jet printers. Fluid dispensing apparatus () for selectively dispensing desired quantities of a fluid under pressure. The apparatus includes a base plate () having a dispensing passage () extending about a first axis (); a valve arrangement () associated with the dispensing passage (), and a piezoelectric transducer () acting on the valve arrangement () to effect displacement of the valve arrangement between a first position in which the dispensing passage () is closed and a second position in which the dispensing passage is connected to a source of the fluid under pressure. The valve arrangement () includes a slide valve (), with the slide valve and the piezoelectric transducer () being arranged such that during at least initial displacement of the valve arrangement from the second position towards the first position, the slide valve () is displaced in a direction transverse to the first axis ().