Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including a channel structure in which liquid channels including pressure chambers and nozzles are formed and a piezoelectric actuator including a piezoelectric layer arranged on the channel structure to cover the pressure chambers. Two grooves are formed in the piezoelectric layer to locate on two sides of each pressure chamber in an array direction. There is an equal separation distance between the two grooves arranged on the two sides of the pressure chamber. X means positions of the grooves from an edge of the pressure chamber in the array direction, and Xc means an center position between the edge of the pressure chamber to the edge of an adjacent other pressure chamber in the array direction. The positions X of the grooves satisfy 0.2Xc?20 ?m?X?0.6Xc+20 ?m.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including a channel structure in which liquid channels including pressure chambers and nozzles are formed and a piezoelectric actuator including a piezoelectric layer arranged on the channel structure to cover the pressure chambers. Two grooves are formed in the piezoelectric layer to locate on two sides of each pressure chamber in an array direction. There is an equal separation distance between the two grooves arranged on the two sides of the pressure chamber. X means positions of the grooves from an edge of the pressure chamber in the array direction, and Xc means an center position between the edge of the pressure chamber to the edge of an adjacent other pressure chamber in the array direction. The positions X of the grooves satisfy 0.2Xc?20 ?m?X?0.6Xc+20 ?m.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes feeding mechanism that feeds a recording medium in a first direction, a head including nozzles that eject liquid; and a humidifying mechanism. The humidifying mechanism includes a humidified air generating device that generates humidified air, an output portion that outputs the humidified air generated by the humidified air generating device, and a receiving portion that receives the humidified air output from the output portion. The output portion includes a first opening and a second opening. An area of the second opening is greater than an area of the first opening, and the first opening is separated from the second opening in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The head is disposed between the output portion and the receiving portion in the first direction.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a head comprising ejection openings opposed to an ejection space; a cap mechanism which switches the ejection space between a closed state and an open state; a first supply opening portion communicating with the ejection space being in the closed state, a second supply opening portion communicating with the ejection space being in the open state; and a humidifying mechanism configured to supply humid air to at least one of the first and second supply opening portions. In the closed state, an amount of the humid air supplied to the first supply opening portion is greater than that of the humid air supplied to the second supply opening portion. In the open state, an amount of the humid air supplied to the second supply opening portion is greater than that of the humid air supplied to the first supply opening portion.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes feeding mechanism that feeds a recording medium in a first direction, a head including nozzles that eject liquid; and a humidifying mechanism. The humidifying mechanism includes a humidified air generating device that generates humidified air, an output portion that outputs the humidified air generated by the humidified air generating device, and a receiving portion that receives the humidified air output from the output portion. The output portion includes a first opening and a second opening. An area of the second opening is greater than an area of the first opening, and the first opening is separated from the second opening in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The head is disposed between the output portion and the receiving portion in the first direction.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a flow path unit is provided. The flow path unit includes a plurality of liquid ejection ports arranged in a matrix form in a two-dimensional area of a parallelogram, and a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the plurality of liquid ejection ports, respectively, and each pressure chamber being long in a first direction. The flow path unit is long in a second direction. Each of the pressure chambers has a length in the second direction larger than a length in a direction orthogonal to the second direction. The plurality of pressure chambers are arranged in a matrix form in a substantially same area as the two-dimensional area.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a head comprising ejection openings opposed to an ejection space; a cap mechanism which switches the ejection space between a closed state and an open state; a first supply opening portion communicating with the ejection space being in the closed state, a second supply opening portion communicating with the ejection space being in the open state; and a humidifying mechanism configured to supply humid air to at least one of the first and second supply opening portions. In the closed state, an amount of the humid air supplied to the first supply opening portion is greater than that of the humid air supplied to the second supply opening portion. In the open state, an amount of the humid air supplied to the second supply opening portion is greater than that of the humid air supplied to the first supply opening portion.

Abstract: Provided that at least one of a plurality of recording media which are successively conveyed by a conveyance mechanism is a reference recording medium, a liquid ejection apparatus determines, for an ejection surface, an ejection region which opposes a recording region on the reference recording medium when the medium is being conveyed and a non-ejection region which does not oppose the recording region. Both of the ejection openings in the ejection region and the ejection openings in the non-ejection region carry out at least one of preliminary ejection and preliminary vibration in a recovery period. An amount of ejection of liquid in the preliminary ejection and the frequency of vibration of meniscus in the preliminary vibration are larger in the ejection openings in the ejection region than in the ejection openings in the non-ejection region.

Abstract: A voltage-set-information storing section stores two or more kinds of voltage sets each including a combination of first and second voltages for each number of droplets ejected from an ejection port within a single recording cycle. A voltage applying section is configured to apply the first voltage to an active portion of a first piezoelectric layer and to apply the second voltage to an active portion of a second piezoelectric layer based on image data of the image. The voltage applying section is configured to select one of the two or more kinds of voltage sets stored in the voltage-set-information storing section and to apply each voltage constituting the selected voltage set to the active portions of the first and second piezoelectric layers. The voltage sets are classified by a degree of temporal overlapping of pulse-shaped voltages included in the first and second voltages.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head having: a discharge port; an actuator; and a driving circuit that selectively supplies to the actuator a discharge driving signal which includes at least one of discharge pulse signals, and a non-discharge driving signal which includes at least one of non-discharge pulse signals. The recording apparatus further includes: a transport unit; an image recording control unit; a signal number calculating unit that calculates the number of non-discharge driving signals; and a non-discharge driving control unit that controls the driving circuit to supply the number of non-discharge driving signals calculated by the signal number calculating unit, wherein the signal number calculating unit calculates the number of non-discharge driving signals such that the sum of the number of correction pulses and the total number of non-discharge pulse signals supplied to the actuator within the predetermined period is equal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head including a flow path unit is provided. The flow path unit includes a plurality of liquid ejection ports arranged in a matrix form in a two-dimensional area of a parallelogram, and a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the plurality of liquid ejection ports, respectively, and each pressure chamber being long in a first direction. The flow path unit is long in a second direction. Each of the pressure chambers has a length in the second direction larger than a length in a direction orthogonal to the second direction. The plurality of pressure chambers are arranged in a matrix form in a substantially same area as the two-dimensional area.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording head that has: an inlet; an outlet; a supply and discharge flow path; a nozzle; and a liquid supply flow path, a liquid flow forming unit that forms a flow of liquid toward the outlet in the supply and discharge flow path; a first temperature sensor; a second temperature sensor; a heating unit; and a control unit that controls the liquid flow forming unit and the heating unit on the basis of a first detection temperature and a second detection temperature, wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed in a first position between the inlet and the communicating position of the liquid supply flow path, wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed in a second position between the outlet and the communicating position, wherein the heating unit is disposed in a third position between the inlet and the communicating position.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a calculator, a predictor, and a head controller. Assuming that first ejection signals are supplied to a recording head, the calculator calculates variations in total amount of liquid to be ejected, for respective constant periods of time. The predictor predicts, based on one or more calculated variations, whether a pressure difference between the atmosphere and liquid falls below a threshold value, the atmosphere and the liquid sandwiching a meniscus formed in one of the ejection openings. When the predictor predicts that the pressure difference falls below the threshold value, the head controller controls signal supply to the recording head so that second ejection signals are supplied to the recording head, the second ejection signals having a lower frequency than first ejection signals.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a heater controller and a purge controller. The heater controller controls a heater to heat liquid in at least a part of a liquid path of a head when an ambient temperature of the head is lower than a first predetermined temperature. The purge controller controls a pressurizer so that: the pressurizer is continuously driven until a predetermined amount of liquid is ejected from ejection openings, when the ambient temperature is not lower than the first predetermined temperature; and the pressurizer is intermittently driven plural times until the predetermined amount of liquid is ejected from the ejection openings, when the ambient temperature is lower than the first predetermined temperature, an amount of liquid ejected from the ejection openings in response to a single driving action of the pressurizer being not larger than an amount of liquid heated by the heater.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head having a common liquid channel; plural pressure chambers; plural nozzles; plural individual liquid channels, each individual liquid channel extending from the common liquid channel via associated pressure chamber to associated nozzle; and plural actuators configured to impart a pressure to a liquid inside a respective one of the pressure chambers; and a control unit configured to drive the actuators; wherein the control unit comprises: an excessive state detection section configured to detect an excessive state in which a pressure difference between a liquid-side pressure and an air-side pressure at a meniscus formed at any one of the nozzles exceeds a threshold value when droplets are ejected from the nozzles, and a meniscus vibration section configured to drive the actuator associated with the nozzle that does not eject droplets such that the meniscus is subjected to vibration without ejecting the droplets.

Abstract: Provided that at least one of a plurality of recording media which are successively conveyed by a conveyance mechanism is a reference recording medium, a liquid ejection apparatus determines, for an ejection surface, an ejection region which opposes a recording region on the reference recording medium when the medium is being conveyed and a non-ejection region which does not oppose the recording region. Both of the ejection openings in the ejection region and the ejection openings in the non-ejection region carry out at least one of preliminary ejection and preliminary vibration in a recovery period. An amount of ejection of liquid in the preliminary ejection and the frequency of vibration of meniscus in the preliminary vibration are larger in the ejection openings in the ejection region than in the ejection openings in the non-ejection region.

Abstract: A voltage-set-information storing section stores two or more kinds of voltage sets each including a combination of first and second voltages for each number of droplets ejected from an ejection port within a single recording cycle. A voltage applying section is configured to apply the first voltage to an active portion of a first piezoelectric layer and to apply the second voltage to an active portion of a second piezoelectric layer based on image data of the image. The voltage applying section is configured to select one of the two or more kinds of voltage sets stored in the voltage-set-information storing section and to apply each voltage constituting the selected voltage set to the active portions of the first and second piezoelectric layers. The voltage sets are classified by a degree of temporal overlapping of pulse-shaped voltages included in the first and second voltages.

Abstract: A recording apparatus may include a channel unit including a pressure chamber configured to store a liquid, and nozzles. The recording apparatus may include a reservoir unit connected to the channel unit and including a supply port, a drain port, a supply channel communicating with the channel unit, and a drainage channel branching off from the supply channel and communicating with the outside via the drain port. The recording apparatus may include actuators configured to apply pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber. The recording apparatus may include a meniscus vibrator configured to drive the actuators to vibrate meniscus produced in the nozzles without causing liquid droplets to be ejected therefrom when the liquid supplied from the supply port is being drained from the drain port after traveling through the supply channel and the drainage channel.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head having: a discharge port; an actuator; and a driving circuit that selectively supplies to the actuator a discharge driving signal which includes at least one of discharge pulse signals, and a non-discharge driving signal which includes at least one of non-discharge pulse signals. The recording apparatus further includes: a transport unit; an image recording control unit; a signal number calculating unit that calculates the number of non-discharge driving signals; and a non-discharge driving control unit that controls the driving circuit to supply the number of non-discharge driving signals calculated by the signal number calculating unit, wherein the signal number calculating unit calculates the number of non-discharge driving signals such that the sum of the number of correction pulses and the total number of non-discharge pulse signals supplied to the actuator within the predetermined period is equal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording head that comprises: an inlet; an outlet; a supply and discharge flow path; a nozzle; and a liquid supply flow path, a liquid flow forming unit that forms a flow of liquid toward the outlet in the supply and discharge flow path; a first temperature sensor; a second temperature sensor; a heating unit; and a control unit that controls the liquid flow forming unit and the heating unit on the basis of a first detection temperature and a second detection temperature, wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed in a first position between the inlet and the communicating position of the liquid supply flow path, wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed in a second position between the outlet and the communicating position, wherein the heating unit is disposed in a third position between the inlet and the communicating position.