Abstract: A liquid discharge method for discharging a liquid through a discharge port for discharging the liquid utilizing a bubble by displacing a movable separation film for always substantially separating a first liquid flow path in communication with said discharge port for discharging the liquid from a second liquid flow path comprising a bubble-generating region for generating the bubble in said liquid, on the upstream side of said discharge port with respect to flow of the liquid in said first liquid flow path, comprises a step of displacing a downstream portion of said movable separation film toward said discharge port relatively more than an upstream portion of said movable separation film with respect to a direction of the flow of the liquid.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head is provided having a heating member for generating thermal energy to create a bubble in liquid, a discharge port adapted to discharge the liquid, and a liquid flow path communicated with the discharge port having a bubble generating area for enabling the liquid to create the bubble. A moveable member is arranged in the bubble generating area to be displaced along with the development of the bubble. A regulating portion regulates the displacement of the moveable member within a desired range, and by means of energy at the time of bubble creation, the liquid being discharged from the discharge port. The regulating portion is arranged to face the bubble generating area in the liquid flow path. A support member is directly connected to the moveable member. The bubble development causes the moveable member and the regulating portion to be in contact forming an essentially closed space with the exception of the discharge port.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method having steps of giving energy to ink, discharging the ink from a recording head and depositing the ink on a recording medium is provided. The ink contains a coloring material including at least self-dispersing carbon blacks and an aqueous medium and has potassium ions of 0.6% or more in a mass ratio with respect to the carbon blacks. The recording head includes a constitutional unit for discharging liquid droplets having a heating element for generating thermal energy for generating a bubble in liquid; a discharge port for discharging the liquid; a liquid flow path communicating to the discharge port and having a bubble generation area; and a movable member to be displaced following growth of the bubble, and the ink is supplied to the liquid flow path and discharged from the discharge port by thermal energy from the heating element.

Abstract: A replaceable ink cartridge has a body for storing the ink; an ink outlet for supplying the ink into a recording head; an air communicating port for communicating with an atmosphere; a peripheral portion around the ink outlet; a peripheral portion around the air communicating port; a seal member for removably sealing the peripheral portion around the ink outlet and the peripheral portion around the air communicating port. The replaceable ink cartridge has a structure that is formed so as to strip the seal member off from the peripheral portions of the ink outlet and the air communicating port in a manner that the air communicating port is opened at first and the ink outlet is opened at second.

Abstract: An ink jet head includes ink ejection outlet for ejecting ink, a plurality of heat generating resistors for generating thermal energy contributable to ejecting the ink, and ink flow path comprising the plurality of the heat generating resistors and being in fluid communication with the ejection outlet, the heat generating resistors generating the thermal energy upon receiving a driving signal, so that a bubble is generated in the ink within the ink flow path to eject the ink through the ink ejection outlet; wherein the plurality of the heat generating resistors are arranged in parallel, relative to the ink ejecting direction, in the ink flow path, and the distances from the heat generating centers of the heat generating resistors to the ejection outlet are different.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing liquid discharge heads is provided with discharge ports for discharging liquid, liquid flow paths communicated with the discharge ports for supplying liquid to the discharge ports, a substrate having heat generating members for creating bubbles in liquid, and movable members facing the heat generating members, each being arranged in each liquid flow path, having the free end on the discharge port side with a specific gap with the heat generating member. This method comprises the steps of forming the boundary layer used for providing a gap between the movable member and the substrate above the heat generating member on the substrate, of laminating the movable member on the boundary layer so as to position the free end above the heat generating member, at the same time fixing the movable member on the substrate, and of forming the gap between the movable member and the heat generating member by use of the boundary layer.

Abstract: A liquid discharge method for discharging liquid by use of a liquid discharge head provided with liquid discharge nozzles having a plurality of electrothermal converting members capable of forming bubbles for discharging a liquid droplets comprises the step of using a driving condition in a range where the discharge speed of droplets is made substantially constant, while the amount of droplet is made changeable with the timing difference of driving when droplets are discharged by driving a plurality of the electrothermal converting members one after another. With the adoption of the method thus structured, high quality prints can be obtained without deviation of impact positions irrespective of the dot diameters, larger or smaller, for a significant enhancement of image representation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid discharge head that comprises: a heat generator that generates a thermal energy for generating a bubble in a liquid; a discharge part as a portion to discharge the liquid; a flow path communicating with the discharge part and having a bubble generation region in which the bubble is generated; a movable member having a free end and is displaced with the growth of the bubble; and a restricting portion to define a displacement amount of the movable member, in which the flow path is formed by joining a substantially flat substrate provided with the heat generator the movable member and a top plate opposing to the substrate and including the restricting portion, and the liquid is discharged from the discharge part by an energy during generation of the bubble, in which the clearance between at least one sidewall of the flow path and the side edge portion of the restricting portion is larger than the clearance between the sidewall and the side edge portion of the movable member.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a liquid ejecting head with increased ejection force and ejection efficiency and also realizes a liquid ejecting head having compatibility with the conventional products, and a head cartridge and a recording system incorporating the liquid ejecting head.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head comprises heating members for generating thermal energy to create bubbles in liquid, discharge ports forming the portions to discharge the liquid, liquid flow paths communicated with the discharge ports, at the-same time, having bubble generating areas for enabling liquid to create bubbles, movable members arranged in the bubble generating areas to be displaced along with the development of the bubbles, and regulating portions to regulate the displacement of each of the movable members within a desired range, and with energy at the time of bubble creation, the liquid being discharged from the discharge ports. For this liquid discharge head, the regulating portions are arranged to face the bubble generating areas in the liquid flow paths, and then, with the essential contact between the displaced movable members and the regulating portions, the liquid flow paths having the bubble generating areas become essentially closed spaces with the exception of the discharge ports.

Abstract: There is disclosed a solid semiconductor element which very efficiently detects information about a liquid and bidirectionally exchanges the information with the outside. The solid semiconductor element is disposed in a liquid container, and includes at least energy converting unit, information acquiring unit, and information communicating unit. The energy converting unit converts an electromotive force from the outside to a power, and operates the information acquiring unit and information communicating unit. The information acquiring unit acquires the information about the liquid in which the solid semiconductor element is disposed from the liquid, and the information communicating unit transmits the information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the outside.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid discharging method in which communication between a bubble and atmosphere out of a discharge opening is optimized while improving liquid discharging efficiency, a liquid discharge amount or a liquid discharging speed, a liquid discharging head for carrying out such a method, and a recording apparatus using such liquid discharging head. A discharging method for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble formed and grown in the liquid with atmosphere at an area of a discharge opening, according to the present invention, comprising the step of causing displacement of a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward the discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble, in accordance with the growth of the bubble.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head comprises discharge ports for discharging the liquid, a bubble producing area for producing an air bubble in the liquid of liquid flow channels, and a movable member, which is disposed toward the bubble producing area, and displaceable between a first position and a second position farther away from the bubble producing area than the first position, the liquid discharge head discharging the liquid in such a manner that the movable member is displaced from the first position to the second position by a pressure due to a bubble produced in the bubble producing area, and the bubble is more greatly expanded downstream than upstream in a direction toward the discharge port, due to the displacement of the movable member. The head has a check valve disposed in a liquid supply passage leading to the liquid flow channels.

Abstract: An ink tank is provided which can efficiently perform detection of information in an ink tank such as an ink residual amount in the ink tank with a simple configuration in which it is unnecessary to set wiring or the like. A solid semiconductor element, which is provided with an acquiring unit for acquiring environmental information of the outside, an information storing unit, a discriminating unit for comparing acquired information and stored information to make a determination, and an information communicating unit for displaying the acquired information or communicating the acquired information to the outside, is embedded in an outer wall of an ink tank such that the solid semiconductor element is exposed to an internal side and an external side of the ink tank from the outer wall.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes plural heat generating members, each linearly communicating with a discharge port, a liquid flow path communicating with each discharge port and having a bubble generating area in which a movable member is provided, a limiting portion opposed to the bubble generating area in the liquid flow path for limiting displacement of the movable member, and a circuit for receiving data of a predetermined number of bits for each heat generating member and generating drive pulses for each heat generating member based on the respective input data. Substantial contact between the displaced movable member and the limiting portion renders a portion of the liquid flow path including the bubble generating area a substantially closed space except for the discharge port. The number of drive pulses generated from the input data is larger than the predetermined number of bits for at least one set of the data.

Abstract: To provide a liquid discharge head, a liquid discharge apparatus, a value protection method of the liquid discharge head, and a maintenance device.

Abstract: In a liquid discharge head having a movable member displaced by generation of a bubble, endurance of stepped portions of the movable member and of root portions of movable parts of the movable member is enhanced and flexure deformation of the movable member is prevented to enhance endurance of the member.

Abstract: Liquid is discharged at a high frequency in a consecutive manner with a liquid discharge head having a movable member. A bubble formed for discharge a first discharged droplet grows large into a discharge port side by the movable substantially closing a common liquid chamber side in a bubble forming procedure, and disappears fast at the common liquid chamber side by the movable member releasing the common liquid chamber side of a flow path in a bubble disappearance procedure, and reaches a state to remain at the discharge port side of a heat-generating body. Under this state, since the bubble disappears at the common liquid chamber side, a constant liquid is refilled to reach the discharge port side, and the bubble does not yet completely disappear, a meniscus is disposed comparatively closer to a liquid discharge face. Under the circumstances, if discharge of a second discharged droplet is arranged to start from this state, the liquid can be discharged well at a short interval in a consecutive manner.

Abstract: A boundary nozzle which is contained in a block that has not been driven and is situated at the boundary with a driving block that is driven prior to the block containing the boundary nozzle contains a second stopper which has a length in a liquid flow direction longer than that of a first stopper contained in a driving nozzle in the driving block that is driven prior. A near-boundary nozzle adjacent to the boundary nozzle has a third stopper which has a length in a liquid flow direction longer than that of the first stopper but shorter than the second stopper. Thus, recording irregularities owing to meniscus regression are suppressed.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet head substrate comprising a heat generating resistance member forming a heat generating portion, an electrode wiring electrically connected to the heat generating resistance member, and an anti-cavitation film provided on the heat generating resistance member and the electrode wiring via an insulation protection layer, and wherein the anti-cavitation film is formed from different materials with more than two layers.