Abstract: A liquid-discharge recording head includes large nozzles for discharging large liquid drops and medium and small nozzles for discharging medium and small liquid drops that are smaller than the large liquid drops. The large nozzles are arranged on one side of an ink-supply opening and the medium and small nozzles are arranged on the other side of the ink-supply opening. The number of large nozzles is greater than the number of medium and small nozzles, and the liquid-discharge recording head performs high-speed printing using the large nozzles, high-speed photo printing using the medium and small nozzles, and high-quality photo printing using the small nozzles.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method to prevent both of adjacent ejection orifice groups from operating at high duties. The method includes distributing image data such that the ejection duty of one of the adjacent ejection orifice groups is lower than a predetermined threshold in one scan and the ejection duty of the other ejection orifice group is lower than the predetermined threshold in another scan.

Abstract: An inkjet recording head using pigment ink as discharged ink includes a nozzle member having a nozzle for discharging ink. The nozzle member has an ink-repellent layer forming a discharge port face having a discharge port that is an open end of the nozzle. The ink jet recording head further includes a projection portion positioned around the discharge port and protruding along a central axis of the nozzle with respect to the discharge port face. The nozzle, in a cross section passing through the central axis of the nozzle, has an outline shape provided with a curved line having a changing curvature radius. A point at which the curvature radius of the curved line is minimum is included in the projection portion and has a maximum height from the discharge port face in the cross section.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink supply method and a printing apparatus by which, when an ink supply operation is repeated by using a gas-liquid separation member, damage to the gas-liquid separation member can be reduced to improve the reliability. In order to realize this, an ink supply method for aspirating air in a sub tank via the gas-liquid separation member to supply ink from a supply opening into the sub tank sets a plurality of different amounts as an suction amount of air in the sub tank per a unit time.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet printing head, and an ink-jet printing apparatus and method which enable high-gradation and high-quality images to be printed using dots of different sizes. In an ink-jet printing head according to the present invention, at least one second nozzle has its center arranged on an imaginary line extending in a main-scanning direction of the printing head through the center of a first nozzle. The volume of an ink droplet ejected through the second nozzle is smaller than that of an ink droplet ejected through the first nozzle. Further, the number of second nozzles is larger than that of first nozzles.

Abstract: A liquid-discharge recording head includes large nozzles for discharging large liquid drops and medium and small nozzles for discharging medium and small liquid drops that are smaller than the large liquid drops. The large nozzles are arranged on one side of an ink-supply opening and the medium and small nozzles are arranged on the other side of the ink-supply opening. The number of large nozzles is greater than the number of medium and small nozzles, and the liquid-discharge recording head performs high-speed printing using the large nozzles, high-speed photo printing using the medium and small nozzles, and high-quality photo printing using the small nozzles.

Abstract: A compact liquid ejection recording head capable of forming high-quality images at high speed includes large nozzles for ejecting large droplets, medium nozzles for ejecting medium droplets, and small nozzles for ejecting small droplets. The large nozzles are arranged on one side of an ink supply port, while the small nozzles and the medium nozzles are arranged on the other side of the ink supply port. The number of the small nozzles is larger than that of the medium nozzles, and that of the large nozzles. This allows high-quality and high-speed printing using the small nozzles, high-speed photo printing using the medium and small nozzles, and high-speed printing using the large nozzles.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head according to the present invention includes a plurality of ejection openings arranged in a first direction and a plurality of electro-thermal transducers for ejecting liquid from the ejection openings, the liquid ejection head and a printing medium being subjected to the relative movement, wherein an arrangement pitch of the ejection openings forming an end group located in the respective opposite end section along the first direction is longer than an arrangement pitch of the ejection openings forming a central group located in the central section along the first direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate white streaks which may generate in a solid printing.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet printing head, and an ink-jet printing apparatus and method which enable high-gradation and high-quality images to be printed using dots of different sizes. In an ink-jet printing head according to the present invention, at least one second nozzle has its center arranged on an imaginary line extending in a main-scanning direction of the printing head through the center of a first nozzle. The volume of an ink droplet ejected through the second nozzle is smaller than that of an ink droplet ejected through the first nozzle. Further, the number of second nozzles is larger than that of first nozzles.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method to prevent both of adjacent ejection orifice groups from operating at high duties. The method includes distributing image data such that the ejection duty of one of the adjacent ejection orifice groups is lower than a predetermined threshold in one scan and the ejection duty of the other ejection orifice group is lower than the predetermined threshold in another scan.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet printing head, and an ink-jet printing apparatus and method which enable high-gradation and high-quality images to be printed using dots of different sizes. In an ink-jet printing head according to the present invention, at least one second nozzle has its center arranged on an imaginary line extending in a main-scanning direction of the printing head through the center of a first nozzle. The volume of an ink droplet ejected through the second nozzle is smaller than that of an ink droplet ejected through the first nozzle. Further, the number of second nozzles is larger than that of first nozzles.

Abstract: In an liquid ejection head according to the present invention having a plurality of ejection openings arranged in a predetermined direction and a plurality of electro-thermal transducers for ejecting liquid from the ejection openings and being in relative motion with a printing medium, a kinetic energy of the liquid ejected from each ejection opening constituting an end group disposed in the respective opposite end section along the predetermined direction is larger than a kinetic energy of the liquid ejected from each ejection opening constituting a central group disposed in a central section along the predetermined direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an ink droplet ejected from the ejection opening in the end group from being deviated toward the central section along the predetermined direction, whereby the generation of white streaks is avoidable when a solid printing is carried out.

Abstract: A head is provided with a driving signal line having a driving terminal for receiving a driving signal sent from an apparatus to the head, and an identification terminal. The driving signal line is electrically connected to the identification terminal. With the use of the driving signal line and the identification terminal, the head is identified.

Abstract: A flexible-film wire substrate is bent at first, second and third bent portions. Wires of a flexible wire pattern are deflected at least between the second bent portion and the third bent portion so that a pitch increases from the second bent portion toward the third bent portion. By bending the first, second and third bent portions so that the wires are substantially orthogonal to each bending line, the flexible-film wire substrate can be excellently bent without influencing the flexible wire pattern on the flexible-film wire substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet printing head, and an ink-jet printing apparatus and method which enable not only larger-diameter nozzles but also smaller-diameter nozzles to be sufficiently recovered. In an ink-jet printing head according to the present invention, the number of smaller-diameter nozzles is larger than that of larger-diameter nozzles. Further, a plurality of ink channels include first ink channels in communication with the larger-diameter nozzles and second ink channels in communication with the smaller-diameter nozzles. The first ink channels and the second ink channels are mixed and arranged along an ink supply port so that a group of smaller-diameter nozzles composed of a plurality of the smaller-diameter nozzles is arranged between the lager-diameter nozzles.

Abstract: A first array state has a first nozzle group 50 provided with first nozzles 25a arranged at an array pitch d0, and second nozzle groups 51 each provided with first nozzles 25a arranged at an array pitch d1. The second nozzle groups 51 are disposed on both sides of a nozzle array, and the first nozzle group 50 is disposed therebetween. A second array state has a first nozzle group 50 provided with second nozzles 25b arranged at the array pitch d0, and second nozzle groups 52 each provided with second nozzles 25b arranged at an array pitch d2. The second nozzle groups 52 are disposed on both sides of a nozzle array, and the first nozzle group 50 is disposed therebetween. A diameter of each first nozzle 25a is set greater than that of each second nozzle 25b, and a volume of an ink droplet discharged is also greater. The array pitch d1 is set greater than the array pitch d2, and the array pitch d0 is set smaller than the array pitch d1 and the array pitch d2.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus prevents deterioration of the printed image resulting from degradation of refilling characteristics caused by a rise of the printing head temperature as well as decrease in the printing speed. More particularly, the temperature of the ink ejecting head is measured so that the settings of a pulse width and a drive voltage of a drive pulse to be applied to an electro-thermal converting element are altered based on the measured temperature of the ink ejecting head in such a manner that the pulse width is shortened and the drive voltage is increased as the temperature of the ink ejecting head rises.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head is the one having discharge ports for discharging liquid droplets in different discharge amounts intermixed therefor, and formed by a recording element substrate provided with the discharge portion having comparatively small discharge port, in particular, for discharging liquid in a comparatively small amount, and another recording element substrate provided with the discharge port having comparatively large discharge port, in particular, for discharging liquid in a comparatively large amount. Near the small discharge port, opening communicated with the discharge portion and open to the opening surface of the discharge port is provided. With the structure thus arranged, it is made possible to appropriately perform the suction recovery process with ease.

Abstract: In an inkjet recording head having a plurality of ink ejecting ports and a plurality of energy generating elements respectively positioned in confrontation with the ink ejecting ports for generating energy utilized to eject ink from the ink ejecting ports, the plurality of ink ejecting ports and the plurality of energy generating elements being divided into a plurality of blocks, and the ejecting ports and the energy generating elements being timeshapred driven in a sequence of the blocks in a common driving period, the plurality of energy generating elements are disposed in an approximate sraight line, and the respective ink ejecting ports are off-set with respect to the energy generating elements in a projecting relationship in correspondence to the sequence of the timeshapred drive.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head is the one having discharge ports for discharging liquid droplets in different discharge amounts intermixed therefor, and formed by a recording element substrate provided with the discharge portion having comparatively small discharge port, in particular, for discharging liquid in a comparatively small amount, and another recording element substrate provided with the discharge port having comparatively large discharge port, in particular, for discharging liquid in a comparatively large amount. Near the small discharge port, opening communicated with the discharge portion and open to the opening surface of the discharge port is provided. With the structure thus arranged, it is made possible to appropriately perform the suction recovery process with ease.