Abstract: A printhead includes a plurality of switching elements which are arranged in correspondence with respective printing elements and control energization to the respective printing elements, a reference voltage circuit which generates a reference voltage, a current generation circuit which generates a reference current (Iref) on the basis of a reference voltage (Vref) generated by the reference voltage circuit, and a plurality of constant current sources which supply, in accordance with the reference current (Iref) generated by the current generation circuit, constant currents via the switching elements arranged in correspondence with the respective printing elements.

Abstract: A driving circuit layout can suppress an increase in the area of a head substrate in an inkjet printhead adopting a constant electric current driving method. A plurality of printing elements and a plurality of switching elements which are very large in number are arrayed in the longitudinal direction of a head substrate. A terminal which receives a driving signal and a control signal that are used to drive the plurality of printing elements is arranged at the end of the board in the widthwise direction of the board. An electric current source for supplying a predetermined electric current is interposed in an area between these two areas.

Abstract: A selection circuit receives heat-enable signals to drive heaters, whereby signals are selected to drive the heaters.

Abstract: The purpose of this invention is to provide a head substrate capable of increasing layout efficiency. To achieve this purpose, an ink supply channel is arranged, and a plurality of printing element arrays are arranged on at least one side of the ink supply channel, and a plurality of driving element arrays are arranged adjacent to the plurality of printing element arrays. A plurality of power supply pads and a plurality of ground pads are arranged in areas between the plurality of driving element arrays.

Abstract: A driving circuit layout can suppress an increase in the area of a head substrate in an inkjet printhead by adopting a driving method for supplying a predetermined current to a heater. A plurality of printing elements and a plurality of switching elements which are very large in number are arrayed in the longitudinal direction of a head substrate. A plurality of terminals which receive a driving signal and a control signal that are used to drive the plurality of printing elements are arranged at the end of the board in the longitudinal direction of the board at positions opposite to the array of the plurality of printing elements. A constant electric current source for supplying a predetermined electric current is interposed between these two regions.

Abstract: In a printhead element board including a plurality of printing elements which align in a predetermined direction, driving circuits which drive the printing elements, and an element selection circuit which selects printing elements within each group for each group having a predetermined number of adjacent printing elements, a plurality of element selection circuits are laid out adjacent to the driving circuits of the respective groups. With this layout, even if the number of printing elements increases, only the length in the printing element array direction increases without increasing the length in a direction perpendicular to the printing element array direction.

Abstract: An increase in energy applied to a heating element can be prevented and the service life of a printhead can be prolonged even when the temperature of the printing element having a negative temperature coefficient rises and the resistance of the heating element decreases upon controlling a switching element for controlling a current flowing through the heating element so as to make energy as constant as possible.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to prevent an increase in energy applied to a heating element and prolong the service life of a printhead even when the temperature of the printing element having a negative temperature coefficient rises and the resistance of the heating element decreases upon controlling a switching element for controlling a current flowing through the heating element so as to make energy as constant as possible.

Abstract: In a printhead in which a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction and a driving circuit for driving the printing elements are formed on a single substrate, the printing elements are classified into a plurality of groups. A selection circuit for selecting a printing element to be driven in each group, and data supply circuits for supplying driving data to the driving circuit for driving each printing element through any of a plurality of paths are arranged on the substrate. This realizes high-speed operation while suppressing increases in wiring length and substrate area even upon an increase in the number of printing elements and reducing the cost and generation of malfunctions.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to implement higher-quality printing at a higher speed by changing an electric current value to a printing element and adjusting energy applied to the printing element in an inkjet printhead. To achieve this object, a current regulating circuit is arranged on the head substrate of an inkjet printhead of a constant electric current driving type which supplies a constant electric current to a heater. The electric current value is changed in accordance with a signal (digital signal etc.) supplied from the outside of the printhead. Energy corresponding to the electric current value is applied to the printing element from a constant electric current source corresponding to each group.

Abstract: In a printhead element board including a plurality of printing elements which align in a predetermined direction, driving circuits which drive the printing elements, and an element selection circuit which selects printing elements within each group for each group having a predetermined number of adjacent printing elements, a plurality of element selection circuits are laid out adjacent to the driving circuits of the respective groups. With this layout, even if the number of printing elements increases, only the length in the printing element array direction increases without increasing the length in a direction perpendicular to the printing element array direction.

Abstract: A printhead includes a plurality of switching elements which are arranged in correspondence with respective printing elements and control energization to the respective printing elements, a reference voltage circuit which generates a reference voltage, a current generation circuit which generates a reference current (Iref) on the basis of a reference voltage (Vref) generated by the reference voltage circuit, and a plurality of constant current sources which supply, in accordance with the reference current (Iref) generated by the current generation circuit, constant currents via the switching elements arranged in correspondence with the respective printing elements.

Abstract: This invention enables to supply a stable voltage from a voltage converter circuit and suppress an increase in the area of the entire element body even if the number of recording elements increases and the element body becomes longer. An element body for a recording head includes a plurality of arrayed recording elements, and a voltage converter circuit which converts an externally input voltage, wherein the voltage converter circuit includes a reference voltage generating section and a voltage converter section, and the voltage converter section is formed from a plurality of distributedly arranged voltage converter elements.

Abstract: An inkjet recording head substrate having an electrothermal transducer for generating thermal energy used to discharge ink and a drive element for driving the electrothermal transducer mounted thereon includes a first circuit portion for outputting selection signals for selecting the electrothermal transducer to be driven at a amplitude level of a second voltage higher than a first voltage based on an input signal of the amplitude level of the first voltage, a second circuit portion for inputting the selection signals from the first circuit portion and controlling the drive element corresponding to the electrothermal transducer to be driven based on the selection signals subject to the second voltage, and a plurality of signal-lines for transmitting the selection signals between the first and second circuit portions.

Abstract: This invention provides a printhead capable of decreasing the ON resistance value without increasing the heater board size in order to downsize the heater board, an image printing apparatus using the printhead, and a control method therefor. In the printhead, heater resistors are series-connected to normal MOS transistors in each group on a heat board. The pitch of the heater resistors and the pitch of the normal MOS transistors are designed equal to each other in order to shorten the connection line. One high-breakdown-voltage MOS transistor is arranged in each group, and the pitch is designed to a length corresponding to the product of the pitch of the heater resistors and the number x of heater resistors. The high-breakdown-voltage MOS transistor has a higher ON resistance value per unit area than that of the normal MOS transistor. However, the area of the high-breakdown-voltage MOS transistor is larger by x times than that of the normal MOS transistor.

Abstract: This invention provides a printing head which can prevent an increase in the number of block enable signal lines, and can prevent changes in printing ink density caused by interference due to the relative pressures of nozzles generated in ink discharge, and an image printing apparatus using the printing head. For this purpose, an increase in the number of input signal lines along with an increase in the number of blocks is prevented using a block clock signal or the like instead of a block enable signal as an input signal to the printing head. Three ring counters generate signals having different nozzle driving orders. These signals are selectively used by a ring counter selection signal. Ink is not always discharged from the nozzles in the same output order. This can prevent changes in ink density caused by pressure interference.

Abstract: Since the large amount nozzle arrays are disposed at first columns and the small amount nozzle arrays are disposed at second columns on both sides of the shifting directions along the main scan direction, the deflection of the ink droplet caused by the first air flows is totally reduced.

Abstract: A stable operation is realized without any malfunction of a driver even under a voltage condition that a supplied voltage is 3.3 V or lower. For this purpose, in an ink-jet printhead having an ink orifice for discharging ink, a plurality of heat generation elements for generating heat energy used to discharge ink, and an ink channel which incorporates the heat generation elements and communicates with the ink orifice, a driver for driving the heat generation elements, and a logic circuit for controlling the driver are formed on a single board. The gate oxide film thickness of an enhancement NMOS transistor which forms the driver is larger than that of an enhancement NMOS transistor which forms the logic circuit.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a driving circuit layout which suppresses an increase in the area of a head substrate in an inkjet printhead adopting a driving method for supplying a predetermined current to a heater. To achieve this object, a plurality of printing elements and a plurality of switching elements which are very large in number are arrayed in the longitudinal direction of a head substrate. A plurality of terminals which receive a driving signal and a control signal that are used to drive the plurality of printing elements are arranged at the end of the board in the longitudinal direction of the board at positions opposite to the array of the plurality of printing elements. A constant electric current source for supplying a predetermined electric current is interposed between these two regions.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a driving circuit layout which suppresses an increase in the area of a head substrate in an inkjet printhead adopting a constant electric current driving method. To achieve this object, a plurality of printing elements and a plurality of switching elements which are very large in number are arrayed in the longitudinal direction of a head substrate. A terminal which receives a driving signal and a control signal that are used to drive the plurality of printing elements is arranged at the end of the board in the widthwise direction of the board. A electric current source for supplying a predetermined electric current is interposed in an area between these two areas.