Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head. The recording head is provided with a recording device string made up of a plurality of recording elements. The recording device string is arranged at a specified angle in relation to the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the recording head moves. A plurality of recording elements is divided into a plurality of blocks and sequentially driven in units of blocks at a specified interval. When recording is performed from a position other than an end of the recording device string, the drive sequence of the blocks is changed. The block including the recording element corresponding to a recording start position is first driven and recording data is read with the effective use of a signal line in a data bus.

Abstract: Provided is a consumable electrode type arc welding method and device in which stable welding can be performed at a high speed for a welding gap greater than a thickness of a base metal and the like, and welding conditions are automatically changed according to the welding gap along a welding line to perform the stable welding. A first base metal extended vertically and a second base metal which has an upper end positioned in a middle portion of the first base metal and is provided along the first base metal are welded together. The first and second base metals have a thickness of 2.8 mm, and an arc is generated toward an upper end portion of the second base metal from obliquely above on a side opposite to the first base metal. The second base metal is melted to be a part of a weld metal. An amount of the second base metal to be melted is increased or decreased according to a welding gap detected by a laser sensor.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus has a discharge recovery system that controls the amount of ink suction in a discharge recovery operation on the basis of a property of the ink in a cartridge mounted on the apparatus. The discharge recovery operation can also be controlled when the power to the apparatus is turned on if a cartridge has been replaced or mounted while the power is off.

Abstract: Image data is thinned out by using thinning patterns having arrays not synchronized with an image data array according to an area gradation method at the same duty, and the resulting thinned image data is divisionally recorded on a predetermined area of a recording medium by using different record areas of a recording head while a scan operation is performed a plurality of number of times. The thinning patterns are formed such that substantially equal quantities of an ink are implanted in a plurality of number of times of the divisional recording.

Abstract: A recording head having a plurality of recording elements arranged thereon is scanned in a direction different from the direction of arrangement of the recording elements to effect a main scan. The scan is started when one scan of print data is stored in a buffer memory. Further, when a predetermined time has elapsed before one scan of print data is stored in the buffer memory, the scan is started without waiting for the storage of one scan of data and the data currently stored in the buffer memory is recorded. After the scan, a sheet is fed in accordance with the amount of print data recorded. The buffer memory can be effectively utilized without regard to a processing speed and a data transfer rate of a host apparatus.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method records a color image on a recording medium while performing a main scan operation by using a first recording head having a plurality of ink eject orifices for ejecting an ink of a first color and a second recording head having a plurality of ink eject orifices for ejecting an ink of a second color. The method includes the steps of dividing a record area of each of the first and second recording heads into a plurality of blocks, and performing a main scan operation a plurality of number of times for the same area of the recording medium by using different blocks of the plurality of blocks of each of the first and second recording heads, thereby sequentially recording a plurality of thinned images of the first color and a plurality of thinned images of the second color. Different thinning mask patterns are used for the blocks of each recording head and the thinning mask pattern for each block is maintained constant during recording on the recording medium.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head with a number of ink ejection orifices for ejecting ink. The number of ink ejection orifices are grouped into N blocks which can be driven simultaneously, are arranged in an eject orifice array and perform recording by divisionally driving the N blocks. A recording medium and the recording head are moved relative to each other by a conveying length obtained by equally dividing an ejection orifice array of the recording head into n parts. The recording apparatus masks a signal to be recorded such that 1/n dots, where n<N, of all dots to be formed on an area of the recording medium having a width equal to the conveying length may be formed by one scan of the recording head.

Abstract: An ink jet apparatus carries out a recovery operation if a cap member is not capping a discharge opening when the ink jet apparatus is turned on. The recovery operation includes first wiping a discharge surface with a wiper member, next capping the discharge opening with the cap member, next applying suction to draw ink from the discharge opening using a suction pump, and thereafter discharging ink through the discharge opening, thereby enabling recording of high quality at the beginning of recording after the ink jet apparatus is turned on. The recovery operation may include other steps and be preceded by heating the ink jet head to reduce ink viscosity and enhance the effectiveness of the recovery operation.