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. A printhead having heating elements connected to a common power supply comprises a switching element series-connected to and controlling driving of the heating element at a voltage applied to a control terminal; a constant voltage source; a wiring resistance generated at a connection wiring line serial-connected to the heating element; and a voltage control circuit which controls to make the potential difference between both ends of the wiring resistance equal to the voltage of the constant voltage source when driving the heating element. A current flowing through the heating element is made constant without any influence of the temperature.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head substrate is provided with: an array of a plurality of energy generating bodies for generating energy utilized to discharge ink; and an ink supply port arranged along the array to supply ink to the plurality of energy generating bodies, the array and the ink supply port each extending in a longitudinal direction of the ink jet recording head substrate, the ink jet recording head substrate comprising: a first terminal electrically connected with the plurality of energy generating bodies, the first terminal being arranged along beside a first side of the ink jet recording head substrate, the first side extending in a cross direction intersecting the longitudinal direction; and a second terminal electrically connected with the plurality of energy generating bodies, the second terminal being arranged beside a second side of the ink jet recording head substrate, the second side extending in the longitudinal direction, so as to be arranged in an area between the first side and a phantom li

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: A recording head includes outlets disposed in a staggered pattern so that the distances from an ink inlet to the outlets differ alternately for adjacent outlets. The recording head includes an outlet group including a plurality of the outlets on at least one side of the ink inlet. The outlet group includes first outlets and second outlets, wherein the distance from the ink inlet to the first outlets differs from the distance from the ink inlet to the second outlets. First recording elements and second recording elements including heat resistors are provided. The first recording elements and second recording elements correspond to the first outlets and the second outlets, respectively, and are disposed in first ink channels and second ink channels, respectively. The first recording elements are rectangular, whereas the second recording elements are substantially square.

Abstract: Plural electrothermal transducers (heaters) belonging to each of blocks having different driving timings are constituted as one group and are connected to a common interconnecting wiring in units of one group. Plural lines are connected to the common wiring such that the plural lines are extended to return with respect to the heaters and are each arranged to extend in an adjacent or sandwiched relation to the heaters. A printhead substrate, a printhead, and a printing apparatus can be provided which can realize higher quality of a printed image and a higher printing speed by arraying the heaters at a higher density while ensuring a sufficient area for arrangement of each of the heaters.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head of the present invention comprises a substrate and a flow path wall member provided on the substrate and having a wall of a flow path communicated with a discharge port for discharging liquid, wherein said flow path wall member is provided with a cavity not communicated with said flow path, when viewed in a direction from said discharge port toward said substrate, said cavity has a shape of a character, and said character corresponds to information regarding said liquid discharge head.

Abstract: An element substrate has a plurality of printing elements, and a block selection unit which divides the plurality of printing elements into a plurality of blocks and time-divisionally drives the blocks. The element substrate includes a plurality of input terminals which divide the plurality of printing elements included in each block into a plurality of groups and supply a driving voltage to the printing elements belonging to each group, a delay circuit which externally receives an enable signal for enabling energization to the printing elements and generates a plurality of delayed enable signals having different delay times with respect to the enable signal, and a wiring which supplies the enable signal and the plurality of delayed enable signals output from the delay circuit to different groups in the order of the different delay times.

Abstract: A small-size element substrate with high electrical efficiency can be achieved when a plurality of printing element arrays having the same discharge amount exist on a single element substrate, and transistors which form driver arrays corresponding to the respective printing element arrays are formed at different array densities including transistors which form a driver array corresponding to a printing element array having a different discharge amount. The area of each transistor of the first driver array corresponding to the first printing element array is set larger than that of each transistor of the second driver array corresponding to the second printing element array. The wiring width of the first power supply wiring pattern corresponding to the first printing element array in a direction perpendicular to the printing element array is set smaller than that of the second power supply wiring pattern corresponding to the second printing element array.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead board and inkjet printhead is provided having a reliable storage element which allows for print without causing damages to an interlayer insulation film and protection film upon printing data unique to the printhead and is free from the restriction in arrangement position. For this purpose, a printing device board uses therein an information storage element formed common in material and process to electro-thermal converter element, the resistance value of which is changed to enable information storage so that information can be read out of the information storage element.

Abstract: This invention relates to an element substrate capable of confirming an electrical connection status before a printhead malfunctions. The element substrate is a substrate for a printhead, which is detachable from a printing apparatus and includes a plurality of printing elements, a logical circuit for controlling the printing elements, and a voltage application terminal for applying a driving voltage to drive the printing elements. The logical circuit is driven at a voltage lower than the driving voltage. The element substrate includes a connection status output circuit which outputs a signal reflecting the electrical connection status between the printhead and the printing apparatus on the basis of the driving voltage.

Abstract: This invention relates to an element substrate capable of confirming an electrical connection status before a printhead malfunctions. The element substrate is a substrate for a printhead, which is detachable from a printing apparatus and includes a plurality of printing elements, a logical circuit for controlling the printing elements, and a voltage application terminal for applying a driving voltage to drive the printing elements. The logical circuit is driven at a voltage lower than the driving voltage. The element substrate includes a connection status output circuit which outputs a signal reflecting the electrical connection status between the printhead and the printing apparatus on the basis of the driving voltage.

Abstract: A print head is provided that well preserves ink characteristics upon printing by way of performing effective ink preliminary heating. The print head has heaters, and ejection openings formed at locations corresponding to the heaters. Viewed from the side from which ink is ejected, a sub-heater is established in the print head between the ink supply port and the print elements such as to surround the ink supply port.

Abstract: An element substrate has a plurality of printing elements, and a block selection unit which divides the plurality of printing elements into a plurality of blocks and time-divisionally drives the blocks. The element substrate includes a plurality of input terminals which divide the plurality of printing elements included in each block into a plurality of groups and supply a driving voltage to the printing elements belonging to each group, a delay circuit which externally receives an enable signal for enabling energization to the printing elements and generates a plurality of delayed enable signals having different delay times with respect to the enable signal, and a wiring which supplies the enable signal and the plurality of delayed enable signals output from the delay circuit to different groups in the order of the different delay times.

Abstract: Provided is a configuration for connecting common wires (a common power supply wire for connecting a plurality of printing elements commonly to a power supply and a common ground wire for connecting the plurality of printing elements commonly to a ground) to the outside, which configuration does not obstruct a constitution for reducing resistances of the common wires. For this purpose, the common wires are directly connected respectively to electrode leads of an electric wiring tape for external connection without use of electrode pads. In the case of this configuration, the widths of the common wires need not be narrower in vicinities of the electrode pads which would otherwise be in an edge of the board, and accordingly reduction of resistances of the common wires is not obstructed.

Abstract: An element substrate includes a plurality of printing elements, a plurality of driving circuits which drive the plurality of printing elements, an input unit which inputs an enable signal to define the driving period of each printing element, a shift register which inputs a print data, a latch circuit which stores, in accordance with an externally input latch signal, the print data output from the shift register and outputs a print data signal, a time-divisional selection circuit which generates a block selection signal to divide the plurality of printing elements into a plurality of blocks and time-divisionally drive the printing elements, and a delay unit which changes the drive timing between the printing elements in a single block. The delay unit delays the enable signal and the print data signal.

Abstract: A printhead in which the voltage fluctuation absorption range of a MOS transistor serving as a constant current source is narrowed according to constant current driving. The printhead includes a controller which controls voltage fluctuations to adjust a current supplied to a plurality of printing elements. The printhead also includes a DC/DC converter which outputs a voltage of a voltage value to be applied to a plurality of printing elements from outside a printing element substrate.

Abstract: An element substrate has a plurality of printing elements, and a block selection unit which divides the plurality of printing elements into a plurality of blocks and time-divisionally drives the blocks. The element substrate includes a plurality of input terminals which divide the plurality of printing elements included in each block into a plurality of groups and supply a driving voltage to the printing elements belonging to each group, a delay circuit which externally receives an enable signal for enabling energization to the printing elements and generates a plurality of delayed enable signals having different delay times with respect to the enable signal, and a wiring which supplies the enable signal and the plurality of delayed enable signals output from the delay circuit to different groups in the order of the different delay times.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head substrate includes a primary conductive layer; an insulating layer; a pair of secondary conductive layers; a first connecting portion where the primary conductive layer is electrically connected to the secondary conductive layers, the first connecting portion penetrating the insulating layer; and a second connecting portion whose contact area is smaller than that of the first connecting portion. In the secondary conductive layers, a voltage is applied such that a first secondary conductive layer has a higher potential than a second secondary conductive layer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a printhead element substrate having a plurality of electrothermal transducers and a plurality of switching elements which drive the plurality of electrothermal transducers. The element substrate has a level converter which is shared by adjacent electrothermal transducers and steps up an input driving signal, and a switch circuit which supplies the driving signal output from the level converter to one of the adjacent electrothermal transducers. The switch circuit switches the supply destination of the driving signal in accordance with an external input selection signal.

Abstract: Even when a contact connection failure of electrical connection occurs between a recording head including a recording element substrate, and a recording apparatus, continuous driving of the same heat generating resistive element is suppressed. Blocks in which heat generating resistive elements are not driven are prepared beforehand in a selection target of blocks to be driven in a time-division manner. When an input signal is in a predetermined condition, the block selection target is set to blocks in which heat generating resistive elements are not driven.