Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having a nozzle that ejects liquid and a pressure chamber in communication with the nozzle. A pressure generator causes pressure fluctuation in the liquid retained in the pressure chamber. The liquid ejecting head is capable of ejecting the liquid from the nozzle as a result of operation of the pressure generator. A driving signal generating section generates a driving signal having an ejection pulse for driving the pressure generator to eject the liquid from the nozzle. The ejection pulse is a voltage waveform four waveform portions having, respectively, voltage levels V1, V2, V3 and V4 that satisfy the following conditions (A) and (B). 0?V3?0.4×V2??(A) 0.

Abstract: An FPC connected to a piezoelectric actuator has a board and two driver ICs mounted on the board. The board is provided with two wires for transmitting two kinds of mode selection signals respectively corresponding to two kinds of driving modes and with a selection pad selecting one from the two kinds of mode selection signals transmitted through the two wires and then outputting the selected signal to each driver IC.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head having: a discharge port; an actuator; and a driving circuit that selectively supplies to the actuator a discharge driving signal which includes at least one of discharge pulse signals, and a non-discharge driving signal which includes at least one of non-discharge pulse signals. The recording apparatus further includes: a transport unit; an image recording control unit; a signal number calculating unit that calculates the number of non-discharge driving signals; and a non-discharge driving control unit that controls the driving circuit to supply the number of non-discharge driving signals calculated by the signal number calculating unit, wherein the signal number calculating unit calculates the number of non-discharge driving signals such that the sum of the number of correction pulses and the total number of non-discharge pulse signals supplied to the actuator within the predetermined period is equal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a carriage including image forming units, the carriage driven reciprocally in a main scanning direction; a conveyance unit to convey a sheet of recording media to a position where the image forming units perform image formation; a first detector provided to the carriage, the first detector including a light emitting part and a light receiving part to periodically detect a surface of the sheet; a calculation unit to calculate a relative amount of movement between the sheet and the image forming units by comparing patterns periodically detected by the first detector; and a control unit to control a timing to perform image formation by the image forming units and an amount of conveyance of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit based on a result calculated by the calculation unit.

Abstract: A method for driving a piezoelectric element of a head, including: a step of increasing a voltage of a power source to a reference voltage level; and a step of charging one electrode of two electrodes interposing the piezoelectric element to the reference voltage level by repeating source-connections and source-disconnections between the power source and the one electrode while keeping the voltage of the power source at the reference voltage level, such that a ratio of a connection time of each of at least one of second and subsequent connections of the source-connections to a disconnection time of a corresponding source-disconnection continued from each of the at least one of the second and subsequent connections is greater than a ratio of a connection time of a first connection of the source-connections to a disconnection time of a source-disconnection continued from the first connection.

Abstract: A liquid jetting device includes a plurality of nozzles. A driving signal generated by a driving signal generating section is applied to a charge-discharge actuator in correspondence with each nozzle to jet liquid from the nozzle. A charging source potential preliminary adjusted wave-form signal is pulse modulated and electrically amplified using a charging source potential transistor pair connected in a push-pull configuration, and output by a ripple filter to a collector of a charge-use transistor of the driving signal generating section to make a preliminary adjustment to the charging source potential for the driving signal generating section.

Abstract: A method of controlling a liquid ejection head controls a liquid ejection head including a liquid pressurizing chamber, nozzles communicating with the liquid pressurizing chamber, and a pressure generating device that generates pressure in the liquid pressurizing chamber based on a drive waveform. The method includes generating a preliminary ejection drive waveform with a predetermined number of successive drive pulses aligned in descending order of length of drive pulse intervals of the drive pulses, with each of the drive pulse intervals set to an integral multiple of a natural vibration period of the liquid pressurizing chamber, and applying the generated preliminary ejection drive waveform to the pressure generating device to cause the liquid ejection head to perform a preliminary ejecting operation.

Abstract: An ink jet printer performs a print process by ejecting ink for each of a plurality of ink colors. When a predetermined first circulation time elapses after starting the ink circulation, an ink agitating operation drive signal generation unit applies an ink agitating operation drive signal to an ink ejecting unit set operable to eject an ink, which has a predetermined nature, for a first ink agitating operation time in a first period, and applies the ink agitating operation drive signal to an ink ejecting unit set operable to eject an ink, which has not the predetermined nature, for a second ink agitating operation time in a second period which is shorter than the first period. It is therefore possible to perform maintenance effectively in advance of starting the print process in accordance with the nature of ink.

Abstract: A speed calculation device is provided. The generation component generates a plurality of pulse signals with different phases in accordance with rotation of a rotating body. The detection component detects rises and falls of respective pulses of the plurality of pulse signals generated by the generation component. The duration calculation component, each time a rise or fall is detected by the detection component, calculates a total duration of a pre-specified number of durations representing detection intervals of rises or falls detected prior to the rise or fall currently detected by the detection component. The speed calculation component calculates a speed relating to rotation of the rotating body on the basis of the total duration and a rotation angle of the rotating body that corresponds to one pulse of the pulse signals.

Abstract: The establishment of a stable acoustic environment within the individual channels of an inkjet printing device functions to allow the inkjet printing device to precisely deposit the same amount of a particular substance at one or more locations on an object. This is particularly relevant when the inkjet printing device is operated in the on-demand mode of operation.

Abstract: Present invention provide a driving device of a liquid discharging head, a liquid discharging apparatus, and an ink jet recording apparatus that are capable of realizing a desired dot shape by suppressing the generation of the meniscus without sacrificing the discharge efficiency or the landing accuracy. According to the present invention, in a case where discharging is performed a plurality of times in one recording period, and one pixel is recorded by using a plurality of droplets, by configuring the wave height change time of a rear-end side wave height change part of the final pulse of a plurality of discharge pulses to be equal to or longer than a quarter of the resonant period Tc and configuring the pulse width of the plurality of discharge pulses to be a half of the resonant period Tc.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform control so as to apply a first driving voltage to a heat generation element to discharge ink from an orifice and then apply a second driving voltage to the heat generation element so as not to cause bubbling or discharging of ink. In this case, the control unit performs control to apply the second driving voltage before detection of a feature point on the waveform of a signal representing temperatures in a temperature drop process detected by the temperature detection element after application of the first driving voltage and along with the application of the first driving voltage based on a temperature detected by a temperature detection element.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and apparatus for driving a droplet ejection device with multi-pulse waveforms. In one embodiment, a method for driving a droplet ejection device having an actuator includes applying a multi-pulse waveform having two or more drive pulses and a cancellation pulse to the actuator. The method further includes generating a pressure response wave in a pumping chamber in response to each pulse. The method further includes causing the droplet ejection device to eject a droplet of a fluid in response to the drive pulses of the multi-pulse waveform. The method further includes canceling the pressure response waves associated with the drive pulses with the pressure response wave associated with the cancellation pulse.

Abstract: The driving signal generation unit generates a leading driving pulse that is ahead in a unit cycle and a following driving pulse that follows the leading driving pulse; the leading driving pulse is set so that, in the case where liquid droplets are ejected simultaneously from multiple adjacent nozzles, the flight speed of the ejected liquid droplets located toward the central area in a nozzle row direction is higher than the flight speed of the ejected liquid droplets located toward the end areas in the nozzle row direction; and the following driving pulse is set so that, of the liquid droplets simultaneously ejected from the multiple adjacent nozzles, the flight speed of the ejected liquid droplets located toward the end areas is higher than the flight speed of the liquid droplets located toward the central area.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a Modulator that performs pulse modulation for a drive waveform signal that becomes a reference for a drive signal of an actuator so as to acquire a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier that amplifies the power of the modulated signal so as to acquire a amplified digital signal; a low pass filter that smoothes the amplified digital signal so as to acquire the drive signal; a variable power source circuit that can change a power source voltage of the digital power amplifier; and a power source voltage control unit that controls changes in the power source voltage in units of a driving pulse that configures the drive signal of the actuator and can independently drive the actuator.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a driving element driven by a driving waveform and a nozzle that ejects liquid. Two first driving waveforms and a second driving waveform are generated in a period to create a driving signal in which the two first and the second driving waveforms are repeatedly generated. When the first driving waveform is applied to the driving element, a first amount of liquid is ejected from the nozzle. When the two first driving waveforms are applied, twice the first amount is ejected. When the second driving waveform is applied, a second amount of liquid larger than the first amount and smaller than twice the first amount is ejected. When the two first driving waveforms and the second driving waveform are applied to the driving element, an amount of liquid smaller than a sum of twice the first amount and the second amount is ejected.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of controllers that controls nozzle groups for forming an image on an image forming medium based on image data; a plurality of distribution processing units that are connected to a portion of the controllers to transmit to the controllers image data for controlling the nozzle groups allocated to the controllers; and a transmitting processing unit that transmits the image data to the distribution processing unit. Upper and lower level distribution processing units from the first distribution processing unit at the uppermost level to the second distribution processing unit at the lowermost level are communicatably connected to each other. The first distribution processing unit is communicatably connected to the transmitting processing unit.

Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus which jets liquid droplets includes: a liquid droplet jetting head which has a nozzle for jetting the liquid droplets; and a jetting controller which controls the liquid droplet jetting head to jet the liquid droplets from the nozzles by supplying the liquid droplet jetting head with a driving signal having a predetermined drive waveform in each of continuing driving periods, and which includes: a driving waveform selecting section which selects, with respect to each of the continuing driving periods, a driving waveform from a plurality of driving waveforms each having a wavelength which is same as a length of one driving period; and a driving waveform shifting section which shifts the driving waveform selected by the driving waveform selecting section.

Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes: a pressure chamber communicated with a nozzle; an element which performs the operation of imparting a pressure change to liquid in the pressure chamber; and a pulse generation section which generates a preceding discharge pulse and a following discharge pulse that operate the element, and determines a period from the end of the generation of the preceding discharge pulse to the start of the generation of the following discharge pulse in accordance with the liquid droplet amount which is discharged from the nozzle.

Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus according to the invention is a liquid jet apparatus adapted to emit a jet of a liquid by driving an actuator of a liquid jet head with a drive signal including a digital power amplifier and a low pass filter provided to the liquid jet head so as to correspond to the actuator, and adapted to power-amplify and smooth a modified signal from a control circuit to form the drive signal, wherein the low pass filter is coupled directly with the actuator, and the digital power amplifier is provided with a pair of switching elements and a gate drive circuit, and ON-OFF controls the gate drive circuit based on print data, thereby performing one of output and halt of the drive signal.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a first level-data setting unit for setting a selected first level data from a plurality of first level data, based on an ejecting data for a first kind of liquid; a second level-data setting unit for setting a selected second level data from a plurality of second level data, based on an ejecting data for a second kind of liquid; a driving-signal generator for generating a driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected first or second level data and the driving signal. The plurality of first level data and the plurality of second level data are different from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head having nozzles ejecting liquid droplets, a liquid chamber in communication with the nozzles, a pressure generator unit generating pressure inside the liquid chamber, and a head drive control unit to generate a drive waveform having plural drive pulses arranged in time series, each of the drive pulses having waveform components, to form an ejecting pulse for ejecting the liquid droplets by selecting one or more of the plural drive pulses based on a corresponding one of liquid droplet sizes and supply the formed ejecting pulse to the pressure generator unit. In the image forming apparatus, when the ejecting pulse is formed by selecting one or more of the plural drive pulses, shapes of the waveform components of the selected plural drive pulses are partially changed based on the corresponding one of the liquid droplet sizes.

Abstract: A method for improving the morphology of drops ejected from inkjet dispensers results in a more accurate and repeatable process. The method involves shifting the dwell time from one corresponding to the first harmonic of the dispenser to a higher harmonic, for example, the third harmonic.

Abstract: A method measures distances between two printed lines on a rotating image receiving member to identify fluid drop mass or fluid drop velocity changes in inkjet ejectors in an inkjet printing system. An initial distance between the two lines is measured at the start of the operational life of the system. During the line of the printing system, the lines are reprinted and the distance between the two lines compared to the initial distance. If the distance has changed by more than a predetermined amount, a firing signal for the printheads that printed the lines is adjusted.

Abstract: A method of ejecting a drop of fluid includes providing a fluid ejector. The fluid ejector includes a substrate, a MEMS transducing member, a compliant membrane, walls, and a nozzle. The substrate includes a cavity and a fluidic feed. A first portion of the MEMS transducing member is anchored to the substrate. A second portion of the MEMS transducing member extends over at least a portion of the cavity and is free to move relative to the cavity. The compliant membrane is positioned in contact with the MEMS transducing member. A first portion of the compliant membrane covers the MEMS transducing member, A second portion of the compliant membrane being anchored to the substrate. Walls define a chamber that is fluidically connected to the fluidic feed. At least the second portion of the MEMS transducing member is enclosed within the chamber. A quantity of fluid is supplied to the chamber through the fluidic feed.

Abstract: A control unit sets a head drive shortest cycle depending on a print mode, measures an encoder signal cycle, determines whether or not a measured encoder signal cycle is shorter than a head drive shortest cycle set in advance, switches a record synchronization signal to the head drive shortest cycle when it is determined that the measured encoder signal cycle is shorter (in YES), in No, corrects the position of superposed color dots and aligns record dots by a downstream recording unit to a dot position shift by an upstream recording unit when it is determined that the measured encoder signal cycle is longer (in NO), calculates and stores an amount of shift from an equal interval reference position by shifts of the head record synchronization signal and the measured encoder signal, and records an image in synchronization with a corrected record synchronization signal.

Abstract: A printhead IC is provided having an array of ejection nozzles, sensing circuitry for sensing temperatures of regions of the nozzle array, and drive circuitry for providing drive pulses to the nozzles to cause ejection. The drive circuitry is configured to set a different profile of the drive pulses for each region of the nozzle array in accordance with the sensed temperatures.

Abstract: A head drive apparatus of an ink jet printer having: a plurality of nozzles for jetting liquid drops that are provided for an ink jet head; a plurality of actuators provided in correspondence to the nozzles; and a drive unit that applies a drive signal to the actuators, wherein the drive unit comprising: a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal being standard of a signal to control drive of the actuators; a modulator that modulates a pulse of a drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform generator; a digital power amplifier for amplifying power of a modulated signal subjected to the pulse modulation by the modulator; and a low pass filter for smoothing an amplified digital signal subjected to the power amplification by the digital power amplifier and supplying the signal as a drive signal to the actuators.

Abstract: In a method for detecting an operating state of at least one fluid chamber of an inkjet print head, after having generated a pressure wave in the fluid chamber, a resulting pressure wave in the fluid chamber is detected. A detection signal corresponding to the detected pressure wave is then generated and a state indicator is determined from the detection signal using a wavelet window, the state indicator being suitable for deriving an operating state of the fluid chamber. This method enables reliable state detection. In an embodiment, it is enabled to perform the state detection between subsequent droplet ejections, thereby obtaining a highly reliable inkjet process.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus including a recording head having a nozzle, a pressure chamber, and a pressure generation section; and a drive signal generator which generates a drive signal for applying at least one drive pulse, wherein the apparatus ejects the ink droplet from the nozzle by applying the drive signal to activate the pressure generation section, wherein the drive signal generator generates the drive signal within one pixel period in chronological order including a first expansion pulse to expand the volume of the pressure chamber, a contraction pulse, and a second expansion pulse, and wherein a contraction pulse width is 0.1 AL through 0.5 AL, where AL represents a half of an acoustic resonance period of the pressure chamber, and |Von|/|Voff| is 1.3 through 10, where Von and Voff respectively represent drive voltages of the first expansion pulse and the contraction pulse.

Abstract: A time from a start end of a contraction portion of a first middle dot drive pulse of a first drive signal to a start end of the contraction portion of a second middle dot drive pulse of a second drive signal is set to Tc/2 or more and Tc or less in the same unit period. In addition, a time from a start end of a preliminary portion of a first small dot drive pulse to a start end of a preliminary portion of a second small dot drive pulse is set to Tc or more. Thus, while a piezoelectric vibrator corresponding to the other side of adjacent nozzles is driven by the second drive signal, a piezoelectric vibrator corresponding to one side of adjacent nozzles is driven by the first drive signal.

Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes a nozzle which jet the liquid droplets in a plurality of types of jetting modes; a liquid droplet jetting head which has the nozzles; a signal generating section which generates a plurality of types of jetting signals, each of which is formed of bit data, has predetermined bits not less than three bits, and corresponds to one of the plurality of types of jetting modes; and a signal supply section which outputs serially the bit data forming one of the jetting signals to the liquid droplet jetting head at each of jetting timings of the nozzle. The jetting signals are set such that the jetting signals corresponding to the jetting modes respectively are subjected to binary switching of the bit data at frequencies decreasing proportional to usage frequencies of the jetting modes when the bit data are outputted serially from the signal supply section.

Abstract: A fire pulse circuit for use in an inkjet printer includes an input control signal transmitted from a controller to a logic AND gate and to fire truncation logic; fire truncation logic adapted to truncate a pulse width of the input control signal to a maximum allowable pulse width if the duration of the pulse exceeds a maximum allowable time; a logic AND gate that receives inputs from both the input control signal and the fire truncation logic to produce an output fire pulse signal that operates to optimally fire an inkjet heater driver logic to heat the heater to nucleate ink from the print head. The circuit is formed from either a combination of digital and analog components or from exclusively digital components. A method of using the circuit to generate an output fire pulse to an inkjet heater driver logic is also disclosed.

Abstract: While a conveying error of a roller depends on the eccentricity of the roller, the amount and the state of the eccentricity sometimes makes the roller have different conveying errors from one point in the longitudinal direction of the roller to another. There is provided a construction for obtaining a correction value that is suitable for the correction of the conveying error even in such a case as described above. To this end, plural test patterns are formed in the longitudinal direction of the roller. Then, a suitable correction value for correcting the conveying error that depends on the eccentricity of the roller is obtained on the basis of these test patterns.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus having: a recording head including a pressure generation section, a pressure chamber, and a nozzle; and a drive signal generator which generates the drive signal including a first expansion pulse, a contraction pulse, and a second expansion pulse, wherein the pulses are generated to satisfy that: a peak value position P1 of positive pressure is not more than 1.45AL from a drive signal applying start time, and |M1/P1|?0.45, where AL represents a half of the acoustic resonance period of the pressure chamber, M1 is a first peak value of negative pressure in the pressure chamber, P1 is a peak value of a positive pressure succeeding to M1, and M2 is a peak value of a negative pressure succeeding to P1, wherein M1, P1 and M2 are values of a pressure wave generated by total effect of all the pulses.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head, a roller configured to convey a recording medium, an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a conveyance amount for conveying the recording medium per a predetermined rotation amount of the roller, a recording timing generation unit configured to generate a plurality of timing signals for performing recording for one raster line according to a rotation of the roller during one rotation thereof, and a drive signal generation unit configured to generate a drive reference signal for performing the recording for the one raster line on the recording medium at a predetermined interval based on the conveyance amount information and the timing signal.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection unit which includes a pressure chamber and a pressure generation element, and which ejects the liquid through a nozzle of the pressure chamber in accordance with the variation of the pressure inside the pressure chamber; a driving signal generation section; a driving section which causes the liquid to eject through the nozzle by supplying the pressure generation element with an ejection waveform included in the driving signal, and which transmits a slight vibration to the liquid contained in the pressure chamber a plurality of number of times during the driving period of time by supplying the pressure generation element with a plurality of slight vibration waveforms which is included during the driving period of time of the driving signal.

Abstract: Printhead firing methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example printhead firing method disclosed herein comprises determining a position of a printer carriage corresponding to a location at which a first encoder strip is concatenated with a second encoder strip, and adjusting timing of printhead firing pulses when the printer carriage is determined to have reached the position as the printer carriage is moved.

Abstract: A printing method and a printing apparatus of the present invention are capable of performing both a vertical registration adjustment in which a range of nozzles used for printing is limited and a vertical registration adjustment in which print data is shifted. More specifically, switching is performed between the vertical registration adjustment in which a range of nozzles used for printing is limited and the vertical registration adjustment in which print data is shifted, in accordance with conditions such as a printing mode, types of printing medium, and the like. Thereby, an improvement of a throughput by a printing apparatus and an improvement of an image quality printed by the printing apparatus can be together achieved.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus capable of preventing a peak current from being introduced into internal units of the electronic apparatus when the internal units are simultaneously activated and a method to control one or more internal units thereof. The electronic apparatus includes at least one internal unit and a signal generator to generate a drive pulse having a width that gradually changes in an edge region and to drive the at least one internal unit. Accordingly a peak current is prevented from being introduced into the internal units by gradually increasing or decreasing the drive pulse to drive the internal units as time changes or by dividing the internal units into a block unit and sequentially providing the drive pulse to the internal units.

Abstract: In an inkjet recording device, nozzles are arranged orthogonally to a deflection direction of deflection electrodes. Ink jetted from each nozzle is charged by a pair of charging electrodes. Charged droplets are deflected by an electric field formed thereby. Voltages applied to each electrode and timings thereof can be independently adjusted.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus including: a recording head having a pressure chamber, and a pressure generation device to change a volume of the pressure chamber, wherein the recording head ejects an ink in the pressure chamber as an ink droplet from a nozzle by driving the pressure generation device based on drive signals; and a drive signal generating section to generate the drive signals, which include: an ejection pulse including a first pulse for expanding the volume of the pressure chamber and then contracting the volume; a preliminary pulse, to be applied immediately before the first pulse, for contracting the volume of the pressure chamber and then expanding the volume, and wherein the preliminary pulse is a rectangular wave having a pulse width of 2AL or greater, where AL is ½ of an acoustic resonance cycle period of a pressure wave in the pressure chamber.

Abstract: The method includes forming first size drops by applying drop forming pulses during a unit time period ?0; forming second size drops by applying drop forming pulses during a second size drop time period, ?m, which is a multiple, m, of the unit time period; forming the corresponding plurality of drop forming energy pulse sequences so as to form non-print drops and print drops; delaying the timing of the drop forming energy pulses sent to the transducers of the second group relative to the drop forming energy pulses sent to the transducers of the first group by a delay time ?L, characterized by ?L being equal to d*?0 where d is 1½ to 9½, when printing at a first speed and ?L is approximately equal to f*?0 times where f is 1½ to 9½, f is greater than d when printing at a speed slower than the first speed.

Abstract: A recording element substrate includes a recording element, a first voltage conversion circuit configured to receive a first control signal and to output the first control signal with an increased amplitude, a second voltage conversion circuit configured to receive a second control signal and to output the second control signal with an increased amplitude, a PMOS transistor connected to one end of the recording element, and an NMOS transistor connected to the other end of the recording element, wherein the PMOS transistor has a gate connected to an output of the first voltage conversion circuit, and the NMOS transistor has a gate connected to an output of the second voltage conversion circuit.

Abstract: A method of forming print drops includes forming drops of a first size by applying drop forming energy pulses during a unit time period, ?0; forming drops of a second size by applying drop forming energy pulses during a second drop time period, ?m, wherein the second drop time period is a multiple, m, of the unit time period, ?m=m*?0, m?2; providing timing between drops for printing consecutive pixels is ?i=a*?0 where a is an integer?m; forming non-print drops and print drops according to the liquid pattern data; delaying the timing of the pulses for the drop forming energy pulses sent to the drop forming transducers of group number g relative to the drop forming energy pulses sent to the transducers of a first group by a delay time ?L, where ?L=g*(INT(a/n)+1/n)*?0+?b where g is an integer<n.

Abstract: First and second selection signals for selecting one of print data and n pulse signals stored in a shift register are latched. The first or second selection signal is selected in accordance with an input selection information switching signal, and one of the n input pulse signals is selected based on the selected signal. A heat pulse selection circuit outputs the selected pulse signal as a heat pulse signal. The level of the selection information switching signal switches midway to switch the selected pulse signal. Parts of two pulse signals before and after switching are combined to generate a heat pulse signal.

Abstract: The present image forming apparatus converts driving data in such a manner that when a volume of liquid to be ejected in an (m+1)-th print cycle following an m-th print cycle is a maximum volume of ink among a plurality of predetermined volumes of ink, a volume of liquid to be ejected in the m-th print cycle is any volume other than zero and the maximum volume among the predetermined volumes, in which m-th print cycle (m is an integer number no less than “0”) no ink is to be ejected.

Abstract: The droplet ejection apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles in a row connected to the same liquid supply flow channel are divided into M nozzle group blocks, and the ejection timings are shifted for blocks so that the number of nozzles ejecting simultaneously within the same nozzle row can be reduced and the effect of crosstalk can be reduced, whereby reduction of power source capacity in a drive circuit system can be achieved. Furthermore, shifting of the deposition position caused by the difference in the ejection timing is resolved by the nozzle arrangement, whereby good recording can be performed without shifting dot positions.

Abstract: A method for driving a liquid ejector (1) provided with a piezoelectric actuator (7) including a piezoelectric ceramic layer (6) having a size covering a plurality of pressurizing chambers (2). An arbitrary piezoelectric deformation region (8) of the liquid ejector (1) is deflected in one thickness direction and the opposite direction individually by applying a driving voltage waveform including a first voltage (?VL) and an equivalent second voltage (+VL) of the opposite polarity in order to vary the volume of the pressurizing chambers (2) of a corresponding liquid droplet ejecting portion (4), and a liquid droplet is ejected through a communicating nozzle (3). Since gradual creep deformation of the inactive region (16) of the piezoelectric ceramic layer (6) is prevented, the ink droplet ejection performance is maintained at a good level over a long period.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus may include a flow path unit including a discharge port, an actuator configured to supply discharge energy and non-discharge energy to the ink, a drive controller configured to cause the actuator to supply the discharge energy, and a cap moving unit configured to move a cap between the open position and the covering position. After the supply of the image data is started, the drive controller may cause the actuator to supply the non-discharge energy in both a first period and a second period. The first period begins at starting of the supply of the non-discharge energy. The second period begins at the end of the first period and ends when the supply of the discharge energy is started. A frequency of the supply of the non-discharge energy during the first period is greater than that of the non-discharge energy during the second period.