Abstract: In a liquid ejection head, it is possible to suppress generation of a temperature distribution of liquid in a direction in which ejection openings are arranged in a print element board. Specifically, a liquid ejection head, which is provided with an ejection opening row in which a plurality of ejection openings for ejecting a liquid are arranged, includes a pressure chamber that communicates with the ejection openings and includes a pressure generation element, a passage which is provided with an opening and extends along the ejection opening row to supply the liquid flowing into the passage through the opening to the pressure chamber, a heater provided around the opening, and a temperature sensor provided in a region along the ejection opening row.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a color printer and particularly to a color printer reducing power consumption and complying with international criteria ensuring sustained earth environment. In a color printer having multiple optical writing heads for individual recording colors, the activated periods of individual color recording heads are set to different periods and one writing period of individual recording heads is divided into multiple periods, video data for recording one dot line are divided into multiple blocks in the main scan direction, and the divided video data are used for emission at different times in the sub-scan direction, whereby a smaller number of optical writing elements are simultaneously driven for emission and the peak power consumption of the entire apparatus is reduced.

Abstract: When the time period is night, processing advances to step S13 to set the initialization speed of a line feed motor to the first speed (v1), and to step S15 to execute initialization operation of the line feed motor at the first speed (v1). When the time period is morning or daytime, the processing advances to step S12 to detect a cover open/closed state. When the cover is open, the processing advances to step S13 to set the initialization speed of the line feed motor to the first speed (v1). When the cover is closed, the processing advances to step S14 to set the initialization speed of the line feed motor to the second speed (v2) which is higher than the first speed (v1). The processing advances to step S15 to execute initialization operation of the line feed motor at the second speed (v2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a stepping motor that drives a rotor by rotating in accordance with an input of a drive pulse, a drive pulse profile storage portion that stores the drive pulse profiles corresponding to temporal changes of the drive pulse inputted in the stepping motor at starting, the drive pulse profile storage portion storing at least a first load profile corresponding to the first drive pulse profile for a first load driving the rotor and a second load profile corresponding to the second drive pulse profile for a second load driving the rotor, which is larger than the first load and a profile setting portion that sets the drive pulse profile in accordance with the load for driving the rotor, as the drive pulse profile of pulses inputted into the stepping motor, among the drive pulse profiles stored in the drive pulse profile storage portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image carrier whose surface is movable in a preselected direction while carrying a toner image thereon. A movable body has a surface movable in the same direction as the image carrier in contact with the image carrier, thereby forming a nip. A drive member exerts a force that pulls a portion of the movable body contacting the image carrier out of the nip. An image transfer unit transfers the toner image from the image carrier to the movable body at the nip. A controller controllably drives the image carrier and movable body such that the movable body starts moving after the image carrier. The apparatus not only reduces the image forming time, but also frees images from disfigurement ascribable to the slack of the movable body.

Abstract: A unit heat value Qpass (=Ipass2·tpass) per pass is calculated from a current value (an effective current value) Ipass of a carriage motor with one pass of a carriage (one-way running in a reciprocation) and a moving time (a motor driving time) tpass of the carriage. Then, the unit heat value Qpass is successively calculated to obtain a heat value Qsigma for a unit time Tbox(=one minute). The heat value Qsigma is converted into a heat generation temperature &Dgr;Tnew. The heat generation temperature &Dgr;Tnew is successively added in consideration of a spontaneous radiation with the passage of time to obtain a current heat generation temperature &Dgr;Tsum (&Dgr;Tsum=K·&Dgr;Tsum+&Dgr;Tnew; K is a radiation factor). When &Dgr;Tsum exceeds a threshold, a pause time for one pass of the carriage is provided.

Abstract: In a liquid jet recording head having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid therethrough, energy generating elements are provided correspondingly to the discharge ports and generate energy to discharge a liquid. A temperature detecting element for detecting temperature and the energy generating elements are provided on the same support member. The temperature detecting element extends in a direction intersecting a group of the energy generating elements and/or a group of wirings for the energy generating elements.