Recording apparatus and method for detecting ink

Claim 2

A recording head according to claim 1, wherein said ink detection element comprises a heat generating element, and a temperature detector for detecting the temperature change of said heat generating element corresponding to whether or not the ink exists in the vicinity of said heat generating element.

Claim 3

A recording head according to claim 2, wherein said heat generating element and said temperature detector generate the heat by being conducted to electricity, and are integral electrical resistor having the electrical resistance varying with the temperature.

Claim 4

A recording head comprising: discharge ports for discharging ink; a liquid chamber for reserving the ink to be supplied to said discharge ports; a liquid channel for connection between said discharge ports and said liquid chamber; discharge energy generating elements for generating the energy used for the discharge of ink which is provided within said liquid channel, and a heat generating element provided within said liquid chamber, said heat generating element is broken if no ink exists in the vicinity of said heat generating element, and not broken if ink exists in the vicinity of said heat generating element, for a predetermined electrical signal supplied.

Claim 5

A recording head according to either of claims 1 or 4, wherein said discharge energy generating elements are heat-electricity converters for generating the heat energy, and thereby discharging the ink through discharge ports with the generated energy.

Claim 6

A recording head according to either of claims 1 or 4, wherein said discharge energy generating elements generate the heat energy, causing the film boiling in the ink and thereby discharging the ink through discharge ports with the growth of bubbles due to said film boiling.

Claim 7

A recording head comprising: discharge ports for discharging ink; a liquid chamber for reserving the ink to be supplied to said discharge ports; a liquid channel for connection between said discharge ports and said liquid chamber; discharge energy generating elements for generating the energy used for the discharge of ink which is provided within said liquid channel; and a resistor provided on a portion of said recording head except for said liquid channel, said resistor having an electrical resistance varying with the temperature change corresponding to whether or not the ink exists in said recording head.

Claim 8

A recording head according to any of the preceding claims, which further comprises integrally an ink storage container communicating to said liquid chamber, and wherein said recording head is constituted as a cartridge detachable from the recording apparatus.

Claim 9

A recording apparatus characterised by comprising an ink detection section for detecting the presence of ink within said liquid chamber, based on the information from said ink detection element which is located in a recording head comprising discharge ports for discharging ink, a liquid chamber for reserving the ink to be supplied to said discharge ports, a liquid channel for connection between said discharge ports and said liquid chamber, discharge energy generating elements for generating the energy used for the discharge of ink which is provided within said liquid channel, and ink detection element for detecting the presence of ink which is provided in said liquid chamber.

Claim 10

A recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said ink detection element of said recording head comprises a heat generating element, and a temperature detector for detecting the temperature change of said heat generating element corresponding to whether or not the ink exists in the vicinity of said heat generating element; said recording apparatus comprises a control section for causing said heat generating element to generate the heat at a predetermined timing; and said ink detection section detects the presence of ink within said liquid chamber, based on the temperature change of said heat generating element which was detected by said temperature detector.

Claim 11

A recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said heat generating element and said temperature detector generate the heat by being conducted to electricity, and are integral electrical resistor having the electrical resistance varying with the temperature, and said ink detection section detects the presence of ink within said liquid chamber, based on the change of electrical resistance of said electrical resistor.

Claim 12

A recording apparatus characterised by a control section for applying said predetermined electrical signal at a predetermined timing to said heat generating element of a recording head comprising discharge ports for discharging ink, a liquid chamber for reserving the ink to be supplied to said discharge ports, a liquid channel for connection between said discharge ports and said liquid chamber, discharge energy generating elements for generating the energy used for the discharge of ink which is provided within said liquid channel, and a heat generating element provided within said liquid chamber, said heat generating element is broken if no ink exists in the vicinity of said heat generating element, and not broken if ink exists in the vicinity of said heat generating element, for a predetermined electrical signal supplied; and an ink detection element for detecting the presence of ink which is provided in said liquid chamber depending on whether or not said heat generating element is broken.

Claim 13

A recording apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said heat generating element is an electrical resistor which generates the heat by being conducted to electricity and has the electrical resistance varying with the temperature, and said ink detection section detects the presence of ink within said liquid chamber, based on the change of electrical resistance of said electrical resistor.

Claim 14

A recording apparatus according to either of claims 9 or 12, wherein said discharge energy generating elements are heat-electricity converters for generating the heat energy, and thereby discharging the ink through discharge ports with the generated heat energy.

Claim 15

A recording apparatus according to either of claims 9 or 12, wherein said discharge energy generating elements generate the heat energy, causing the film boiling in the ink, and thereby discharging the ink through discharge ports with the growth of bubbles due to said film boiling.

Claim 16

A recording apparatus according to either of claims 9 or 12, wherein said liquid chamber of said recording head communicates to an ink storage container separately provided.

Claim 17

A recording apparatus according to either of claims 10 or 12, wherein said heat generating element is a memory medium for storing the exhaustion of ink as a breakage of said heat generating element, and said ink detection section detects the presence of ink within said liquid chamber based on the information obtained from said memory medium.

Claim 18

A recording apparatus characterised by comprising an ink detection section for detecting whether or not the ink exists in said recording head, based on the change in the electrical resistance of said electrical resistor for said recording head, said recording head comprising discharge ports for discharging ink, a liquid chamber for reserving the ink to be supplied to said discharge ports, a liquid channel for connection between said discharge ports and said liquid chamber, discharge energy generating elements for generating the energy used for the discharge of ink which is provided within said liquid channel, and a resistor provided on a portion of said recording head except for said liquid channel, said resistor having the electrical resistance varying with the temperature change corresponding to whether or not the ink exists in said recording head.

Claim 19

A copying machine a facsimile terminal equipment, a word processor, or a computer when comprising a recording apparatus according to either of claims 9 or 12.

Claim 21

A method for detecting ink according to claim 20, wherein said recording head has an ink detection element for detecting the presence of ink which is provided in said liquid chamber, and detecting whether or not the ink exists within said liquid chamber based on the information of said ink detection element.

Claim 22

A method for detecting ink according to claim 21, wherein said ink detection element comprises a heat generating element, and a temperature detector for detecting the temperature change of said heat generating element corresponding to whether or not the ink exists in the vicinity of said heat generating element, and wherein said ink detection element detects the presence of ink in said liquid chamber by applying an electrical signal to said heat generating element and detecting the temperature change of said heat generating element which corresponds to whether or not the ink exists in the vicinity of said heat generating element.

Claim 23

A method for detecting ink according to claim 22, wherein applying said electrical signal to said heat generating element, after ink remain detecting section provided separately from said heat generating element detects that the ink remains a little.

Claim 25

A method for detecting ink according to claim 24, which comprises an ink remain detecting section besides said heat generating element, and applying said electrical signal to said heat generating element after said remain detecting section detects a little remain.