Recording head, recording method and apparatus using same

Claim 2

A recording head according to Claim 1, further comprising thermal energy generating means for generating thermal energy to be supplied to the ink or the record improving liquid.

Claim 3

A recording head according to Claim 1, further comprising a fourth group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a third density which is between said first and second densities.

Claim 4

A recording head according to Claim 1, further comprising an additional group of ejection outlets, wherein said two first ejection outlet groups between said second and third groups.

Claim 5

A recording head according to Claim 1, wherein said second group is provided for different color inks, and said third group is provided for the different color inks, wherein the ink ejected through the third group has a density lower than the density of the same color ink ejected from the second group.

Claim 6

A recording head according to Claim 5, wherein the different color inks include yellow, magenta, cyan and black inks, and the second group ejects magenta, cyan and black inks, and said third ejection group ejects magenta, cyan and yellow inks.

Claim 7

A recording apparatus comprising: a recording head for ejecting ink to effect recording on a recording material, said recording head including a first group of ejection outlets, arranged in a first direction, for ejecting record improving liquid for improving record property on the recording material; a second group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a first density; a third group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a second density which is lower than the first density; wherein said first, second and third groups are arranged in a second direction which is different from the first direction; input means for inputting image information from an outside; comparing means for comparing a density of the image information with a predetermined level; ink ejection control means for ejecting ink onto the recording material in accordance with an output of said comparing means, by said second group when the density level of the image information exceeds the predetermined level, and by said third group when the density level of the image information is lower than the predetermined; and record improving liquid ejection control means, responsive to the image information, for ejecting the record improving liquid by said first ejection group to a position where the liquid is mixed on the recording material with the ink ejected by said second ejection group or said third ejection group.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to Claim 7, further comprising means for feeding the recording material, moving means for moving said recording head in a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of said feeding means, wherein the first direction is codirectional with the feeding direction, and the second direction is codirectional with movement of said recording head.

Claim 9

A recording apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said second group is provided for different color inks, and said third group is provided for the different color inks, wherein the ink ejected through the third group has a density lower than the density of the same color ink ejected from the second group.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein said image information is color image information including image information for a plurality of colors.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein thermal energy generating means for generating thermal energy to be supplied to the ink or the record improving liquid.

Claim 12

A facsimile machine comprising a recording apparatus as defined in Claim 7.

Claim 13

A computer having said recording apparatus as defined in Claim 7.

Claim 14

A copying machine comprising the recording apparatus as defined in Claim 7.

Claim 15

A recording method comprising: providing a recording head for ejecting ink to effect recording on a recording material, said recording head including a first group of ejection outlets, arranged in a first direction, for ejecting record improving liquid for improving record property on the recording material; a second group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a first density; a third group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a second density which is lower than the first density; wherein said first, second and third groups are arranged in a second direction which is different from the first direction; inputting image information from an outside; comparing a density of the image information with a predetermined level; ejecting, in accordance with the image information, record improving liquid onto the recording material at a position to be mixed with ink; ejecting ink onto the recording material in accordance with a result of said comparing step, by said second group when the density level of the image information exceeds the predetermined level; ejecting ink onto the recording material in accordance with a result of said comparing step, by said third group when the density level of the image information is lower than the predetermined; and record improving liquid ejection control means, responsive to the image information, for ejecting the record improving liquid by said first ejection group to a position where the liquid is mixed on the recording material with the ink ejected by said second ejection group or said third ejection group.