Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
184 words
A liquid jet recording method for projecting droplets of liquid, the method comprising the steps of: providing a liquid jet recording head having an inlet, an orifice from which droplets of liquid are projected, a liquid flow path between the inlet and the orifice, and an electro-thermal transducer for heating liquid in a heat acting section of the liquid flow path; repeatedly applying a driving signal to said electro-thermal transducer to generate heat in the heat acting section, thereby creating vapor bubbles in the liquid therein to repeatedly project droplets of liquid from the orifice and creating residual bubbles in the liquid therein which remain in the liquid flow path after the vapor bubbles collapse; supplying liquid to the inlet of the liquid flow path to replace the liquid projected as droplets from the orifice; and controlling the amount of heat generated by the electro-thermal transducer substantially to prevent the accumulation of residual bubbles in the liquid flow path by providing droplets large enough to promote flow of the residual bubbles downstream from the heat acting section as droplets are projected from the orifice.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
184 words
A liquid jet recording method for projecting droplets of liquid, the method comprising the steps of: providing a liquid jet recording head having an inlet, an orifice from which droplets of liquid are projected, a liquid flow path between the inlet and the orifice, and an electro-thermal transducer for heating liquid in a heat acting section of the liquid flow path; repeatedly applying a driving signal to said electro-thermal transducer to generate heat in the heat acting section, thereby creating vapor bubbles in the liquid therein to repeatedly project droplets of liquid from the orifice and creating residual bubbles in the liquid therein which remain in the liquid flow path after the vapor bubbles collapse; supplying liquid to the inlet of the liquid flow path to replace the liquid projected as droplets from the orifice; and controlling the amount of heat generated by the electro-thermal transducer substantially to prevent the accumulation of residual bubbles in the liquid flow path by providing droplets large enough to promote flow of the residual bubbles downstream from the heat acting section as droplets are projected from the orifice.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A liquid jet recording method according to claim 1 in which the driving signal is repeatedly applied at a frequency no higher than that which enables liquid to be supplied to the inlet to replace the amount of liquid projected as droplets from the orifice.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A liquid jet recording method according to claim 1 in which the driving signal has a voltage from about 1.02 to 1.3 times the minimum voltage required to vaporize the liquid in the liquid flow path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A liquid jet recording method according to claim 1 in which the liquid in the heat acting section is supplied through a supply port in the liquid jet recording head.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A liquid jet recording method according to claim 1 in which the pulse width of the driving signal is in the range of from 1 to 100 μsec.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A liquid jet recording method according to claim 5 in which the pulse width of the driving signal is in the range of from 2 to 20 μsec.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A liquid jet recording method according to claim 1 in which the electro-thermal transducer is mechanically connected with the heat acting section.