US6149259A — Ink jet recording apparatus and method capable of…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 145 words

An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head having a plurality of ejection orifices for ejecting an ink, and a common ink chamber, communicating with said plurality of ejection orifices, for supplying the ink to said plurality of ejection orifices; driving means for divisionally driving said plurality of ejection orifices, said plurality of ejection orifices being divided into groups each comprising a plurality of ejection orifices capable of performing ejection simultaneously, at least one of ejection orifices adjacent a particular ejection orifice driven in one group being driven as another group to be non-simultaneously driven; and driving control means for changing a driving order of ejection performed for each group by said driving means, wherein said driving control means changes the driving order in units of a period during which all of said plurality of ejection orifices for recording are generally to be driven.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 145 words

An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head having a plurality of ejection orifices for ejecting an ink, and a common ink chamber, communicating with said plurality of ejection orifices, for supplying the ink to said plurality of ejection orifices; driving means for divisionally driving said plurality of ejection orifices, said plurality of ejection orifices being divided into groups each comprising a plurality of ejection orifices capable of performing ejection simultaneously, at least one of ejection orifices adjacent a particular ejection orifice driven in one group being driven as another group to be non-simultaneously driven; and driving control means for changing a driving order of ejection performed for each group by said driving means, wherein said driving control means changes the driving order in units of a period during which all of said plurality of ejection orifices for recording are generally to be driven.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving means performs alternate ejection in which said adjacent ejection orifices of said plurality of ejection orifices of said head alternately eject the ink.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 36 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving control means changes the driving order of ejection in accordance with a number of said ejection orifices simultaneously driven in units of groups by said driving means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 25 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving control means changes the driving order of ejection in a preliminary ejection mode not involving recording.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 30 words

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said driving control means changes the driving order of ejection by said driving means between the preliminary ejection mode and a recording mode.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 31 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving control means changes the driving order of ejection whenever ejection of all of said ejection orifices of said recording head is completed.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 35 words

An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said recording head causes a change in state of the ink by heat, and ejects the ink based on the change in state.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 197 words

An ink jet recording method of performing recording by using a recording head having a plurality of discharging orifices for discharging an ink, and a common ink chamber, communicating with said plurality of discharging orifices, for supplying the ink to said plurality of discharging orifices, said method comprising the steps of: dividing said plurality of discharging orifices of said recording head into a plurality of discharging orifice groups each having a plurality of discharging orifices for discharging the ink at substantially same timings; and discharging the ink; wherein the discharging step includes a first mode in which a first discharging orifice group of said plurality of discharging orifice groups ejects the ink, and thereafter, a second discharging orifice group of said plurality of discharging orifice groups ejects the ink, and a second mode in which said second discharging orifice group of said plurality of discharging orifice groups ejects the ink, and thereafter, said first discharging orifice group of said plurality of discharging orifice groups ejects the ink, wherein the first mode and the second mode are changed over in units of a period during which all of the plurality of discharging orifices are generally to be driven.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 197 words

An ink jet recording method of performing recording by using a recording head having a plurality of discharging orifices for discharging an ink, and a common ink chamber, communicating with said plurality of discharging orifices, for supplying the ink to said plurality of discharging orifices, said method comprising the steps of: dividing said plurality of discharging orifices of said recording head into a plurality of discharging orifice groups each having a plurality of discharging orifices for discharging the ink at substantially same timings; and discharging the ink; wherein the discharging step includes a first mode in which a first discharging orifice group of said plurality of discharging orifice groups ejects the ink, and thereafter, a second discharging orifice group of said plurality of discharging orifice groups ejects the ink, and a second mode in which said second discharging orifice group of said plurality of discharging orifice groups ejects the ink, and thereafter, said first discharging orifice group of said plurality of discharging orifice groups ejects the ink, wherein the first mode and the second mode are changed over in units of a period during which all of the plurality of discharging orifices are generally to be driven.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method according to claim 8, wherein said discharging step switches between the first mode and the second mode in accordance with a number of said discharging orifices subjected to discharging.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 8, wherein said discharging step switches between the first mode and the second mode according to a recording mode and a preliminary discharging mode not involving with recording.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method according to claim 8, wherein said discharging step switches the first mode and the second mode whenever all of said plurality of discharging orifice groups discharge the ink.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 35 words

A method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein said recording head causes a change in state of the ink by heat, and discharges the ink based on the change in state.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 71 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink is supplied to the plurality of election orifices through corresponding passages and said driving means causes a next ejection orifice group to be subjected to ejection to eject the ink at a timing near a timing at which a meniscus of the ink in a previous ejection orifice group, which ejected the ink, reaches a maximum recess position in a corresponding passage.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 60 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said driving means causes the next ejection orifice group to be subjected to ejection to eject the ink at a timing at which an ejection pressure is generated before the meniscus of the ink in the previous ejection orifice group, which ejected the ink, reaches the maximum recess position in the corresponding passage.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 63 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said driving means causes at least one ejection orifice of one of said ejection orifice groups to eject the ink at a first timing, and causes an ejection orifice next to the one ejection orifice, which ejected the ink at the first timing through at least one orifice, to eject the ink at a second timing.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 38 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said driving means sets an ink ejection period for ink ejection from all ejection enabled ejection orifices of said recording head to be not less than 70% of a driving period.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 36 words

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said recording head causes a change in state including formation of a bubble in the ink by heat energy, and ejects the ink based on the change in state.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 64 words

A method according to claim 8, wherein the ink is supplied to the plurality of discharging orifices through corresponding passages and in each mode of said discharging step, another discharging orifice group is driven at a timing at which a meniscus of the ink in an orifice group driven at first in each said mode reaches a maximum recess position in a corresponding passage.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 68 words

A method according to claim 18 wherein said discharging step includes the step of discharging the ink from the next discharging orifice group to be subjected to discharging at substantially the same timings at a timing at which a discharging pressure is generated before the meniscus of the ink in the previous discharging orifice group, which discharged the ink, reaches a maximum recess position in the corresponding passage.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 67 words

A method according to claim 18, wherein said discharging in the first and second modes includes the step of discharging the ink from at least one discharging orifice of the discharging orifice group at a first timing, and discharging the ink from a discharging orifice next to one discharging orifice, which discharged the ink at the first timing through at least one orifice, at a second timing.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 47 words

A method according to claim 18, wherein said discharging in the first and second modes includes the step of setting an ink discharging period of ink ejection from all discharging enabled discharging orifices of said recording head to be not less than 70% of a driving period.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 36 words

A method according to claim 18, wherein said recording head causes a change in state including formation of a bubble in the ink by heat energy, and discharges the ink based on the change in state.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 133 words

An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head having a plurality of ejection orifices for ejecting ink, and a common ink chamber, communicating with said plurality of ejection orifices, for supplying the ink to said plurality of ejection orifices; selection signal generating means for generating selection signals for sequentially selecting ejection orifices in units of continuously arranged orifices; drive means for generating drive signals for driving the orifices, selected in units of said continuously arranged orifices by the selection signals, in units of plural groups of orifices not adjacent to one another, in a predetermined drive order; and drive control means for changing the predetermined drive order for the drive signals generated by said drive means, in units of a period during which all said election orifices are generally to be driven.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 133 words

An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head having a plurality of ejection orifices for ejecting ink, and a common ink chamber, communicating with said plurality of ejection orifices, for supplying the ink to said plurality of ejection orifices; selection signal generating means for generating selection signals for sequentially selecting ejection orifices in units of continuously arranged orifices; drive means for generating drive signals for driving the orifices, selected in units of said continuously arranged orifices by the selection signals, in units of plural groups of orifices not adjacent to one another, in a predetermined drive order; and drive control means for changing the predetermined drive order for the drive signals generated by said drive means, in units of a period during which all said election orifices are generally to be driven.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 24 words

An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the plural groups of orifices include a group of even orifices and a group of odd orifices.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-11-21	2004-05-22	2004-11-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-11-21	2008-05-22	2008-11-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-11-21	2012-05-22	2012-11-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Ink jet recording apparatus and method capable of performing high-speed recording

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