Inkjet printing apparatus and inkjet printing method

An inkjet printing apparatus comprising:

• a print head comprising at least one ejection opening for ejecting ink;
• a tank configured to store ink to be supplied to the print head;
• a first flow path configured to cause ink to flow from the tank to the print head;
• a second flow path configured to cause ink that has flowed through the first flow path and through the second flow path to flow through the first flow path again;
• a decision unit configured to perform a decision operation for deciding an ink ejection state of the ejection opening;
• a circulation unit provided in the first flow path and configured to circulate the ink in a circulation path including the first flow path and the second flow path, so that ink that has flowed through the second flow path flows through the first flow path again;
• and
• a control unit configured to cause the circulation unit to perform a circulation operation in which the ink is circulated and to cause the decision unit to perform the decision operation, the circulation operation and the decision operation being performed at the same time.

An inkjet printing method comprising:

• a circulation step of circulating ink in a print head, the print head comprising at least one ejection opening for ejecting ink, a printing element for generating energy used for ejecting ink corresponding to the ejection opening, a pressure chamber that is an area facing the printing element, and a printing element substrate on which the printing element, the ejection opening, and the pressure chamber are provided;
• ejecting ink supplied in the pressure chamber through the ejection opening;
• circulating the ink by circulating the ink from outside of the pressure chamber to the inside of the pressure chamber and from the inside of the pressure chamber to the outside of the pressure chamber by supplying ink such that the ink flows from a first flow path for supplying ink to the pressure chamber of the print head to a second flow path, so that ink that has flowed through the second flow path flows through the first flow path again, the second flow path communicating with the pressure chamber and being different from the ejection opening and the first flow path;
• and
• deciding an ink ejection state of the ejection opening,
• wherein the circulating of the ink and the deciding the ink ejection state are performed at the same time.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as an inkjet printing apparatus, the inkjet printing apparatus comprising:

• a print head comprising at least one ejection opening for ejecting ink, a printing element for generating energy used for ejecting ink corresponding to the ejection opening, a pressure chamber that is an area facing the printing element, and a printing element substrate on which the printing element, the ejection opening, and the pressure chamber are provided, the ejection opening ejecting ink supplied in the pressure chamber;
• a decision unit configured to perform a decision operation for deciding an ink ejection state of the ejection opening;
• a circulation unit provided outside of the printing element substrate and configured to perform a circulation operation in which ink is circulated from outside of the pressure chamber to the inside of the pressure chamber and from the inside of the pressure chamber to the outside of the pressure chamber by supplying the ink such that the ink flows from a first flow path for supplying the ink to the pressure chamber of the print head to a second flow path, and further configured to circulate the ink so that ink that has flowed through the second flow path flows through the first flow path again, the second flow path communicating with the pressure chamber and being different from the ejection opening and the first flow path, wherein no circulation unit configured to perform the circulation operation is provided on the printing element substrate;
• and
• a control unit configured to cause the circulation unit to perform the circulation operation and to cause the decision unit to perform the decision operation, the circulation operation and the decision operation being performed at the same time.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as an inkjet printing apparatus, the inkjet printing apparatus comprising:

• a print head comprising at least one ejection opening for ejecting ink;
• a tank configured to store ink to be supplied to the print head;
• a first flow path configured to cause ink to flow from the tank to the print head;
• a second flow path configured to cause ink to flow so that ink that has flowed through the first flow path and through the second flow path flows through the first flow path again;
• a decision unit configured to perform a decision operation for deciding an ink ejection state of the ejection opening;
• a circulation unit provided in the first flow path and configured to circulate the ink in a circulation path including the first flow path and the second flow path so that ink that has flowed through the second flow path flows through the first flow path again;
• and
• a control unit configured to cause the circulation unit to perform a circulation operation in which ink is circulated and to cause the decision unit to perform the decision operation, the circulation operation and the decision operation being performed at the same time.