Method for judging discharge state of ink jet recording head, and ink jet recording apparatus utilizing the same
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNoriyoshi Ohshima, Yoshiyuki Shimamura, Seiji Takahashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The temperature characteristics of an ink jet recording head are detected, and the result of detection is utilized for detecting the ink discharge state. Also a statistical processing on the temperature characteristics detected on plural recording heads enables exact detection of the ink discharge state, not effected by the individual difference of the recording heads. Also there is detected the abnormality in ink discharge, that may occur prior to the exhaustion of ink in the ink tank.
Claims26
An ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium using a recording head mounted thereto for discharging an ink from a plurality of discharge openings onto the recording medium, comprising:
- an electrothermal converter provided on said recording head;
- temperature detection means, thermally coupled to said recording head, for detecting a temperature of said recording head;
- and
- temperature characteristic detection means for applying a predetermined amount of energy to said electrothermal converter, and detecting a temperature change of said recording head resulting from an application of the predetermined energy, thereby determining a temperature characteristic of said recording head mounted to the apparatus, based on a result of such detecting, said temperature characteristic being a specific characteristic of said recording head.
A method of recording upon a recording medium, comprising the steps of:
- providing an ink jet recording apparatus for recording on the recording medium using a mounted recording head for discharging ink from a plurality of discharge openings onto the recording medium, the recording apparatus including an electrothermal converter provided on the recording head;
- detecting a temperature of the recording head;
- and
- applying a predetermined amount of energy to said electrothermal converter, and detecting a temperature change of said recording head resulting from an application of the predetermined energy, thereby determining a temperature characteristic of said recording head mounted to the apparatus, based on a result of said detecting, the temperature characteristic being a specific characteristic of the recording head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.