Liquid discharge head, liquid discharge method, and liquid discharge apparatus

A liquid discharge head comprising:

• a heating member for generating thermal energy to create a bubble in liquid;
• a discharge port adapted to discharge the liquid;
• a liquid flow path communicated with said discharge port and having a bubble generating area for enabling the liquid to create the bubble;
• a movable member arranged in said bubble generating area to be displaced along with the development of the bubble;
• a regulating portion to regulate the displacement of said movable member within a desired range, and by means of energy at the time of bubble creation, the liquid being discharged from said discharge port, wherein said regulating portion is arranged above said bubble generating area in said liquid flow path;
• and
• a support member directly connected to said movable member,
• wherein a bubble carrying mechanism is provided to carry a bubble in said liquid flow path by causing the liquid to flow from the gap between said movable member and said regulating portion along said liquid flow path facing said heating member as the bubble disappears.

A liquid discharge method using a liquid discharge head provided with:

• a heating member for generating thermal energy to create a bubble in liquid;
• a discharge port adapted to discharge the liquid;
• a liquid flow path communicated with said discharge port and having a bubble generating area for enabling the liquid to create the bubble;
• a movable member arranged in said bubble generating area to be displaced along with the development of the bubble;
• a support member directly connected to said movable member;
• and
• a regulating portion to regulate the displacement of said movable member within a desired range, and
• by means of energy at the time of bubble creation, the liquid being discharged from said discharge port, comprising the following step of:
• placing said movable member essentially in contact with said regulating portion before the bubble is bubbled to the maximum, so as to make the liquid flow path having said bubble generating area an essentially closed space with the exception of said discharge port.