JP2001341358A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable handheld recorder in which a good record quality can be sustained even if movement of the recorder is unsettled or the moving speed is varied due to slacking or creasing of a recording medium. SOLUTION: When a user performs recording on a recording medium using a recording head while moving the housing of a recorder on the recording medium, the recorder itself detects the moving speed of the housing and the timing for supplying a drive signal for the recording head is regulated based on the detection results.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, and more particularly to a portable hand-held recording apparatus, for example, a recording apparatus that performs recording using an ink jet recording head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when data processed by an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer is recorded on a recording medium as visual information, a stationary type of recording the visualized information while moving the recording medium is used. Recording apparatuses are used, but with the spread of portable information processing apparatuses such as laptop personal computers in recent years, recording apparatuses with excellent portability have been demanded.

[0003] In such a portable recording apparatus, a recording apparatus capable of recording even on a recording medium which is difficult to move has been demanded.

[0004] In response to such a demand, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-248939 discloses a manual recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium by manually moving the recording medium on the recording medium. As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, in the manual recording apparatus disclosed in that publication, a recording head 53 and a roller 52 are provided on the bottom surface of a columnar housing 51. When this apparatus is used, The user grips the device and presses the roller 52 against a recording medium 54 such as copy paper to rotate the recording medium 54.
In the traveling direction A. At this time, the apparatus outputs a recording timing signal with the rotation of the roller 52, and causes the recording head 53 to perform recording in synchronization with the recording timing signal.

[0005] This manual recording apparatus employs an impact type recording head 53 for recording while being in contact with a recording medium 54, so that the recording head 53 is prevented from deteriorating the recording quality due to a change in contact force. Is supported by a spring member, and the contact force between the recording head 53 and the recording medium 54 is stabilized by the elastic force of the spring member.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the use of the impact type recording head causes a problem that a large noise is generated during the recording operation, and the recording is limited to a flat recording medium. Therefore, it has been considered to employ an ink jet recording head, which is a typical non-impact type recording head, instead of the impact type recording head. This ink jet recording head is capable of recording on a recording medium of various materials with low noise in order to perform non-contact recording by ejecting ink to the recording medium, and at the same time as the recording head of the conventional impact method. There is an advantage that good recording quality can be obtained without stabilizing the contact force with the recording medium.

However, if the configuration shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 is simply replaced with an ink jet recording head, the roller 52 is moved from the roller 52 when the housing is run.
If the urging force applied to the roller 4, the pressing pressure of each roller 52, and the running direction A fluctuate due to hand shake or the like, they are still uneven. Further, for example, when recording is performed on a recording medium that easily expands and contracts, such as recording paper placed in a high-humidity environment, the recording medium may be loosened or wrinkled during the recording operation while the housing is running. There is a problem that a recording failure due to is easily caused. This problem imposes an extremely heavy burden on a user who runs the recording apparatus so as not to shake.

On the other hand, paying attention to the internal configuration of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 20 to 21, the housing has a moving amount which detects the moving amount of the housing by an encoder which rotates in contact with the recording medium. A detection unit and a recording head (line head) in which recording elements are arranged in a line are provided. In the case of such a portable device, it is difficult to simultaneously supply a large amount of power because the device is driven by a battery, and it is impossible to simultaneously drive all the recording elements (heaters) of the line head. Therefore, recording is performed by dividing the heater of the line head into blocks and performing time division control. However, in such a case, in order for the user to manually move the housing,
The following problems arise.

The moving speed of the housing is not constant.

Since the moving speed is not constant, the recording position is deviated only by performing the time division control, and it is difficult to perform recording while maintaining a constant recording quality over a wide area of the recording medium, and accurate recording is performed. May not be done.

Since the moving speed is not constant, it is difficult to calculate and control the recording timing.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example. For example, even if the apparatus movement becomes unstable due to the loosening or wrinkling of the recording medium, or the movement speed changes, the present invention can provide a favorable image. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable handheld recording device capable of maintaining recording quality.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus according to the present invention has the following arrangement.

That is, a recording apparatus for performing recording on the recording medium by using a recording head while moving the casing on the recording medium by a user, comprising: a detecting means for detecting a moving speed of the casing; A supply unit that supplies a drive signal for driving the recording head, a holding unit that holds a plurality of speed thresholds, and compares a detection result of the detection unit with the plurality of speed thresholds, based on the comparison result. And an adjusting unit for adjusting the supply timing of the drive signal.

Further, driving means for driving a plurality of recording elements provided in the pre-era recording head by the driving signal, temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the recording head,
Based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means,
It is desirable to have a drive control means for controlling the drive by the drive means.

In this case, the drive control means controls the drive of the plurality of recording elements by time division control.
Further, it is preferable to control the drive by adjusting the pulse width of the drive signal.

Further, it is preferable to have input means for inputting recording data from an external device, for example, inputting recording data by communicating with the external device by infrared communication.

Further, it is desirable to have a roller for assisting the movement of the housing.

The recording head is preferably an ink jet recording head which performs recording by discharging ink. In this case, the ink jet recording head is
In order to eject ink using thermal energy, it is more preferable to include an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy to be applied to the ink.

The detecting means detects the moving speed of the housing in a plurality of stages using a plurality of speed thresholds, and the adjusting means converts the moving speed of the housing detected in the plurality of stages. It is preferable to convert to a control signal for adjusting the supply timing of the drive signal using a table.

With the above arrangement, the present invention detects the moving speed of the housing when the user moves the housing on the recording medium and performs recording on the recording medium using the recording head. , Comparing the detection result with a plurality of speed thresholds, and adjusting the supply timing for supplying a drive signal for driving the recording head based on the comparison result.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a typical embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an outline of a portable recording device (hereinafter, referred to as a recording device) equipped with an inkjet recording head.
FIG. 1 particularly shows a mode in which the recording apparatus performs recording on a recording medium such as a recording sheet 41. FIG.
Has a full-line type ink jet recording head (hereinafter, referred to as a recording head) having a recording width corresponding to the width of the recording medium.

In FIG. 1, a cap 1 covers a recording head when the recording apparatus is carried (ie, when recording is not performed).
Prevents drying of recording head nozzles and adhesion of dust. The cap 1 is provided with a groove 10 in the central longitudinal direction, and a lever 2 is provided movably along the groove 10. The lever 2 is for moving a wiper used for the recovery operation of the recording head. In addition, the cap 1 can be attached to the upper part of the housing 3 during the recording operation, and assists when scanning the housing 3 by hand.

The housing 3 is provided with a recording head for discharging ink and an ink tank for supplying ink to the recording head. Further, the housing 3 has a PCB (printer control board) for controlling a discharge signal to the print head and a transmission and reception of a signal from an external device such as a personal computer, and supplies power to the print head and the PCB. There is also a power supply for The housing 3 is made of ABS
It is made of plastic material.

The LED 5 is a display unit that indicates the state of the recording apparatus, and is connected to a PCB (which is used as a wiring board). The switch 6 is similarly connected to the PCB and plays a role of input means to the recording device. Although not shown, IrDA serves as an interface for transmitting and receiving signals between the recording device and an external device such as a personal computer using an infrared signal, and further detects a moving amount of the housing 3 by reading a magnetic signal of the encoder 20. Sensors 40 are provided in the housing 3 and are connected to the PCB.

As shown in FIG. 1, the guide shaft 7 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and rubber feet 9 are provided integrally with the guide shaft 7 at both lower ends. The upper portion of the guide shaft 7 has a shape cut out over the entire longitudinal direction (the direction of arrow A), and the magnetic encoder 20 is attached to the cutout portion. The guide shaft 7 is slidably inserted into a guide hole 15 provided in the housing 3 during a recording operation.

The roller 4 is rotatably mounted on the housing 3 and is in contact with a desk or the like on which the paper 41 is placed together with two rubber feet 9 provided at both ends of the guide shaft 7. Nozzle surface of recording head (not shown) built in housing 3 and paper 41
Is kept constant by the two rubber feet 9 and the rollers 4. Further, three rotatable spurs 17 are attached to the housing 3, and these spurs 17 are configured to slightly press the sheet 41 downward by a spring shaft (not shown) during a recording operation.

In this recording apparatus, the housing 3 is pointed by an arrow A
The scanning is performed once in the direction, and then recording is performed while moving the housing 3 in the direction of arrow B.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in a portable state.

As shown in FIG. 2, a claw 11 and a claw 12 are provided integrally with the housing 3 at an upper portion of the housing 3, and these claw 11 and 12 are provided on the guide shaft 7 when the recording apparatus is carried. The guide shaft 7 is detached from the claws 11 and 12 during the recording operation, and the cap 1 is put on the claws 11 and 12 of the housing 3 for use.

FIG. 3 shows the recording apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance when viewed in the direction of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view when the lever 2 is moved to the center of the groove 10 and the recording apparatus is cut along the arrow DD '.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cap 1 has a wall 3
7 are formed, and the guide portion 35 is formed on the wall 37 by the groove 10.
Are formed in parallel. The wiper holder 23 is slidably engaged with the guide portion 35 by the cutout portions 25 and 26. The magnet 22 is provided integrally with the wiper holder 23. On the other hand, a magnet 21 is also embedded in the lower part of the lever 2. These magnets 2
Polarities different from 1 and 22 are provided so as to face each other. Therefore, the lever 2 moves along the groove 10 while the magnet 21 and the magnet 22 act to attract each other. Accordingly, the wiper holder 23 also moves along the guide 35.

The wiper holder 23 is integrally provided with a wiper 29. The wiper 29 is made of a rubber material such as HNBR, and has a flat shape with a thickness of about 0.6 mm. The wiper 29 is configured such that the cap 1 and the housing 3 are brought into contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head 31 at predetermined positions. Therefore, by moving the lever 2, dust, ink, etc. attached to the ink ejection surface of the recording head 31 can be removed by the end of the wiper 29.

A hole (not shown) is provided near one end of the housing 3 so that the removed dust and ink are wiped off by the wiper 29. further,
An absorber 28 is adhered to the bottom of the wall 37 so that the scraped-off dust, ink, and the like are absorbed or absorbed by the absorber 28.

Further, the cap 1 is provided with a wall 36 in which a hole 27 is formed, and the valve 24 for closing the hole 27 is attached in a normal state. Further, since the packing 30 is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the cap 1 in close contact with the housing 3, by moving the cap 1 in the direction of the arrow E, the space on the ink ejection surface of the recording head 31 becomes negative. Pressure can be generated. Conversely, when the cap 1 is moved in the direction of arrow F, the valve 24 moves as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4 and the hole 27 is opened, so that no negative pressure is generated.

The housing 3 is provided with a recording head 31 for discharging ink and an ink tank 33 for supplying ink to the recording head 31. The recording head 31 has a total of 1200 ink ejection nozzles (hereinafter, referred to as nozzles) in the longitudinal direction of the housing 3 (in the direction of arrow G in FIG. 3) at 360 per inch. As described above, the control of outputting the ejection signal to the print head 31 and the control of the PCB 32 and the power of the print head 3 for controlling the signal transfer with an external device are performed.
A power supply for supplying power to the PC 1 and the PCB 32 is also provided in the housing 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the housing 3 at a portion where the guide shaft 3 is inserted into the guide hole 15.

As shown in FIG. 5, a sensor 40 is mounted on a PCB 37 fixed to the housing 3, and a magnetic signal of the encoder 20 is read by this sensor, and
The amount of movement of is detected.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the recording head 31.

In this embodiment, the density of the ink ejection ports is 360 dpi (70.5 μm pitch), and the number of nozzles is one.
200 (recording width 85 mm).

As shown in FIG. 6, ejection energy generating elements (hereinafter, referred to as recording elements) 101 are arranged at a density of 360 dpi on an element substrate 100 (hereinafter, referred to as a heater board). The configuration of the substrate will be described later.
The heater board 100 is bonded and fixed to the surface of a support (base plate) 130 made of a material such as metal or ceramics with an adhesive.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing in detail a state in which a plurality of heater boards 100 are arranged on a base plate 130.
As shown in FIG. 7, the heater board 100 is bonded and fixed to a predetermined location of the base plate 130 by an adhesive 131 applied with a predetermined thickness. In this bonding, the pitch of the two recording elements 101 provided on the two adjacent heater boards 100 and located at the end is the arrangement pitch of the recording elements 101 arranged on one heater board 100. (P = 70.5μ
m) are arranged with high precision so as to have the same pitch. Further, at this time, the gap between the heater boards may be left as long as the ink does not leak, but in this embodiment, the gap is sealed with the sealant 132.

Now, referring to FIG.
A wiring board 140 is bonded to 0 in the same manner as the heater board 100. For this bonding, the heater board 1
The connection pad 102 on the wiring board 140 and the signal / power supply pad 141 provided on the wiring board 140 are in a predetermined positional relationship. Further, the wiring board 140 is provided with a connector 142 for receiving a recording signal from an external device and supplying drive power.

Next, the top plate 120 which is a grooved member provided with a groove for forming an ink flow path will be described.

FIG. 8 is a top view, a front view, a bottom view, and a sectional view of the top plate 120. 8, (a) is a top view,
(B) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a XX ′ cross-sectional view.

As shown in FIG. 8, the top plate 120 has channels 122 provided corresponding to the recording elements 101 provided on the heater board 100 and inks provided for the respective channels. An orifice 123 communicating with each flow path for discharging toward the medium, a liquid chamber 121 communicating with each flow path for supplying ink to each flow path 122, and an ink tank (Illustration) (shown in FIG. 2). The top plate 120 is a heater board 1
00 are arranged so as to cover almost a recording element array provided with a plurality of 00s.

Also, as shown in FIG.
Are connected so that the positional relationship between the flow path 122 and the printing elements 101 on the heater boards 100 arranged on the base plate 130 is a predetermined positional relationship.

FIG. 9 shows the heater board 10 of the recording head 31.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portion corresponding to a zero ink flow path.

As shown in FIG. 9, a thermal oxide film 100b as a thermal storage layer, silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ) or silicon nitride (Si ₃ N ₄ ) is formed on a silicon substrate 100a as a base of the heater board 100. An interlayer film 100c also serving as a heat storage layer is stacked. Further, the interlayer film 100
c, a resistance layer 100d and Al or Al-Si,
A wiring portion 100e made of an Al alloy such as Al-Cu is patterned respectively, and silicon oxide (Si
O _2), and the protective layer 100f made of silicon nitride (Si ₃ N _4), anti-cavitation film 100g to protect the protective layer 100f from chemical or physical impact associated with the heat generation of the resistive layer 100d is laminated. Note that a heating element layer is formed by the resistance layer 100d and the wiring portion 100e, and a region on the resistance layer 100d where the wiring portion 100e is not formed is a heat acting portion 100h functioning as a heating element. As described above, the resistance layer 100d formed on the silicon substrate 100a and the heat acting portion 1 are formed by the semiconductor manufacturing technology.
00h constitutes a heating element.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of the heater board 100.

In FIG. 10, (a) shows the heater board 1
00 shows the entire functional configuration of FIG. 00, and (b) shows the relationship between the drive system control unit and the table unit.

In FIG. 10A, V _H is a heater drive power supply pad supplied from the printing apparatus main body, HGND is a power supply ground pad, VDD is a logic power supply pad, and LG is a power supply pad.
nd is a ground pad for the logic power supply VDD. Also, a heater unit having a plurality of heating elements for discharging liquid by generating bubbles using thermal energy, and a plurality of heating elements arranged one-to-one with each of the plurality of heating elements Each of the heater drivers is driven by electric wiring (not shown) to drive the heater driver according to the image data.

The heater driver section serially inputs image data via a pad (IDATA), temporarily stores the image data, and outputs the image data in parallel in correspondence with each of the plurality of heating elements. A latch circuit for temporarily storing output data; Further, the heater driver unit includes a block selection signal (BENB) for driving the printing elements by dividing the printing elements into blocks, and an even-numbered / divided printing element arranged so that the printing elements arranged in the adjacent ink flow paths are not simultaneously driven. Odd division signal (ODD /
EVEN) and a drive pulse signal (HeatENB) for driving a recording element based on image data, and an AND circuit for calculating a logical product of these signals. FIG.
0 (b), the block selection signal (B
ENB), even / odd divided signals (ODD / EVEN),
The drive system control unit that generates the drive pulse signal (HeatENB) receives a shift register driving clock via a pad (DCLK) and a latch signal via a pad (LATCH).

As shown in FIG. 10B, the table section reads a read signal (DiSensor) from a temperature sensor (Sensor) disposed on the heater board 100 and a heater or fuse for monitoring a heater resistance value. A read value (RankFUSE) is input, and a table corresponding to each input value is transmitted to the drive system control unit. Further, it is connected to a temperature adjusting sub-heater (SubHeater), and adjusts the temperature of the heater board according to a read signal of the temperature sensor.

Further, the pad (STATU) is transferred from the recording apparatus main body.
S), the function and state of the print head are transmitted to the printing apparatus main body in accordance with a status signal input through the pad (RE).
QUEST) as a request signal, and a pad (RANK) as a rank signal.

Such a circuit is formed on a silicon substrate by semiconductor technology, and has the above-mentioned heat acting portion 108h.
Are also formed on the same substrate.

FIG. 11 is a timing chart of various signals used in the recording head 31 having 1200 recording elements.

As shown in FIG. 11A, these 1200 printing elements are divided into four groups A to D, and a drive pulse signal is input to each group at the same timing. That is, the signal [HATA] is used as a drive pulse signal for the print elements of 1 Seg to 300 Seg as 3 drive pulses.
A signal [HEATB] is supplied as a drive pulse signal to the print element of 01Seg to 600Seg from 9601 to 600Seg.
The signal [HEATC] is used as a driving pulse signal for the recording element of 00Seg, and the signal [HEATD] is used as a driving pulse signal for the recording elements of 901Seg to 1200Seg.
Is entered. In this embodiment, the signal pulse width input as each drive pulse signal is a reference value of 2.0
μsec.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), these recording elements are set to block selection signals so that the driving pulse signal is not simultaneously inputted to 300 recording elements divided into each group. [BE0], [BE1],
It is divided into eight by [BE2].

Further, driving pulse signals (HATA to D)
Are delayed little by little so that a drive pulse is not always input at the same timing. This delay value is divided into four by the pulse period of the latch signal (LATCH), and is controlled so that input pulses do not always overlap. For example, the moving speed of the manually operated recording device is 1.0
kHz, one cycle of the latch signal is 1000
μsec, which is input from an encoder arranged in the control system of the printing apparatus to the drive system control unit of the print head.
By calculating this period and the read values of the temperature sensor and the rank heater arranged in the print head, the optimum drive pulse width and the delay value between the drive pulses for each group are calculated. As a result, it is possible to suppress an instantaneous current flowing through the wires of the heater drive power supply V _H and the power supply ground HGND.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the printing apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 12, the control circuit of this printing apparatus comprises a power supply section 201, an IF control section 202, and a print head 31.

When the recording device receives the recording information from an external device such as a personal computer (not shown), the recording device
At the same time as the data is temporarily stored in the control unit 202, the data is converted into data that can be processed in the printing apparatus, and the data is input to the CPU 205 that controls the signal supply to the printing head. C
The PU 205 processes the data input to the CPU 205 in cooperation with peripheral circuits such as the RAM 207 based on the control program stored in the ROM 206, and converts the data into image data (IDATA).

The ROM 206 stores various control programs for executing a protocol control for communicating with an external device such as a personal computer and a control for detecting a moving speed of the recording apparatus. The CPU 205 stores these control programs in the ROM 206. And execute it. Also, RAM
Reference numeral 207 denotes a memory having a work area used as a register, a data buffer for storing recording data, and a buffer for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the IRDA module 215, which is an infrared communication interface.

In this recording apparatus, communication with an external device such as a personal computer is executed via an infrared communication interface. Specifically, the CPU 205 executes the code of the communication control program stored in the ROM 206, and executes the infrared communication asynchronously according to a predetermined protocol while controlling the IRDA module 215. IRDA
Recording commands and recording data communicated via the module 215 are transmitted as a transmission signal Tx and a reception signal Rx by the CPU 205.
Is exchanged between the device and an external device.

In order to record an image at an appropriate position on a recording medium on the basis of the image data, the CPU 205 synchronizes with the image data and the moving speed of the recording apparatus to drive a recording head. [LATCH] is generated. The image data and the synchronizing signal are transmitted to the recording head 31 via a head interface (head I / F) 210, and are driven at controlled timing to record an image.

In such a printing operation, the IO control circuit 204 reads out the printing data as dot images stored in the RAM 207 sequentially, and timely reads the head I / F.
By controlling 210, the print data is transferred to the print head 31.

The power supply unit 201 is a main power supply of the recording apparatus, and supplies power from a secondary battery known as an AC or NiCd (NiCd) power supply. Specifically, a voltage of 12 V is applied to the recording head 31 and the IF control unit 20
2 is supplied with power at a voltage of 5V.

The IF control unit 202 is used to support data communication (data transmission / reception) between the recording head 31 that actually performs recording and an external device such as a personal computer that is the source of recording data. It performs transmission and reception of control signals to and from the apparatus, communication control, power saving control, control of external switches and display units (eg, LEDs) as user interfaces, control of detecting the moving speed of the recording apparatus, and the like. To this end, the IF control unit 202 includes an IO control circuit 204,
CPU2, ROM2 for storing control programs and the like
06, RAMs 207 and 22 MHz used as a work area for the CPU 205 to perform various processes and controls.
Local oscillators 208 and 209 for transmitting a basic clock at a frequency of 2 kHz, and a head I / F 210 for buffering a signal transmitted to and received from the recording head 31 are provided.

The head I / F 210 supplies a power of 5 V, which is a logic power supply, to the recording head. Further, the head I / F 210 is connected to the recording head 31 via a data signal line for supplying recording data to the recording head and a control signal line including various control signals for controlling the data signal.

Further, the IF control unit 202 includes a switch 6 for power control and online / offline control, and an LED 5 for displaying a network status, a power status, and a recording device status. These controls are all IO
This is performed by the control circuit 204. In order to detect the moving speed of the printing apparatus, an encoder 20 capable of detecting the amount of movement of the printing apparatus itself through the roller 4 by which the printing apparatus is moved by a user, and a buffer 214 for storing a detection pulse are also provided. .

As shown in FIG. 12, in this embodiment, the magnetic signal from the encoder 20 is read to detect the moving speed and the moving amount of the recording apparatus, and the buffer 21
4 and a sensor (Directio) for detecting the moving direction of the recording device in a recordable state.
n sensor) 217 is provided. Sensor 217
Is interlocked with the movement of the roller 4, and outputs a signal of "high" electrically when the recording apparatus is moving in the recording direction, and a signal of "low" when the recording apparatus is moving in the opposite direction. Output a signal.

The control program stored in the ROM 206 includes power saving control for shifting the apparatus to a power saving mode according to the state of the housing 3 or returning to the normal recording mode. A program for controlling the change / stop of the operation clock is also included.

FIG. 13 is a view showing the arrangement of the ink ejection ports of the recording head 31 used in this embodiment.

As described in the above-described embodiment, the recording head 31 moves from the ink ejection port # 1 to the ink ejection port # 12.
It has 1200 ink ejection ports up to 00. In this embodiment, 80 ink ejection ports are further provided as spares, and a total of 1280 ink ejection ports are provided. Then, 1280 printing elements are provided corresponding to each of these discharge ports.

In such a configuration, in this embodiment, 1280 ink ejection ports (and recording elements)
As shown in FIG. 13, each block is composed of ten blocks (block 1 to block 10) each composed of 128 ink ejection ports (and printing elements). The printing elements of each block are formed on one heater board. As shown in FIG. 13, such ten heater boards are arranged with their positions shifted one by one in the apparatus moving direction.

As shown in FIG. 13, each block is composed of two sets each including 16 ink discharge ports in one row (for example, A
The arrangement of the ink ejection ports is such that four (1, A2) ink ejection port groups are provided. And
Each row forms a row of ink ejection ports in a direction perpendicular to the printing direction (moving direction of the printing apparatus), and the distance between adjacent rows is ΔD (ΔD = 0.00 in this embodiment).
6 mm).

When the recording head having such a configuration operates, the instantaneous power consumption is reduced by performing time-division driving for each of the columns A1, A2, B1, B2,... Let me.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing one block of a heater board constituting the recording head 31 and its driving circuit.

In FIG. 14, 128 blocks are stored in one block.
Recording elements # 1 to # 128 are provided on the heater board.
This is a number corresponding to the position of the ink discharge port. R1 to R12
8 are provided corresponding to the ink discharge ports # 1 to # 128, respectively.
Heating element (heater) as a recording element.
1102 is a power transistor as a driver
1103 is a latch circuit, and 1104 is a shift circuit.
Register. 1105 is a shift register
1104 is a clock for operating 1104, and 1106
Denotes an image data input unit, and 1107 denotes a power transistor.
To control the ON time of the star 1102 from outside
1108 is a heat pulse width input section for
Power supply, 1109 is GND, 1110 is heating element drive
Power supply (V _H), And 1111 is a power transistor drive.
Dynamic power supply (V_CE).

In a printing apparatus having a recording head including a print head substrate having such a configuration, image data is transmitted from the image data input unit 1106 to the shift register 110.
4 in series. The input data is input to the latch circuit 1
When a pulse is input from the heat pulse width input unit 1107, which is temporarily stored in the memory 103 and controlled by the decoder during that time, the power transistor 1102 is turned on, the heating resistor is driven, and the driven heat is generated. The liquid (ink) in the liquid flow path of the resistor is heated, and the ink is ejected from the ink ejection port to perform recording.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the structure of the head I / F 210 for driving the recording head 31.

The head I / F 210 is connected to the data generator 30
1. Basic pulse generator 302, common segment controller 303, pulse width adjuster 304, timing adjuster 30
5, a gate circuit 306.

The timing adjustment unit 305, which has received the encoder signal from the sensor 40, determines the columns A1, A2, B1, B2, C of the recording head 31 according to the encoder signal.
Synchronization signals DA_D and PI_D for driving 1,...
Generate The synchronization signal PI_D is output from the basic pulse generator 30.
2 and the synchronization signal DA_D controls the data generator 301 and the common segment controller 303.

Now, a pulse width adjusting unit 304 for controlling the pulse width of the signal output from the pulse basic generating unit 302
According to a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the printing apparatus main body and a temperature sensor (see FIG. 10A) provided in the printing head, the driving time (heating time) of the heating resistor (heater) of the printing head 31 is determined. Adjust the width). As a result, the basic pulse generator 302 outputs the signal (SE) having the adjusted pulse width.
G) is output to the gate circuit 306 according to the synchronization signal PI_D.

On the other hand, based on the recording data sequentially input from the IO control circuit 204 in accordance with the pulse of the synchronization signal DA_D, the data generator 301
a) is output to the gate circuit 306. Gate circuit 306
In this example, a recording signal (Data) and a signal (SEG) having an adjusted pulse width are input, a logical product of them is calculated, and the result is converted into an SEG signal (ORG for one column (16 recording elements)).
_SEG1 to _SEG1 to 16) to the selector 307 provided in the recording head 31.

In accordance with the synchronization signal DA_D, the common segment control unit 303 selects a COM signal (COM1 to COM8) for driving the recording head 31 and a signal (SEG_S) for selecting an SEG signal (SEG1 to SEG16).
ELECT) is generated and supplied to the selector 307 of the recording head 31. In the selector 307, the signal (S
According to EG_SELECT, the SEG signal (ORG_
SEG1-16) are allocated to the SEG signals of blocks 1-10.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the structure of the timing adjustment unit 305.

As shown in FIG. 16, the timing adjustment unit 3
05 includes a counter 401, comparators 402 to 406, registers 407 to 411, a conversion table 412, and a pulse generator 413.

The counter 401 detects the pulse width of the encoder signal, measures the pulse interval of the encoder signal with reference to the internal clock, and compares the measured value with the comparators 402 to 402.
Output to 406. Predetermined set values are stored in the registers 407 to 411, respectively, and the set values are compared with the previous measured values by the comparators 402 to 406, and the results are input to the conversion table 412. Conversion table 412
Controls the pulse generation interval from the pulse generator 413 according to the input result of each comparator.

The encoder signal emits one pulse when the housing 3 of the recording apparatus moves about 0.07 mm. In this embodiment, the printing elements for one block can be driven at a minimum interval of 10 μsec, so that printing can be performed at 10 μsec × 8 (the number of time divisions per block) × 10 = 800 μsec or more for the entire recording head. . In this embodiment, an operation clock of 20 MHz is used.

The registers 407 to 407 are used for speed detection.
Table 1 shows the counter setting values set in 411.

[0095] In addition, each row interval is ΔD = 0.006 mm.
The relationship between the output of the conversion table and the supplementary time according to the moving speed is set as shown in Table 2.

[0096] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing signal waveforms used in the head I / F 201.

The select signal (SEG_SELECT) counts the pulses of the synchronizing signal DA_D, and selects a different block from blocks 1 to 10 every time 8 pulses are counted. Also, a 16-bit recording signal (Da
In ta), the data is output from the data generator 301 in sequence according to the pulse of the synchronization signal DA_D. Also, COM1
8 outputs so as to repeat the signal pulses from COM1 to COM8 according to the pulse of the synchronization signal DA_D. As shown in FIG. 17, the synchronization signal PI_D
Are output with a delay from the synchronization signal DA_D.

Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the SEG signal is output in synchronization with the synchronization signal PI_D pulse. When the data of one line of the recording head has been recorded, a series of operations based on the synchronization signals (PI_D, DA_D) is completed. However, when the encoder signal is input again, the operation is repeated. When the pulse width of the encoder signal changes (that is, the moving speed of the housing 3 of the apparatus changes), the drive pulse interval changes according to a new table output from the next line.

With such a configuration, the moving speed of the recording device moved by the user is detected,
Since the detection result is transmitted to the CPU, the CPU can control the driving of the recording head according to the detection result, that is, according to the moving speed of the recording apparatus. In particular,
The drive system controller of the printhead calculates the period of the input latch signal and the read values of the temperature sensor and the rank heater arranged in the printhead to obtain an optimum drive pulse width and drive for each group. By calculating the delay value between the pulses, the heater drive power supply V _H and the power supply ground HGND are calculated.
The instantaneous current flowing through the wiring is suppressed.
Further, during the recording operation, the moving speed of the recording apparatus is detected so as to prevent the accuracy of the recording position from being degraded due to the timing distribution of the driving pulse and the recording quality from deteriorating. A signal for making a selection is generated.

The discharge cycle (T) according to the detected moving speed is obtained as follows.

As shown in FIG. 17A, the average value of the moving speed V = (Σ) over the range from the current column, which is the current speed measurement point, to the column located “i” before.
V _i ) / I are obtained. Assuming that the distance between the current column and the next column (which depends on the printing resolution) is L, the predicted time until ejection in the next column is T
= L / V.

In the example of FIG. 17A, the acceleration fluctuation of the housing is
It is detected over a range from a point located at least two columns before the ejection operation from the print head (t = ti _-2 ) to a point located one column before the ejection operation (t = ti _-1 ). . Then, the period at which the drive signal from the current column (t = t _i ) to the next column (t = t _{i + 1} ) is supplied to the recording head is determined based on the approximated integral value including the acceleration fluctuation. can get.

For example, according to FIG. 17A, the integrated value is obtained by integrating the acceleration of the housing over the time from time t = t _i−2 to t = t _i−1 . By doing so, the contribution of the acceleration fluctuation of the housing is taken into account. Note that this integral is numerically approximated by an appropriate approximation formula.

Further, also in the printing apparatus, the interval of the driving pulse supplied to the printing head is changed according to the moving speed.

Therefore, according to the embodiment described above, the timing of the driving pulse can be dispersed so that the instantaneous current flowing through the recording head does not exceed the standard of the battery power supply provided. It is possible to prevent the recording quality from deteriorating due to the change in the moving speed.

Further, there is an advantage that detailed control can be collectively executed by referring to the table, and recording timing can be easily calculated and controlled.

Note that the configuration of the timing adjustment section 301 is as follows.
It is not limited by what is shown in FIG.
For example, a configuration as shown in FIG. 18 may be used.

In the configuration of FIG. 18, comparators 402 to 406
Is configured to be able to be processed by the CPU 205.
When an encoder signal is input, the PU 205 reads the value of the counter 401a that has been measured and compares the value with a preset memory value. According to the result,
By inputting a value to table register 412a, the same operation as the configuration shown in FIG. 16 is realized.

FIG. 19 shows the operation of the CPU 2 in connection with the operation of FIG.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a timing adjustment process executed by the control unit 05.

First, in step S601, the CPU 20
5 reads the value of the counter 401a which was being measured when the encoder signal was input, and
Let it be 1. Next, in step S602, the table value (Tab) previously set in the table register 412a is set.
le1) is stored as Table2.

Furthermore, in step S603, the
ter1 is compared with set values (THmax, THmin). Here, if counter1> THmax, the moving speed of the housing 3 is too fast to execute the recording operation, and it is determined that the speed is over, and a predetermined error process (for example, lighting of the LED 5) is performed. Transition. On the contrary,
If counter1 ≦ THmin, the process proceeds to step S604, in which a predetermined value (minimum set value) is set to a table value (Table1), and furthermore, the process proceeds to step S60.
At 5, a warning lamp is turned on by the LED5. Also, TH
If min <counter1 ≦ THmax, the process proceeds to step S606.

In step S606, step S601
Converts the value of the counter 401a measured in the table into a table,
The value is set as a table value (Table1).

Next, in step S607, Table2
Is compared with the value of Table1. Here, Tab
If le1 ≠ Table2, the process proceeds to step S6
08, the setting range is two or more ranks (for example, as described in Table 2, ST1 <ST ≦ ST2 to ST3 <ST ≦
(If it has changed to ST4) It is further checked whether or not they have been separated. If the change is equal to or more than two ranks, the process proceeds to step S609, and the set value one rank higher is further set to tab in anticipation of the speed change of the housing movement.
Substitute into le1. On the other hand, if the change is one rank or less, the process proceeds to step S610.

Also, if Table1 = Table2, the process proceeds to step S610, where
The value of 1 is input to the table register 412a.

In the above-described embodiment, basically, it has been described on the assumption that the movement of the housing is at a constant speed. However, as in the processing of steps S607 to S609 in FIG. Moving can also be considered. In addition, although the moving speed comparison step is performed in six steps, the present invention is not limited to this. Needless to say, more precise control can be performed, and the number of table registers can be increased. Thus, it is needless to say that finer control becomes possible.

Further, in the above embodiment, the recording apparatus which is manually moved along the guide axis is described as an example. However, any recording apparatus which can manually move the housing without the guide axis may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, a printer employing an ink jet recording head has been described, but the present invention is not limited by the type of recording head as long as it is a non-impact recording method for performing time division control. .

Further, it is needless to say that the value set in the conversion table or the register table does not need to be the value after the speed conversion, and the counter value before the conversion may be stored.

In the above embodiments, the description has been made assuming that the droplets ejected from the recording head are ink, and that the liquid contained in the ink tank is ink. It is not limited. For example, an ink tank may contain a processing liquid discharged to a recording medium in order to improve the fixability and water resistance of the recorded image or to improve the image quality.

However, the above-described embodiment is provided with a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for discharging ink, particularly in an ink jet recording system.
By using the method in which the state of the ink is changed by the thermal energy, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

The typical configuration and principle are described, for example, in US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, liquid (ink)
By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding the nucleate boiling to an electrothermal transducer arranged corresponding to the sheet or the liquid path holding the Since thermal energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer and film boiling occurs on the heat-acting surface of the recording head, bubbles in the liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal on a one-to-one basis can be formed. It is valid. By discharging the liquid (ink) through the discharge opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble, at least one droplet is formed. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable.

As the pulse-shaped driving signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination of the discharge port, the liquid path, and the electrothermal converter (linear liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, A configuration using U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, which discloses a configuration in which a heat acting surface is arranged in a bent region, is also included in the present invention. In addition, for multiple electrothermal transducers,
JP-A-59-123670 which discloses a configuration in which a common slot is used as a discharge part of an electrothermal transducer, and JP-A-59-123670 which discloses a configuration in which an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy corresponds to a discharge part. A configuration based on 138461 may be adopted.

Further, as a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium that can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length is determined by a combination of a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above specification. This may be either a configuration that satisfies the requirements or a configuration as a single recording head that is integrally formed.

In addition to the cartridge type recording head in which an ink tank is provided integrally with the recording head itself described in the above embodiment, the recording head is electrically connected to the apparatus main body by being mounted on the apparatus main body. A replaceable chip-type recording head, which enables a simple connection and supply of ink from the apparatus main body, may be used.

It is preferable to add recovery means for the printhead, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like to the configuration of the printing apparatus described above, since the printing operation can be further stabilized. Specific examples thereof include capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressurizing or suction means, preheating means using an electrothermal transducer or another heating element or a combination thereof. It is also effective to provide a preliminary ejection mode for performing ejection that is different from printing, in order to perform stable printing.

Further, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but may be a single recording head or a combination of plural recording heads. Alternatively, the apparatus may be provided with at least one of full colors by color mixture.

In the above-described embodiment, the description is made on the assumption that the ink is a liquid. However, even if the ink solidifies at room temperature or lower, it is possible to use an ink that softens or liquefies at room temperature. Or, in the ink jet method, it is common to control the temperature of the ink itself in a range of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range.
It is sufficient that the ink is in a liquid state when the use recording signal is applied.

In addition, in order to positively prevent temperature rise due to thermal energy as energy for changing the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, the temperature is positively prevented.
Alternatively, in order to prevent evaporation of the ink, an ink which solidifies in a standing state and liquefies by heating may be used. In any case, the application of heat energy causes the ink to be liquefied by application of the heat energy according to the recording signal and the liquid ink to be ejected, or to start to solidify when reaching the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable to a case where an ink having a property of liquefying for the first time is used. In such a case, as described in JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-71260, the ink is held in a liquid state or a solid state in the concave portion or through hole of the porous sheet. It is good also as a form which opposes an electrothermal transducer. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

[0130] In addition to the above, the recording apparatus according to the present invention may be provided not only as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer but also integrally or separately, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and a transmission / reception apparatus. It may take the form of a facsimile machine having functions.

The present invention can be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), but it can be applied to a single device (for example, a copying machine, a facsimile machine). Etc.).

Further, an object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium (or a recording medium) in which a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer (a computer) of the system or the apparatus. It is needless to say that the present invention can also be achieved by a CPU or an MPU) reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. Also,
When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also the operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instructions of the program code.
It goes without saying that a case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are implemented by performing some or all of the actual processing, and the processing performs the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into the memory provided in the function expansion card inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. Needless to say, the CPU included in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0134]

As described above, according to the present invention, when recording is performed on a recording medium by using a recording head while moving the casing on the recording medium by a user, the casing is removed. The moving speed is detected, the detection result is compared with a plurality of speed thresholds, and the supply timing for supplying a drive signal for driving the printhead is adjusted based on the comparison result. However, even if the value changes for some reason, it is possible to perform optimum recording according to the change. This makes it possible to maintain good recording quality.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a typical embodiment of the present invention and is a perspective view showing an outline of a portable recording apparatus equipped with an ink jet recording head.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 is carried;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the recording device illustrated in FIG. 1 is carried;

FIG. 4 moves the lever 2 to the center of the groove 10 and moves the arrow D-
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when the recording device is cut along D ′.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the housing 3 at a portion where the guide shaft 3 is inserted into the guide hole 15.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a recording head 31.

FIG. 7 is a view showing in detail a state where a plurality of heater boards 100 are arranged on a base plate 130;

8 is a top view, a front view, a bottom view, and a cross-sectional view of the top plate 120. FIG.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portion corresponding to an ink flow path of the heater board 100 of the recording head 31.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a functional schematic configuration of the heater board 100.

FIG. 11 is a print head 31 including 1200 print elements.
4 is a timing chart of the arrangement of the recording elements and various signals used in the recording head.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an arrangement of ink ejection ports of the recording head 31.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing one block of a heater board constituting the recording head 31 and a driving circuit thereof.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a head I / F 210.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a timing adjustment unit 305.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing signal waveforms used in the head I / F 201.

FIG. 17A is a diagram showing a time change of the acceleration of the housing.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating another configuration of the timing adjustment unit 305.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating a timing adjustment process.

FIG. 20 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional manual recording apparatus.

FIG. 21 is a bottom view of a conventional manual recording apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cap 2 Lever 3 Housing 4 Roller 5 LED 6 Switch 7 Guide shaft 9 Rubber foot 10 Groove 11, 12 Claw 15 Guide hole 17 Spur 20 Encoder 31 Recording head 32 PCB 33 Ink tank 40 Sensor 100 Element substrate (heater board) 101 Discharge energy generating element (recording element) 120 Top plate 130 Support (base plate) 201 Power supply section 202 IF control section 204 IO control circuit 205 CPU 206 ROM 207 RAM 208, 209 Local oscillator 210 Head interface (head I / F) 215 IRDA Module 217 Sensor (Direction sensor) 301 Data generator 302 Basic pulse generator 303 Common segment controller 304 Pulse width adjuster 305 Timing adjuster 306 Gate circuit 307 Kuta 401 counters 402 to 406 comparators 407-411 register 412 conversion table 413 pulse generator

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tsutomu Shimada 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Tsuyoshi Yazawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inside the Company (72) Inventor Yoichi Takada 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Go Tsutomu 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hideo Toshikawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Kenji 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Yoshifumi Fujita 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo F-term in Canon Inc. (reference) 2C055 AA00 AA03 AA06 AA10 AA14 2C056 FA03 FA09 FA13

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium using a recording head while moving a casing on the recording medium by a user, comprising: a detecting unit configured to detect a moving speed of the casing. Supplying means for supplying a drive signal for driving the recording head; holding means for holding a plurality of speed thresholds; comparing the detection result of the detecting means with the plurality of speed thresholds; And an adjusting means for adjusting the supply timing of the drive signal. 2. A drive unit for driving a plurality of printing elements provided in a pre-era print head by the drive signal, a temperature detection unit for detecting a temperature of the print head, and a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit. On the basis of the,
2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drive control unit that controls driving by the driving unit. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive control unit controls the drive of the plurality of printing elements by time division control. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive control means controls the drive by adjusting a pulse width of the drive signal. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising input means for inputting recording data from an external device. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said input means includes infrared communication means for communicating with said external device and inputting said recording data. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a roller for assisting movement of the housing. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording head is an inkjet recording head that performs recording by discharging ink. 9. The ink jet recording head according to claim 8, further comprising: an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy to be applied to the ink in order to discharge the ink using thermal energy. The recording device according to any one of the preceding claims. 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit detects the moving speed of the casing in a plurality of stages using the plurality of speed thresholds. 11. The adjusting means converts the moving speed of the casing detected in a plurality of stages by the detecting means into a control signal for adjusting the supply timing of the drive signal using a conversion table. The recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: 12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means detects a change in acceleration of the housing from a point located at least two columns before the ejection operation of the recording head to a point located one column before the ejection operation. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a period of the drive signal supplied to the recording head is determined based on an approximated integral value including the acceleration variation between the columns.