JP2817985B2 - Printing apparatus and print head driving method - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a method of driving a recording head, and more particularly, to a recording apparatus that performs dot matrix type recording by a serial type recording head and a recording head in the apparatus. Driving method.

[Background technology]

As an example of this type of recording apparatus, there is an ink jet recording apparatus. Among them, a so-called bubble jet type ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a discharge port for discharging a recording liquid as a flying droplet, a liquid path communicating with the discharge port, and An ink jet recording head is provided in a part of the liquid path and has an electrothermal conversion element as discharge energy generating means for providing discharge energy for forming flying droplets on the recording liquid in the liquid path. In the printing in this apparatus, a driving pulse is applied to the electrothermal transducer to supply discharge energy to the recording liquid in the liquid path each time the recording head reaches the recording position in accordance with the movement of the recording head. The recording liquid is ejected as flying droplets from below, and the droplets land on a recording medium such as recording paper to form dots. The dots formed on the recording medium form a dot matrix in accordance with the movement of the recording head, and characters, images, and the like are recorded by the dot matrix.

In the above-described printing apparatus, the print head generally has, for example, n ejection ports in a direction (hereinafter, also referred to as a sub-scanning direction) perpendicular to a moving direction (hereinafter, also referred to as a main scanning direction). In this case, it is possible to simultaneously drive a maximum of n electrothermal transducers at the time of recording, but the load on the power supply unit that supplies power to the recording head is increased.
Generally, the n number of electrothermal transducers are divided into several blocks, and time-division driving is performed in which the divided blocks are sequentially driven in units of blocks.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, when the time-division driving is performed along with the movement of the recording head in the main scanning direction as described above, the dots recorded by the ejection ports arranged in the sub-scanning direction of the recording head originally have one dot in the sub-scanning direction. When arranged in a row, when viewed microscopically, a dot row is recorded diagonally in each block, or a so-called dot deviation occurs in which the dot row is shifted as a whole and recorded diagonally as a whole.

In particular, in the bubble jet method, the pulse width of the driving pulse for driving the recording head, that is, the pulse application time
Since the driving frequency is relatively short, that is, 10 μsec or less, the driving frequency can be increased, and accordingly, the carriage speed can be increased. For this reason, the above-described dot shift becomes particularly noticeable when a bubble jet type recording head is used.

As described above, when time-division driving is performed by a serial-type recording apparatus, the above-described dot shift is inevitable. In this case, the following problems occur.

That is, depending on the recording apparatus, bidirectional recording may be performed in order to improve the throughput. In this case,
The manner in which the dot row shifts depends on the scanning direction of the printhead, such as rightward downward during rightward recording and leftward downward during leftward recording. For this reason, even if the same pattern is printed, the printing result differs depending on the scanning direction. The same can be said for the case where dots are superimposed and recorded by bidirectional recording in full color recording or the like.

In addition, depending on the printing apparatus, fine adjustment of the printing area may be performed using ejection ports arranged at fine intervals. For example, the ejection ports used for printing may be continuously arranged among the N ejection ports of the printing head. In some cases, recording is limited to M (M <N). In this case, depending on the method of selecting the ejection ports, the dot rows start or end in the middle of the block at both ends of the dot rows recorded by the entire limited ejection ports. As described above, even if an attempt is made to print the same pattern, when viewed microscopically, the printed dot pattern has several patterns in accordance with the selected ejection openings.

Secondary harmful effects of time-division driving that occur during bidirectional printing and printing with limited ejection ports as described above, that is, the manner in which the above-described dot shift occurs are not constant, impair the quality of printing results, This leads to instability in the quality of the recorded result.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to change the order of blocks to be driven when a recording head is time-divisionally driven in accordance with a limited ejection port. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus and a recording head driving method which can make the deviation of the dot deviation constant and obtain good recording quality.

[Means for solving the problem]

Therefore, according to the present invention, in a printing apparatus that performs printing while performing a main scan in a direction different from the arrangement direction on a print head in which a plurality of print elements arranged are divided into a plurality of blocks, A driving unit that drives the plurality of printing elements in a time-division manner for each block in accordance with the division driving signals sequentially supplied in correspondence thereto, and sets a range of the printing elements to be used during the main scanning period to a range of the plurality of printing elements. Selective means for variably selecting only a part of the plurality of printing elements, and the printing elements are sequentially supplied to the driving means in accordance with the block to which the start or end of the plurality of printing elements belongs. Changing means for changing the order of the divided drive signals.

Further, in a printing apparatus that performs printing while performing a main scan in a direction different from the arrangement direction on a recording head in which N recording elements arranged are divided into a plurality of blocks, the recording head corresponds to the N recording elements. Driving means for time-divisionally driving the plurality of printing elements for each block in accordance with the divided driving signals sequentially supplied to the plurality of printing elements; (M <
N), a selection means for variably selecting the printing elements, and a driving means sequentially supplied to the driving means in accordance with the block to which the start or end of the M printing elements variably selected by the selection means belongs. Changing means for changing the order of the divided drive signals.

Furthermore, a method for driving a recording head in a recording apparatus that performs recording while performing a main scan in a direction different from the arrangement direction on a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements arranged is divided into a plurality of blocks, In a print head driving method for driving the plurality of printing elements in a time-division manner for each block in accordance with the divided drive signals sequentially supplied corresponding to the printing elements, a range of the printing elements to be used during the main scanning period Is limited to a part of the plurality of printing elements and is variably selected, and is sequentially supplied in accordance with the block to which the start or end of the plurality of printing elements variably selected by this selection belongs. The order of the divided drive signals is changed.

(Operation)

According to the above configuration, when a plurality of printing elements of the printing head are divided into a plurality of blocks and time-division driving is performed for each of the blocks, of the plurality of printing elements, a range of a printing element to be used for printing is used. Is limited to a part thereof and variably selected, the divided driving supplied to a plurality of recording elements in the time division driving according to the block to which the start or end of the variably selected recording element belongs Since the supply order of signals is changed, if the supply order is fixed, a dot pattern that differs for each of the above use ranges will be
It can be the same between the use ranges of the selected recording elements.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a recording head in which 64 ejection ports are arranged in the sub-scanning direction, and an electric heat generating thermal energy used for ejecting ink is provided in a liquid passage communicating with each ejection port. A conversion element is provided. Reference numeral 2 denotes a carriage on which a recording head is mounted and which reciprocates along a guide shaft 3 by driving means (not shown) such as a carriage motor. 4 is
The recording surface of the recording sheet 5 as a recording medium is
A transport roller that functions as a platen that holds the print sheet at a position facing the discharge port, and that transports the recording sheet 5 that is rotationally driven by a driving unit (not shown) such as a paper feed motor in the direction of the arrow in the figure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the printing apparatus shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 6 denotes a CPU for executing control relating to operations and processes in the recording apparatus, 7 denotes a ROM storing programs and various data for the operations and processes, and 8 denotes an area for temporarily storing data from the host. A RAM 9 used as a work area of the CPU 6 is a control unit including the CPU 6, the ROM 7, the RAM 8, and the like, and is configured on a substrate provided at a predetermined portion of the recording apparatus. Reference numeral 10 denotes a host device that transmits recording data and control codes to the recording apparatus of the present embodiment, and is configured as, for example, a microcomputer, a word processor, a document reading unit of a copying machine, and the like. Reference numeral 11 denotes a data receiving unit that receives various signals from the host.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a head driver (hereinafter, referred to as a head driver) for driving the print head 1 based on print data transferred from the control unit 9.
Reference numeral 21 denotes a drive control circuit to be described later, which controls the driving of the head driver 12 according to a control signal from the control unit 9. Reference numeral 14 denotes an information signal input unit such as a keyboard for inputting a control signal to the control unit 9 via the input port 13. A driving unit 16 is driven by a control signal transferred from the control unit 9 via the output port 15. The driving unit 16 drives the driving motor for driving the carriage 2 and the driving roller 5 for rotating the transport roller 5. And a paper feed motor for performing the operation.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing details of the head driver 12 shown in FIG.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 18 denotes a latch circuit for sequentially storing recording data transferred serially, holding the data in accordance with a latch signal, and outputting the data during recording. Reference numeral 19 denotes an AND gate, which is provided corresponding to each of the electrothermal conversion elements R1 to R64 of each discharge port. The corresponding recording data output from the latch circuit 18 is input to one input terminal of the AND gate 19. And Gate 19
, One of the drive signals H1 to H4 is input.

Here, the drive signal H1 has ejection port numbers 1, 5, 9,..., 1 + 4 (k
-1),... 61 are input to the AND gate 19. Hereinafter, similarly, the drive signal H2 has the ejection port numbers 2, 6,... 2 + 4 (k−
1) A drive signal H3 is supplied to the AND gate 19 corresponding to 62.
, 3 + 4 (k−1),..., 63, and the drive signal H4 is the discharge port number 4, 8,.
+4 (k-1),..., 64
Enter each. In this configuration, the drive signals H1 to H4
Are sequentially set to “1”, time-division driving is performed. 20
Is a drive element composed of, for example, a transistor, which operates according to the output of each of the AND gates 19, whereby drive pulses are applied to the electrothermal conversion elements R1 to R64, respectively.

Hereinafter, an example will be described in which a case in which the 64 ejection ports are driven in four divisions, that is, a case in which the ejection ports are driven for each block including 16 ejection ports. In addition, if the ejection port for driving with respect to the drive signal has periodicity,
The present invention is applicable. For example, a case where driving is performed every x number of ejection ports by x division driving or a case where every y number of continuous ejection ports are regarded as one block and driving is performed every x block by x division driving may be considered.

First Embodiment In this embodiment, a case will be described in which a print head drive is performed such that the pattern of dot misalignment due to time-sharing drive during bidirectional printing is the same in rightward printing and leftward printing.

Normally, the drive signals H1 to H4 are driven in the order of H1, H2, H3, H4, for example, as shown in FIG. Accordingly, when the rightward recording is performed, as shown in FIG. 4, the dots are recorded in a downward right direction as the carriage 2 moves rightward. On the other hand, if leftward recording is performed without changing the drive order of the drive signals H1 to H4, the dots will drop to the left as shown in FIG. 5, and the direction of the dot shift will differ as described in the conventional example. Be recorded. To compensate for this,
FIG. 6 shows that, in the leftward recording, the driving order of the driving signals is set to the order of H4, H3, H2, and H1 as shown in FIG. As a result, a dot shift having the same pattern as that shown in FIG. 4 is obtained.

In this manner, the driving order of the driving signal during rightward recording,
Therefore, when the driving order of the divided blocks is performed in the order of a, b, c, and d, and in the case of leftward recording, the driving is performed in the order of d, c, b, and a. The pattern is the same.

In this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained regardless of how the electrothermal transducer is connected to the drive signal.
For example, the same effect can be obtained by a connection method in which the electrothermal conversion elements of several discharge ports in the discharge port arrangement are driven by the same drive signal. In this case, the dots recorded by the ejection ports of each block are arranged in the sub-scanning direction without being oblique, and these arrangements are obliquely shifted by each block.

Table 1 shows the relationship between the recording direction and the driving order in the first embodiment. In this table, F1 is a control signal indicating the recording direction. When F1 is "0", it indicates rightward recording, and when F1 is "1", it indicates leftward recording.

Second Embodiment In this example, a case is described in which printing is performed using continuous 60 out of 64 ejection ports, and the driving order of the blocks is determined in accordance with the method of selecting the ejection ports. An example of obtaining a shift pattern will be described.

When the ejection ports are not used in a limited manner, if the ejection data of ejection port number 1 is given the recording data of dot 1 and the same applies to the following ejection ports sequentially, the drive signal H1 is activated to activate the driving signal H1. The dots 1, 5, 9, ... are recorded. Therefore, when the drive signals are driven in the order of H1, H2, H3, and H4, when the ejection port numbers 1 to 60 are selected, in the case of rightward recording, the dots from the dot 1 in the pattern shown in FIG. Four,
5 to 8,… are recorded in the lower right direction.

On the other hand, for example, when the ejection port of No. 61 is selected from the ejection port of No. 2, the recording data of dot 1 is given to the ejection port of No. 2, and the dot 1 is recorded by activating the drive signal H2. . Therefore, as described in the example of the background art, the driving order of the driving signals is not changed, and H1, H2, H
When driven in the order of 3, H4, dots 1 to 3, 4, 7, 8 to 11... Are recorded in the pattern shown by B in FIG. As is apparent from the recording pattern B shown in FIG. 9, the recording dot row is cut off in the middle of the block at both ends of the recording dot. This recording dot row is cut in the ninth
As shown in the figure, the recording dot pattern differs depending on the range of the used ejection ports, and thus the recording dot pattern differs depending on the range of the used ejection ports.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
When the order is changed to 3, H4, and H1, as shown in a recording pattern C in FIG. 10, the same pattern as the recording range A in FIG.
The dots 1 to 4, 5 to 8,... Are recorded in a downward right direction.

When the nozzles from the outlet No. 3 to the outlet No. 62 are selected, the print data of the dots 1, 5, 9,... Is given to the outlets No. 3, 7, 11 and the drive signal H3 is activated. Thus, dots 1, 5, 9,... Are recorded. Accordingly, in this case, when the drive signals are driven in the order of H3, H4, H1, and H2, as shown in the dot pattern D in FIG.
4,5 to 8,… are recorded in the downward right direction.

As described above, depending on the selection of the used discharge port, usually, 1
The print data of dot 1 set in the second ejection port is 2
In the case of shifting to the third ejection port, the third ejection port,..., If the driving order of the driving signal is also shifted accordingly, printing can always be performed with the same dot shift pattern.

Table 2 shows the relationship between the ejection port shift and the driving order described above.
Shown in In this table, S1 and S2 indicate control signals indicating the shift amount of the ejection port, and indicate how the drive signal corresponding to the ejection port corresponding to the first dot is shifted from H1 to any one of H1 to H4. When the shift destination is H1, that is, when the shift is not performed, the shift amount is 0 (S1 = S2 = "0"). When the shift destination is H2, the shift amount is 1 (S1 = "1", S2 = "0"), and H3. Is shift amount 2 (when S1 = "0", S2 = "1", and H4, shift amount 3 (S1 =
S2 = "1").

The shift amount signal, that is, the driving order selection signals S1 and S2
, The drive order of the drive signals H1 to H4 is determined.

Third Embodiment This embodiment shows a case where the first embodiment is combined with the second embodiment. Here, since the first and second embodiments can be considered as independent processes, these processes are summarized in Table 3.

FIGS. 13 to 18 are circuit block diagrams showing a configuration for realizing the relationship between the selection signals and the driving order shown in Tables 1 to 3.

FIG. 13 shows a drive pulse generation circuit 130 which is configured as a part of the drive control circuit 21 shown in FIG. 2, and this circuit loads a counter value when a drive start signal 1 is input from the control block 9. A, a drive pulse b, and a signal for increasing or decreasing the counter value each time one drive pulse b is output.

FIG. 14 is a circuit block diagram of a drive order control circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This order control circuit is also configured in the drive control circuit 21. Drive pulse generation circuit described above
When the signal a from 130 is input, the binary counter 140
Is set to the initial value. That is, for rightward recording,
Since the control signal F1 is “0”, the initial value of the counter is “00”
And UP is selected for the counter. Therefore, the counter outputs Q _A and Q _B sequentially increase to “00”, “01”, “10”, and “11” according to the signal b. These signals are decoded by the decoder 141, and drive signals are sequentially output in the order of H1, H2, H13, and H4. In the case of leftward recording, since the control signal F1 is "1", the initial value is "11", and Down is selected as the counter. Therefore, the drive signals are output in the order of H4, H3, H2, H1.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are circuit block diagrams showing two examples of the driving sequence control circuit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the circuit shown in FIG. 15, when the control signals S1 and S2 are "0", the counter 150 is loaded with the initial value "00" and the decoder 150
From 151, drive signals are output in the order of H1, H2, H3, H4. S1
When “1” and S2 = “0”, the counter 150 is loaded with the initial value “01”, and the drive signals are output in the order of H2, H3, H1, and H2. Similarly, when S1 = "0" and S2 = "1", H3, H
If S1 = "1" and S2 = "1" in the order of 4, H1, H2, H4, H1, H2, H
Output in the order of 3.

In the circuit shown in FIG. 16, the initial value set in the counter 160 and the direction of UP / Down are constant, and
The decoder 161 always outputs signals in the order of Y ₁ , Y ₂ , Y ₃ , and Y ₄ . However, the signal output in response to the control signals S1, S2 to be input to each of the selectors 162 to 165 from the selector (input A, B, C, from the D) is set, thereby the signal Y ₁ ~ Y
_In response to ₄ , the drive signals are sequentially output as in the case shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 are circuit block diagrams showing two examples of the drive sequence control circuit according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

In the circuit shown in FIG. 17, the signals output from each of the selectors 172 to 175 are set by the control signals S1 and S2, the initial value of the counter 170 is set and the up-count or down-count is selected by the control signal F1. Is made.

In the circuit shown in FIG. 18, the selectors are selected from among the signals S1, S2, ▲ ▼, ▲ ▼ by the control signals F1 and S1.
The signals output by 182 and 183 are set, and thereby the initial value of the counter 180 is set. In addition, up-counting or down-counting of the counter is set by the control signal F1.

The present invention is particularly effective when performing color recording using an ink jet system. This means that, when performing color printing using a part of the plurality of ejection ports of the head provided for each color, if the ejection ports used for each head are limited, the dot shift for each color of ink is reduced. There is a possibility that the patterns are different, but according to the present invention, such a problem can be solved.

In each of the above embodiments, the recording apparatus using a so-called bubble jet recording head has been described.
The application of the present invention is not limited to these apparatuses, and the present invention can be applied to ink jet recording apparatuses other than the bubble jet type, or to thermal type recording apparatuses such as a thermal transfer type and a thermal type. is there.

(Others) The present invention brings about an excellent effect particularly in a recording head and a recording apparatus of a bubble jet system among ink jet recording systems. This is because according to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

As for the representative configuration and principle, it is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it is arranged corresponding to a sheet or a liquid path holding a liquid (ink). Applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recording information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to the electrothermal transducer, thereby causing the electrothermal transducer to generate thermal energy, thereby causing the recording head to emit heat energy. This is effective because a film in the liquid (ink) corresponding to the driving signal can be formed one by one by causing film boiling on the heat acting surface. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. 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. U.S. Pat. No. 44
Those described in JP-A-63359 and JP-A-4345262 are suitable. Further, when 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 a configuration of the recording head, in addition to a combination configuration (a linear liquid flow path or a right-angled liquid flow path) of a discharge port, a liquid path, and an electrothermal converter as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, A configuration using U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose a configuration in which is disposed in a bending region, is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy is provided. The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration is based on JP-A-59-138461, which discloses a configuration corresponding to a discharge unit. That is, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently regardless of the form of the storage head.

Further, even in the case of the serial type as in the above example, a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be electrically connected to the apparatus main body and supplied with ink from the apparatus main body by being attached to the apparatus main body, The present invention is also effective when a cartridge type recording head provided integrally with the recording head itself is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the print head, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like provided as a configuration of the printing apparatus in the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. If these are specifically mentioned, 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, Performing a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing is also effective for performing stable printing.

Regarding the type or number of print heads to be mounted, for example, in addition to one provided for single color ink, a plurality of print heads are provided corresponding to a plurality of inks having different print colors and densities. May be used.

In addition, as the form of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, in addition to a form used as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, a form of a copying apparatus combined with a reader and a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function are adopted. It may be something.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention,
In a case where a plurality of printing elements of a printing head are divided into a plurality of blocks and time-division driving is performed for each block, the range of printing elements to be used for printing is limited to a part of the plurality of printing elements. Variably selected, the supply order of the divided drive signals supplied to the plurality of recording elements in the time-division driving is changed according to the block to which the start or end of the variably selected recording element belongs. Therefore, when the supply order is fixed, the dot pattern that differs for each of the use ranges can be the same between the use ranges of the selected recording elements.

As a result, even when recording is performed in a limited range of the recording element by the time division driving, the recording quality can be improved and the recording quality can be kept constant.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a state of dot misalignment during rightward recording according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a leftward direction according to the background art. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the mode of dot shift during recording, FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of dot shift during leftward printing according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 8 is an example of a timing chart of such a drive signal, FIG. 8 is a timing chart of the drive signal according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Conceptual diagrams showing the relationship, FIG. 10 and FIG. FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing a form of dot misalignment according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a timing chart showing an example of a drive signal according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram showing an operation mode of a drive pulse generation circuit according to an example, FIG. 14 is a circuit block diagram showing a drive sequence control circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 17 is a circuit block diagram showing a driving sequence control circuit according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 17 and 18 are circuit block diagrams showing driving sequence control circuits according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 1 ... print head, 2 ... carriage, 6 ... CPU, 7 ... ROM, 8 ... RAM, 12 ... head driver (recording head drive circuit), 21 ... drive control circuit, 130 ... drive pulse Generating circuit, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 ... Counter, 141,151,161,17,181 ... Decoder, 162,163,164,165,172,173,174,175,182,183 ... Selector, F1, S1, S2 ... Control signal, H1, H2, H3, H4 ... Drive signal.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ identification symbol FI B41J 2/355 B41J 3/21 L 2/44 2/45 2/455 (58) Investigated field (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB Name) B41J 2/30 B41J 2/045 B41J 2/055 B41J 2/355 B41J 2/13 B41J 2/45 B41J 2/445 B41J 2/51

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printing apparatus for printing while a main scanning is performed in a direction different from the arrangement direction on a recording head in which a plurality of arrayed recording elements are divided into a plurality of blocks, wherein the plurality of recording elements correspond to the plurality of recording elements. Driving means for time-divisionally driving the plurality of printing elements for each of the blocks in accordance with the divided driving signals sequentially supplied to the plurality of printing elements. Selecting means for variably selecting the printing elements, and a plurality of printing elements which are variably selected by the selecting means and which are sequentially supplied to the driving means in accordance with the block to which the start or end of the plurality of printing elements belongs. Changing means for changing the order of the divided drive signals. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said changing means further changes the order of said divided drive signals supplied to said driving means in order in accordance with said main scanning direction of said recording head. Recording device. 3. The printing apparatus has a plurality of printing heads for each printing color used for printing, and the changing means includes a block to which a start or end of the plurality of printing elements of each of the plurality of printing heads belongs. And changing the order of the divided drive signals in accordance with, so that the same dot pattern can be printed by a plurality of printing elements of each of the plurality of printing heads.
Or the recording device according to 2. 4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the recording element includes a discharge port for discharging ink droplets, a liquid path communicating with the discharge port, and a thermal energy generating element for generating bubbles in the ink in the liquid path. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein 5. A printing apparatus for performing printing while performing a main scan in a direction different from the arrangement direction on a print head in which N print elements arranged are divided into a plurality of blocks, wherein the N print elements are provided. Driving means for time-divisionally driving the plurality of printing elements for each of the blocks in accordance with the divided driving signals sequentially supplied in correspondence to the plurality of printing elements; A selection means for variably selecting only M pieces (M <N) of the printing elements; and a block to which the start or end of the M printing elements variably selected by the selection means belongs, Changing means for changing the order of the divided drive signals sequentially supplied to the drive means. 6. A method of driving a recording head in a recording apparatus which performs recording while performing main scanning in a direction different from the arrangement direction on a recording head in which a plurality of arranged printing elements are divided into a plurality of blocks. A method for driving a plurality of printing elements in a time-division manner for each block in accordance with a divided driving signal sequentially supplied corresponding to the plurality of printing elements; The range of the elements is variably selected by limiting the range to a part of the plurality of printing elements, and according to the block to which the start or end of the plurality of printing elements variably selected by this selection belongs, A method of driving a recording head, wherein the order of the supplied divided drive signals is changed.