JP3397492B2 - Recording device and information processing system provided with the device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording device having a recording means for outputting input information such as characters and images on a recording medium, and a copying machine, a facsimile machine equipped with the recording device as an output means. The present invention relates to an information processing system such as a printer, a word processor and a personal computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, paper, cloth, plastic sheet, O
A recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium such as an HP sheet has been proposed as a form in which recording heads of various recording methods, for example, a wire dot method, a heat-sensitive method, a thermal transfer method, and an inkjet recording method can be mounted.

In such a recording system, as a low-noise non-impact recording, the recording element as an energy generating means for ejecting ink is operated to eject ink from an ejection port (nozzle) on a recording medium. A recording apparatus (hereinafter, also referred to as an inkjet recording apparatus) equipped with an inkjet recording head that performs recording can perform high-density and high-speed recording operation.

The ink jet recording apparatus has a structure corresponding to a unique function, a specification form and the like of a system to which the apparatus is applied. In general, an inkjet recording apparatus includes a carriage on which a recording head and an ink tank are mounted, a conveyance unit that conveys a recording medium, and a control unit that controls these.

Then, a recording head for ejecting ink droplets from a plurality of ejection ports is serially scanned in a direction (main scanning direction) perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction (sub scanning direction), while recording is performed during non-recording. The material is intermittently conveyed (pitch feed) in an amount equal to the recording width. By using a recording head in which a large number of nozzles for ejecting ink are linearly arranged in the sub-scanning direction, the recording head scans the recording material once to perform recording with a width corresponding to the number of nozzles. .

Further, the ink jet recording apparatus has a low running cost and can be made compact.
Furthermore, it is easy to support color image recording by using multicolor inks. Above all, the line type recording apparatus using the line type recording means in which a large number of ejection ports are arranged in the width direction of the recording material can further speed up the recording.

For the above reasons, the ink jet recording apparatus is an output means of an information processing system, for example, a printer as an output terminal such as a copying machine, a facsimile, an electronic typewriter, a word processor, a workstation, or a personal computer, a host computer, It is used and commercialized as a handy or portable device provided in an optical disc device, a video device, and the like.

A recording element of the ink jet recording means,
That is, as an energy generating means for generating energy for ejecting ink, a conversion element that mechanically deforms by applying a voltage such as a piezo element is used, and an electromagnetic wave such as a laser is radiated to generate heat. There are a type that discharges droplets by the action of this heat generation, and a type that heats the liquid by an electrothermal conversion element having a heating resistor.

Among them, in the ink jet recording type recording head of the type in which the liquid is ejected by utilizing thermal energy, the liquid ejection ports can be arranged at a high density and therefore high resolution recording can be performed. Among them, the recording head using the electrothermal converting element as an energy generating means for ejecting ink is easy to be compact,
In addition, it is easy to achieve high-density mounting by fully utilizing the advantages of IC technology and microfabrication technology, whose technological advances and reliability have been remarkably improved in the recent semiconductor field, and its manufacturing cost is also low. It is an advantage.

The ink tank used for supplying ink to the recording head is roughly composed of an ink absorber, a container for housing the ink absorber, and a lid member for sealing the container. Further, the recording head is a chip type integrated with such an ink tank,
Some are detachably connected to the ink tank. In both types, the positioning of the recording head and the ink tank, or the positioning of the head cartridge and carriage in which these members are integrated is an important item related to print quality. 1 of those positioning means
One is that the positioning is accurately performed by using the fitting hole and the fitting pin.

A recording apparatus equipped with a head cartridge generally includes the following recovery device for protecting the recording head.

First, the head recovery device will be described.
The head recovery device is arranged at one end of the movement path of the recording head, for example, at a position facing the home position. The driving force of the motor transmitted through the transmission mechanism operates the head recovery device to cap the recording head. In association with the capping of the recording head by the cap portion of the head recovery device, ink is absorbed (suction recovery) by an appropriate suction means (for example, a suction pump) provided in the head recovery device, whereby the ink ejection port is ejected. The ejection recovery process is performed such as forcibly ejecting the ink from the ejection port to remove the thickened ink in the ejection port that hinders the ejection of the ink. Further, the recording head is protected by capping at the end of recording. Such an ejection recovery process is performed when the power is turned on, when the recording head is replaced, or when the recording operation is not performed for a certain period of time.

Next, the wiping device will be described.
The wiping device is disposed on the side surface of the head recovery device,
It has a blade as a wiping member made of silicon rubber. The blade is held by the blade holding member in the form of a cantilever, and similarly to the head recovery device, is operated by the motor and the transmission mechanism and can be engaged with the ejection surface of the recording head. At appropriate timing in the recording operation of the recording head, or after the ejection recovery process using the head recovery device, the blade is projected into the movement path of the recording head, and the dew condensation or wetting on the ejection surface of the head is accompanied by the movement operation of the head. Alternatively, dust or the like is wiped off with a blade.

As described above, the ink jet recording apparatus stabilizes the ink ejection operation by the head recovery device and the wiping device. Therefore, when these members (for example, a head cartridge) are attached to or detached from the carriage, the nozzle surface of the recording head comes into contact with the recovery device, the platen, etc., and not only the recording head and the recovery device but also other devices. Care must be taken not to deform the members.

[0015]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional recording apparatus, the recording head is deformed or damaged due to the following structural problems even if the user carefully performs the mounting / removing operation of the head cartridge. There was something to do. An example of conventional problems will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 8A is a diagram for explaining a case where capping is performed in a form in which the head cartridge 70 is mounted on the carriage, and FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating the head cartridge 70 with respect to a fitting portion on the carriage. It is a figure for demonstrating the case where it slides in a predetermined direction and capping is performed.

In the conventional recording apparatus, the head cartridge is slid in a predetermined direction with respect to the fitting portion on the carriage for capping. At this time, the cap 61 connected to the pump 60 is interlocked with the movement of the carriage. Since the recording head moves like capping, the carriage does not move even if only the head cartridge part moves. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the head cartridge 70 is mounted on a carriage (not shown), the head cartridge 70 moves in the arrow B direction by driving the carriage. With this movement, the cap 61 that is inclined changes the angle in the movement direction to cap the nozzles of the head cartridge 70.

However, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the recording head cartridge is moved without driving the carriage (when the recording head cartridge is mounted on the carriage), the carriage remains stationary and the head cartridge 70 is moved. Since only one slides in the direction of arrow B,
Since the cap 61 that moves in conjunction with the movement of the carriage remains stationary and does not move in accordance with the movement of the head cartridge 70, when the head cartridge 70 and the cap 61 contact each other, the pressure in the direction of arrow B is applied to the cap 61. Takes. Therefore, the deformation as shown in the figure may occur. Therefore, in order to avoid such deformation, it has been proposed to provide a head attachment / detachment position separately from the cap position. However, when the carriage is left at the head attachment / detachment position for a certain period of time or more, the head is attached. In this case, there was a problem such as deterioration of recording quality due to drying of the nozzle surface of the head.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the above-mentioned conventional technique, and provides a recording apparatus capable of performing stable recording without drying the nozzle surface of the head. Aim to achieve.

[0019]

Recording apparatus of the present invention SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION may be detachably mounted recording means for recording on a recording medium, a carriage on which move along the recording area,
The recording means can be attached to and detached from the carriage along the movement path.
And exchanging positions of the eyes, a carriage capping <br/> ping position is set to perform the capping of the recording means, the carriage
Mounted detection mechanism to check if the recording means is mounted on top
When the carriage is Ru is left a certain hour or more to exchange position
A recording apparatus comprising a <br/> and control means for moving the carriage to the capping position, carry the mounting detection mechanism
Make sure there is no recording means on the door
Then, the control means causes the carriage to be released to the replacement position for a certain time or longer.
Even if it is placed, do not move the carriage to the capping position.
And wherein the decoction.

This on-board detection mechanism uses a carriage.
The recording means is provided with a path for energizing, and current is passed through the path.
Check if recording means is installed depending on whether
Can be one.

Further , the carriage is at the capping position.
It may be locked.

[0022]

In any of the above, the recording apparatus may be an ink jet recording system in which the recording means ejects ink in response to a signal to perform recording.

Further, in the recording apparatus, the recording means may include an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink.

[0025]

The information processing system of the present invention includes the recording device configured as described above as output means.

[0027]

In the present invention configured as described above, the head is left for a long time because the carriage is moved to the capping position by the capping means for capping after a certain time has elapsed at the exchange position by the attaching / detaching means. The nozzle surface of the head never dries. The movement to this capping position is on the carriage.
Can only be done if a recording means is installed
It

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal structure applied to an embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention.

The internal structure of the recording apparatus in this embodiment is of the ink jet recording type. In FIG. 1, the internal structure has a base 14 as a bottom and a frame 4 as a side.

At the rear of the frame 4, both ends of the pressure plate 8 in the longitudinal direction are rotatably supported, and the pressure plate 8 is urged toward the pickup roller 9 by pressure urging means (not shown). A recording medium P is loaded on the pressure plate 8. The pickup roller 9 is configured to rotate in response to a paper feed command and send out the recording medium P on the pressure plate 8.
The paper feeding unit includes a separating unit (not shown) that separates the recording media P on the pressure plate 8 one by one. The separated recording medium P is conveyed while being sandwiched between a conveyance roller 6 whose both ends are supported by the frame 4 and a pinch roller 7 provided on the base 14, and the paper discharge roller 1
The sheet is also pinched between the 5 and the spur 16 and discharged.

The frame 4 supports the guide shaft 5 in which the carriage 2 is fitted between the transport roller 6 and the paper discharge roller 15. The carriage 2 is engaged with a part of the carriage drive belt 11. The carriage drive belt 11 is wound around a pair of drive pulleys 13, and one of the drive pulleys 11 is attached to a shaft end of a carriage drive motor 10 fixed to a base 14. The carriage 2 is moved by the drive motor 10 along the guide shaft 5 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the recording medium P13.

The recording head cartridge 1 is mounted on the carriage 2. Recording head cartridge 1
A signal or the like is transmitted from the flexible cable 3 to the.
The recording head cartridge 1 is integrally configured with a recording head and an ink tank 30 that contains ink, and is detachably attached to the carriage 2. The ink tank 30 may be a replaceable ink tank that is detachable from the recording head.

In addition to being supported by the guide shaft 5, the carriage 2 is also supported by the guide rails 12 whose both ends are fixed to the frame 4, and the recording head is recorded on the recording medium P by these two supporting portions. The distance between the nozzle for ejecting the ink and the surface of the recording medium P is kept substantially constant. The flexible cable 3 is arranged along a longitudinal surface of the guide rail 12 substantially parallel to the conveyance path of the recording medium P, and a loop is formed on the surface of the flexible cable 3 as the carriage 2 moves.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention. The internal structure of the recording device described in FIG. 1 is sandwiched between an upper case 17 and a lower case 18. A top cover 19 is rotatably supported on the upper case 17. The top cover 19 serves as a cover for the upper surface of the upper case 17, and serves as a tray on which recording media are loaded when the recording medium is tilted backward as shown in FIG. An opening is provided in the center of the upper case 17, and the recording head cartridge 1 is replaced at this opening. A head cover 20 is provided in the opening,
Normally, the head cover 20 covers the opening. The head cover 20 is rotatably supported by the upper case 17.

When the recording head cartridge 1 is attached to or detached from the carriage 2 in such a recording apparatus, an arbitrary head cartridge exchange switch provided on the upper case 17 is pressed. An electric switch (not shown) on the substrate is pressed via the head cartridge exchange switch, and the carriage drive motor 10 drives the carriage 2
Moves to the head cartridge replacement position. The operation at that time will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 shows the position of the carriage 2 in the normal state. After the power is turned on, the carriage 2 waits for a print command, etc.
Is in this position.

FIG. 4 shows the position of the carriage 2 at the head cartridge replacement position. Provided on the upper case 17 when the recording head cartridge 1 needs to be detached from the carriage 2, such as when the recording head cartridge 1 runs out of ink or when the recording head cartridge 1 is replaced with a monochrome tank and a color tank. Press any of the head cartridge replacement switches that were specified. Then, the carriage drive motor 10 drives the carriage 2 to move to the opening provided in the central portion of the upper case 17. The user opens the head cover 20 and attaches and detaches the recording head cartridge 1 to and from the carriage 2. At this time, since the bent portion of the flexible cable 3 for transmitting signals and the like to the recording head cartridge 1 is completely covered by the upper case 17, it is possible to prevent the user from pulling out the flexible cable 3 in advance. .

On the other hand, when recognizing that the recording head cartridge 1 is not mounted on the carriage 2 when the power is on, the carriage 2 moves to the head cartridge exchange position shown in FIG. 4 after the power on sequence. The user
The recording head cartridge 1 is mounted on the carriage 2,
Start recording.

By the way, the head cartridge replacement position is a position as shown in FIG. 5 (right side from the position shown in FIG. 4).
Therefore, if the bent portion of the flexible cable 3 is not located at the position completely covered by the upper case 17, the user may pull out the flexible cable 3. When the flexible cable 3 is pulled out, it is bent or the pattern is broken. Further, the carriage motor 10 may be damaged.

In particular, in a small printer or the like which uses a narrow flexible cable having a width of about 10 mm or less, the flexibility of the flexible cable is small, so that the user can easily pull it out. This embodiment is particularly effective in such a case. Becomes

Next, another embodiment of the recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. 6 and 7 are respectively a schematic top view and a schematic front view of this embodiment. Since the schematic configuration of the recording apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is cited. The characteristic portions will be mainly described below.

In this embodiment, the carriage 2 is locked at the capping position. When the carriage 2 is left at the head cartridge exchange position for a certain period of time (standby time) or longer, the carriage 2 automatically moves to the capping position, and the recording head cartridge 1 is capped. The carriage lock 40 is provided to guide the carriage 2, and its left and right ends are fitted to the guide shaft 5 fixed to the frame 4. Carriage lock 40
Is configured to rotate (up and down direction in FIG. 7) about a fitting portion with the guide shaft 5 by a cam (not shown) when the motor is driven. When the carriage 2 moves to the capping position, the protrusion 2 on the front surface of the carriage 2
00, the recess 400 of the carriage lock 40 is engaged, and the carriage 2 is locked. When the carriage 2 moves from the capping position in response to the print command, the carriage lock 40 moves upward due to the movement of the cam, and the lock with the carriage 2 is released.

The recording apparatus of this embodiment is provided with a mounting detection mechanism for confirming whether the recording head cartridge 1 is mounted on the carriage 2. This mounting detection mechanism is connected to the recording head via the carriage 2.
It is provided with a path for supplying electricity , and it is confirmed whether or not the recording head cartridge 1 is mounted depending on whether or not a current flows through the path.

A control device (not shown) for controlling the operation of this embodiment switches the control operation according to the detection result of the above-mentioned mounting detection mechanism, and the carriage 2 is moved to the capping position due to the lapse of the standing time. This is performed only when the recording head cartridge 1 is mounted on the top. Therefore, when the printhead cartridge 1 is not mounted on the carriage, such as when the printhead is removed from the carriage at the exchange position, the carriage 2 unconditionally stands by at the head cartridge exchange position.

The measurement of the standing time is started after the carriage 2 on which the recording head cartridge 1 is mounted moves to the replacement position, but the measurement may be started after the replacement. The completion of the replacement work can be detected, for example, by confirming that the mounting is once removed by the mounting detection mechanism described above within the standing time and then mounted again.

Although each of the embodiments described above has been described by taking an ink jet recording apparatus as an example, it can be applied to various recording apparatuses such as a thermal transfer system.

The present invention brings excellent effects particularly in an ink jet recording head and recording apparatus for recording by forming flying droplets by utilizing thermal energy among the ink jet recording systems. Regarding its typical configuration and principle, see, for example, US Pat. No. 47231.
What is carried out using the basic principle disclosed in the specification No. 29 and the specification No. 47407796 is preferable. 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 the sheet or liquid path holding the liquid (ink). By applying at least one drive signal which gives a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to the electrothermal converter which is being recorded, thermal energy is generated in the electrothermal converter, and a recording head Film boiling is caused on the hot boiling surface, and as a result, a liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal in a one-to-one correspondence is ejected to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make the driving signal into a pulse shape because bubbles can be grown and contracted immediately and appropriately, and thus a liquid (ink) with excellent responsiveness can be ejected.

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

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the ejection port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the liquid passage on the straight line or the liquid passage at the right angle) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications. The present invention also includes configurations using US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.

In addition, the present invention is also applicable to a structure based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461, which discloses a structure in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of the electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters. It is valid.

Further, as a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum recording medium width that can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length can be increased by combining a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification. The present invention can exert the above-mentioned effects more effectively, although it may have a configuration that satisfies the above requirement or a configuration as one recording head integrally formed.

In addition, by being attached to the apparatus main body, it can be electrically connected to the apparatus main body and can be supplied with ink from the apparatus main body by a replaceable chip type recording head or the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge-type recording head provided with an ink tank is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specific examples thereof include capping means, cleaning means, pressurizing or suctioning means for the recording head, preheating means using an electrothermal converter or another heating element or a combination thereof, and recording. It is also effective to perform a stable recording by performing a preliminary discharge mode in which another discharge is performed.

Further, as the recording mode of the recording apparatus, not only the mainstream color such as black is recorded but also the recording head may be integrally formed or a plurality of them may be combined. The present invention is also extremely effective for a device provided with at least one of full colors by color mixing.

In the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid, but it is an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower and softens at room temperature, or is a liquid, or the above-mentioned ink jet system. In general, the temperature of the ink itself is adjusted within the range of 30 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower to control the temperature of the ink so that the viscosity of the ink is within the stable ejection range. Anything can be used.

In addition, the temperature rise due to the thermal energy is positively prevented by using it as the energy for changing the state of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or the ink is solidified in the left state for the purpose of preventing evaporation of the ink. Either it is prevented by using ink, or in any case the ink is liquefied by being applied according to the recording signal of thermal energy and is ejected as liquid ink, or it begins to solidify when it reaches the recording medium. The use of an ink having a property of being liquefied only by thermal energy, such as, is also applicable to the present invention. In such a case, the ink is disclosed in JP-A-54-5.
6847 or Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-71260, such that it faces the electrothermal converter in a state of being held as a liquid or solid in the recesses or through holes of the porous sheet. May be In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, as a form of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to one provided integrally or separately as an image output terminal of information processing equipment such as a word processor or a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, May take the form of a facsimile machine having a transmission / reception function.

[0059]

The present invention has the following effects.

At least one exchange position set along the main scanning direction, the attaching / detaching means for attaching / detaching the recording means for ejecting ink onto the recording medium to form an image at a predetermined position on the carriage, In a recording apparatus having a conveying unit for conveying a recording medium in the sub-scanning direction and a capping unit for protecting the recording unit, since the carriage moves to the capping position after a certain period of time at the exchange position, Stable recording can be performed without drying the nozzle surface of the head. To move to this capping position, carry
To be performed only when a recording means is installed on the
You can

Further, since the carriage is locked at the capping position, the head is surely capped without the carriage moving due to vibration and the like, so that a user-friendly recording apparatus capable of stable recording is provided. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal structure applied to an embodiment of a recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the position of the carriage in a normal state of an embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the position of the carriage at the head cartridge exchange position of the embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the position of the carriage at the head cartridge replacement position to be solved by the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining a positional relationship between a conventional head cartridge and a carriage, (a) shows a case where a head is mounted on a carriage to move, and (b) shows a case where only the head is slid. Is.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Recording head cartridge 2 carriage 3 flexible cable 4 frames 5 Guide shaft 6 Conveyor rollers 7 pinch rollers 8 pressure plate 9 Pickup roller 10 Carriage drive motor 11 Carriage drive belt 12 Guide rail 13 Drive pulley 14 base 15 Paper ejection roller 16 spurs 17 Upper case 18 lower case 19 top cover 20 head cover 30 ink tanks 40 Carriage lock 200 convex 400 recess P Recording medium

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Soichi Hiramatsu 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Inoue 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon (72) Inventor Hitoshi Nakamura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Takeshi Iwasaki 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. ( 72) Inventor Takashi Nojima 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (56) Reference JP-A-6-15832 (JP, A) JP-A-5-278230 (JP, A) Special Kai 63-11347 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/01 B41J 2/165 B41J 19/18 B41J 29/00 B41J 25/304

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A recording unit for recording on a recording medium is attached and detached.
Freely mounted, a carriage on which move along the recording area, the path of movement thereof, said recording means key
The replacement position for attaching / detaching to / from the carriage and the recording unit
The capping position at which the capping is performed is set.
Check that the ridge and the recording means are mounted on the carriage.
A mounting detection mechanism that, said a carriage in the recording apparatus and a control means for moving said carriage and Ru is left a certain hour or more <br/> the exchange position to the capping position, by the mounting detection mechanism Recording means on the carriage
If you confirm that it is not installed, the control means
The carriage is left in the replacement position for the specified time or longer.
The carriage is still moved to the capping position.
Recording device characterized by the fact that it does not . 2. The mounting detection mechanism includes:
A path for energizing the recording means is provided through the path.
The recording means is installed depending on whether the current flows
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, which is confirmed . 3. The carriage is at the capping position.
The lock according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
On-board recording device. 4. The recording means ejects ink in response to a signal.
An ink jet recording method in which recording is carried out by printing.
The recording apparatus according to any one of 1 to 3 . 5. The recording means is thermal energy for ink ejection.
It is specially equipped with an electrothermal converter for generating
The recording apparatus according to claim 4, which is a characteristic . 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
An information processing system including a recording device as an output unit.