JPH1052915A - Liquid discharging method, liquid discharging head, liquid discharging head cartridge and ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance and efficiency of discharging energies and discharging pressure by preventing an influence of back waves at generating bubbles in the liquid flow path and making liquid discharge from the discharge port. SOLUTION: A heater 5 is set at a first liquid flow path 4 communicating to the discharge port 3 for giving liquid discharging energies to liquid. In an upstream side from the heater 5, a second liquid flow path 6 adjoining the first liquid flow path is set by being distant from a separation wall 8, and in the second flow path 6, a heater 7 is disposed for forming a second bubble generating area. The part just above the heater 7 in the separation wall 8 is a movable member 9 having a free end at the discharge port 3 side. When droplets are discharged, bubbles are generated by the heater 5 and also bubbles are generated by the heater 7, and thus the movable member 9 is shifted to the first flow path 4 side by the bubbles so as to make bubble pressure turn toward the discharge port 3 side by the agency of these bubbles.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid discharge method represented by an ink jet recording method for discharging liquid droplets, a liquid discharge head represented by the ink jet recording head, a liquid discharge head cartridge, and an ink jet recording apparatus. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a recording method in a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile or a plotter, an ink jet recording a character or a figure by discharging minute ink droplets from a nozzle (discharge port). The recording method is receiving attention. The ink jet recording method has an excellent advantage that high-definition image output and high-speed printing are possible. In particular, a method in which bubbles are generated in a liquid by an electrothermal converter (hereinafter also referred to as a heater) or the like and the generated bubble (bubble) pressure is used, a so-called bubble jet method (Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-59911-4). It has features such as easy downsizing of the device and high density of images.

The liquid discharged from the nozzle by the bubble pressure is not limited to the ink liquid, and other liquids can be discharged. Therefore, in this specification, a method of discharging not only ink but also liquid in general is referred to as a liquid discharge method, and a method of performing recording by discharging an ink liquid onto a recording medium in the liquid discharge method is referred to as an ink jet recording method. I will.

[0004] In the field of ink jet recording, there is a high demand for color recording. As a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus that satisfies the demand for colorization, for example, an apparatus that performs color recording by arranging ink jet recording heads of each color in parallel on a carriage along a scanning direction for each color, or for color recording Yellow used,
An ink tank that stores magenta and cyan inks and a print head that discharges these inks are arranged side by side in parallel, and a color ink jet print head and a black-only ink jet print head are arranged on a carriage to perform color printing. And the like are employed.

FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ink flow path portion of a conventional bubble jet type recording head for generating bubbles by using an electrothermal transducer and discharging ink droplets. A heater section 91 is embedded in the ink flow path 92, and one end of the ink flow path 92 communicates with the discharge port 93,
The ink is filled in the ink flow path 92. When the heat generated in the heater unit 91 acts on the ink filled in the ink flow path 92, the ink on the heater unit 91 undergoes a rapid state change (foaming phenomenon), and a part of the ink flow path 92 Is ejected from the ejection port 93 to the recording medium, and the recording is performed. The bubbles generated by the heat generated by the heater unit 91 are reduced and disappear as soon as the heating by the heater unit 91 ends, and the ink flow path 92 is again filled with ink (ink refilling process).

However, in the conventional recording head as shown in FIG. 20, the foamed bubbles may become larger than necessary, and in this case, it takes time to eliminate the bubbles. Further, since the energy at the time of bubbling is transmitted from the heater portion 91 in the direction of the ejection port 93 (Q direction) and at the same time to the upstream side (P direction) which is the ink supply side, the energy in the ink flow path 92 is transmitted. There is a problem to be solved in that it takes time to refill with ink again. The pressure wave propagating upstream with the generation of bubbles is referred to herein as a back wave.

A recording head having a flow path configuration as shown in FIG. 20 has been able to cope with the printing speed of a conventional recording apparatus. In some cases, the refill time of the ink cannot keep up with the printing speed, resulting in non-ejection of the ink.

A common ink jet recording head is provided with a common liquid chamber for supplying ink to a plurality of ink flow paths on the upstream side of the flow path. Such a back wave is strongly generated on the upstream side of the ink. When transmitted, the back wave propagates through the common liquid chamber to another ink flow path, which may adversely affect the ink ejection state in that flow path.

The fact that the refilling time is required and the adverse effect of the back wave described above is not limited to the ink jet recording head, but is generally applied to a liquid discharging head that discharges droplets using bubbles. Was an issue that had to be solved.

Various proposals have conventionally been made to solve such problems. The following describes each of the proposals that have been made for the ink jet recording head, but it is clear that the following configuration can be generally applied to liquid ejection heads.

For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-100169, a configuration is known in which a fluid resistance portion is provided on the upstream side of a heater portion that generates thermal energy in an ink flow path. FIG. 21 shows the structure of such an ink jet recording head. As shown in FIG. 21, ink 904 flows into an ink flow path 902 communicating with a discharge port 901 for discharging ink from an inflow opening 903 at one end of the ink flow path 902. In the vicinity of the discharge port 901 at the other end of the ink flow path 902, a heater 90 for generating thermal energy used to discharge ink by forming bubbles is formed.
5 is disposed on the wall surface, and the upstream side of the heater 905 (inflow opening 90) of the wall surface on which the heater 905 is disposed.
On the third side), a barrier 906 is protruded. In such a recording head, when an electric signal is input to the heater 905, bubbles are generated in the ink 904, and the ink droplet 907 is ejected from the ejection port 901 toward the recording medium 908 by this action. At the same time, the acting force due to the bubbles also acts in the anti-discharge direction (the direction of the inflow opening 903). Is larger, and the action force of the bubble is effectively used for discharging the ink droplet 907.

As a method of preventing energy loss to the upstream side of such a heater, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 99256 discloses a method of providing, in addition to the ejection energy generating means directly involved in the ejection, a second energy generating means not directly involved in the ejection. Second
By using the energy generating means, it is possible to prevent the energy generated by the ejection energy generating means from being lost backward.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-240558 discloses a method of providing a heating means in a liquid chamber in addition to the heater arrangement of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-199256.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-102945, a second energy generating means is provided separately from a discharge heater for controlling discharge so as to intersect with the flow path. There is disclosed a structure in which a component in the flow channel width direction is larger than the flow channel width.

Further, JP-A-63-197652 or JP-A-63-199972 discloses the use of a valve mechanism as a fluid resistance element in order to prevent loss of discharge energy. . The flow path structures disclosed in these publications are shown in FIGS. 22 (a) and 22 (b). In this recording head, an electrothermal converter 912 for forming air bubbles is provided on a substrate 911 corresponding to each ink flow path 913, and one end of each ink flow path 913 is connected to a discharge port 915. The other end is connected to the common liquid chamber 916 in common. Valve mechanism 91
Numeral 4 has an initial position as if it is stuck to the ceiling of the ink flow path 913, and the flow of ink is larger than the heat acting area near the electrothermal converter 912 (projection space of the electrothermal converter in the plane direction). It is provided on the upstream side with respect to the direction, and has a structure opened by a back wave. This recording head operates the valve mechanism 914 so as to prevent the back wave from propagating further upstream, thereby preventing the loss of the ejection energy.

Further, the above-described electrothermal transducer or electromechanical transducer (piezo element) or the like is used as a liquid transport mechanism, and the liquid such as the back wave described above in the direction opposite to the desired liquid moving direction is used. A liquid transport method and apparatus provided with a fluid resistance element for suppressing the movement of a liquid have also been proposed. That is, if the liquid can be driven in one direction by any mechanism, it corresponds to the liquid transport device described here.
From the viewpoint of a liquid transport device, an ink jet recording head transports liquid from an ink tank to a discharge port regardless of whether or not bubbles are generated using an electrothermal transducer, and ink is transferred at a predetermined discharge pressure. Is discharged from the discharge port. For example, JP-A-63-197652 or JP-A-63-199 mentioned above.
The ink jet recording head provided with a valve mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 972 can be considered to use an electrothermal transducer as a liquid transport mechanism and attempt to control ink flow in one direction by the valve mechanism. . Similarly, attempts have been made to achieve a unidirectional flow of liquid using a piezo element.

[0017]

However, when the fluid resistance portion is provided as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-100169, the ejection is performed at a relatively low driving frequency as compared with the case where the fluid resistance portion is not provided. In this case, as described above, the effect of the back wave can be prevented to some extent by the action of the barrier (liquid resistance portion) provided in the liquid flow path. Inevitably, the influence of the back wave from the camera is unavoidable, and the refill is delayed by being obstructed by the barrier. Further, there is a problem in that the vibration of the liquid in the nozzle cannot be controlled, and proper repeated ejection cannot be performed.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-199256,
JP-A-62-240558, JP-A-63-10294
The technology described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5 (2005) No. 5, in addition to the heater for discharging droplets,
A heater for controlling the back wave is provided, and the propagation of the back wave to the rear is controlled by bubbles generated by the heater for controlling the back wave. In the case of these configurations, if it is necessary to sufficiently increase the bubbling pressure of heater bubbling for ejecting ink droplets, the bubbling pressure for ejection must be increased unless the heater for back wave control is sufficiently large. The foaming pressure of the wave control heater will be lost. If the heater for back wave control is increased for sufficient back wave control, there is a problem that the entire liquid flow path length becomes longer, and a region where refilling is delayed is created.

Further, when a valve mechanism having a structure opened by a back wave is provided as described in JP-A-63-197652 or JP-A-63-199972, bubbles for discharge are formed. Naturally, it grows also on the upstream side of the liquid flow path, and in the process, the valve mechanism disposed above the liquid flow path moves (corresponds to) the flow of the growing bubbles. In other words, the valve mechanism 914 is
Most of the time of the bubble growth process will elapse before opening to the position shown in (b). Therefore, there is a case where the back wave, which is the original purpose, cannot be suppressed and the loss of the ejection energy cannot be sufficiently prevented.
In particular, when the present invention is applied to a printing apparatus that discharges at a high drive frequency, there is a possibility that the apparatus cannot cope with the frequency.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a liquid discharge method capable of substantially suppressing the movement of liquid in the upstream direction from the discharge energy generating element and improving the refill efficiency.

Further, a second object of the present invention is to improve the refilling characteristics of a discharge liquid such as ink, improve discharge efficiency and discharge power, and achieve high-speed and high-quality printing when applied to ink jet recording. An object of the present invention is to provide a possible liquid ejection method and a liquid ejection head, and to provide an ink jet recording apparatus using the liquid ejection method or the liquid ejection head.

[0022]

The main requirements of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object are as follows.

The liquid is discharged from the discharge port by using a liquid discharge head having a flow path communicating with the discharge port and a discharge energy generating element provided in the flow path for applying energy for discharging the liquid to the liquid. A method of ejecting liquid, comprising: ejecting a liquid from the ejection port by driving the ejection energy generating element; and disposing the liquid upstream of the ejection energy generating element in the flow path to generate a bubble. Bubble generation area, the free end of the movable member of the fluid element having a movable member provided with a fulcrum and a free end provided facing the bubble generation area, the air bubbles in the bubble generation area Displacing by generating the liquid.

A flow path communicating with the discharge port, a discharge energy generating element for applying energy for discharging the liquid provided in the flow path to the liquid, and an upstream of the discharge energy generating element in the flow path And a fluid element having a bubble generating region for generating bubbles and a movable member provided facing the bubble generating region and having a fulcrum and a free end.

A liquid discharge head cartridge having the above-described liquid discharge head and a liquid container for holding a liquid supplied to the liquid discharge head.

An ink jet recording apparatus having the above-described liquid discharge head and means for transporting a recording medium which receives ink discharged from the liquid discharge head.

According to the liquid discharge method and the like of the present invention, a movable member constituting a fluid element provided upstream of a liquid discharge energy generating element for discharging liquid is displaced at a desired timing, whereby the discharge energy generating element is displaced. In addition to suppressing the flow of liquid to the upstream side, the movable member can quickly supply the liquid from the upstream side with the return operation to the steady position by the bubble erasing process in the bubble generation area. Can be. In addition, since the movable member returns to the steady position at the time of refilling while preventing back waves by displacing the movable member, the maximum state can be achieved without narrowing the flow path diameter at the time of refilling, so that refilling can be performed. It can be done very easily.

When the discharge liquid in the first liquid flow path and the foaming liquid in the second liquid flow path for driving the movable member are formed of different liquids, the respective liquid flow paths Since the foaming conditions in the bubble generation region (heater) corresponding to the above can be made different, the foaming timing in each bubble generation region can be made different. As a result, the timing at which the movable member is displaced can be arbitrarily set.
The liquid refill can be set individually to some extent. As a result, even if the heads have the same flow path structure, optimal driving conditions can be set depending on the difference of the ejection liquid (ink). , High speed and high image quality.

Further, since the bubble erasing position on the first bubble generating region for discharge can be controlled, the life until the heater breaks due to cavitation can be extended, and a long life liquid discharge head can be obtained. Can be provided.

The terms "upstream" and "downstream" used in the description of the present specification refer to the flow direction of the liquid from the liquid supply source to the discharge port via the bubble generation region, or the direction in this configuration. As an expression.
Further, the term “downstream side” regarding the bubble itself mainly represents a portion on the side of the bubble discharge port which is assumed to directly act on the discharge of the droplet. More specifically, it means a bubble generated in a region downstream of the center of the bubble with respect to the flow direction or the configuration direction, or in a region downstream of the area center of the heating element.

[0031]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the present invention, an ink jet recording method and a case of an ink jet recording head will be described as examples. However, the present invention provides a liquid discharging method and a liquid discharging method by using a liquid other than ink as a liquid to be discharged. It can be generally applied to a head.

<< First Embodiment >> FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid flow path of the inkjet recording head according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 1 as viewed from the X direction, and FIG. B-
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line B ′ as viewed from the X direction;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line BB ′ of FIG. 1 as viewed from the Y direction.

A first liquid flow path (ink liquid flow path or discharge liquid flow path) 4 is formed in communication with a discharge port 3 for discharging ink droplets. The other end is first
(A common liquid chamber 11 for ink). The bottom surface of the first liquid flow path 4 excluding the portion where the discharge port 3 is formed is constituted by the substrate 1, and the surface of the substrate 1 corresponds to the first liquid flow path 4. An electrothermal converter (heater) 5 for generating thermal energy for generating bubbles in the liquid (ink) in the first liquid flow path 4 is formed. The flow path on the heater is a bubble generation area. The side and upper surfaces of the first liquid flow path 4 and the discharge port 3 are integrally formed by a grooved top plate 2 obtained by laser-processing a molded product such as polysulfone.

A second liquid flow path (foaming liquid) for the foaming liquid is provided on the bottom of the first liquid flow path 4 on the upstream side of the ink flow from the heater 5 so as to be along the first liquid flow path 4. (Liquid flow path) 6 is disposed. Between the first liquid flow path 4 and the second liquid flow path 6,
The fluid element is partitioned by a separation wall 8 made of an elastic material such as a metal, and separates the ink in the first liquid flow path 4 from the foaming liquid in the second liquid flow path 6. I'm different. When the same liquid is used as the liquid in the first liquid flow path and the liquid in the second liquid flow path, the partitions of the two flow paths may not be complete. The second liquid flow path 6 extends in a direction opposite to the direction in which the discharge ports 3 are provided, and is connected to a second common liquid chamber (common liquid chamber for foaming liquid) 12. On the bottom surface of the second liquid flow path 6, a heating element 7 that constitutes a fluid element for heating and foaming the foaming liquid is formed. The heating element 7 is also configured by an electrothermal converter that converts electric energy to heat energy, similarly to the heater 5 described above. Note that the second liquid flow path portion on the heating element is a bubble generation area. Further, a U-shaped slit 1 is formed in the separation wall 8 in a portion located in the projection space upward in the direction of the heating element 7.
0 is provided, and the separation wall 8 of the portion surrounded by the slit 10 on three sides constitutes the movable member 9. More specifically, the movable member 9 has a cantilever shape in which the discharge port 3 side (downstream of ink flow) is a free end and the fulcrum is located on the common liquid chambers 11 and 12 side. With this configuration, as described later, the movable member 9 causes the first liquid flow path 4 to move due to the bubbling of the bubbling liquid existing in the heating element 7.
It operates so that it is opened to the side and displaced (the direction of the arrow in the figure).
In the steady state, the movable member 9 is in the same plane as the part of the separation wall 8 other than the movable member 9.

The second liquid flow path 6 has narrow portions 13 formed before and after the heating element 7, and the pressure at the time of bubbling is transmitted through the second liquid flow path 6 to escape to the common liquid chamber 12 and the like. (Foaming chamber) structure in which such a phenomenon is suppressed. In a conventional ink jet recording head, a flow path for bubbling and a flow path for discharging liquid are made the same, and a constricted portion is provided so that pressure generated on the liquid chamber side from the heating element does not escape to the common liquid chamber side. In such a case, it is necessary to take into consideration the refilling of the liquid to be ejected, and to adopt a configuration in which the cross-sectional area of the flow path in the constricted portion is not too small. However, in the case of the ink jet recording head of the present embodiment, most of the liquid discharged from the discharge port 3 is ink (discharge liquid) in the first liquid flow path 4 and the heating element 7 is provided. Since the foaming liquid in the second liquid flow path 6 is not consumed much, the filling amount of the foaming liquid in the discharge pressure generating portion of the second liquid flow path 6 may be small. Therefore, the interval in the constricted portion 13 is set to several μm.
m to several tens of μm, and the pressure at the time of bubbling generated in the second liquid flow path 6 can be concentrated and directed to the movable member 9 without escaping much to the surroundings. Since this pressure is used as the discharge pressure via the movable member 9, higher discharge efficiency and higher discharge force can be achieved. However, the shape of the second liquid flow path 6 is not limited to the above structure,
Any shape may be used as long as the pressure caused by the bubble generation can be effectively transmitted to the movable member 9 side.

In the above-described configuration, the heater 5 serving as a discharge energy generating element in the first liquid flow path 4 constitutes a first bubble generation area, and the heating element 7 in the second liquid flow path 6 has a second heating element. Of the bubble generation region.

In practice, one ink jet recording head is provided with a plurality of discharge ports, but in this embodiment, the first liquid flow path 4, the heater 5, the second liquid flow path 6, one heating element 7 and one movable member 9 are provided. And a plurality of discharge ports 3 and discharge ports 3
A grooved top plate 2 having a first liquid flow path 4 formed therein, and a corresponding number of heaters 5 and heating elements 7 corresponding to the number of discharge ports 3.
Are provided, and the number of slits 10 (that is, movable members 9) corresponding to the number of the discharge ports 3 are prepared, and the separation walls 8 are sandwiched between the common liquid chambers 11 and 12. Thus, the ink jet recording head is completed by joining the grooved top plate 2 and the substrate 1. In the present embodiment, the partition wall 8 is also provided with a partition for separating the adjacent second liquid flow paths 6. A partition wall between the second liquid flow paths 6,
The separation wall 8 that separates the first liquid flow path 4 and the second liquid flow path 6 may be separately formed, and these may be joined to form the second liquid flow path 6.

Hereinafter, a material for forming the separation wall 8, that is, the movable member 9 will be described. The material is not limited to nickel as long as it functions as a movable member. That is, the material forming the separation wall 8 is resistant to the bubbling liquid and the ink (discharge liquid), has elasticity to operate well as the movable member 9, and can form a fine slit. I just need. These materials include durable silver, nickel,
Metals such as gold, iron, titanium, aluminum, platinum, tantalum, stainless steel, phosphor bronze, and their alloys, or
Acrylonitrile, butadiene, resins having a nitrile group such as styrene, resins having an amide group such as polyamide, resins having a carboxyl group such as polycarbonate, resins having an aldehyde group such as polyacetal, resins having a sulfone group such as polysulfone, and others Resins such as liquid crystal polymers and their compounds, high ink resistance,
Gold, tungsten, tantalum, nickel, stainless steel,
For metals such as titanium, their alloys and ink resistance, those coated on the surface or resins having amide groups such as polyamides, resins having aldehyde groups such as polyacetal, and ketone groups such as polyetheretherketone. Resin having an imide group such as polyimide, resin having a hydroxyl group such as a phenol resin, resin having an ethyl group such as polyethylene, resin having an alkyl group such as polypropylene, resin having an epoxy group such as an epoxy resin, melamine Preferred examples include a resin having an amino group such as a resin, a resin having a methylol group such as a xylene resin and a compound thereof, and a ceramic such as silicon dioxide and a compound thereof. Also, the thickness of the separation wall 8 and the shape of the movable member 9 are not limited to the present embodiment as long as they can be displaced enough to perform a sufficient function by a combination with the size of the heating element 7. No, but roughly 0.5μm to 10μ
m is desirable.

Slit 10 for forming movable member 9
Is 2 μm in the present embodiment, but when the foaming liquid and the discharge liquid are different liquids, and when it is desired to prevent mixing of the two liquids, a slit width is formed between the two liquids to form a stable meniscus. What is necessary is just to make it an interval | interval of the extent which does, and to restrict | circulate the flow of each liquid.

In the present embodiment, as the heater 5 and the heating element 7, those having a heating resistor such as hafnium boride or tantalum nitride which generates heat in response to an electric signal are used. However, any material that generates sufficient bubbles in the foaming liquid or ink may be used. For example, a heater having a photothermal converter that generates heat by receiving light such as a laser may be used as the heater 5 or the heater 7. The heater 5
The heating element 7 may include not only the heating section but also a protective film for protecting the heating section from liquid.

The discharge energy generating element 5 may be any element that can apply sufficient energy to discharge the liquid, and is not necessarily a heater, but may be, for example, a piezoelectric element.

The grooved top plate 2 is formed by providing a discharge port 3 by laser processing in a molded product of polysulfone. However, the material of the grooved top plate is not limited to polysulfone as long as it can be laser-processed. Also,
Depending on the ink used, polysulfone may be plated or the like.

The liquid (ie, the foaming liquid) supplied to the second liquid flow path 6 is not deteriorated by heat, hardly produces deposits on the heating element by heating, and reversible changes in vaporization and condensation by heat. Various liquids can be used as long as the liquid can be used. As a representative,
A mixed solution of ethanol and water; further, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane, toluene, xylene, methylene dichloride, trichlene, Freon TF, Freon BF , Ethyl ether, dioxane,
Cyclohexane, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, acetone,
Examples include methyl ethyl ketone, water, and the like, and mixtures thereof.

Examples of the recording medium to which the liquid such as ink is applied include plastics used for various types of paper and OHP sheets, compact discs and decorative plates, metal materials such as aluminum and copper, cowhide, pigs and the like. Leather materials such as leather and artificial leather, wood materials such as wood and plywood, ceramic materials such as bamboo materials and tiles, and three-dimensional structures such as sponges can be used.

Next, the operation of the ink jet recording head will be described with reference to FIG. FIGS. 5A to 5E are diagrams for explaining the operation in order. Here, it is assumed that the liquid supplied to the first liquid flow path 4 and the liquid supplied to the second liquid flow path 6 are operated using the same water-based ink.

FIG. 5A shows a state in which both the heater 5 and the heating element 7 are not energized.
And the heater 5 does not foam. Each of the liquid flow paths 4 and 6 is filled with water-based ink. When a drive signal is applied to the heater 5 and the heating element 7 in this state, heat is generated, and the heat generated by the heater 5 acts on the ink in the first liquid flow path 4 as shown in FIG. Bubbles are generated due to the film boiling phenomenon, and similarly, the heat generated by the heating element 7 acts to generate bubbles due to the film boiling phenomenon in the ink in the second liquid flow path 6. The pressure based on the generation of bubbles in the second liquid flow path 6 and this bubble act on the movable member 9 preferentially, displacing the movable member 9 to the first liquid flow path 4 side. Due to this displacement, the above-described pressure and air bubbles enter the first liquid flow path 4 from the gap formed on the free end side toward the discharge port 3 side, and the bubbling pressure of the air bubbles moves toward the discharge port 3 side It acts on the liquid in the first liquid flow path 4. On the other hand, the bubbles formed on the heater 5 also grow, and the liquid comes to protrude from the discharge port 3 in combination with the pressure of the bubbles from the second liquid flow path 6 side.

Further, after the generation of bubbles, each bubble further grows, and particularly, the displacement of the movable member 9 reaches the maximum amount,
Bubbles caused by the heating element 7 are moved to the first position at the position where the movable member 9 exists.
Liquid flow path 4. As a result, the back wave of the bubbling caused by the heater 5 is prevented from being transmitted to the common liquid chamber 11 side, and instead the bubbling force from the bubbles of the heating element 7 is received, so that the bubbling force for discharge as a whole is increased, The ink droplet protrudes greatly from the ejection port 3 and breaks off in the subsequent bubble erasing process on the heater 5 and flies toward the recording medium.

Each bubble enters a defoaming process. At this time, in addition to the elastic force of the movable member 9, the movable member 9 returns to the steady position rapidly by receiving the negative pressure due to the defoaming in the second liquid flow path 6, and moves when the movable member 9 returns to the steady position. As a result, the negative pressure of the defoaming on the heater 5 causes the ink to rapidly flow into the first liquid flow path 4 from the common liquid chamber 11 side. In addition, the meniscus surface of the ink retreats from the ejection port 3 side to the upstream side with the defoaming on the heater 5, but in the case of the present embodiment, the movement of the movable member 9 when returning to the normal position is performed. Since the influence is large, refilling of the ink into the first liquid flow path 4 is rapidly achieved, and as shown in FIG.
A meniscus is formed at the position to return to a steady state.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the second liquid flow path 6 provided with the heating element 7 is provided adjacent to the first liquid flow path 4, and the two liquid flow paths 4, 6 are provided. By providing the movable member 9 between them, it becomes possible to discharge droplets of ink or the like with a higher discharge efficiency and a higher discharge pressure as compared with a liquid discharge head having a conventional configuration. The reason why such high discharge energy and high discharge pressure can be realized is that
It is thought to be due to the following phenomena and the interaction of these phenomena.

First, by the displacement of the movable member 9 described above,
Of the discharge pressure generated in the second liquid flow path 6, the movable member 9
Most of the discharge pressure transmitted to the side is opened in the first liquid flow path 4 and in the direction of the discharge port 3. That is, the second liquid flow path 6
The movable member 9 changes the direction of propagation of the discharge pressure generated in the above to the direction of the discharge port 3. At the same time, in the first liquid flow path 4, bubbles grow on the heater 5, and on the discharge port 3 side, the foaming pressures of these two bubbles are added to generate a discharge pressure. At this time, a back wave caused by bubbles on the heater 5 is generated by the movable member 9.
In addition, the light is reflected by the air bubbles generated by the heating element 7 and is directed toward the discharge port 3, thereby further increasing the discharge energy.

Next, each bubble contracts and the movable member 9 returns to the position in the steady state, and the first liquid flow path 4 supplies an amount of liquid corresponding to the amount of discharged liquid from the upstream side. . Since the supply of the discharge liquid is in the direction in which the movable member 9 is closed, the refill of the discharge liquid is not hindered by the movable member 9. As described above, in the configuration of the present embodiment, since the liquid on the upstream side of the first liquid flow path 4 is hardly affected by the back wave, the unidirectionality of the liquid flow from upstream to downstream is strong. , And refilling is performed well. Also,
As described above, since the foaming liquid in the second liquid flow path 6 is not used much, the refilling is completed in a small amount.

Note that, as shown in FIG.
Some of the bubbles generated in the bubble generation region (heating element 7) of the second liquid flow path 6 due to the displacement of the first liquid flow path 4 toward the first liquid flow path 4
However, by setting the height of the second liquid flow path 6 such that the bubbles extend as described above, compared to the case where the bubbles do not extend, Discharge force can be improved. In order for the bubbles to extend to the first liquid flow path 4 as described above, it is desirable that the height of the second liquid flow path 6 be lower than the maximum bubble height. μ
m to 30 μm. In this embodiment, the height is set to 15 μm.

<< Second Embodiment >> In the previous embodiment, the case was described where the drive timing (foaming timing) of the ejection energy generating element and the drive timing (foaming timing) of the fluid element were substantially the same. In the present embodiment, an example in which these timings are made different is shown.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the drive timing in the present embodiment, and illustrates the operation of the ink jet when the drive timing of the fluid element is faster than the drive timing of the ejection energy generating element. .

As in the previous embodiment, (a) shows a state (driven state) before both the ejection energy generating element and the fluid element are driven.

First, power is supplied to the heating element 7 constituting the fluid element, and the heating element 7 generates heat. Bubbles are generated in the ink by the generated heat, and accordingly, the movable member 9 constituting the fluid element is displaced to the flow path 4 side. Next, energization is performed on the heating element 5 which is an ejection energy generating element to generate air bubbles (b). Ink is ejected from the ejection port at a pressure based on the generation of bubbles (c). At this time, since the movable member has already been displaced, the movement of the ink to the upstream side can be more reliably prevented, and the movement of the ink to the ejection port side occurs in advance by the fluid element. Therefore, the ejection force and the ejection speed can be further improved.

When the bubbles in the heating element 7 disappear, the movable member returns to the initial state. Further, as the air bubbles generated in the heating element 5 disappear, the ink is supplied (refilled) from the liquid chamber 11 on the upstream side.
Since the movable member is in the same direction as the direction in which the movable member returns to the initial state, the movable member does not hinder refilling.

Further, in this embodiment, the bubbling timing of the fluid element is made earlier than the bubbling timing of the ejection energy generating element. However, the driving may be performed at the opposite timing according to the purpose. As described above, by appropriately adjusting the bubbling timing of the ejection energy generating element and the bubbling timing of the fluid element, it is possible to adjust the ejection characteristics, the characteristics of suppressing ink movement to the upstream side, the refill characteristics, and the like. Therefore, when the head of the present invention is mounted on devices having different driving frequencies, by adjusting both driving timings, it is possible to obtain a refill characteristic or the like matching the driving frequency of each device.

<< Third Embodiment >> FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid flow path of the inkjet recording head according to the embodiment, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 6, viewed from the X direction, and FIG. B-
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line B ′ as viewed from the X direction
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line BB ′ of FIG. 7 as viewed from the Y direction.

The difference between this ink jet recording head and the ink jet recording head of the first embodiment is that
That is, the heater in the first liquid flow path 4 is divided into two in the direction of ink flow. The area of the upstream heater 5-2 is larger than that of the downstream heater 5-1.
According to the heater No. 2, larger bubbles can be generated.

FIGS. 11A to 11E show that the heater 5-1 on the downstream side in the first liquid flow path 4 and the heating element 7 in the second liquid flow path 6 are driven to FIGS. 12A to 12E sequentially show the process of discharging ink droplets. FIGS. 12A to 12E show both heaters 5-1 and 5-2 in the first liquid flow path 4 and the second liquid. Heating element 7 in channel 6
To sequentially discharge ink droplets from the discharge port 3.

The heater 5 on the downstream side in the first liquid flow path 4
When only −1 is driven, only relatively small bubbles are generated in the first liquid flow path 4, so that the amount of ink discharged from the discharge port 3 becomes small. On the other hand, the first liquid flow path 4
In the case where both heaters 5-1 and 5-2 are driven, both air bubbles generated by these heaters 5-1 and 5-2 are involved in ink ejection, and a larger ink ejection amount is obtained. Is obtained. Although not shown here, the first
When only the heater 5-2 on the upstream side is driven in the liquid flow path 4 of the first embodiment, it is larger than when only the heater 5-1 on the downstream side is driven, and when both heaters 5-1 and 5-2 are driven. A smaller ink ejection amount can be obtained. After all, heater 5
By selecting one to be driven from among -1, 5-2, the ink ejection amount can be modulated in three stages, and multi-value recording can be performed using the same nozzle.

Similarly, if n heaters having different sizes are provided in the first liquid flow path 4, multi-value printing with a discharge amount of 2 ⁿ -1 steps becomes possible.

<< Fourth Embodiment >> FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a liquid flow path of an ink jet recording head according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 12 when viewed in the X direction. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cross-sectional configuration along the line A viewed from the Y direction.

In the third embodiment described above, the two heaters 5-1 and 5-2 are arranged in series in the first liquid flow path 4 along the ink flow direction. In the third embodiment, two heaters 5-1 and 5-2 are arranged in parallel. Also in the third embodiment, the heaters 5-1, 5
Since the area of -2 is different, the ejection amount of the ink of three gradations can be modulated, and multi-value recording can be performed using the same nozzle.

<< Liquid Discharge Head >> A liquid discharge head having the above-described flow channel structure and having a plurality of discharge ports will be described below.

FIG. 17 is a schematic exploded perspective view for explaining the main structure of an example of the liquid discharge head according to the present invention. Support 140 made of metal such as aluminum
The substrate 1 is disposed on the top. The substrate 1 is provided with a plurality of heating elements 7 that generate heat for generating bubbles due to film boiling with respect to the liquid in the second liquid flow path. A heater 5 for generating heat for generating bubbles by film boiling is provided. The heater 5 and the heating element 7 are configured as electrothermal converters.
In addition to wiring electrodes for supplying an electric signal to the heating element 7, functional elements such as a transistor, a diode, a latch, and a shift resist for selectively driving the heater 5 and the heating element 7 are integrally formed. It is rare. In addition, a protective layer for protecting the electrothermal converter is provided on the heater 5 and the heating element 7.

On this substrate 1, a plurality of grooves 52 (only one bubbling liquid flow path is shown in the figure) constituting a second liquid flow path (foaming liquid flow path), And a concave portion that communicates with the second liquid flow path and forms a second common liquid chamber (common foaming liquid chamber) 12 for supplying a liquid (foaming liquid) to each of the second liquid flow paths. The member and the separation wall 8 provided with the movable member 9 described above are positioned and fixed. Note that FIG. 17 shows the separation wall 8 in which the partition wall between the second liquid flow paths is integrated.

The grooved top plate 2 has a groove 114 which is joined to the separation wall 8 to form a first liquid flow path (discharge liquid flow path).
And a recess for forming a first common liquid chamber 11 communicating with the plurality of first liquid flow paths and supplying a discharge liquid to each of the first liquid flow paths, and a first common liquid A first supply port (discharge liquid supply port) 111 for supplying a discharge liquid to the chamber 11,
A second supply port (foaming liquid supply port) 112 for supplying the foaming liquid to the second common liquid chamber 12 is provided. The second supply port 112 is arranged outside the first common liquid chamber 11 and is connected to a communication path that penetrates through the separation wall 8 and communicates with the second common liquid chamber 12. The foaming liquid can be supplied to the second common liquid chamber 12 without mixing with the liquid.

The positional relationship between the substrate 1, the separation wall 8, and the grooved top plate 2 corresponds to the movable member 9 corresponding to the heating element 7 on the substrate 1.
Are arranged.

<< Liquid Discharge Head Cartridge >> Next, a liquid discharge head cartridge equipped with the liquid discharge head according to the above-described embodiment will be briefly described. FIG. 18 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a liquid discharge head cartridge including the above-described liquid discharge head. This liquid discharge head cartridge mainly includes a liquid discharge head 100 and a liquid container 5.
20.

The liquid discharge head 100 includes a substrate 1, a separation wall 8, a grooved top plate 2, a holding spring 120, and a liquid supply member 1.
30, the support 140 and the like.

As described above, a plurality of heaters 5 and heating elements 7 are provided on the substrate 1 in a row, respectively.
A plurality of functional elements for selectively driving these heaters 5 and heating elements 7 are provided. A second liquid flow path is formed between the substrate 1 and the above-described separation wall 8 having the movable member 9, and the foaming liquid flows. By joining the separation wall 8 and the grooved top plate 2, a first liquid flow path through which the discharged liquid flows is formed.

The presser spring 120 is mounted on the grooved top plate 2 with the substrate 1.
The biasing force acts in the direction, and the biasing force satisfactorily integrates the substrate 1, the separation wall 8, the grooved top plate 2, and a support 140 described later.

The support 140 is for supporting the substrate 1 and the like. On the support 140, a circuit board 141 for connecting to the substrate 1 and supplying an electric signal is further provided.
Also, a compact pad 142 for exchanging electrical signals with the device side by connecting to the device side is arranged.

The liquid container 520 contains a discharge liquid such as ink and a foaming liquid for generating bubbles, which are supplied to the liquid discharge head. Outside the liquid container 520, a fixed shaft 525 for fixing to a positioning portion 524 for connecting the liquid ejection head and the liquid container 520 is provided. The discharge liquid is supplied from the discharge liquid supply path 522 of the liquid container 520 to the discharge liquid supply path 131 of the liquid supply member 130, and the discharge liquid supply port 13 of each member is supplied.
The liquid is supplied to the first common liquid chamber 11 via 3, 121, 111. Similarly, the supply of the foaming liquid is performed by the supply path 523 of the liquid container.
Is supplied to the foaming liquid supply path 132 of the liquid supply member 130, and is supplied to the second common liquid chamber 12 through the foaming liquid supply ports 134, 121, 112 of the respective members.

In the above liquid ejection head cartridge, the foaming liquid supplied to the second liquid flow path and the discharge liquid (such as ink) supplied to the first liquid flow path are different liquids. Also described in the supply form and the liquid container that can also supply, but when the ejection liquid and the foaming liquid are the same,
The supply path and the container for the foaming liquid and the discharge liquid do not have to be separated.

The liquid container may be used by refilling the liquid after each liquid is consumed. For this purpose, it is desirable to provide a liquid container with a liquid inlet. Also,
The liquid ejection head unit and the liquid container may be integrated or may be separable.

<< Inkjet Recording System >> Next, an example of an inkjet recording system that performs recording on a recording medium using the liquid ejection head of the present invention as a recording head will be described.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of an ink jet recording system using the above-described liquid discharge head 201 according to the present invention. The liquid ejection head according to the present embodiment is a full-line type head in which a plurality of ejection ports are arranged at intervals of 360 dpi in the length direction corresponding to the recording width of the recording medium 227.
Magenta (M), cyan (C), black (Bk)
Four heads corresponding to the colors are fixedly supported by the holder 202 in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval in the X direction.

A signal is supplied to these heads from a head driver 220 constituting drive signal supply means, and each head is driven based on this signal.

Each head has Y, M, C, B
k of four color inks are stored in the ink containers 204a to 204a, respectively.
4d. A foaming liquid container 204e is provided and stores a foaming liquid therein.
The configuration is such that the foaming liquid is supplied to each head from 04e.

Below each head, a head cap 203 having an ink absorbing member such as a sponge disposed therein.
a to 203d are provided, and the maintenance of the head can be performed by covering the ejection openings of each head during non-printing.

The transport belt 206 constitutes transport means for transporting various recording media. Conveyor belt 2
Reference numeral 06 is drawn around a predetermined path by various rollers, and is driven by a driving roller connected to the motor driver 305.

In the ink jet recording system of this embodiment, the pre-processing device 251 and the post-processing device 25 perform various processes on the recording medium before and after recording.
2 are provided upstream and downstream of the recording medium transport path, respectively.

The contents of the pre-processing and post-processing differ depending on the type of recording medium on which recording is performed and the type of ink. For example, for recording media such as metal, plastic, and ceramics, As a pretreatment, irradiation of ultraviolet rays and ozone is performed to activate the surface, thereby improving the adhesion of the ink. Further, in a recording medium such as plastic which easily generates static electricity, dust easily adheres to the surface due to the static electricity, and good recording may be hindered by the dust. For this reason, it is preferable to remove dust from the recording medium by removing static electricity from the recording medium using an ionizer device as a pretreatment.
When a cloth is used as the recording medium, the cloth is selected from an alkaline substance, a water-soluble substance, a synthetic polymer, a water-soluble metal salt, urea and thiourea from the viewpoint of preventing bleeding and improving the dyeing rate. What is necessary is just to perform the process which gives the substance to be performed as preprocessing. The pre-processing is not limited to these,
Processing for setting the temperature of the recording medium to a temperature suitable for recording may be performed.

On the other hand, the post-processing is a fixing process for promoting the fixing of the ink to the recording medium to which the ink has been applied by heat treatment, irradiation of ultraviolet rays, or the like, or a cleaning process for applying the pre-treatment and remaining the unreacted processing agent. And the like.

Although the present embodiment has been described using a full-line head as a head, the present invention is not limited to this. A mode in which a small head as described above is conveyed in the width direction of a recording medium to perform recording is performed. May be used.

[0089]

According to the liquid discharge method and the like of the present invention, the liquid discharge method includes the steps of:
A fluid element composed of a movable member and a bubble generation area is provided, and bubbles are generated in the bubble generation area in accordance with the driving of the liquid by the ejection energy generation element. To suppress the flow in the upstream direction represented by the back wave, and furthermore, by the flow of the liquid that has been moved when the movable member returns to the steady position due to the defoaming in the bubble generation region. In addition, there is an effect that a rapid refill of the liquid from the upstream side to the ejection energy generating element can be achieved.

In the liquid discharge method of the present invention, the first bubble generation region and the second bubble generation region are provided, and the movable member that opens to the discharge port side by the pressure generated by the bubbling in the second bubble generation region. With this arrangement, the bubbling pressure in the second bubble generation region is guided to the discharge port side, and the discharge energy and protrusion pressure due to bubbling in the first bubble generation region for liquid discharge are increased, thereby improving discharge efficiency. There is an effect of improving. Further, in this configuration, it is possible to prevent the influence of the back wave caused by the bubbling in the first bubble generation area, and the rapid and stable flow of the liquid to be ejected in combination with the flow of the liquid when the movable member returns to the initial position. There is also an effect that refill can be realized.

Further, a first liquid flow path having a first bubble generation area for discharging a liquid and a second liquid flow path having a second bubble generation area are separated into different liquid flow paths. By making the shape of the second liquid flow path a chamber having a supply path, the foaming efficiency can be improved and the above-described effects can be further enhanced.

Further, by using a plurality of discharge energy generating elements in the first bubble generation region, the discharge amount of the droplet can be controlled in a plurality of stages, and there is an effect that gradation recording and the like can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a liquid flow path portion of an ink jet recording head according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line AA ′ of FIG. 1 as viewed from the X direction.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cross-sectional configuration taken along line BB ′ of FIG. 1 when viewed from an X direction.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cross-sectional configuration taken along line BB ′ of FIG. 1 when viewed from a Y direction.

5 (a) to 5 (e) are diagrams sequentially illustrating a droplet discharge process in the ink jet recording head of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6A to 6E are diagrams illustrating examples of other drive timings.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a liquid flow path portion of an inkjet recording head according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line AA ′ in FIG. 6, viewed from the X direction.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line BB ′ of FIG. 6 as viewed from the X direction.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line BB ′ in FIG. 6, as viewed from the Y direction.

11A to 11E are diagrams sequentially illustrating an example of a droplet discharging process in the inkjet recording head of FIG. 6;

12A to 12E are diagrams sequentially illustrating another example of a droplet discharging process in the inkjet recording head of FIG. 6;

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of a liquid flow path portion of an ink jet recording head according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

14 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line AA ′ in FIG. 12, viewed from the X direction.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line BB ′ of FIG. 12 as viewed from the X direction.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional configuration along the line BB ′ of FIG. 12 as viewed from the Y direction.

FIG. 17 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an example of the liquid ejection head of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an example of the liquid ejection head cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an inkjet recording system.

FIG. 20 is a side sectional view showing an example of a liquid flow path structure of a conventional liquid discharge head.

FIG. 21 is a side sectional view showing a liquid flow path structure of a conventional liquid ejection head having a fluid resistance portion.

22A is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional liquid discharge head having a valve mechanism, and FIG. 22B is a side sectional view showing a liquid flow path structure of the conventional liquid discharge head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate 2 Top plate with groove 3 Discharge port 4 First liquid flow path 5 Heater 6 Second liquid flow path 7 Heating element 8 Separation wall 9 Movable member 10 Slit 11, 12 Common liquid chamber 13 Narrow portion

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Makiko Kimura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Kiyomitsu Kudo 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside the Company (72) Inventor Fumi Yoshihira Within Canon Inc. 3- 30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo (72) Within the Takeshi Okazaki Within Canon Inc. 3- 30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo

Claims (26)

[Claims] 1. A liquid discharge head having a flow path communicating with a discharge port and a discharge energy generation element provided in the flow path and applying energy for discharging a liquid to the liquid, from the discharge port. A liquid ejection method for ejecting a liquid, comprising: ejecting a liquid from the ejection port by driving the ejection energy generating element; and disposing bubbles in the flow path upstream of the ejection energy generating element. The free end of the movable member of the fluid element having the bubble generating region to be generated and the movable member provided with the fulcrum and the free end provided facing the bubble generating region, Displacing by generating bubbles. 2. The liquid discharge method according to claim 1, wherein heat is applied to the liquid in the bubble generation region of the fluid element to cause film boiling to generate the bubbles. 3. The liquid discharging method according to claim 1, wherein, in the liquid discharging method, a flow of liquid to an upstream side caused by driving the discharge energy generating element is suppressed by a displacement of a movable member of the fluid element. 4. The liquid discharging method according to claim 1, wherein the discharging energy generating element is a heating element that generates bubbles by heat. 5. The liquid discharging method according to claim 4, wherein the bubbles generated by driving the heating element are bubbles generated by a film boiling phenomenon. 6. The discharge energy generating element is provided in a first flow path communicating with the discharge port, and the fluid element is provided in a second flow path communicating with the first flow path. The liquid discharging method according to claim 1. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the liquid supplied to the first flow path and the liquid supplied to the second flow path are different liquids. 8. The movable member maintains a posture substantially parallel to a flow direction in the first liquid flow path in a steady state, and is controlled by a pressure generated by generating bubbles in the second bubble generation region. 7. The liquid discharging method according to claim 6, wherein said free end of said movable member is displaced in a direction to reduce a sectional area of said first liquid flow path. 9. The method according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of heating elements constituting the ejection energy generating element are provided, and the amount of liquid ejected from the ejection port is controlled by selectively driving the plurality of heating elements. Liquid ejection method. 10. The liquid discharging method according to claim 6, wherein bubbles generated in a bubble generation region of the fluid element extend into the second liquid flow path. 11. The liquid supplied to the second flow path has lower viscosity, higher foaming property, and higher thermal stability than the liquid supplied to the first flow path. The liquid discharging method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the conditions is satisfied. 12. A flow path communicating with a discharge port, a discharge energy generating element for applying energy for discharging a liquid provided in the flow path to the liquid, and the discharge energy generating element in the flow path A liquid ejection head, which is disposed further upstream and has a fluid generation element having a bubble generation area for generating bubbles and a movable member provided facing the bubble generation area and having a fulcrum and a free end. 13. The liquid discharge head according to claim 12, wherein the bubble generation region of the fluid element is a region where a bubble is generated by film boiling by applying heat to the liquid. 14. The movable member according to claim 1, wherein the displacement of the movable member suppresses the flow of liquid to the upstream side caused by driving the ejection energy generating element.
2 liquid ejection head. 15. The liquid discharge head according to claim 12, wherein the discharge energy generating element is a heating element that generates bubbles by heat. 16. The liquid discharging method according to claim 15, wherein the heating element is an element that generates bubbles by a film boiling phenomenon by driving the heating element. 17. The discharge energy generating element is provided in a first flow path connected to the discharge port, and the fluid element is provided in a second flow path connected to the first flow path. The liquid discharge head according to claim 12. 18. The liquid ejection head according to claim 17, wherein the liquid supplied to the first flow path and the liquid supplied to the second flow path are different liquids. 19. The liquid ejection head according to claim 16, wherein a plurality of heating elements constituting the ejection energy generating element are provided. 20. The liquid discharge head according to claim 12, wherein said movable member is made of metal. 21. The liquid supplied to the second flow path has lower viscosity, higher foaming property, and higher thermal stability than the liquid supplied to the first flow path. 18. The liquid ejection head according to claim 17, which satisfies at least one. 22. The liquid discharge head according to claim 17, wherein the second flow path has a chamber shape to which a supply path is connected. 23. The liquid discharge head according to claim 12, wherein the discharged liquid is ink used for recording. 24. A liquid discharge head cartridge comprising: the liquid discharge head according to claim 12; and a liquid container for holding a liquid supplied to the liquid discharge head. 25. The liquid ejection head cartridge according to claim 24, wherein the liquid held by the liquid container is ink. 26. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: the liquid discharge head according to claim 1; and means for transporting a recording medium receiving ink discharged from the liquid discharge head.