A microfluidic device for continuous ejection of fluids includes: a semiconductor body that laterally delimits chambers; an intermediate structure which forms membranes each delimiting a top of a corresponding chamber; and a nozzle body which overlies the intermediate structure. The device includes, for each chamber: a corresponding piezoelectric actuator; a supply channel which traverses the intermediate structure and communicates with the chamber; and a nozzle which traverses the nozzle body and communicates with the supply channel. Each actuator is configured to operate i) in a resting condition such that the pressure of a fluid within the corresponding chamber causes the fluid to pass through the supply channel and become ejected from the nozzle as a continuous stream, and ii) in an active condition, where it causes a deformation of the corresponding membrane and a consequent variation of the pressure of the fluid, causing a temporary interruption of the continuous stream.

A liquid discharge method of discharging a liquid from a nozzle of a liquid discharge head by applying a drive pulse to a drive element of the liquid discharge head includes an acquisition step of acquiring a recording condition including a first discharge characteristic and a second discharge characteristic of the liquid from the liquid discharge head, a determination step of determining the drive pulse to be applied to the drive element, based on the recording condition, and a driving step of applying the drive pulse determined in the determination step to the drive element. In the liquid discharge method, in the determination step, the drive pulse is determined by a determination method subjected to weighting in which a weight of the first discharge characteristic is greater than a weight of the second discharge characteristic.

A microfluidic device for continuous ejection of fluids includes: a semiconductor body that laterally delimits chambers; an intermediate structure which forms membranes each delimiting a top of a corresponding chamber; and a nozzle body which overlies the intermediate structure. The device includes, for each chamber: a corresponding piezoelectric actuator; a supply channel which traverses the intermediate structure and communicates with the chamber; and a nozzle which traverses the nozzle body and communicates with the supply channel. Each actuator is configured to operate i) in a resting condition such that the pressure of a fluid within the corresponding chamber causes the fluid to pass through the supply channel and become ejected from the nozzle as a continuous stream, and ii) in an active condition, where it causes a deformation of the corresponding membrane and a consequent variation of the pressure of the fluid, causing a temporary interruption of the continuous stream.

A continuous inkjet printer (5) having a printhead (7) that includes first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), each operable to generate a stream (10) of ink droplets, and a common gutter (11) arranged to receive unprinted ink droplets from the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), the printer (5) further including control means configured to determine receipt into the common gutter (11) of ink droplets from the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), wherein the control means are operable to use a single sensor (17) to determine receipt into the common gutter (11) of ink droplets from one, both, or neither of the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9).

A liquid ejection head includes a support member extending in a first direction, a print element board having an ejection port through which liquid is ejected, and first and second members arranged in the support member adjacent to each other along the first direction, each having a supply path extending in the first direction. The print element board element generates energy used for ejection of the supply paths supplied liquid. The first member includes an outlet port through which the supplied liquid flows out. The second member includes an inlet port through which the liquid from the outlet port flows. The outlet port is provided near a first member supply path end portion on the support member side on which the second member is provided. The inlet port is provided near a second member supply path end portion on the support member side on which the first member is provided.

A continuous inkjet printer (10, 100) has an ink drop generator (12, 112a, 112b) to generate a stream of ink drops (24), deflection means (14, 16, 18, 20, 114, 115, 116, 118a, 118b, 120) to direct each drop of the stream of ink drops either to a gutter (28) or to one of a plurality of default print positions in a stroke direction (30) on a substrate (26, 126), and input means (22, 122) to receive an indication of an offset. The deflection means, in dependence upon the indication of the offset, direct drops that would otherwise be directed to default print positions to offset print positions on a substrate (26, 126), the offset print positions being displaced in the stroke direction 30 by the offset from the default print positions. The input means (22, 122) may also receive an indication of a print height scaling factor and the deflection means (14, 16, 18, 20, 114, 115, 116, 118a, 118b, 120), in dependence upon the indication of the print height scaling factor, direct drops that would otherwise be directed to default print positions to scaled print positions on a substrate (26, 126), the scaled print positions being displaced from the origin in the stroke direction (30) by displacements corresponding to displacements from the origin of the default print positions when scaled by the print height scaling factor.

A continuous inkjet printer (5) having a printhead (7) that includes first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), each operable to generate a stream (10) of ink droplets, and a common gutter (11) arranged to receive unprinted ink droplets from the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), the printer (5) further including control means configured to determine receipt into the common gutter (11) of ink droplets from the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9), wherein the control means are operable to use a single sensor (17) to determine receipt into the common gutter (11) of ink droplets from one, both, or neither of the first and second ink droplet generators (8, 9).

A liquid discharge method of discharging a liquid from a nozzle of a liquid discharge head by applying a drive pulse to a drive element of the liquid discharge head includes an acquisition step of acquiring a recording condition including a first discharge characteristic and a second discharge characteristic of the liquid from the liquid discharge head, a determination step of determining the drive pulse to be applied to the drive element, based on the recording condition, and a driving step of applying the drive pulse determined in the determination step to the drive element. In the liquid discharge method, in the determination step, the drive pulse is determined by a determination method subjected to weighting in which a weight of the first discharge characteristic is greater than a weight of the second discharge characteristic.

A continuous inkjet printer (10, 100) has an ink drop generator (12, 112a, 112b) to generate a stream of ink drops (24), deflection means (14, 16, 18, 20, 114, 115, 116, 118a, 118b, 120) to direct each drop of the stream of ink drops either to a gutter (28) or to one of a plurality of default print positions in a stroke direction (30) on a substrate (26, 126), and input means (22, 122) to receive an indication of an offset. The deflection means, in dependence upon the indication of the offset, direct drops that would otherwise be directed to default print positions to offset print positions on a substrate (26, 126), the offset print positions being displaced in the stroke direction 30 by the offset from the default print positions. The input means (22, 122) may also receive an indication of a print height scaling factor and the deflection means (14, 16, 18, 20, 114, 115, 116, 118a, 118b, 120), in dependence upon the indication of the print height scaling factor, direct drops that would otherwise be directed to default print positions to scaled print positions on a substrate (26, 126), the scaled print positions being displaced from the origin in the stroke direction (30) by displacements corresponding to displacements from the origin of the default print positions when scaled by the print height scaling factor.

A threshold value is set based on a temperature of a recording apparatus, and a recording condition corresponding to the acquired temperature is set by comparing the set threshold value with a counted value of the number of driving times of a recording element.