Disclosed is a liquid discharge method of discharging liquid with a liquid discharge head having a heating surface that contacts and heats the liquid and a discharge port that faces the heating surface and discharges the liquid. The method includes heating the liquid through the heating surface to generate a bubble such that the bubble communicates with an atmosphere, thereby discharging the liquid. The liquid that is being discharged from the discharge port includes a trailing portion. The trailing portion moves toward the heating surface in response to a reduction in volume of the bubble and contacts the heating surface. The method further includes heating the trailing portion through the heating surface while the trailing portion is in contact with the heating surface, thereby generating a bubble.

To make it possible to eject a difference in a change of temperature of liquid accompanying ejection of ink between normal ejection and ejection failure. The liquid ejection apparatus includes: a driving unit configured to drive a heating element; and a detection unit configured to detect an ejection state of the liquid ejection head based on an output from a temperature detection element provided in the liquid ejection head, wherein the liquid ejection head includes, in correspondence to the ejection port: a foaming chamber communicating with the ejection port; a first heating element for ejecting liquid by providing thermal energy to liquid in the foaming chamber; the temperature detection element for detecting temperature in the foaming chamber; and a second heating element generating thermal energy and arranged closer to the temperature detection element than the first heating element.

Disclosed is a liquid discharge method of discharging liquid with a liquid discharge head having a heating surface that contacts and heats the liquid and a discharge port that faces the heating surface and discharges the liquid. The method includes heating the liquid through the heating surface to generate a bubble such that the bubble communicates with an atmosphere, thereby discharging the liquid. The liquid that is being discharged from the discharge port includes a trailing portion. The trailing portion moves toward the heating surface in response to a reduction in volume of the bubble and contacts the heating surface. The method further includes heating the trailing portion through the heating surface while the trailing portion is in contact with the heating surface, thereby generating a bubble.

In a flow path unit, ink flows toward a recording head that ejects the ink. The flow path unit includes a flow path portion, a temperature adjustment unit, and a compression coil spring. The flow path portion is formed of metal and includes a supply pipe through which the ink flows. The temperature control unit heats the supply pipe. The compression coil spring is formed of metal and is attached to an inner surface of the supply pipe. The ink can come into contact with the compression coil spring, and the compression coil spring enables the ink to flow downstream in the supply pipe.

The image forming apparatus includes an ejection portion, a guide portion, a plurality of heating elements, a determination processing portion, and a drive control portion. The ejection portion ejects ink toward a first surface of a strip-shaped medium. The guide portion is provided at a position sandwiching the medium between the guide portion and the ejection portion, and forms a guide surface that guides the medium by coming into contact with a second surface on a rear side of the first surface of the medium. The plurality of heating elements are arranged along a width direction of the medium below the guide surface. The determination processing portion determines the heating elements to be driven based on the width of the medium. The drive control portion drives the heating elements determined by the determination processing portion as heating elements to be driven.