Patent ID: 9259923
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: B41J

Claim Text:
1. A method of driving a liquid ejection head comprising: preparing a liquid ejection head that includes a first flow path having a first end serving as an orifice, a second flow path connected to a second end of the first flow path and having a larger cross-sectional area than that of the first flow path, the first flow path and the second flow path being connected by step parts, and a piezoelectric element provided so as to correspond to the second flow path, the liquid ejection head repeating cycles in each of which the liquid ejection head is capable of ejecting a droplet from the orifice by applying a voltage having a predetermined waveform to the piezoelectric element, the cycles including a primary cycle in which a droplet is ejected from the orifice and a secondary cycle in which a droplet is not ejected from the orifice; a first applying step of applying, in the primary cycle, a first voltage, which increases a capacity of the second flow path, to the piezoelectric element so that a meniscus of a liquid that is formed in the first flow path in a static state is moved to an inside of the second flow path beyond the step parts; a second applying step of applying, in the primary cycle, a second voltage, which decreases the capacity of the second flow path, to the piezoelectric element so that the liquid in the second flow path flows into the first flow path; a third applying step of applying, in the primary cycle, a third voltage to the piezoelectric element so that the liquid having flowed into the first flow path in the second step is ejected from the orifice and a meniscus of the liquid is formed in the second flow path beyond the first flow path and the step parts; a fourth applying step of applying, in a state where the meniscus of the liquid is positioned in the second flow path, a fourth voltage, which decreases the capacity of the second flow path, to the piezoelectric element; and a fifth applying step of applying a fifth voltage, which increases the capacity of the second flow path, to the piezoelectric element to eject the liquid.