Patent ID: 6053597
Filing Date: 2000-04-25
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:a plurality of interchangeable recording head units;each of said interchangeable recording head units having an exterior and including information retaining means, mounted on a part of said exterior, for retaining information of recording characteristics of the interchangeable recording head unit on which it is mounted;reading means for reading said information of said recording characteristics of said interchangeable recording head units retained by the information retaining means mounted thereon; anda controller including means for instructing said reading means to read said information retaining means and means for performing, in accordance with said information of said recording characteristics of said interchangeable recording head units read by said reading means, at least one function for setting a mode of recording operation and transmitting data,wherein said plurality of interchangeable recording head units are operable at one time on said ink let recording apparatus, and wherein said reading means reads information of recording characteristics of each of said plurality of interchangeable recording head units during a single scanning operation, said information being retained by said information retaining means of each of said plurality of interchangeable recording head units.