Patent ID: 8789933
Filing Date: 2014-07-29
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: a liquid ejection head comprising: a tank storing the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head; a supply channel communicating the inside of the tank and the inlet opening with each other; a return channel communicating the inside of the tank and the outlet opening with each other; a controller; a supply device configured to supply the liquid in the tank to the inside channel via the supply channel, the supply device being coupled to the controller; and an adjusting device configured to adjust a channel resistance value of the return channel between a predetermined minimum value and a predetermined maximum value, the adjusting device being independently coupled to the controller, wherein the liquid ejection head further comprises an actuator unit coupled to the controller configured to selectively apply ejection energy to the plurality of individual channels based on image data to eject the liquid through the plurality of ejection openings, wherein the controller is configured to control the supply device and the adjusting device, independently of each other, wherein the controller is configured to perform a liquid circulation control for circulating the liquid through the supply channel, the inside channel, and the return channel in order by controlling (i) the adjusting device such that the channel resistance value is less than the predetermined maximum value and (ii) the supply device to supply the liquid from the supply channel into the inside channel of the liquid ejection head, wherein, when the liquid is circulated by the liquid circulation control, the controller starts a liquid discharge control for discharging the liquid from the plurality of ejection openings by increasing the channel resistance value to a value larger than the channel resistance value in the liquid circulation control, wherein the controller is configured to control the supply device such that a unit-time supply amount, which is an amount of the liquid supplied to the inside channel per unit time, in the liquid discharge control is larger than the unit-time supply amount in the liquid circulation control, wherein the controller is configured to perform a first discharge control for discharging the liquid from the plurality of ejection openings by the actuator unit on the basis of the image data, wherein the controller is configured to perform a second discharge control as the liquid discharge control for discharging the liquid from the plurality of election openings, not by the actuator unit, but by the supplying the liquid by the supplying device, and wherein the controller is configured to control the supply device such that the unit-time supply amount in the second liquid discharge control is larger than the unit-time supply amount in the liquid circulation control.