Patent ID: 6012797
Filing Date: 2000-01-11
Classification: B41J,G06K

Abstract:
An ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head provided with a discharge port array having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging an ink arranged linearly and in a predetermined direction and main scan means for scanning said recording head in a main scan direction which is substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction, said apparatus driving said recording head to form an image using a recording data corresponding to each of said discharge ports, said image being formed by scanning said recording head in a main scan using said main scan means and driving a plurality of discharge means for discharging the ink corresponding to each of said discharge ports forming said discharge port array at a predetermined driving period, said apparatus comprising:dividing means for dividing at least said plurality of discharge ports of said discharge port array into a first plurality of discharge ports and a second plurality of discharge ports, each of said first plurality of discharge ports being adjacent to a respective one of said second plurality of discharge ports;driving means for substantially simultaneously driving, during the main scan performed by said main scan means, said discharge means which correspond to said first plurality of discharge ports and for substantially simultaneously driving said discharge means which correspond to said second plurality of discharge ports such that said discharge means corresponding to said second plurality of discharge ports are not driven simultaneously with said discharge means which correspond to said first plurality of discharge ports, but at a shorter predetermined interval than said predetermined driving period, each of said first plurality of discharge ports and said second plurality of discharge ports comprising a different group of said discharge ports of said discharge port array; andrecording control means for recording dots corresponding to one of said first plurality of discharge ports, the dots recorded by said first plurality of discharge ports being recorded in succession, and said second plurality of discharge ports, the dots recorded by said second plurality of discharge ports being recorded in succession, of said discharge port array in the arranging direction and recording a recording area of said recording data by recording said recording data using said first plurality of discharge ports and said second plurality of discharge ports during the main scan by said main scanning means such that a position of a dot recorded by said second plurality of discharge ports in the main scan direction is disposed between dots recorded in succession along the main scan direction by said first plurality of discharge ports.