Patent ID: 7600837

Claim:
A droplet ejection apparatus used for a recording operation in which a droplet of a liquid is ejected on a recording medium, comprising: a recording head including (a) a nozzle from which the droplet of the liquid is ejected, (b) a pressure chamber which is filled with the liquid and whose volume is changeable for ejecting the droplet from the nozzle, and (c) an actuator which changes the volume of the pressure chamber by a drive pulse inputted thereto; a carriage which holds the recording head and which is capable of reciprocating the recording head; and an operating device which outputs the drive pulse to the actuator and which controls the carriage such that the recording head is reciprocated over a recording area where the recording operation is performed and a non-recording area which is outside of the recording area; wherein the operating device is capable of performing a restoring operation for restoring a droplet ejection performance of the recording head, the restoring operation including: a first operation for outputting, a plurality of times, an ejection drive pulse as the drive pulse by which the droplet can be ejected; and a second operation for outputting, a plurality of times, a non-ejection drive pulse as the drive pulse by which the droplet can not be ejected and by which vibration can be applied to a meniscus of the liquid which is formed in the nozzle, the second operation being performed following the first operation; wherein the first operation is for outputting a plurality of first pulse groups in each of which a first pulse-train having at least one pulse each as the ejection drive pulse is repeated continuously at a first period, and which are outputted such that a first interval longer than the first period is interposed between any successive two of the plurality of first pulse groups; wherein the second operation is for outputting a plurality of second pulse groups in each of which a second pulse-train having at least one pulse each as the non-ejection drive pulse is repeated continuously at a second period, and which are outputted such that a second interval longer than the second period is interposed between any successive two of the plurality of second pulse groups; and wherein the operating device is arranged to perform (a) the first operation when the recording head is located at a specific position in the non-recording area and (b) the second operation when the recording head is located at the specific position in the non-recording area or while the recording head is moved from the specific position to the recording area.