Patent ID: 6172688
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printer effecting printing by discharging ink onto a recording medium by use of an ink jet provided with a plurality of discharge means for discharging ink, said printer comprising:head mounting means for mounting said ink jet head, said head mounting means mounting said ink jet head at a predetermined height above the recording medium, such that ink is discharged from said ink jet head in a downward direction onto the recording medium to perform printing;conveying means for conveying the recording medium with respect to said ink jet head, said conveying means conveying the recording medium in a substantially horizontal direction in a print area where printing is performed in such a manner that ink is discharged from said ink jet head;head recovery means for stabilizing a print performance of said ink jet head;moving means for relatively moving said head recovery means and said head mounting means, said head recovery means executing an operation for stabilizing the print performance of said inkjet head in a state where said ink jet head to be mounted to said head mounting means is relatively positioned with respect to said head recovery means by said moving means;ink tank mounting means for mounting an ink tank for storing ink for supply to said ink jet head, said ink tank mounting means mounting the ink tank below a conveying surface of the recording medium in the print area by said ink jet head; anda sub ink tank, provided in an ink supply route from the ink tank mounted on said ink tank mounting means to said ink jet head, for temporarily storing ink, an upper portion of said sub ink tank being above the conveying surface of the recording medium in the print area and a lower portion of the sub ink tank being below the conveying surface of the recording medium in the print area, wherein said sub ink tank is arranged separate from the ink jet head,wherein said head mounting means mounts said ink jet head above the conveying surface of the recording medium and said head recovery means is provided above the conveying surface of the recording medium.