Patent ID: 6079808
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:an ink jet recording head having nozzles for jetting ink droplets in synchronism with a print signal in a printing operation, and a carriage for shuttling the recording head back and forth;a cap that covers the nozzles in a cleaning operation of the recording head, and a sucking pump for supplying a negative pressure to the cap;a first ink tank communicating with the atmosphere through an opening and containing a printing ink;a second ink tank containing ink in a degassed condition;a selector valve for selectively connecting the first or second ink tank to the recording head; anda controller for controlling the selector valve, whereinthe controller controls the selector valve so that one of the printing ink in the first ink tank and the ink in the degassed condition in the second ink tank is supplied to the recording head and discharged out of the nozzles of the recording head by the cap and the sucking pump during the cleaning operation of the recording head.