Patent ID: 6746096
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A recording apparatus for recording images on a recording medium by use of an ink jet recording head to discharge ink from discharge ports, comprising:a cap covering a discharge port surface of said ink jet recording head having discharge ports formed thereon, being capable of receiving ink discharged from said discharge ports; idle suction means for exhausting ink received by said cap to an outside of said cap; predischarge means for pre-discharging ink from said ink jet recording head to an inside of said cap at designated time intervals aside from recording operation; accumulating means for accumulating an amount of ink consumption by said predischarge; first comparison means for comparing the amount of ink consumption accumulated by said accumulating means with a first threshold value per predischarge; first predischarge control means for controlling to reduce the amount of ink discharge for predischarge to follow in accordance with the comparison result provided by said first comparison means; second comparison means for comparing the amount of ink consumption accumulated by said accumulating means with a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value per predischarge of the amount of ink discharge reduced by said first predischarge control means; predischarge prohibition means for controlling to prohibit predischarge operation in accordance with a comparison result of said second comparison means; and second predischarge control means for controlling to resume predischarge to follow after the completion of recording operation in accordance with a period of time defined by said predischarge operation prohibition means for prohibiting predischarge operation, and to increase the amount of ink consumption for the predischarge.