Patent ID: 8622533
Filing Date: 2014-01-07
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An inkjet recording apparatus, comprising: a recording head having a common flow-passage possessing an inflow port at one end and an outflow port at the other end, and a plurality of nozzles communicating with the common flow-passage and discharging ink onto a record medium; an ink tank for reserving the ink to be discharged onto the record medium; a pump mechanism for sucking the ink inside the ink tank and supplying the ink introduced by suction to the recording head; a circulation flow passage having a first ink-flow passage connecting between the pump mechanism and the ink tank, a second ink-flow passage connecting between the pump mechanism and the inflow port of the recording head, and a third ink-flow passage connecting between the outflow port of the recording head and the ink tank; an inflow side valve provided in the second ink-flow passage; an outflow side valve provided in the third common flow passage; and a damper portion formed in the ink-flow passage from the inflow side valve to the outflow side valve for buffering a change in internal pressure caused by an operation of the pump mechanism, the inkjet recording apparatus being capable of implementing an operation of removing air bubbles in the recording head, the operation including: the ink supply step of supplying the ink to the common flow-passage by using the pump mechanism for pressurizing the ink in the state in which movement of the ink inside the second ink-flow passage is tolerated with the inflow side valve, and movement of the ink inside the third ink-flow passage is restricted with the outflow side valve; the ink ejection step of ejecting, after start of the ink supply step, the ink together with the air bubbles inside the common flow-passage from the outflow port into the third ink-flow passage by tolerating movement of the ink inside the third ink-flow passage with the outflow side valve; and the refilling step of, after termination of the ink ejection step, refilling the ink into the pump mechanism from the ink tank through the first ink-flow passage in the state in which movement of the ink inside the second ink-flow passage is restricted with the inflow side valve.