Patent ID: 6685310
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:a recording head that has at least one ink nozzle and performs recording onto a recording medium by ejecting ink from the ink nozzle; an ink supply source that stores ink to be supplied to the recording head; an ink passage that is connected to the ink supply source to supply ink from the ink supply source to the recording head; an air trap chamber that has an upper wall, a bottom wall, side walls and is connected to the ink passage to store air generated in the ink passage; and, a purge device that generates an ink-flow that flows from the air trap chamber to the recording head and is faster than an ink-flow generated at the recording operation; wherein the air trap chamber further includes: a partition that divides the air trap chamber into a first chamber connecting with the ink supply source, a second chamber, and a first connecting portion that communicates the first chamber with the second chamber above the partition; and a filter that further divides the air trap chamber and defines a third chamber at a recording head side and connects the first chamber and a lower end of the second chamber with the recording head, the filter being provided to allow the ink to flow from the first chamber to the third chamber through the filter and provide resistance to the high-speed ink-flow generated by the purge device such that air is separated from the ink which enters the air trap chamber and is trapped at an upper portion of the first chamber, and the air trapped in the first chamber is discharged from the nozzles by a suction supplied by the purge device that generates the high-speed ink-flow that passes the first, second and third chambers in order.