Patent ID: 7850290

Claim:
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: an ink jet head having a pressure chamber opposed to a nozzle, an upstream port that communicates with the pressure chamber, and a downstream port; a first tank that communicates with the ink jet head via the downstream port and stores ink, the first tank opening to atmospheric pressure; a second tank that communicates with the first tank and stores the ink; a third tank that communicates with the ink jet head via the upstream port and communicates with the second tank and stores the ink; an opening and closing mechanism that is capable of opening and closing a circulation path that the ink flows out from the ink jet head, passes through the first tank, the second tank, and the third tank in that order, and flows in the ink jet head; and an air pressure adjusting mechanism that is capable of adjusting an internal air pressure in at least one of the second tank and the third tank to make the ink circulate in the order of the downstream port, the first tank, the second tank, and the third tank, and the upstream port by adjustment of the air pressure and an opening and closing state of the circulation path to give meniscus pressure to the head.