Patent ID: 8459789

Claim:
An ink jet recording apparatus which jets an ink onto a recording medium to record an image, comprising: a housing which has an opening at an upper portion thereof; a carriage which reciprocates in the housing and carries an ink cartridge which contains the ink and a recording head which jets the ink; a tray, at least a portion of which is provided in the housing and on which the recording medium, on which the image has been recorded by the ink jetted from the recording head, is discharged; a cover which is provided on the upper portion of the housing and opens/closes the opening; a light source which is provided so that both a carriage area in which the carriage is positioned when the ink cartridge is replaced and a discharge area, of the tray, in which the recording medium is discharged are irradiated with a light from the light source; and a partition plate which has a light guide section and is provided in the housing between the light source and the tray, wherein the light from the light source irradiates the portion of the discharge area in the housing via the light guide section, wherein the light source is disposed between the partition plate and the opening, and wherein the light from the light source irradiates a portion of the discharge area in the housing when the cover is closed and irradiates the carriage area when the cover is opened.