Patent ID: 7014292

Claim:
An ink jet recording apparatus for performing image formation on a recording medium by using a recording head having plural discharge ports being arranged to discharge ink from the discharge ports, comprising: preliminary discharging means for performing preliminary discharges by discharging ink from the discharge ports irrespective of the image formation; capping means for enabling a cap for capping the plural discharge ports to be in contact with and retract from a discharge port surface of the recording head where the discharge ports are formed; selection means for selecting whether the preliminary discharges are to be performed in the status of having said cap be in contact with the discharge port surface or in the status of having said cap be retracted from the discharge port surface, according to the number of ink discharges by said preliminary discharging means; and suction means for sucking the ink in said cap by generating negative pressure in said cap, wherein when the preliminary discharges are performed in the status of having said cap in contact, said cap is communicated with the air outside, and suction is also effectuated by said suction means, wherein the ink discharge number in the status of having said cap in contact is selected to be greater than the ink discharge number in the status of having said cap retracted, wherein the discharge frequency in performing the suction and the preliminary discharges is lower than the discharge frequency in performing only the preliminary discharges.