Patent ID: 8052273

Claim:
An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: an ink jet head having a nozzle portion and mounted to undergo movement in a scanning direction for performing recording by discharging droplets of an active ray curing type ink from an ink discharge surface of the nozzle portion onto a recording surface of a recording medium; an active ray irradiation device disposed adjacently to the ink jet head for irradiating an active ray to cure the active ray curing type ink discharged onto the recording surface of the recording medium; a platen for supporting the recording medium; a plate mounted to undergo movement in the scanning direction of the inkjet head for preventing an active ray irradiated from the active ray irradiation device and reflected by the platen from entering the nozzle portion of the ink jet head, the plate being disposed adjacent to an end portion of the recording medium and in an arbitrary position between a surface lying substantially on the same plane as the recording surface of the recording medium and the ink discharge surface of the nozzle portion of the ink jet head; a plate position adjusting mechanism for moving the plate in a direction orthogonal to the recording medium so that a surface of the plate on a side of the ink jet head and on a side of the active ray irradiation device is moved vertically in parallel with respect to the recording surface of the recording medium; and a head position adjusting mechanism for moving the ink jet head in a direction orthogonal to the recording medium so that a distance from the recording surface of the recording medium to the ink discharge surface of the nozzle portion of the ink jet head is made variable.