Patent ID: 8485648

Claim:
An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: an ink head having a nozzle face on which a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are formed, the ink head discharging the ink on a recording medium to form an image; a first tank configured to store the ink to be supplied to the ink head, and add positive pressure to the ink head; a first passage that connects the ink head and the first tank to each other; a second tank configured to store the ink not having been discharged from the ink head, and add negative pressure to the ink head; a second passage that connects the ink head and the second tank to each other; a third passage that connects the second tank and the first tank to each other; a pump disposed on the third passage and configured to feed the ink from the second tank into the first tank; a bypass passage that is connected in parallel with the pump on the third passage; and a pressure regulation valve which is disposed on the bypass passage, and which is configured to circulate the ink within the bypass passage in accordance with a pressure inside the first tank and a pressure inside the second tank, so as to regulate the pressure inside one of the first tank and the second tank such that a predetermined pressure is applied to the nozzles of the ink head; wherein, when the pressure regulation valve opens, the bypass passage has a lower flow resistance than a flow resistance downstream of the pump in the third passage, and the ink fed by the pump is branched and fed back to an inlet side upstream of the pump through the bypass passage.