Claims
- 1. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- a recording head having an ink discharge opening for discharging ink;
- a suction mechanism for sucking the ink from said recording head through said ink discharge opening by applying negative pressure to said ink discharge opening;
- a cap member communicating with said suction mechanism for capping said ink discharge opening;
- an ink supply path for supplying the ink to said discharge opening of said recording head;
- an open/close mechanism associated with said ink supply path for opening and closing said ink supply path; and
- a mechanism for capping said ink discharge opening with said cap member and closing said ink supply path with said open/close mechanism to form a sealed internal chamber between said open/close mechanism and said suction mechanism, wherein operation of said suction mechanism creates an increased negative pressure in the sealed internal chamber.
- 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording head is provided with an energy generating element comprising an electro-thermal converting member for generating energy for discharging ink.
- 3. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said open/close mechanism is provided on a carriage on which said recording head is mounted.
- 4. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said open/close mechanism is driven by a drive source used for driving said cap member.
- 5. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said suction mechanism is a pump.
- 6. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal chamber can be communicated with the atmosphere and an idle ink discharge can be performed for discharging the ink from said ink discharge opening into said cap member to be sucked by said suction mechanism.
- 7. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein plural recording heads each having an ink supply path are provided and plural caps are provided on said cap member for capping each said recording head, and wherein an open/close mechanism is provided for each ink supply path, said suction mechanism using a single pump.
- 8. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- a recording head having an ink discharge opening for discharging ink;
- suction means for sucking the ink from said recording head through said ink discharge opening by applying negative pressure to said ink discharge opening;
- cap means communicating with said suction means for capping said ink discharge opening;
- an ink supply path for supplying the ink to said discharge opening of said recording head;
- open/close means associated with said ink supply path for opening and closing said ink supply path;
- means for capping said ink discharge opening with said cap means and closing said ink supply path with said open/close means to form a sealed internal chamber between said open/close means and said suction means, wherein operation of said suction means creates an increased negative pressure in the sealed internal chamber.
- 9. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said recording head is provided with an energy generating element comprising an electro-thermal converting member for generating energy for discharging ink.
- 10. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said open/close means is provided on a carriage on which said recording head is mounted.
- 11. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said open/close means is driven by a drive source used for driving said cap means.
- 12. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said suction means is a pump.
- 13. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the internal chamber can be communicated with the atmosphere and an idle ink discharge can be performed for discharging ink from said ink discharge opening into said cap means to be sucked by said suction means.
- 14. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein plural recording heads each having an ink supply path are provided and plural caps are provided on said cap means for capping each said recording head, and wherein an open/close means is provided for each ink supply path, said suction means using a single pump.
- 15. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- a recording head having an ink discharge opening for discharging ink;
- a suction mechanism for sucking the ink from said recording head through said ink discharge opening by applying negative pressure to said ink discharge opening;
- a cap member communicating with said suction mechanism for capping said ink discharge opening;
- an ink supply path for supplying the ink to said ink discharge opening of said recording head;
- an open/close mechanism associated with said ink supply path for opening and closing said ink supply path, said apparatus being operable in a first mode wherein said ink supply path is opened by said open/close mechanism and said ink discharge opening is capped by said cap member and said suction mechanism sucks the ink from said ink discharge opening, and a second mode, wherein said ink discharge opening is capped by said cap member and said ink supply path is closed by said open/close mechanism to form a sealed internal chamber between said open/close mechanism and said suction mechanism and said suction mechanism creates an increased negative pressure in the sealed internal chamber and said ink supply path is then opened to release the increased negative pressure and suck ink from said discharge opening; and
- a selection mechanism for selecting the first mode or the second mode.
- 16. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said recording head is provided with an energy generating element comprising an electro-thermal converting member for generating energy for discharging ink.
- 17. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said open/close mechanism is provided on a carriage on which said recording head is mounted.
- 18. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said open/close mechanism is driven by a drive source used for driving said cap member.
- 19. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said suction mechanism is a pump.
- 20. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the internal chamber can be communicated with the atmosphere and an idle ink discharge can be performed for discharging ink from said discharge opening into said cap member to be sucked by said suction mechanism.
- 21. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15 wherein plural recording heads each having an ink supply path are provided and plural caps are provided on said cap member for capping each said recording head, and wherein an open/close mechanism is provided for each ink supply path, said suction mechanism using a single pump.
- 22. A recovery mechanism which can be adapted to an ink jet recording apparatus in which recording is effected by discharging ink from a recording head having an ink discharge opening, comprising:
- a suction mechanism for sucking ink from said recording head through said ink discharge opening by applying negative pressure to said ink discharge opening;
- a cap member communicating with said suction mechanism for covering said ink discharge opening;
- an open/close mechanism associated with an ink supply path that connects said discharge opening of said recording head to an ink storage portion that stores the ink, said open/close mechanism provided for opening and closing said ink supply path; and
- a mechanism for capping said ink discharge opening with said cap member and closing said ink supply path with said open/close mechanism to form a sealed internal chamber between said open/close mechanism and said suction mechanism, wherein operation of said suction mechanism creates an increased negative pressure in the sealed internal chamber and said open/close mechanism then opens said ink supply path to release the increased negative pressure and suck ink from said ink discharge opening.
- 23. A recovery mechanism according to claim 22, wherein said recording head is provided with an energy generating element comprising an electro-thermal converting member for generating energy for discharging ink.
- 24. A recovery mechanism according to claim 22, wherein said open/close mechanism is provided on a carriage on which said recording head is mounted.
- 25. A recovery mechanism according to claim 22, wherein said open/close mechanism is driven by a drive source used for driving said cap member.
- 26. A recovery mechanism according to claim 22, wherein said suction mechanism is a pump.
- 27. A recovery mechanism according to claim 22, wherein the internal chamber can be communicated with the atmosphere and an idle ink discharge can be performed for discharging ink from said ink discharge opening into said cap member to be sucked by said suction mechanism.
- 28. A recovery mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus that effects color recording by discharging ink from a recording head having plural ink discharge openings, comprising:
- a cap provided with plural cap portions for capping each of said discharge openings individually;
- a suction mechanism communicating with the plural cap portions for sucking the ink from said discharge openings by applying negative pressure to said discharge openings;
- ink supply paths for supplying ink to said discharge openings of said recording head;
- an open/close mechanism associated with said ink supply paths for opening and closing said ink supply paths; and
- a control mechanism for capping said ink discharge openings with said cap and closing said ink supply paths with said open/close mechanism to form a sealed internal chamber between said open/close mechanism and said suction mechanism, wherein operation of said suction mechanism creates an increased negative pressure in the sealed internal chamber and said control mechanism then opens said ink supply path to release the increased negative pressure and suck ink from said ink discharge opening.
- 29. A recovery mechanism according to claim 28, wherein said recording head is provided with energy generating elements comprising electro-thermal converting members for generating energy for discharging ink.
- 30. A recovery mechanism according to claim 28, wherein said open/close mechanism is provided on a carriage on which said recording head is mounted.
- 31. A recovery mechanism according to claim 28, wherein said open/close mechanism is driven by a drive source used for driving said cap.
- 32. A recovery mechanism according to claim 28, wherein said suction mechanism is a pump.
- 33. A recovery mechanism according to claim 28, wherein the internal chamber can be communicated with the atmosphere and an idle ink discharge can be performed for discharging ink from said ink discharge opening into said cap to be sucked by said suction mechanism.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
1-65754 |
Mar 1989 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/494,400 filed Mar. 16, 1990, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
52-132842 |
Nov 1977 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
494400 |
Mar 1990 |
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