Method of removing air bubbles from ink supply passage in ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording apparatus capable of employing said method

摘要

An air-communicated opening (8a) of an ink cartridge (8) connected to an ink jet recording head (7) is sealed to apply negative pressure from the suction means (11) to the recording head (7) through a capping unit (10). Ink is forcibly discharged from the recording head (7) until the internal pressure of the ink cartridge (8) is brought into a condition of equilibrium with the sucking pressure of the suction means (11). Thus, air bubbles are discharged to the outside by force of the flow of ink. Then, the pressure of the ink in the ink cartridge (8) is reduced to the sucking pressure to raise the degree of deaeration of the ink.