Ink jet recording apparatus having means for removing foreign material from an ink supply path by first introducing an into the ink supply path

An ink jet recording apparatus adapted to perform a recovery process, said apparatus comprising:

• a recording head having a plurality of discharge ports;
• capping means for capping said recording head;
• introducing means for introducing air from said discharge ports to an interior portion of said recording head, said introducing means further comprising transfer means for connecting or separating said capping means to or from said recording head;
• discharge means for discharging either one or both of the ink and air from said discharge ports;
• and
• control means for controlling the connection or separation operation performed by said transfer means to cause said transfer means to repeatedly perform the operation a plurality of times, and for controlling said discharge means.

A recovery device for recovering a recording head having a plurality of discharge ports for recording through a capping member, said device comprising:

• a capping member;
• a member for switching an interior portion of said capping member either to an atmosphere communicating state or to a non-atmosphere communicating state;
• a moving mechanism for moving said capping member to a spaced position or to a capping position with respect to the recording head;
• a suction mechanism for stacking either one or both of air and liquid in the recording head through said capping member;
• and
• controlling means for controlling said switching member and said moving mechanism to move said capping member to the capping position in the atmosphere communicating state and then to switch said capping member to the non-atmosphere communicating state, said controlling means forcing air into the recording head by moving said capping member to the capping position with the recording head at the non-atmosphere communicating state during a recovery operation, and then causing said suction mechanism to suck either one or both of air and liquid from the recording head.

An ink jet recording apparatus adapted to perform a recovery process on a recording head having a plurality of discharge ports, said apparatus comprising:

• capping means for capping the recording head;
• introducing means for introducing air from the discharge ports to an interior portion of the recording head, said introducing means further comprising transfer means for connecting or separating said capping means to or from the recording head;
• discharge means for discharging either one or both of the ink and air from the discharge ports;
• and
• control means for controlling the connection of separation operation performed by said transfer means to cause said transfer means to repeatedly perform the operation a plurality of times, and for controlling said discharge means.

An ink jet recording apparatus for recovering a recording head having a plurality of discharge ports, said apparatus comprising:

• a recovery device including:
• a capping member;
• a member for switching an interior portion of said capping member either to an atmosphere communicating state or to a non-atmosphere communicating state;
• a moving mechanism for moving said capping member to a spaced position or to a capping position with respect to the recording head;
• a suction mechanism for sucking either one or both of air and liquid in the recording head through said capping member;
• and
• controlling means for controlling said switching member and said moving mechanism to move said capping member to the capping position in the atmosphere communicating state and then to switch said capping member to the non-atmosphere communicating state, said controlling means forcing air into the recording head by moving said capping member to the capping position with the recording head at the non-atmosphere communicating state during a recovery operation, and then causing said suction mechanism to suck either one or both of air and liquid from the recording head.