Ink jet recording apparatus and ink supply member therefor

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising:

• an ink storage member for storing ink,
• a recording head including a nozzle for expelling ink droplets,
• an ink supply member connecting said recording head to said ink storage member,
• an ink flow path between said ink storage member and said nozzle and a flow boundary plane formed where a cross-sectional area of the ink flow path on an upstream side of said flow boundary plane is greater than said cross-sectional area of said ink flow path on a downstream side of said flow boundary plane,
• a capillary member dividing a cross-sectional area of said ink supply member into a plurality of separate substantially parallel channels each having an inlet and an outlet, each inlet of said channels located on an ink storage member side of said ink supply member and each outlet of said channels located on a recording head side of said ink supply member, said channels extending substantially perpendicular to said flow boundary plane, and said capillary member being disposed on said upstream side of said flow boundary plane, and
• a gap formed between said capillary member and said flow boundary plane so that a downstream end of said channels is spaced apart from said flow boundary plane by a predetermined distance, whereby bubbles present in the ink are fractionated by said capillary member and dispersed for ejection with said ink through said recording head.