Ink liquid fixing device and ink jet recording apparatus provided with such ink liquid fixing device

An ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium disposed at a conveyance route by discharging ink from an ink jet head to the recording medium, said apparatus comprising:

• a hot air generating duct for generating hot air to fix ink liquid deposited on the recording medium after ink jet recording, said hot air generating duct having a first opening for introducing air from an exterior of said hot air generating duct into an interior thereof, a second opening opposed to the conveyance route and along the conveyance route, a heat generating source provided between said first and second openings and opposed to the conveyance route and a heat reflecting member provided between said heat generating source and said first opening to reflect the heat generated by said heat generating source;
• an air exhausting duct disposed adjacent to said hot air generating duct to exhaust through a vicinity of the conveyance route a gas having flowed from said second opening to the conveyance route, said exhausting duct having a third opening facing the conveyance route and a fourth opening for exhausting the gas in said exhausting duct to the exterior thereof;
• an air intake duct communicating with the first opening for supplying the air from the exterior to the first opening, said air intake duct having a fifth opening opposed to the conveyance route and along the conveyance route;
• gas flow generating means for generating a gas flow from said first opening through said second and third openings to said fourth opening;
• and
• a housing defining said air intake duct, said hot air generating duct and said air exhausting duct, said housing having a partition side plate disposed between said second and third openings which are opposed to the conveyance route and an end plate of said air exhausting duct, said partition side plate and said end plate being disposed to maintain gaps relative to the conveyance route.

An ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium disposed at a conveyance route by discharging ink from an ink jet head to the recording medium, said apparatus comprising:

• a hot air generating duct for generating hot air to fix ink liquid deposited on the recording medium after ink jet recording, said hot air generating duct having a first opening for introducing air from an exterior of said hot air generating duct into an interior thereof, a second opening opposed to the conveyance route and along the conveyance route, a heat generating source provided between said first and second openings and opposed to the conveyance route and a heat reflecting member provided between said heat generating source and said first opening to reflect the heat generated by said heat generating source;
• an air exhausting duct disposed adjacent to said hot air generating duct to exhaust through a vicinity of the conveyance route a gas having flowed from said second opening to the conveyance route, said exhausting duct having a third opening facing the conveyance route and a fourth opening for exhausting the gas in said exhausting duct to the exterior thereof;
• gas flow generating means for generating a gas flow from said first opening through said second and third openings to said fourth opening;
• a housing defining said hot air generating duct and said air exhausting duct, said housing having a partition side plate disposed between said second and third openings which are opposed to the conveyance route and an end plate of said air exhausting duct, said partition side plate and said end plate being disposed to maintain gaps relative to the conveyance route;
• and
• a recording section, including the ink jet head, mounted on an upstream side of said housing relative to the conveyance route, wherein said gas flow generating means further generates a gas flow of heated air from said recording section and out said air exhausting duct.