Air purge device for ink jet recording apparatus

An ink jet print system, comprising:

• a carriage;
• a print head mounted to the carriage;
• a buffer tank mounted to the carriage that supplies ink to the print head, the buffer tank having an ink inlet and an outlet in an upper surface;
• an ink supply channel;
• a removal channel;
• a tank, the ink supply channel and the removal channel extending from the tank to the buffer tank;
• and
• a pump in one of the ink supply channel and the removal channel, wherein an opening of the ink inlet is lower than the outlet and the upper surface of the buffer tank is inclined upwardly to the outlet.

An air purge system for an ink jet print mechanism mounted on a carriage, comprising:

• a buffer tank mounted to the carriage that supplies ink to a print head, the buffer tank having an ink inlet and an outlet in an upper surface;
• an ink supply channel;
• a removal channel;
• a tank, the ink supply channel and the removal channel extending from the tank to the buffer tank;
• and
• a pump in one of the ink supply channel and the removal channel, wherein an opening of the ink inlet is lower than the outlet and the upper surface of the buffer tank is inclined upwardly to the outlet, wherein the ink supply channel and the removal channel each comprise:
• a first flexible tube;
• a joint member mounted on the carriage;
• and
• a second flexible tube, the first flexible tube extending between the joint member and the buffer tank and the second flexible tube extending between the tank and the joint member.