Ink-jet recording apparatus having ink-extracting member

An ink-jet recording apparatus, comprising:

• a recording head which ejects ink to perform recording;
• an ink cartridge which stores ink;
• and
• an ink-extracting member which has an ink-extract passage as an inner passage formed therein and which is to be removably connected to the ink cartridge for extracting the ink from the ink cartridge to supply the ink to the recording head,
• wherein the ink cartridge includes:
• (a) an ink-outlet valve member which shuts off a flow of the ink from the ink cartridge and which establishes a state in which the ink can be extracted from the ink cartridge by the ink-extracting member when the ink-outlet valve member is pressed by the ink-extracting member which abuts on the ink-outlet valve member upon connection of the ink-extracting member to the ink cartridge;
• and (b) a seal which is disposed downstream of the ink-outlet valve member and into which the ink-extracting member is inserted so that the seal comes into close contact with an outer surface of the ink-extracting member,
• wherein the ink-extracting member further includes, at an end portion thereof, an end face which abuts on the ink-outlet valve member and at least one ink-extract communication opening which is formed at the end portion and which is formed in a peripheral wall of the ink-extracting member, so as to communicate with the ink-extract passage,
• and wherein the at least one ink-extract communication opening is disposed, in a state in which the ink-extracting member is connected to the ink cartridge, at a position nearer to the ink-outlet valve member than a portion of the ink-extracting member with which the seal comes into close contact.

An ink-jet recording apparatus, comprising:

• a recording head which ejects ink to perform recording;
• and an ink-extracting member which has an ink-extract passage as an inner passage formed therein and which is to be removably connected to an ink cartridge that stores ink for extracting the ink from the ink cartridge to supply the ink to the recording head,
• wherein the ink-extracting member is to be connected to the ink cartridge including:
• an ink-outlet valve member which shuts off a flow of the ink from the ink cartridge and which establishes a state in which the ink can be extracted from the ink cartridge by the ink-extracting member when the ink-outlet member is pressed by the ink-extracting member which abuts on the ink-outlet valve member upon connection of the ink-extracting member to the ink cartridge;
• and a seal which is disposed downstream of the ink-outlet valve member and into which the ink-extracting member is inserted so that the seal comes into close contact with an outer surface of the ink-extracting member,
• and wherein the ink-extracting member further includes:
• at least one ink-extract communication opening which is disposed, in a state in which the ink-extracting member is connected to the ink cartridge, at a position nearer to the ink-outlet valve member than a portion of the ink-extracting member with which the seal comes into close contact;
• and at least one air-discharge passage for discharging air existing in a space located downstream of the ink-outlet valve member out into an exterior of the ink cartridge, upon insertion of the ink-extracting member into the seal.