| 摘要 |
A recording apparatus that records images on a recording medium by use of an ink jet recording head to discharge ink from discharge ports comprises a cap covering the discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head having discharge ports formed thereon, being capable of receiving ink discharged from the discharge ports, idle suction means for exhausting ink received by the cap to the outside, predischarge means for pre-discharging ink from the ink jet recording head to the inside of the cap at designated time intervals aside from recording operation, accumulating means for accumulating the amount of ink consumption by the predischarge, first comparison means for comparing the amount of ink consumption accumulated by the accumulating means with a first threshold value per predischarge, first predischarge control means for controlling to reduce the amount of ink discharge for predischarge to follow in accordance with the comparison result provided by the first comparison means, second comparison means for comparing the amount of ink consumption accumulated by the accumulating means with a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value per predischarge of the amount of ink discharge reduced by the first predischarge control means, predischarge prohibition means for controlling to prohibit predischarge operation in accordance with the comparison result of the second comparison means, and second predischarge control means for controlling to resume predischarge to follow after the completion of recording operation in accordance with the period of time defined by the predischarge operation prohibition means for prohibiting predischarge operation, and to increase the amount of ink consumption for the predischarge. With the structure thus arranged, the recording apparatus is capable of performing predischarge flexibly and efficiently corresponding to recording conditions, while eliminating any overflow of predischarged ink in the cap, hence preventing the interior of the recording apparatus from being contaminated with ink.
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