METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING PRINTING HEAD WITH INK

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten the waiting time up to an operable state even when an ink jet recording apparatus is used for the first time by performing the filling of a printing head with ink rapidly as compared with a conventional filling process. SOLUTION: The surfaces of the nozzles 23 of a printing head 13 are set to an airtight state and negative pressure is applied to a second ink communication part 46 and the ink in the ink tank 40 provided to the outside of the printing head is drawn in the printing head 13 from a first ink communication part 45. Thereafter, the surfaces of the nozzles 23 of the printing head 13 are set to a non-airtight state and the first ink communication part 45 is closed to apply positive pressure on the second ink communication part 46 and the ink drawn in the printing head 13 is sent into the nozzles 23. By this constitution, the printing head 13 is filled with ink.