JP2006103016A - Continuous inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
When the pigment-based ink is left in the container for a long time, the pigment settles, causing not only clogging in the circulation path in the ink jet recording apparatus, but also unevenness in the color of printing. Thus, the ink jet recording apparatus that handles pigment-based ink needs an ink stirring mechanism. However, the conventional stirring device is driven by a motor, and electric power for driving the motor is required. If ink is scattered from the container and adheres to the stirring device, there is a risk of short-circuiting electricity.
[Solution]
By making the stirrer 1 that stirs ink fluid-driven and separates the fluid drive adjustment unit, there is no need to draw electricity around the containers 3 and 4 containing ink, and the danger can be reduced.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that ejects ink particles continuously.

  The ink jet recording apparatus sucks ink from an ink container with a pump, supplies ink to a nozzle through an ink filter and a pressure regulating valve that adjusts ink pressure, generates ink particles by vibrating the ink ejected from the nozzle, By charging and deflecting the ink particles, the ink particles reach the recording medium to perform recording. Ink is continuously ejected from the nozzles, and ink particles that are not used for recording are collected from the gutter part, returned to the container containing the ink by the power of the pump, and supplied to the nozzles again. Yes.

  When printing on dark colors such as black on the surface of the recording medium, it is impossible to read characters printed in the same color as the surface of the recording medium with dye-based inks that are generally used. It is necessary to print.

  When the pigment-based ink is left in a container for storing the ink for a long time, there is a problem that a pigment that is one of the components of the ink settles. If circulation is performed in which the ink is supplied to the nozzle and collected with the dye settling, clogging occurs in the circulation path. In addition, the color to be printed on the recording medium is uneven, which causes a trouble that the recorded character is difficult to recognize as a character. Ink jet recording apparatuses using such pigment-based inks require a mechanism for stirring the ink in the container in order to prevent troubles.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an ink jet recording apparatus that uses pigment-based ink and has a stirring mechanism. The ink tank main body described in Patent Document 1 is placed on a magnetic stirring device. In this magnetic stirring device, a rotating plate is rotated by a motor, and a magnetic field in the rotating plate is rotated to generate a rotating magnetic field. On the other hand, the container containing the ink is installed on the stirring device in a state where the rotor is placed, and the rotor is followed by the rotating magnetic field generated from the motor-driven magnetic stirring device to stir the ink. .

  In addition, there is another known motor in which the tip of the rotating shaft of the motor communicates with the inside of the ink container, and a rotating blade is provided at the tip of the shaft to stir the ink.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-110458 (FIG. 4)

  A stirrer used in a conventional ink jet recording apparatus uses a motor as a drive source as disclosed in Patent Document 1. Electric power is required to drive this motor, but the stirrer is provided near the container containing the ink. If the ink overflows from the container or if the ink scatters from the container, the ink May adhere to the stirrer and the electric circuit for driving the motor may be short-circuited. In such a case, it becomes difficult to continue normal operation.

  In addition, since ink is flammable, there is a case where an electrical short circuit as described above may cause ignition.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus that can be stably operated even when pigment-based ink is used.

  In order to achieve the above object, the ink jetting is vibrated to generate ink particles, and the ink particles are charged and deflected to cause the ink particles to reach a predetermined location on the recording medium for recording. Among these, in an ink jet recording apparatus using a pigment-based ink, the present invention firstly includes an ink container in which the pigment-based ink is stored, and the pigment system in the ink container. A stirrer that stirs ink and a rotating member that rotates by receiving fluid force outside the ink container are provided, and the stirrer and the rotating member are made of a magnetic material.

  Secondly, the ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink container constituting an ink circulation system in a main body housing, and a stirrer made of a magnetic material is provided in the ink container, and the magnetic material is disposed outside the ink container. A stirrer having a rotating mechanism is installed, and a rotation driving source of a magnetic body disposed in the stirrer is used as a fluid.

  Thirdly, the apparatus having the first feature described above includes a stirring device including the rotating member, the ink container is placed on the stirring device, and the stirring bar is a bottom surface of the ink container. It was set as the structure located in a part.

  Fourth, in the apparatus having the second or third feature described above, an ink container for circulating the ink supply to the nozzle and collecting the stirring device during normal operation and the ink in the ink container It was placed under the auxiliary ink container provided to make up for the decrease in the amount.

  Fifth, the apparatus having any one of the second to fourth features described above, a flow rate adjusting valve for adjusting the flow rate of the fluid to adjust the rotational speed of the stirring device, and a flow to the stirring device The fluid control valve for controlling the fluid is used.

  Sixthly, in the device having any one of the second to fifth features, the stirring device, the regulating valve, and the fluid control valve are separable.

  As described above, in the present invention, the stirrer that stirs the ink is fluid-driven, and the drive source supply adjustment unit of the stirrer that requires electric power and the stirrer main body can be separated. It is possible to make a mechanism that does not place anything that requires electric power around a container containing ink.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet recording apparatus that can be stably operated even when pigment-based ink is used.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink stirring mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an ink jet recording apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus main body.

  First, FIG. 2 shows an overview of the ink jet recording apparatus. It comprises a main body 100 containing a control system and an ink circulation system, a head 110 having nozzles for ejecting ink and creating particles, and a cable 120 connecting the circulation system of the main body 100 and the head 110 and the control system. A touch panel type liquid crystal display 130 is provided on the top of the main body 100. The touch panel type liquid crystal display 130 displays the contents of control, the operation status of the apparatus, and the like, and at the same time, the user can input the contents of printing and the printing specifications. Further, a door 180 is provided on the front surface of the main body 100 so that each device in the main body 100 can be pulled out as will be described later.

  Next, the internal structure of the main body 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Electrical parts such as the control board 140 are arranged on the upper part of the main body 100. In the lower part of the main body 100, ink circulation system control parts such as a pump unit 150 and a circulation unit electromagnetic valve 160 are arranged. An ink viscosity measuring device, a pressure measuring device, an ink storage container 3, an auxiliary device are provided in the circulation unit front portion 170. An ink container 4, a solvent storage container, and the like are accommodated. The door 180 can be opened and closed as shown in the figure, and the ink storage container 3, the auxiliary ink container 4, the solvent storage container, and other devices can be pulled out to the door 180 side. And other maintenance can be done easily.

  Next, an ink stirring mechanism using an air compressor will be described with reference to FIG. The ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 installed in the circulation unit front part 170 at the lower part of the main body 100 are installed on the fluid driven stirring device 1. The fluid-driven stirring device 1 includes a rotating member (not shown). On the other hand, each container has a stirrer 5 made of a magnetic material, and the stirrer 5 rotates to stir ink. The rotating member in the fluid-driven stirring device 1 is a rotating plate made of, for example, a magnetic material. A rotating magnetic field is generated by the rotation of the rotating plate, and the stirrer 5 in the ink containers 3 and 4 is connected to the rotating plate of the rotating plate. It is configured to rotate following the movement. Further, the stirrer 5 only needs to be arranged to be rotatable in the vicinity of the bottom of the ink container, and does not require a special mounting structure. Therefore, there is no problem if a rod-like magnetic body smaller than the inner diameter of the bottom of the container is used.

  That is, the fluid-driven agitator 1 is provided with a fluid inlet and outlet, and a rotating plate made of a magnetic material by rotating the blade member in response to the pressure of the fluid flowing in from the inlet. Rotates. Accordingly, the pigment-based ink in the ink containers 3 and 4 is agitated by rotating the stirrer 5 by generating a rotating magnetic field. The ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 are fixed on the fluid-driven stirring device 1 by a fixing structure (not shown) and will not fall down due to the rotation of the stirring bar 5.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a fluid supply adjusting unit 190 is provided for each fluid-driven stirring device 1 in order to set the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 to separate stirring times and stirring rotation speeds. The fluid supply adjusting unit 190 includes a control valve 6 that performs adjustment to send fluid to the fluid-driven stirring device 1 and a fluid that is sent to the main body 100 to adjust the pressure to be suitable for the fluid-driven stirring device 1 to rotate. And a pressure gauge 8 for measuring the pressure sent to the fluid-driven stirring device 1.

  The fluid-driven stirring device 1 of the present invention is characterized in that a fluid is used as a drive source. In this embodiment, air is used as the fluid of the drive source. The air that is the driving source is supplied into the main body 100 from an air compressor (not shown) outside the main body 100, and is sent to each fluid supply adjusting unit 190 through the tube 2. The air adjusted to a pressure suitable for the rotation of the fluid-driven stirring device 1 is exhausted from the discharge tube 2c through the supply tube 2a and the fluid-driven stirring device 1. The discharge tubes 2c coming out of the respective fluid drive agitators 1 are made into one flow path using a joint or the like, connected to the main body 100 discharge port, and exhausted to the outside. Alternatively, the discharge tubes 2c coming out from the respective fluid drive agitators 1 may not be connected, and each may be connected to the main body 100 outlet and exhausted to the outside.

  As described above, in the fluid-driven stirring device 1, the rotating plate is configured to rotate by receiving the pressure of the air flowing in from the inlet. For this reason, in this embodiment, the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 is arranged on the upstream side of the fluid-driven stirring device 1, but the rotational speed of the rotating plate changes depending on the pressure and flow velocity of the supplied air and follows this. The number of rotations of the stirring bar 5 that rotates is also changed. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 is arranged for each of the fluid drive agitator 1 on which the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 are placed. Even when the container capacity and the ink remaining amount of the ink container 4 are significantly different, it is possible to set different stirring times and stirring rotation speeds.

  Next, another method of stirring the ink using an air compressor will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As described above, the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 installed in the front circulating unit front part 170 of the main body 100 are installed on the fluid-driven stirring device 1, and fluid-driven stirring is provided in each container. The rotating plate in the apparatus 1 has a stirrer 5 that rotates following the movement of the rotating plate, and stirs ink. When the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 are agitated with the same agitation time and agitation speed, only one fluid supply adjusting unit 190 is provided as shown in FIGS. Thus, an ink stirring mechanism can be provided.

  Air, which is a drive source of the fluid-driven stirring device 1, is supplied into the main body 100 from an air compressor outside the main body 100, and is sent to the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 through the supply tube 2a as shown in FIGS. . FIG. 4 shows a mechanism in which each fluid-driven stirring device 1 is connected in series using a relay tube 2b. The air adjusted by the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 passes through the first fluid-driven agitator 1 and is sent into the second fluid-driven agitator 1, passes through the discharge tube 2 c, and is discharged from the main body 100 outlet. It has a mechanism to exhaust air.

  FIG. 5 shows a mechanism in which the fluid-driven stirring devices 1 are connected in parallel using a supply tube 2a. The air adjusted by the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 passes through the tube 2 and is exhausted from the discharge tube 2c through the fluid-driven agitator 1. The discharge tubes 2c coming out from the respective fluid drive agitators 1 are unified using a joint or the like, connected to the main body 100 outlet, and exhausted to the outside. Alternatively, the discharge tubes 2c coming out from the respective fluid drive agitators 1 may not be connected, and each may be connected to the main body 100 outlet and exhausted to the outside.

  4 and 5 are examples in which two fluid-driven agitating devices 1 are arranged for one fluid supply adjusting unit 190, but three or more fluid-driven agitating devices are provided. Alternatively, the same or more fluid-driven stirring devices 1 may be arranged for the plurality of fluid supply adjusting units 190.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the fluid-driven stirring device 1 is connected in series, the fluid path can be made into one flow path, and the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 are arranged adjacent to each other. Is advantageous. That is, in the main body 100, by opening and closing the door 180, it is possible to pull out the devices in the main body 100 including the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4, so that these containers 3 and 4 are adjacent to each other. This arrangement is advantageous in terms of maintenance. Therefore, by connecting the air-driven fluid-driven stirring device 1 in series in such a case, it is possible to provide a structure capable of facilitating maintenance and replenishing ink easily.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when the fluid drive stirring device 1 is connected in parallel, the stirring mechanism can be operated even when the output of the air compressor is small. Therefore, the entire system can be made compact.

  Next, an ink stirring mechanism using an air pump will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As described above, the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 installed in the circulation unit front part 170 at the lower part of the main body 100 are installed on the fluid-driven stirring device 1, and fluid-driven in each container. The rotating plate in the stirring device 1 has a stirrer 5 that rotates following this movement as the rotating plate rotates, and stirs ink.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the drive source of the fluid-driven stirring device 1 is air, and the supply source is an air pump 200. When the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 are agitated with the same agitation time and agitation speed, one air pump is provided as shown in FIGS. In addition, when the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 are stirred at different stirring times and stirring rotation speeds, an air pump 200 is provided for each fluid-driven stirring apparatus 1 as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 shows a mechanism in which the fluid drive stirring device 1 is connected in series using the relay tube 2b. The air supplied from the air pump 200 passes through the supply tube 2a, passes through the first fluid-driven agitator 1 and is sent to the fluid-driven agitator 1 arranged on the downstream side of the second unit, and passes through the discharge tube 2c to the main body 100. It is a mechanism that exhausts to the outside from the discharge port.

  FIG. 7 shows a mechanism in which the fluid drive stirring device 1 is connected in parallel using a supply tube 2a. The air supplied from the air pump 200 is exhausted from the discharge tube 2c through the fluid-driven agitator 1. The discharge tubes 2c coming out of the respective fluid drive agitators 1 are made into one flow path using a joint or the like, connected to the main body 100 discharge port, and exhausted to the outside. Alternatively, it is possible to connect the discharge tubes 2c coming out of the respective fluid drive stirring devices 1 to each other and connect them to the main body 100 discharge port to exhaust to the outside.

  Further, FIG. 8 shows a mechanism in which an air pump 200 is connected to each fluid-driven stirring device 1 as described above. The air supplied from the air pump 200 passes through the supply tube 2a, exhausts from the discharge tube 2c through the fluid driven stirring device 1. The discharge tubes 2c coming out of the respective fluid drive agitators 1 are made into one flow path using a joint or the like, connected to the main body 100 discharge port, and exhausted to the outside. Alternatively, the discharge tubes 2c coming out from the respective fluid drive agitators 1 may not be connected, and each may be connected to the main body 100 outlet and exhausted to the outside.

  When the drive source is obtained from the air pump 200, when the air pump 200 having a flow rate adjusting mechanism is used, the flow rate is adjusted by the air pump 200, and a mechanism for directly connecting the air pump 200 and the fluid drive agitator 1 by the supply tube 2a is provided. take. Further, when the air pump 200 does not have a flow rate adjusting mechanism, a fluid supply adjusting unit 190 is provided between the air pump 200 and the fluid drive stirring device 1 to take a mechanism for adjusting the flow rate.

  Next, an ink stirring mechanism using a pump will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As described above, the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 installed in the front circulating unit front part 170 of the main body 100 are installed on the fluid-driven stirring device 1, and fluid-driven stirring is provided in each container. The rotating plate in the apparatus 1 has a stirrer 5 that rotates following the movement of the rotating plate, and stirs ink.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the drive source of the fluid drive stirring device 1 is ink or solvent, and the supply source is a pump 210. When the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 are agitated with the same agitation time and agitation rotational speed, one fluid supply adjustment unit 190 is provided as shown in FIGS. In addition, when the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 are agitated at different agitation times and agitation rotational speeds, a fluid supply adjustment unit 190 is provided for each fluid drive agitation device 1. The ink or solvent supplied from the pump 210 is sent to the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 through the tube 2.

  FIG. 9 shows a mechanism in which the fluid drive stirring device 1 is connected in series using the relay tube 2b. The ink or solvent adjusted by the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 is sent into the fluid-driven agitator 1 disposed downstream of the first fluid-driven agitator 1 and passes through the discharge tube 2c. The circulation mechanism returns to the pump 210 again.

  FIG. 10 shows a mechanism in which the fluid drive stirring device 1 is connected in parallel using a supply tube 2a. The ink or solvent adjusted by the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 is a circulation mechanism that is discharged from the discharge tube 2 c via the fluid-driven stirring device 1 and returns to the pump 210 again.

  Further, FIG. 11 shows a mechanism in which a fluid supply adjusting unit 190 is connected to each fluid-driven stirring device 1 as described above. The ink or solvent adjusted by the fluid supply adjustment unit 190 is discharged from the discharge tube 2 c via the fluid drive stirring device 1, and becomes a circulation mechanism that returns to the pump 210 again.

  Ink or solvent can be used as a drive source for the fluid drive stirring device 1. That is, the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention has an ink circulation system, pumps up ink from the ink storage container 3 by a pump (not shown), vibrates ink ejected from the nozzle, generates ink particles, and Printing is performed on an object to be printed by charging and deflecting ink particles. Here, ink that is not used for printing is collected by a gutter unit (not shown) and returned to the ink storage container 3 again. Therefore, by supplying the fluid (ink, solvent) flowing through the ink circulation path into the fluid-driven stirring device 1, the stirrer 5 is rotated in the same manner as in the case of the air drive described above, and the containers 3 and 4 It is possible to stir the ink. In this case, it is possible to supply using the pump in the pump unit 150 in the lower part of the main body 100.

  In addition, a mechanism for installing another pump outside the main body 100 and piping using the tube 2 can be adopted. In this case, the drive source of the fluid driven stirring device 1 can use not only ink or solvent but also various fluids that can be supplied from the outside of the main body 100.

  By adopting the mechanism as described above, even when the space around the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4 is small, only the fluid-driven stirring device 1 is installed under the ink storage container 3 and the auxiliary ink container 4. Then, the fluid-driven stirring device 1, the fluid supply adjusting unit 190, and the fluid supply source are connected by adjusting the length of the tube, so that the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 and the fluid supply source are installed in a place where there is a margin in structure. be able to. By adopting such a mechanism, it is not necessary to arrange a configuration other than the fluid-driven stirring device 1 around the container containing the ink, and it is possible to keep away the one that requires electric power from the ink. Moreover, these mechanisms can respond to various use conditions of the ink jet recording apparatus. Therefore, stable operation is possible even when pigment-based ink is used.

  In addition, it is not always necessary to stir the pigment ink, and it is sufficient to stir the ink regularly to such an extent that trouble does not occur due to ink settling. This control is a mechanism for controlling the opening / closing operation of the control valve 6 in the fluid supply adjusting unit 190 by the control board 140. The frequency of ink agitation may be performed every predetermined time, or a device for detecting the amount of pigment ink sediment is separately provided, and the control unit on the control board 140 gives an agitation command according to the detected amount. It is good.

  Further, in this embodiment, a configuration having a plurality of ink containers 3 and 4 is used, but when the capacity of the ink containers is greatly different, the interval of ink agitation may be different for each container. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the stirrer 5 may be varied by detecting the ink capacity or the remaining ink amount in the container, and these can be arbitrarily performed.

  By the way, if the number of rotations of the rotating plate in the fluid-driven stirring device 1 becomes too high, the stirrer 5 may not follow the rotating magnetic field, and a step-out phenomenon may occur. That is, the stirrer 5 may not follow up and rotate freely regardless of the rotation of the rotating plate. At this time, the stirrer 5 is not controlled in the ink container, and this may cause the container to be displaced or toppled over. We are going to supply.

  By adopting the above means, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording apparatus using a pigment-based ink with reduced trouble and danger.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism in which air is supplied from an air compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention and a fluid supply adjusting unit is provided in each of the fluid drive stirring devices. 1 is a schematic view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of an ink jet recording apparatus main body according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism when air is fed from an air compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention and fluid-driven stirring devices are connected in series. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism when air is fed from an air compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention and fluid-driven stirring devices are connected in parallel. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism when air is supplied from an air pump according to an embodiment of the present invention and fluid-driven stirring devices are connected in series. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism when air is supplied from an air pump according to an embodiment of the present invention and fluid-driven stirring devices are connected in parallel. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism when two air pumps according to an embodiment of the present invention are used. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism when ink or a solvent which is a driving source according to an embodiment of the present invention is pumped and fluid-driven stirring devices are connected in series. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism when ink or a solvent that is a driving source according to an embodiment of the present invention is pumped and fluid-driven stirring devices are connected in parallel. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink stirring mechanism when ink or a solvent as a driving source according to an embodiment of the present invention is pumped and a fluid supply adjusting unit is provided in each fluid drive stirring device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fluid drive stirring apparatus, 2 ... Tube, 2a ... Supply tube, 2b ... Relay tube, 2c ... Discharge tube, 3 ... Ink storage container, 4 ... Auxiliary ink container, 5 ... Stirrer, 6 ... Control valve, 7 ... Control valve, 8 ... Pressure gauge, 100 ... Main body, 11 ... Head, 120 ... Cable, 130 ... Liquid crystal display and touch panel, 140 ... Control board, 150 ... Pump unit, 160 ... Circulation unit solenoid valve, 170 ... Circulation unit front , 180... Door, 190... Fluid supply adjusting unit, 200.

Claims (6)

Among the inks that generate ink particles by applying vibration to the ejected ink and charge and deflect the ink particles so that the ink particles reach a predetermined location on the recording medium and perform recording. In the inkjet recording device to be used,
An ink container in which the pigment-based ink is stored;
A stirrer provided in the ink container for stirring the pigment-based ink in the ink container;
A rotating member that rotates by receiving fluid force outside the ink container,
An ink jet recording apparatus in which the stirrer and the rotating member are made of a magnetic material. Among the inks that generate ink particles by applying vibration to the ejected ink and charge and deflect the ink particles so that the ink particles reach a predetermined location on the recording medium and perform recording. In the inkjet recording device to be used,
The ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink container that constitutes an ink circulation system in a main body housing, a stirrer made of a magnetic material in the ink container, and a stirring device having a mechanism in which the magnetic material rotates outside the ink container An ink jet recording apparatus characterized in that a rotational drive source of a magnetic material disposed in the stirring device is a fluid.   2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a stirrer including the rotating member, wherein the ink container is placed on the stirrer, and the stirrer is located on a bottom surface of the ink container. An ink jet recording apparatus.   4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the stirring device compensates for a decrease in the amount of ink in the ink container and the ink container for performing circulation for supplying and recovering ink to the nozzles during normal operation. An ink jet recording apparatus that is installed under an auxiliary ink container provided for the purpose and stirs ink.   5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a flow rate adjusting valve that adjusts a flow rate of a fluid to adjust a rotation speed of the stirring device, and a fluid control valve that controls a fluid to be sent to the stirring device. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:   6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the stirring device, the adjusting valve, and the fluid control valve are separable.

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