For eliminating waste of ink and achieving high charging efficiency with a reduced
charging time where a printing head is equipped with a second tank for reserving
a predetermined amount of ink and a supply system is configured to supply ink from
a first tank to the second tank intermittently, the second tank is provided with
a variable internal volume. The internal volume is varied to cause the second tank
itself to function as an actuator for charging ink and performing a venting process.
Specifically, the internal volume is forcibly reduced to cause a reverse flow of
a gas residing in the second tank along with ink into the first tank, which makes
it possible to generate of waste ink that is released to the outside. A normal
charging operation can be completed simply by causing a change in the opposite
direction (the direction of increasing the internal volume). Relatedly, the second
tank may be provided with a member for holding ink and generating a negative pressure
originating from an elastic force. With connection of the first tank and the member,
the pressure in the second tank is reduced to cause the member to expand, thereby
introducing ink into the same. This introduction is stopped by regulating the expansion
with a displaceable unit which expands when the pressure is reduced. The regulation
is performed at such a position that the negative pressure generated in the member
by canceling regulation is in equilibrium with an ink meniscus-holding ability
of the printing head.