Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprises a wiper 15 provided with a main part 16 for wiping nozzle faces and a lower contacting part 17 which comes into contact with a lower front portion of an ink jet head, the lower contacting part 17 is provided with a groove in which the wiped ink is allowed to flow to a wiper holder 30 side. The lower contacting part 17 is formed with a torsion angle so that the lower front portion can come first into contact with an upper surface of the lower contacting part 17 at the start of wiping, and an side end of the lower front portion is designed into a rounded or a chamfered shape so as to guide the lower contacting part under the lower front portion. The angle of elevation of the lower contacting part 17 is designed to an angle whereby the bent portion is positioned higher than the other portion of the lower contacting part 17 in order to prevent the ink wiped from remaining there.

Abstract: An ink jet recorder includes a head having ink ejection orifices, a cap for covering the orifices, a suction device for sucking ink from the head covered with the cap, a moving device for moving the cap with respect to the head, and a control device for controlling the moving and suction devices. In order to restore the ink jet head to its initial condition, the suction device is driven to suck the ink collecting between the cap and the head covered with the cap. Thereafter, the control device moves the cap by a slight distance, within the range where the cap is in close contact with the head, a plurality of times in such a direction that the cap retracts from the head. Each time the cap has moved by the distance, the suction device is driven. When the cap separates from the head, air is prevented from being entrained into the ink ejection orifices. Ink is prevented from spilling from the orifices.

Abstract: An ink jet recorder includes an ink jet head, a cap for covering the head, and a suction pump for sucking through the suction port of the cap the ink remaining between the head and cap. The cap surface can turn on an axis between a position in parallel with the jet surface of the head and a position inclined with respect to the jet surface. The cap is biased to incline at least before the cap surface contacts with the jet surface. The turning axis is positioned between a first reference plane and a second reference plane. The first plane includes the cap surface at the parallel position. The second plane is parallel with the first plane, and includes the point on the cap surface which contacts first with the jet surface. The vertical position of the cap surface does not shift between the start and end of the contact. The cap suction port is positioned below the jet ports in the jet surface.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer has a suction cap for avoiding discharge failure of an ink from a printing head. When the printing head comes to a restoring area, the suction cap is moved from a waiting position at which the suction cap is retracted from a passage for movement of the printing head to a protruding position at which the suction cap protrudes into the passage for movement of the printing head. The suction cap covers a nozzle surface of the printing head. A purge unit is driven to suck the ink remaining in the printing head through the suction cap. The suction cap is supported by a casing so that the suction cap is swingable when it is pressed against the printing head.

Abstract: The position of a guide rail is changed by eccentrically rotating the guide rail by turning a control lever, thereby adjusting an amount of a head gap. A supporting frame for supporting a capping mechanism is connected to the guide rail. When the position of the guide rail is changed for the head gap adjustment, the position of the capping mechanism is also changed. Consequently, even when the position of the guide rail is changed for the head gap adjustment, the positional relation between the capping mechanism and the print head can be almost fixedly maintained.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a capping device. The device includes a cap having a brim for covering the ink jet surface of an ink jet head. The device also includes a holder for holding the cap. When held by the holder, the cap deforms elastically in such a manner that a protrusion protrudes the middle of the cap brim toward the jet surface. The cap has a cavity formed in it. When the brim of the cap held by the holder is pressed against the jet surface, the cap deforms elastically in such a manner that the brim covers the surface completely. The elastic deformation collapses the cavity, thereby reducing the force for pressing the cap against the head.

Abstract: A pump for performing suction and discharge of a liquid, including: a cylinder supported at at least a first support point and a second support point; a piston slidably disposed in the cylinder and forming a pump chamber having a volume changeable by sliding movement of the piston; a drive shaft, the piston and the drive shaft moving in association with each other; a cam in contact with the drive shaft so that rotation of the cam drives the drive shaft to move, the piston sliding within the cylinder in association with movement of the drive shaft to perform suction and discharge of a liquid; and a cam rotational shaft rotatably supporting the cam and disposed at the first support point.