Abstract: A maintenance device for a fluid ejection head has a small, compact switching mechanism that can appropriately switch drive force from a drive source and drive a suction pump and a wiper. A maintenance device 40 has caps 64 (1) to 65 (4) and wipers 75 (1) to 75 (4), a suction pump 94 that suctions waste ink from the caps 64 (1) to 65 (4), a cap drive transfer mechanism 80 that moves the caps 64 (1) to 65 (4) in a cap movement direction V, a wiper-pump drive transfer mechanism 90 that moves the wipers and drives the suction pump 94, and a drive switching mechanism 100 that switches driving by the wiper-pump drive transfer mechanism 90 to drive the suction pump 94 or move the wipers according to the position of cap movement.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus prints an image by employing a print head capable of ejecting ink from ejection ports, a suction unit draws ink from the ejection ports into an interior of the cap by applying a suction force to the interior of a cap that is covering the ejection ports. An atmosphere communication unit exposes to the atmosphere the interior of the cap that is covering the ejection ports, and a pressure increase unit increases a pressure in an internal of the print head. A control unit permits the suction unit to apply the suction force to the interior of the cap, and permits the pressure increase unit to increase the pressure in the internal of the print head before the atmosphere communication unit exposes the interior of the cap to the atmosphere in a state where the ejection ports is covered with the cap.

Abstract: A printer controls a suction pump such that a difference in a discharge amount of an ink and a flow speed of the ink discharged from each nozzle is small between a complete purge in which all ink supply portions connected to a second head communicate with an atmosphere, and a suction purge is performed simultaneously for the nozzles of all types of the second head, and a partial purge in which a communication of a part of the ink supply portions with the atmosphere is blocked by a dummy cartridge, and the suction purge is performed only for the nozzles corresponding to the ink supply portions of which the communication with the atmosphere is not blocked.

Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus has a configuration in which the volume of a reference space having an upper limit at the bottom of the fluid outlet port in the vertical direction in the fluid tank in a first state for ejecting the fluid from the fluid ejecting head to the fluid receiving unit is smaller than the volume of a space having an upper limit at the bottom of the fluid inlet port in the vertical direction in the fluid tank in a second state that is inclined by 90 degrees with respect to the first state.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus prints an image by employing a print head capable of ejecting ink from ejection ports. The printing apparatus comprises a cap configured to cover the ejection ports, a valve configured to open and close an atmospheric communicating portion that communicates an inside of the cap and the atmosphere, a suction unit configured to generate a suction force, and a control unit. The control unit performs a first operation where the suction unit applies a first suction force to the inside of the cap in a state where the cap covers the ejection ports and the valve closes the atmospheric communicating portion, and a second operation where the suction unit applies a second suction force, less than the first suction force, to the inside of the cap in a state where the cap covers the ejection ports and the valve opens the atmospheric communicating portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a recording head having a nozzle surface on which multiple nozzles to eject droplets are arranged in a line; a suction device; and a cap to cover the nozzle surface of the recording head. The cap includes a suction hole to connect a space formed by the cap and the nozzle surface with the suction device; an air hole to connect the space with air; and an absorbent located inside the cap. The top surface of the absorbent is retracted from the contact portion of the cap to be contacted with the nozzle surface so that when the nozzle surface is capped with the cap, a flow passage is secured between the air hole to the suction hole without obstructed by the absorbent.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head oriented upward so as to eject a recording liquid upward. The recording head includes an ejection face, an ejection port, and a waste-liquid port. The ejection port is disposed at the ejection face to eject the recording liquid. The waste-liquid port is disposed separately from the ejection port at the ejection face. The waste-liquid passage is connected to the waste-liquid port and has an opening connected to an outside of the recording head. A residual of the recording liquid on the ejection face is discharged to the outside of the recording head via the waste-liquid port and the waste-liquid passage.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting head that can eject a solution; a rotational body that has a circumferential surface which can accommodate the solution ejected from the ejecting head; a scraper that can come into sliding contact with the circumferential surface of the rotational body; and an accommodation container that accommodates the solution which is scraped off from the circumferential surface by the scraper. The accommodation container has a liquid storage section that stores a liquid which can dissolve a solute component of the solution.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus of the invention comprises a switcher configured to connect or disconnect a sucker with suction tubes individually. The switcher comprises a case and a rotator. The case comprises an internal space and holes each causing the internal space to communicate with an outside of the case. The rotator is accommodated in the internal space and is rotatable along an inner surface defining the internal space in the case. The suction tubes are respectively connected to the holes. The rotator comprises a passage formed therein. The passage is configured to cause the sucker to communicate with two or more holes without causing the sucker to communicate with the holes other than the two or more holes, depending on a rotational position of the rotator in the internal space.

Abstract: The amount of ink wastage is reduced, even in a case wherein a predetermined amount of air bubbles has grown in a print head at a specific internal temperature and the growth has been settled, and thereafter the temperature in the print head is increased. A suction-based recovery control method, for an ink jet printing apparatus that includes a print head, a temperature detection unit, and a suction-based recovery unit, comprising: a temperature detection step; a temperature judgment step for judging whether the internal temperature of the print head is higher than a reference temperature that is determined based on internal temperatures of the print head that were previously employed; and a suction-based recovery step for permitting the suction-based recovery unit when it is determined at the temperature judgment step that the internal temperature of the print head is higher by the predetermined number of degrees or greater.

Abstract: A waste ink tank capable of collecting discharged ink includes: an ink absorption member having a receiving area that receives the discharged ink and causes the ink to be absorbed; a recess that causes a suction force to act within the ink absorption member; and a recess, disposed in a position that is closer to the receiving area than the aforementioned recess, that causes a pressurizing force to act within the ink absorption member.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided that can appropriately suction and hold a print medium on a platen by employing suction in accordance with the properties of different types of print media. In the printing apparatus, grooves are formed in the support face of the platen on which the print medium is held, and are extended in a conveying direction in which the print medium is to be conveyed. Groove suction holes are formed inside the grooves to apply suction. Rib suction holes are formed in the support face of the platen. The printing apparatus employs at least either the stiffness of the print medium or the print duty to control a ratio between the amount of suction applied via the groove suction holes and the amount of suction applied via the rib suction holes.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet printing apparatus in which aggregate or the like clogged in a nozzle is sucked to recover the clogged nozzle and provides a clogged nozzle recovering method. The inkjet printing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a cap which is structured to cover some of plural nozzles formed in a nozzle face of a head of an inkjet printer, a pressure sensor which acquires a pressure in an inside of the cap in a state that the some of the plural nozzles are covered by the cap, a suction means which sucks the inside of the cap with a pressure lower than a negative pressure at which a meniscus of a nozzle that is not covered with the cap is broken, and a nozzle recovery judgment means which judges recovery of a nozzle by comparing a reference pressure value, which is obtained when nozzles without being clogged are covered by the cap and sucked and is stored beforehand, with a pressure value which is outputted from the pressure sensor.

Abstract: A suction device is provided for cleaning a nozzle surface of a print head. The suction device comprises a suction surface and a spacer, whereby the spacer is provided with a spacer channel, the spacer channel comprising a spacer opening at an outer surface of the spacer and the spacer channel being operatively coupled to an air flow source. The spacer is configured for positioning the suction surface at a predetermined distance from the nozzle surface for providing a suction gap. The suction device is configured to provide in operation an air flow through the suction gap, along the nozzle surface and into the suction channel. An air flow may be provided through the spacer channel of the spacer in order to clean an area of the nozzle surface of the print head.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus, a clogged nozzle recovering method, and a clogged nozzle recovery program are provided. The inkjet printing apparatus includes a head, a tank, a first pump, a cap, a second pump and a control means. The head is provided with a nozzle face and a plurality of nozzles. The tank is connected with the head through a tube. The first pump is connected with the tank and maintains the tank at a constant negative pressure. The cap for suction covers a part of the nozzles on the nozzle face of the head. The second pump is connected with the cap for sucking an inside of the cap. The control means controls to lower the negative pressure of the tank that is maintained by the first pump when the inside of the cap is sucked by the second pump.

Abstract: An inkjet printing device includes at least one ink cartridge, at least one ink pipe, at least one print head, an ink refill mechanism, and a pump module. The ink refill mechanism includes at least one transfer channel. After the ink refill mechanism is enabled and the at least one transfer channel is in an open status, in response to a suction generated by the pump module, the air within the at least one print head is ejected out through the at least one transfer channel, and the ink within the at least one ink cartridge is transferred to the at least one print head through the at least one ink pipe.

Abstract: A liquid collection device includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, a suction-delivery unit that sucks the liquid from the liquid ejecting head and delivers the sucked liquid, a liquid collection unit that collects the liquid delivered from the suction-delivery unit, and a gas delivery unit that delivers gas to the liquid collection unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes recording heads, a maintenance device, a carriage, cap members, cams, a cam shaft, a feeler member, a home position detection device, and a cap position determination device. The feeler member has a first portion to detect a home position of the cam shaft with the home position detection device and a second portion to determine with the cap position determination device whether the cap members are at a raised position or a lowered position. When the cap position determination device determines that a suction cap is at the raised position, the suction cap is lowered to the lowered position before the carriage mounting the recording heads moves for scanning in a first direction. When the cap position determination device determines that the suction cap is at the lowered position, the carriage is permitted to move to a print start position.

Abstract: An image apparatus includes a carriage, a first recording head, a second recording head, and a maintenance assembly. The carriage is movable in a main scanning direction. The second recording head is displaced from the first recording head on the carriage in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. The maintenance assembly includes a frame member, a first maintenance device, and a second maintenance device. The frame member has a guide portion, a first contact portion, and a second contact portion. The second maintenance device is reciprocally movable along the guide portion in the sub scanning direction between a first position to oppose the first recording head and a second position to oppose the second recording head. The second maintenance device stops at the first position in contact with the first contact portion and at the second position in contact with the second contact portion.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an inkjet printhead including nozzles disposed in a printhead face; a cap including: a base; and a sealing face for sealing around the printhead face, wherein suction is generated at the printhead face for priming the nozzles when the base is moved from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position is located a smaller distance from the sealing face than the second position; and a valve having an open position and a closed position, wherein the valve is configured to be in the open position when the base of the cap is moved from the second position to the first position for relieving excess pressure in the cap.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a fluid ejecting apparatus is provided. The fluid ejecting apparatus includes a fluid ejecting head that has a plurality of nozzle openings through which fluid is ejected, a fluid supply passage through which the fluid is supplied toward the fluid ejecting head, an open/close valve that is provided on the fluid supply passage, and a pressure reduction mechanism that generates negative pressure in a space outside the nozzle openings. The cleaning method includes a valve-closing operation of putting the open/close valve into a closed state and a pressure reduction operation of generating negative pressure in the space by using the pressure reduction mechanism after the valve-closing operation to cause the fluid to bulge outward at the nozzle openings.

Abstract: A printing unit is provided having a moveable printing head with a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles to eject liquid ink; a cleaning station having a cleaning surface with at least one suction element to generate air suction; the cleaning station configured to clean the nozzles when the printing head overlaps with the cleaning station so that the nozzle plate and the cleaning surface at least partially overlap; a movement actuator means configured to move the printing head with respect to the cleaning station between a first position in which the suction element overlaps a first end of the nozzle plate and a second position in which the suction element overlaps a second end, opposite the first end, of the nozzle plate. A proximity sensor means measures a distance between the nozzle plate and the cleaning surface.

Abstract: An ink discharge apparatus is provided, including a discharge head which has a nozzle surface formed with a first nozzle for discharging an ink of a first color and a second nozzle for discharging an ink of a second color darker than the first color; a cap; a sucking mechanism which performs suction for a space in the cap; a moving mechanism which positions the cap at a capping position and at a retracted position; and a purge control mechanism which controls the moving mechanism so that the cap is separated from the nozzle surface while allowing a second distance between the cap and an area near the second nozzle to be smaller than a first distance between the cap and an area near the first nozzle after completion of a purge operation.

Abstract: An inflow opening of an inflow path opens to a space in a tank. An outflow opening of an outflow path opens to the space in the tank. The inflow opening and the outflow opening are vertically above a maximum level of the moisturizing liquid allowed to be stored in the tank.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a drive transfer device that selectively transmits a driving force of a first drive source to one of liquid feed pumps, a suction part of a maintenance recovery device and an air-vent opening part. The air-vent opening part is arranged to have a maximum driving-force transmission path leading to the drive transfer device among the liquid feed pumps, the suction part and the air-vent opening part. The maintenance recovery device, the drive transfer device and the liquid feed pumps are arranged in order in a sheet transport direction. The suction part of the maintenance recovery device and the drive transfer device are arranged on opposite sides of a cap of the maintenance recovery device in the sheet transport direction.

Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: an ejection head configured and arranged to eject liquid from a nozzle; a suction container in which a first suction port, a second suction port that is farther away from the nozzle compared to the first suction port, and a discharge port are formed, air sucked from the first suction port and the second suction port passing through the suction container; and a suction device configured and arranged to suck the air from the discharge port to an outside of the suction container.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inkjet recording device includes a cleaning member which faces a nozzle surface of an inkjet head and moves along a row of nozzles, a control device which controls ones of the nozzles to partially discharge ink, the ones of the nozzles positioning in an area which the cleaning member faces when the cleaning member moves, and an ink retaining part which retains the ink between the cleaning member and the nozzle surface of the inkjet head which faces the cleaning member.

Abstract: There is provided a cap device including: a cap unit which is tiltable in a plane direction of the jetting surface and which comes into close contact with the jetting surface of the liquid jetting head; a flexible discharge tube of which one end is connected to the cap unit, which communicates with an inner space defined by the cap unit and the jetting surface under a condition that the cap unit comes into close contact with the jetting surface, and through which a liquid in the inner space is discharged; and a fixing mechanism which fixes a portion, of the discharge tube, other than the one end to the cap unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a suction controller to seal a nozzle face of a recording head with a cap and drives a suction device to suck liquid from the head to perform sucking operation. The dummy ejection controller ejects, from the head, droplets not contributing to image formation to perform dummy ejection. The first tinier measures a first elapsed time after the dummy ejection. The second timer measures a second elapsed time after the sucking operation. A liquid discharge amount of the sucking operation is set to be greater than that of the dummy ejection. When the first elapsed time is equal to or greater than a first threshold time, the dummy ejection controller performs the dummy ejection. When the second elapsed time is equal to or greater than a second threshold time which is greater than the first threshold time, the suction controller performs the sucking operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cap member for a liquid discharge head. The cap member is configured to seal a discharge surface of the liquid discharge head and includes a lower receiving portion; a liquid-absorbing member disposed opposite the discharge surface of the head and including a nozzle-facing surface and a bottom portion; and a suction hole, provided at a bottom of the cap member, through which ink is discharged. In the thus-configured cap member, the bottom portion of the liquid-absorbing member is disposed apart from the lower receiving portion and from the suction hole disposed at the bottom of the cap member, and has a surface slanted toward the suction hole.

Abstract: A nozzle cleaning mechanism of an inkjet printing device includes an ink pump, plural ducts, and a switching module. The ink pump is used for generating a suction force. The plural ducts are connected with the ink pump and corresponding plural print heads. The switching module is used for controlling open/close statues of the plural ducts. For cleaning a first nozzle of a first print head by the nozzle cleaning mechanism, the first duct is corresponding to the first print head is controlled to be in the open status by the switching module. Consequently, the first nozzle is cleaned in response to the suction force. At the same time, the other ducts are in the close status.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes an inkjet printhead including nozzles disposed in a printhead face; a cap including: a base; and a sealing face for sealing around the printhead face, wherein suction is generated at the printhead face for priming the nozzles when the base is moved from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position is located a smaller distance from the sealing face than the second position; and a valve having an open position and a closed position, wherein the valve is configured to be in the open position when the base of the cap is moved from the second position to the first position for relieving excess pressure in the cap.

Abstract: A method of maintaining an inkjet printhead in an inkjet printer includes moving a sealing face of a cap into contact with a printhead face in which are disposed nozzles of the inkjet printhead; compressing the cap while a valve connected to the cap is in an open position; closing the valve; and moving a base of the cap away from away from the sealing face while the sealing face is sealed against the printhead face and the valve is closed in order to generate suction at the printhead face for priming the nozzles.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a liquid ejection head, a head tank, a liquid storage container, a liquid supply passage, a liquid feed device, a control valve, and a suction device. The control valve is disposed at the liquid supply passage to open and close the liquid supply passage between the head tank and the liquid storage container. The head tank has a filter, a flow channel, a deformable wall face member, and a gap maintaining elastic member. The wall face member is opposed to the filter and forms a wall face of the channel. The elastic member is disposed in the head tank to urge the wall face member in a direction to increase a gap between the wall face member and the filter. When the suction device sucks liquid from the nozzles with the valve closed, the wall face member deforms in a direction to approach the filter.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting device including a liquid ejecting head having an ejection surface, a liquid receiving member having a liquid receiving surface, an annular member for sealing an ejection surface, a positional relationship adjusting unit for adjusting a positional relationship between the ejection surface and the liquid receiving surface, an air inlet, a humidified air supplying unit, a cleaning unit, a viscosity information obtainment unit, and a control unit is provided. The control unit conducts a liquid receiving surface cleaning action including control of the positional relationship adjusting unit for adjusting the positional relationship between the ejection surface and the liquid receiving surface to form a first positional relationship, the humidified air supplying unit for supplying humidified air to the ejection space, and the cleaning unit for removing the liquid received on the liquid receiving surface.

Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus is provided including: a liquid jetting head having a nozzle formed therein through which the liquid is jetted; a driving unit which is configured to output energy to the liquid jetting head; an energy recovery mechanism which is configured to recover and supply a part of the energy supplied from the driving unit to the liquid jetting head; and a mist removing unit to which the part of the energy recovered by the energy recovery mechanism is supplied so that the supplied energy is used to remove a mist generated under a condition that the liquid jetting head jets the liquid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a recording head having an array of nozzles disposed in a surface of the recording head to eject liquid droplets vertically upward to form an image on a recording medium conveyed above the recording head, a suction cap to cover the surface of the recording head from above, and a waste liquid receiver provided to a periphery of the recording head to receive liquid streaming down the periphery of the recording head upon removal of the suction cap from the surface of the recording head.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a platen configured to support a recording medium at a position facing a recording head, a suction portion arranged at the platen and configured to suck the recording medium, an ink receiving portion arranged at the platen and configured to receive ink discharged on a region beyond an end of the recording medium, a negative pressure producing portion configured to produce a negative pressure to be applied to the suction portion and the ink receiving portion, and a communication portion causing the suction portion to communicate with the ink receiving portion at the outside of a conveyance region of the recording medium.

Abstract: A droplet ejection device includes a recording head having a nozzle face with nozzles to eject droplets, a maintenance assembly including a cap to seal the nozzle face to form a sealed space therein and a wiper to wipe the nozzle face, a droplet suction channel connected to the cap to collect droplets sucked from the nozzles, and an air release channel connected to the cap to introduce air to return the sealed space to atmospheric pressure. The suction channel and the release channel are communicable with the sealed space to simultaneously perform collection of the droplets sucked from the nozzles and introduction of air into the cap. The suction channel has a flow rate greater than the release channel. When the droplets are sucked from the nozzles into the suction channel, air is introduced from the release channel at a flow rate lower than that of the suction channel.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ejection device, a suction device, and a controller. The ejection device has a first nozzle and a second nozzle to eject a first liquid and a second liquid, respectively. The first liquid contains pigment particles dispersed in a dispersion medium and the second liquid contains a color material. In a first image formation mode for ejecting the second liquid from the second nozzle without ejecting the first liquid from the first nozzle, the controller controls the suction device so as not to suction the first liquid for recovery operation. When the first image formation mode is switched to a second image formation mode for ejecting at least the first liquid from the first nozzle, the controller controls the suction device so as to suction a predetermined amount of the first liquid determined based on solidification of the first liquid to perform the recovery operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a recording head, a cap member, and release valves. The head has a nozzle face with nozzles to eject liquid droplets. The head is placed in the apparatus body so as to eject the droplets obliquely downward in any of the vertical or horizontal arrangement of the apparatus body. The cap member caps the nozzle face and has openings at opposed ends in a longitudinal direction of the cap member to communicate an inside of the cap member with an outside of the cap member. The valves open and close the openings relative to an atmosphere. One of the valves placed higher than another one of the valves in accordance with the vertical or horizontal arrangement is configured to open the inside of the cap member to the atmosphere through one of the openings placed higher than another one of the openings.

Abstract: There is provided a cap device including: a cap unit which is tiltable in a plane direction of the jetting surface and which comes into close contact with the jetting surface of the liquid jetting head; a flexible discharge tube of which one end is connected to the cap unit, which communicates with an inner space defined by the cap unit and the jetting surface under a condition that the cap unit comes into close contact with the jetting surface, and through which a liquid in the inner space is discharged; and a fixing mechanism which fixes a portion, of the discharge tube, other than the one end to the cap unit.

Abstract: A control method for a fluid ejection device and a fluid ejection device reliably eliminate dropped dots while reducing consumption of ink droplets ejected from the nozzles. A fluid ejection device that performs at least one of a cleaning operation that suctions fluid from the nozzles and a wiping operation that wipes the nozzle surface when dropped dots occur determines if an elimination history of removing dropped dots by the wiping operation is stored when dropped dots are detected as a result of testing for dropped dots and determining if dropped dots occur. When a history of eliminating dropped dots by means of a wiping operation is not stored, the fluid ejection device performs the wiping operation. When a history of eliminating dropped dots by means of a wiping operation remains in memory, the cleaning operation is performed without the wiping operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a carriage, a first recording head, a second recording head, and a maintenance assembly. The carriage is movable in a main scanning direction. The first recording head has nozzles in a nozzle face thereof to eject liquid droplets. The second recording head has nozzles in a nozzle face thereof to eject liquid droplets. The second recording head is displaced from the first recording head in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. The maintenance assembly maintains and recovers the first recording head and the second recording head. The maintenance assembly includes a first maintenance device and a second maintenance device. The first maintenance device is held by the apparatus body. The second maintenance device is reciprocally movable between a first position to oppose the first recording head and a second position to oppose the second recording head.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet printing apparatus including a connection switching device in a housing having external suction ports and an internal suction port being disposed at an equal distance from the center of rotation of a switching section, the external suction ports being connectable to a plurality of lines, the internal suction port being connected to a suction path for sucking the interior of the housing. The connection switching device selectively connects any of the plurality of external suction ports to the suction device by rotating the switching section Consequently, when the switching section is connected to the internal suction port, the interior of the housing is sucked, whereby ink is sucked from all the inkjet nozzles.

Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a liquid jetting head which has a liquid jetting surface including a nozzle placement region at which a plurality of nozzles are open; a cap member which covers the nozzles and which includes a bottom wall and a loop-shaped lip portion provided upright on an outer peripheral portion of the bottom wall to come into close contact with the liquid jetting surface, the bottom wall having a first region which covers the nozzle placement region and a second region which extends out from the first region and does not face the nozzle placement region; a cap driving mechanism which moves the cap member to make contact with or separate from the liquid jetting surface; and a recovery mechanism which is connected to the cap member and performs a recovery operation in a state in which the cap member makes contact with the liquid jetting surface.

Abstract: In a clutch mechanism 310, in a state where a suction cap 350 reaches a contact position being in contact with a liquid ejecting head, only the rotation of a third gear 300 in one direction is transmitted to a third rotation shaft J3. During at least one of a period in which the suction cap 350 moves from the contact position to a separating position being separated from the liquid ejecting head and a period in which the suction cap 350 moves from the separating position to the contact position, the rotations of the third gear 300 in both directions of one direction and the other direction are transmitted to the third rotation shaft J3.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus including: a liquid ejection head that ejects ink through liquid ejection openings in a liquid ejection surface of the head, a cap device that establishes a sealing state, such that an ejection space opposed to the liquid ejection surface is sealed from an exterior space by the cap device, an air introduction opening and an air discharge opening that are located in the cap device, and a humidifier that supplies an humidified air into the ejection space through the air introduction opening and that discharges an air from the ejection space through the air discharge opening. The air discharge opening opens in an area other than a liquid discharge area onto which the ejected liquid is to be discharged. The apparatus further includes a flow restrainer that restrains the liquid discharged onto the liquid discharge area, from flowing to the air discharge opening.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes at least: a print head that discharges ink jet recording ink from nozzles which are formed on a nozzle forming surface toward a recording medium; a wiping mechanism that wipes out ink which is attached to a nozzle forming surface using an absorbent material having an impregnating solution; and a cap member that adheres closely to the nozzle forming surface in a state in which a space is included in an area facing the nozzles, and removes at least ink of the space, and further includes the following characteristic (1) or (2). (1) Ink jet recording ink composition includes a first resin having a heat distortion temperature of 10° C. or less. (2) Ink jet recording ink composition includes a second resin and includes substantially no glycerin.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention has been made to prevent an ink discharge failure or ink mixing caused by preliminary discharge executed with the ink discharge surface of a printhead capped. In the embodiment, to an inkjet printhead in which nozzle arrays are aligned in a direction different from that in which a plurality of nozzles are aligned the following preliminary discharge processing is executed. A cap including a suction port and an air communication port caps the ink discharge surface. After that, a suction recovery unit is driven, thereby performing preliminary discharge for nozzles, among the nozzles of the nozzle arrays, with a long distance to a straight line connecting the suction port with the air communication port before preliminary discharge for nozzles with a short distance to the straight line.