Abstract: A simple, low-cost liquid ejection apparatus is provided which can prevent a reverse flow of ink from within the cap into the print head, which would otherwise occur when the interior of the cap is returned to an atmospheric pressure. For this purpose, the ink is sucked out of the nozzle ports of the print head by the recovery unit with the atmospheric vent valve of the subtank open.

Abstract: A plurality of ejection portions are divided into groups, each containing at least one ejection portion, so that the suction-based recovery operation can be performed for each group independently. Since the number of ejection portions contained in each group differs, if an ink flow resistance varies among the different groups, simultaneous suction-based recovery operations can be done by using a common suction pump, without having to sequentially perform the suction-based recovery operations under an optimum pump driving condition. For this purpose, inner diameters of a plurality of ink discharge tubes running from a plurality of cap units, which cap a plurality of print head units having different numbers of ejection portions, to the common pump are differentiated. This allows different flows to be produced in different ink discharge systems, thus generating desirable ink flows for individual ink supply systems.

Abstract: The ink jet type printer is equipped with a recording head for ejecting ink including humectant and water from a nozzle formed on a nozzle forming surface and a cap which can seal the nozzle forming surface of the recording head. Further, the ink jet type printer is equipped with a control section for detecting an amount of the ink discharged into the cap from the nozzle, for calculating an available water amount which is a water amount except water absorbed by humectant in the ink in the cap based on the detected ink amount, and for performing maintenance control for forcibly discharging ink into the cap from the nozzle so that the amount of the ink discharged from the nozzle becomes smaller when the calculated available water amount is large than when small.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus and a method for calculating an ink consumption that can reduce a difference between an ink consumption recognized by the printing apparatus and a consumption of ink actually consumed are provided. For this, at the time of calculation of an ink consumption by the printing apparatus, a suction amount rank indicating the quantity of a suction amount due to an individual difference in the apparatus is used to correct the suction amount, whereby the difference between an ink consumption recognized by the printing apparatus and a consumption of ink actually consumed is reduce.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging ink supplied from an ink tank and a plurality of heating elements. The ink jet recording apparatus further includes a detection unit configured to detect a remaining amount of ink in the ink tank, and a preliminary discharge unit configured to discharge ink from the discharge ports, unrelated to recording, by applying energy to the heating elements for recovering the recording head. The ink jet recording apparatus performs control so that when the remaining amount of ink detected is less than a predesignated remaining amount of ink, energy applied to the heating elements per unit time by the preliminary discharge unit is smaller as compared with energy applied to the heating elements per unit time when the remaining amount of ink is more than or equal to the predesignated remaining amount of ink.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a platen provided with a suction-collection section which sucks in and collects ink discharged deviating from an end portion of recording medium. The ink-jet recording apparatus includes a suction force generation unit for collecting ink configured to enable the suction collection section to generate a suction force, a collection flow path connecting the suction collection section to the suction force generation unit for collection, and a flow path control unit configured to vary an sectional area of the collection flow path. The sectional area of the collection flow path is varied according to an image forming time or a type of the recording medium.

Abstract: A cleaning mechanism for cleaning a print head in an inkjet printer with the print head having ink nozzles for discharging ink including a drive control unit which operates the cleaning mechanism at a first process level or a second process level that consumes less ink than the first process level; a timer which counts the elapsed time passed in which the print head is in a no-printing state; and a process selection unit responsive to a predetermined input cleaning command for selecting the first process level when the no-printing state has continued for less than a predetermined time or the second process level when the no-printing state has continued for greater than the predetermined time, based on the value of the timer when the predetermined input cleaning command is received. The predetermined input cleaning command can be received from a cleaning button or from a host computer.

Abstract: The ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles which are disposed in a planar nozzle surface and from which liquid is ejected, includes: a first suction cap which covers a partial region of the planar nozzle surface and which has a contact portion being constituted by an elastic body and making contact with the planar nozzle surface, the partial region being smaller than area of the planar nozzle surface in which the nozzles are disposed and being larger than cross-sectional area of one of the nozzles; a suction cap movement device which moves the first suction cap in parallel with the planar nozzle surface while causing the contact portion of the first suction cap to make contact with the planar nozzle surface; a nozzle abnormality detection device which detects an abnormal nozzle suffering an abnormality, in the nozzles; and a suction control device which causes the first suction cap to suction the liquid in the abnormal nozzle detected by the nozzle abnormality

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a plurality of nozzles that discharges liquid; a liquid discharge head that includes nozzle arrays where the respective nozzles are arranged in one direction; a liquid adsorbent that adsorbs liquid attached to a portion of the liquid discharge head where the nozzle arrays are formed; a moving means for relatively moving the liquid adsorbent in an arrangement direction of the nozzles; and a liquid suction means for sucking liquid adsorbed in the liquid adsorbent.

Abstract: A printer is provided which has a printhead having a plurality of ejection nozzles, a capping member for capping the ejection nozzles, a purging member for receiving material that is purged from the nozzle environment of the printhead, a first actuating mechanism for moving the printhead along a first arcuate path from first to second to third printhead positions, and a second actuating mechanism for moving the capping and purging members along a second arcuate path from a first position to a second position at which the capping member caps the nozzles of the printhead when the printhead is in the second printhead position and the purging member is able to receive the purged material when the printhead is in the third printhead position.

Abstract: The liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head which comprises nozzles including at least one suctioned nozzle and at least one non-suctioned nozzle and ejecting liquid, pressure chambers supplying the nozzles with the liquid, and a common liquid chamber supplying the pressure chambers with the liquid; and an individual suctioning unit which suctions the liquid in the at least one suctioned nozzle, wherein when the individual suctioning unit suctions the liquid in the at least one suctioned nozzle, a following inequality is satisfied: P0??Pin<Pn, where Pn is an internal pressure of the at least one non-suctioned nozzle of which the liquid is not suctioned by the individual suctioning unit, and P0??Pin is a first limit value of the internal pressure of the at least one non-suctioned nozzle above which air does not flow into the at least one non-suctioned nozzle.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a suction unit; a pressure unit configured to pressurize the inside of a supply channel extending from a liquid container to a recording head at a pressurizing position along the supply channel; an opening and closing unit configured to open and close the supply channel at a position downstream of the pressurizing position; and a control unit configured to cap a nozzle surface with a cap and suction ink from nozzles with the suction unit, to move the cap away from the nozzle surface after pressurizing the inside of the supply channel with the pressure unit to a pressure greater than or equal to atmospheric pressure, to wipe the nozzle surface with a wiping part after closing the supply channel with the opening and closing unit, and to open the supply channel with the opening and closing unit after wiping the nozzle surface.

Abstract: A method of performing periodic maintenance on a printhead in an ink jet printer, includes the steps of: applying electrical power to the ink jet printer at a start time; determining an elapsed time since the start time; comparing the elapsed time with a determinate time period; and performing a printhead maintenance routine, after the elapsed time reaches the determinate time period, and independent of usage of the printhead.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: an ink jet head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging inks; a cap body having an inner space and adapted to cover open surfaces of the nozzles such that the inner space forms a sealed space; a sucking device which is connected to the inner space of the cap body and sucks the ink from the nozzles; a cap body driver which switches a position of the cap body between a first position where the cap body is in contact with the open surfaces of the nozzles and a second position where the cap body is separated from the open surfaces of the nozzles; and a controller which controls a timing when the cap body driver switches the position of the cap body from the first position to the second position, on the basis of an ink amount to be sucked from the nozzles.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus has a movement mechanism, a pressurized purge unit, and a liquid discharge restriction mechanism. The movement mechanism moves at least one of a liquid ejecting head and a cap so as to allow the cap to take a capping position where the cap covers a liquid ejection face of the head or an uncapping position where the cap is spaced away from the liquid ejection face and capable of receiving liquid ejected from nozzles formed on the liquid ejection face. The pressurized purge unit makes liquid forcibly ejected from the nozzles into the cap. The liquid discharge restriction mechanism restricts liquid from being discharged through a discharge port of the cap when the cap is in the capping position, and permits liquid to be discharged through the discharge port when the cap is in the uncapping position.

Abstract: An inkjet printer having a suction function and a method of operating the inkjet printer includes a suction instrument that applies a suction force toward a platen so as to closely attach a printing medium to the platen during a printing operation and to suck spitted ink in a printing standby state.

Abstract: Activation/deactivation of a pump 50 is executed with a delay of a predetermined time from a forward/reverse switching of rotation of a conveying roller 2, while an activation/deactivation of lock means 20 is executed simultaneous with a forward/reverse switching of rotation of the conveying roller 2, and, at the switching of the driving direction of the conveying roller, a difference in timing is provided in the drive transmission so as not to transmit the driving power to the pump for a time necessary for the activation/deactivation switching of the lock means. By separating the cap from the recording head while retaining a negative pressure in the cap after the ink suction operation, thereby reducing the ink amount remaining on the discharge port face or in the cap after the ink suction operation.

Abstract: A printing-fluid container includes a printing-fluid reservoir configured to hold printing fluid. A printing-fluid interface is configured to output printing fluid from the printing-fluid reservoir and an air-interface is configured to regulate an operating pressure within the printing-fluid reservoir.

Abstract: A recovery device comprising: a cap configured to cover a nozzle face in which a plurality of nozzle groups are formed; and a cap holder supporting the cap; wherein the cap includes: a sealing lip being configured to sealingly contact the nozzle face; a plurality of partitioning lips that partition an inside area surrounded by the sealing lip into a plurality of compartments corresponding to the respective nozzle groups; and a plurality of suction openings provided in the respective compartments; and wherein a common flow path, which is communicated with suction openings of some or all compartments and connects the suction openings to a negative pressure source, is formed in the cap or in the cap holder, or by a space containing faces of the cap and the cap holder opposed to each other.

Abstract: To provide a suction recovery method of an ink jet printing apparatus by which ink can be securely filled to an ink flow path and a nozzle while minimizing an amount of ink discharge during a suction recovery to prevent an adverse effect such as invited bubbles. The suction recovery method firstly performs the first suction step for generating a negative pressure for sucking a filter section for separating bubbles from the filter section. Thereafter, a second suction step is performed to generate a negative pressure for sucking an ink in the ink flow path and a large nozzle. Thereafter, a third suction step is performed to suck ink from a small nozzle.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head that includes a discharge port face on which a plurality of discharge ports for discharging ink is formed, a cap configured to cap the discharge port face, a suction recovery unit configured to suck ink from the recording head via the cap, and a control unit configured to control the suction recovery unit so that a suction amount changes based on elapsed time from when the discharge port face is capped by the cap, in a state where ink discharged from the recording head is present, wherein the control unit controls the suction recovery unit so that the suction amount decreases as the elapsed time increases when the elapsed times does not exceed a first time.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection apparatus for drawing on a workpiece by ejecting functional liquid droplets includes a functional liquid droplet ejection head that is movable relative to the workpiece; and a suction unit that sucks the functional liquid droplets from an ejection nozzle of the functional liquid droplet ejection head. The functional liquid droplet ejection head is able to be replaced when the functional liquid droplet ejection head faces the suction unit.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes: a print head; a maintaining unit; a timing unit; a notifying unit; a maintenance command determining unit; and a maintenance operation executing unit. The print head is formed with one or more ink ejection opening for printing a printing medium by ejecting ink through the ink ejection opening. The maintaining unit restores the ink ejection state of the print head by flowing ink through the ink ejection opening. The timing unit keeps track of an elapsed time after the maintaining unit has executed a maintenance operation. The notifying unit notifies a user when it is time to execute a maintenance operation if the elapsed time measured by the timing unit exceeds a prescribed time. The maintenance command determining unit determines whether or not the user has issued a command to execute a maintenance operation with the maintaining unit after the notifying unit has issued a notification.

Abstract: A waste liquid tank is arranged outside a printer. A connection port arranged at an upstream end of a duct extending from the waste liquid tank is connected to a transfer device. The transfer device is connected to a discharge side of a suction pump for drawing in ink from a nozzle of a recording head of the printer through a duct.

Abstract: A suction cap device includes a cap member which is formed of an elastic member, which is formed to have a recessed portion, and which has a suction port formed in a bottom surface of the cap member to be located inside of the recessed portion; a suction mechanism which communicates with the suction port; and a cap protector which is accommodated in the recessed portion of the cap member, and which prevents the cap member from being deformed when a pressure inside the recessed portion is decreased. In a liquid flow passage formed in the cap protector, a lead-in port formed in the cap protector has a diameter which is greater than a diameter of a lead-out port formed in the cap protector. With this, it is possible to quickly discharge a liquid received in the cap member.

Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes: a carriage that supports a fluid ejecting head for ejecting fluid through a plurality of nozzles and is able to be reciprocated; a cap unit that comes in contact with the fluid ejecting head to form a plurality of cap internal spaces individually enclosing the nozzles; a suction unit that is able to suck the cap internal spaces via respective suction passages; and a selective blocking unit that is able to selectively block the suction passages as the carriage is reciprocated in a maintenance area for the maintenance of the fluid ejecting head, wherein the selective blocking unit includes: a blocking member that is reciprocated as the carriage is reciprocated in the maintenance area; and cam surfaces that engage with the blocking member as the blocking member is reciprocated to lead the blocking member to blocking positions for blocking the suction passages in order.

Abstract: A device cleans an inkjet printhead in a franking and/or addressing machine. The inkjet printhead is disposed in a stationary manner such that it can be pivoted in a printing window of a guide plate for the print carrier. A cleaning and sealing device is disposed behind the guide plate such that it can be displaced toward and away from the inkjet printhead. This improves the print quality, prolongs service life, and provides a high throughput rate. Spraying clear is possible both during the print carrier transport and in a rest position without the letter run being soiled. The cleaning and sealing device is disposed underneath the inkjet printhead to be displaced by an associated displacement device. A matched baffle piece is disposed underneath the inkjet printhead such that it can pivot and is coupled to the latter.

Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus includes an inkjet head including a nozzle portion having a length in a main scanning direction that is at least equal to a width of a printing medium, a conveying unit to convey the printing medium, a driving motor to drive the conveying unit, and a cap member to cap and uncap the nozzle portion, and the conveying unit and the cap member are driven by the driving motor.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus having a plurality of caps connected to a common negative-pressure supply source, in which an optimum amount of ink can be sucked and discharged from a plurality of print heads corresponding to the respective caps in spite of a variation in channel resistance among the caps. A plurality of individual suction paths connect a common suction pump to each of the plurality of caps. An introduction condition for a negative pressure to be introduced into each of the caps is set according to the channel resistance of the corresponding individual suction path.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is structured to perform discharges in the capping status when preliminary discharges are performed in a shot number larger than a predetermined number, and perform discharges in a cap or a preparatory port other than the cap when the preliminary discharges are performed in a shot number less than the predetermined number. With the structure thus arranged, it is made possible to implement the suppression of the mist generation due to the preliminary discharges, and to make the time of recording on a recording medium shorter as well.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus comprises a liquid cartridge for storing a liquid, a liquid ejection head for ejecting the liquid toward a target, a liquid supply path for guiding the liquid to the liquid ejection head from the liquid cartridge, and a capping device for drawing the liquid from the liquid ejection head. The liquid supply path comprises a plurality of wall surfaces, and a part of the wall surface is formed of a flexible member that is flexed by the inside-and-outside pressure difference of the liquid supply path. A pressure pump for adjusting the pressure of a fluid within the liquid supply path in the upstream side of the flexible member is provided.

Abstract: A water base ink for ink-jet recording is provided, which makes it possible to secure a high recording quality with a sharp image area edge by avoiding any blurring even when recording is performed on regular paper and which has satisfactory purge restoration performance. Therefore, no bubble remains in an ink flow passage, and no discharge failure is caused. Further, the discharge operation never becomes unstable. In the water base ink for ink-jet recording, the surface tension is not less than 40 mN/m, and the amount of dissolved oxygen is not more than 4 mg/L.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus having an inkjet type printer is configured to prevent ink from being wastefully consumed through a purge processing. Before next purge processing is executed, test printing is carried out. The user looks at the result of the test printing and inputs instruction indicating whether or not the next purge processing is to be executed. If the inputted instruction indicates that immediate purge processing is unnecessary, execution of the purge processing is prolonged. In this manner, a purge processing is not automatically executed but executed only when the test printing indicates that an ejection condition of ink is no good.

Abstract: When the number of sheets that have been printed has reached the number of sheets guaranteed for printing, a number representing a upper limit of the number of sheets that can be printed, an ink jet printer declines to perform printing with an ink cartridge for which the number of sheets guaranteed for printing has been set, but when the number of sheets printed has not reached the number of sheets guaranteed for printing, performs printing of an image onto a recording sheet S by using the ink cartridge, the ink jet printer determining the number of sheets remaining N on the basis of the number of sheets printed that have been printed, and displaying on a display unit 82 the number of sheets remaining information display screen 80 incorporating a number of sheets remaining display unit 80b that causes visual recognition of a relation between the number of sheets guaranteed for printing and the number of sheets remaining.

Abstract: A droplet jetting applicator includes: a droplet jetting head which freely moves and includes a nozzle surface with a plurality of nozzles formed, from which droplets are jetted; a suction section which sucks the droplets jetted by the droplet jetting head from a facing position facing the nozzle surface; a support/transfer section which supports the suction section, freely moves together with the droplet jetting head, and moves the supported suction section to the facing position and a non-facing position which is apart from the facing position; and an exhaust section which evacuates the suction section to give the suction section a suction force.

Abstract: An ink suction apparatus is disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the ink suction apparatus, which sucks in residual ink of an inkjet head, includes: a suction nozzle, which sucks in the residual ink; a heater, which is adjacent to the suction nozzle and heats the suction nozzle to prevent the suction nozzle from being blocked by the residual ink; a nozzle cover, which is installed on the suction nozzle and opens and closes the suction nozzle to control sucking power of the suction nozzle; a collection chamber, which collects the residual ink having been sucked into the suction nozzle; and a suction pump, which generates sucking power and provides the sucking power to the suction nozzle. The ink suction apparatus can prevent a suction nozzle from being blocked when sucking in hyper-viscous residual ink and control the sucking power of the suction nozzle by controlling the suction nozzle's opening and closing.

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: Provided is a liquid transporting method in a liquid ejecting apparatus having a fluid ejecting head having a nozzle, a liquid storing unit connected through a flow passage to the fluid ejecting head, and a suction unit sucking an inner portion of the nozzle from a nozzle opening side, wherein a portion of the flow passage is used as a pump chamber, and a pump driven to change an internal volume of the pump chamber and an output valve opened only at the time when the output valve is pressed from the pump are provided, the liquid transporting method including: performing choke suction of charging the pump with the liquid, and performing a suction operation of sucking the inner portion of the nozzle by using the suction unit, and then, performing a transmission operation of pressing the liquid from the pump to the output valve.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection apparatus performs a drawing operation on a workpiece set on a set table by driving the ejection of a functional liquid droplet ejection head in a head unit while moving the head unit in a main scanning direction relative to the set table facing a drawing area by an X-axis table. The liquid droplet ejection apparatus includes a periodic flushing unit which is disposed on a main scan moving axis at a position offset from the drawing area towards the main scanning direction and which receives forcible ejection from the functional liquid droplet ejection head during non-drawing time and a pre-drawing flushing unit which is disposed adjacent to the set table and faces the drawing area and which receives forcible ejection from the functional liquid droplet ejection head performed immediately before starting the drawing operation.

Abstract: First, second, and third ink absorbing bodies are accommodated in a container of a recovery reservoir in this order from the side corresponding to a bottom surface of the container, so that an introduction chamber is defined in the middle of a recovery space. A lid having a shutter plate and a communication hole is located over the third ink absorbing body. The upper side of the introduction chamber is covered by the shutter plate to suppress volatilization of solvent element of waste ink introduced into the introduction chamber. In addition, the communication hole is located in a portion of the upper surface of the third ink absorbing body, so that solvent element of ink absorbed by the third ink absorption body volatilizes.

Abstract: A priming system for priming a print head of a printing device includes an elongated hollow member, a piston mechanism, a piston driving mechanism, and a suction cup. The piston mechanism disposed in the elongated hollow member is capable of reciprocally moving in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction within the elongated hollow member. The piston driving mechanism is operatively connected to the piston mechanism at an end portion of the elongated hollow member. The piston driving mechanism is capable of reciprocally moving the piston mechanism in the first direction and in the second direction. The suction cup is disposed above the print head and operatively coupled to the elongated hollow member. The suction cup is capable of extracting ink from a plurality of nozzles of the print head, when the piston mechanism moves in the first direction.

Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus is capable of carrying out selectively a first purge mode and a second purge mode. In the first purge mode, a first air discharge purge of discharging air in an ink storage chamber is carried out while maintaining a meniscus of the ink. In the second purge mode, a second air discharge purge of discharging air inside the ink storage chamber is carried out while destroying the meniscus of the ink. Accordingly, there is provided a liquid droplet jetting apparatus in which it is possible to discharge a gas inside a liquid supply channel from an upstream side of the nozzle, and also, when the degree of thickening of the liquid inside the nozzle is extreme, it is possible to discharge the thickened liquid assuredly from the nozzle.

Abstract: A fluid ejection apparatus that ejects fluid from an ejection nozzle in an ejection head includes a fluid receiver that has a concave portion for accommodating the ejected fluid and defines a closed space around the ejection nozzle when the concave portion contacts the ejection head. Suction pumps suck the fluid in the concave portion through suction ports in the concave portion. A fluid suction unit sucks the fluid in the ejection head through the ejection nozzle by operating the suction pumps such that the concave portion contacts the ejection head. An air suction unit sucks the air and the fluid in the concave portion of the fluid receiver after completion of suction of the fluid in the ejection head, by allowing at least one suction pump to reverse the air flow in collaboration with the operation of at least one other suction pump.

Abstract: A liquid supply device is provided in a liquid ejecting apparatus which includes a liquid ejecting head and a cleaning section. The liquid supply device includes a liquid supply section that has a pump in the path of a liquid supply flow channel for interconnecting a liquid supply source and the liquid ejecting head and a pair of unidirectional valves on upstream and downstream sides of the pump. The liquid supply section supplies the liquid to the downstream side with a suction drive that suctions the liquid from the liquid supply source and a discharge drive that discharges the suctioned liquid. A valve section in the path of the liquid supply flow channel on the downstream side is maintained in a valve-closed state by the suction force applied to an ejection port, and is opened by a liquid supply pressure generated by the discharge drive in the valve-closed state.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid from ejection nozzles formed in an ejection head. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid receiver that is provided with a concave receiving the liquid from the ejection head; a suction pump that is connected to an opening formed in the concave and sucks the liquid in the concave; and a sucking auxiliary member that is applied with a negative pressure from the suction pump and drawn into the concave in a direction of the opening to assist the process of sucking the liquid in the concave by the suction pump.

Abstract: A mobile device including: (a) an inkjet printhead; (b) a print media feed path for directing print media past the printhead in a feed direction during printing; (c) a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between: a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead; and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print media, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; (d) a locking mechanism configured to hold the capper in the uncapped position until after a trailing edge of the media is clear of the printhead.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus has: an inkjet head which has an ink ejection surface and ejects droplets of an ink from the ink ejection surface onto a recording medium; a pressure drum which is disposed in a position opposing the ink ejection surface of the inkjet head, has a round cylindrical circumferential surface in which a recording medium holding position and a non-holding position are provided, an opening section corresponding to an ink ejection width of the inkjet head in the non-holding position where the recording medium is not held, a suction flow channel that is connected to the opening section and provided integrally with the opening section inside the pressure drum, and holds and rotates the recording medium at the recording medium holding position in such a manner that the recording medium is conveyed in a circumferential direction of the pressure drum; and a suctioning device which suctions the opening section and the suction flow channel at least in a droplet ejection region where the droplet

Abstract: An apparatus includes an ink jet head and a suction mechanism. The head includes liquid chambers connected with ink tanks by flow passages. The flow passages include a non-branching flow passage and a branching flow passage. The suction mechanism sucks the liquid chamber and ejection ports corresponding to the non-branching flow passage and the branching flow passage, respectively at substantially the same pressure. The distance from the flow passage junction to the ejection ports connected to the branching flow passage is shorter than the distance from the flow passage junction to the ejection ports connected to the non-branching flow passage. The volume of the liquid chambers corresponding to the branching flow passage is less than or equal to the volume of the liquid chamber corresponding to the non-branching flow passage.

Abstract: A cleaning mechanism has a slider moving together with a carriage and a suction cap provided on the slider to cap one of print heads mounted on the carriage to perform suction therefrom. A first contact portion and a second contact portion are provided in each of the carriage and the slider, and a third contact portion and a fourth contact portion are provided in the slider. In the case that the suction cap performs suction from a black head, when the carriage moves toward the cleaning mechanism side, the first contact portion and the third contact portion come into contact with each other to position the carriage and the slider in such a manner that the suction cap faces the black head.

Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes: a plurality of ejection heads having ejection nozzles through which fluid is ejected; cap members that are provided so as to correspond to the ejection heads and form sealed spaces around the ejection nozzles in the ejection heads when brought into contact with the ejection heads; cap-member moving mechanisms that press the cap members against the corresponding ejection heads; a fluid suction unit that, while the cap members are pressed against the corresponding ejection heads, produces negative pressure in the sealed space of a selected ejection head to suck the fluid in the ejection head; cap-member selective-separation mechanisms that selectively separate the cap member from the corresponding ejection head having undergone suction; and a selective wiping mechanism that selectively wipes off the fluid deposited around the ejection nozzles in the ejection head separated from the corresponding cap member.