A printhead maintenance station to cleaning a nozzle plate of a printhead and a method of operating the printhead maintenance station are disclosed. The printhead maintenance station includes a wiper bar, a wiper secured to the wiper bar, a wiper cleaning assembly, and an actuator. The wiper is stored in the wiper cleaning assembly when not in use. The controller operates the actuator to rotate the wiper bar to move the wiper from the wiper cleaning assembly to a wiping position, and causes relative movement of the printhead maintenance station and the print unit to wipe the nozzle plate with the wiper.

A recording apparatus includes a recording head having discharge ports for discharging a liquid, a cap configured to cap the discharge ports, a switching unit configured to switch between a communication state where an inside of the cap communicates with the atmosphere and a non-communication state where the inside of the cap does not communicate with the atmosphere, and a depressurization unit configured to depressurize the inside of the cap. After driving of the depressurization unit is started while the cap is at a capping position for capping the discharge ports and is in the non-communication state, the switching unit switches the cap to the communication state and then the driving of the depressurization unit is stopped. Idle suction is performed by driving the depressurization unit while the cap is at the capping position and is in the communication state.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion that has a supply port, a second discharge port, a plurality of nozzles, and a nozzle surface on which a plurality of the nozzles are open, and that discharges the liquid from the nozzles, a liquid supply flow path coupled to the supply port so that the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting portion, and a liquid return flow path coupled to the second discharge port so that the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting portion is returned to the liquid supply flow path, in which a pressure lowering operation of lowering a pressure in the liquid ejecting portion is performed in a state where a flow of the liquid in the liquid return flow path is blocked after performing a pressurization discharge operation of pressurizing the liquid in the liquid ejecting portion and discharging the liquid from the nozzle.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion that has a supply port, a second discharge port, a plurality of nozzles, and a nozzle surface on which a plurality of the nozzles are open, and that discharges the liquid from the nozzles, a liquid supply flow path coupled to the supply port so that the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting portion, and a liquid return flow path coupled to the second discharge port so that the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting portion is returned to the liquid supply flow path, in which a pressure lowering operation of lowering a pressure in the liquid ejecting portion is performed in a state where a flow of the liquid in the liquid return flow path is blocked after performing a pressurization discharge operation of pressurizing the liquid in the liquid ejecting portion and discharging the liquid from the nozzle.

A printer is provided with a first supply flow channel configured to connect a head with a first tank, a second supply flow channel configured to connect the head with a second tank, a first supply valve provided at the first supply flow channel, a second supply valve provided at the second supply flow channel, a cap configured to cover the first nozzle hole and the second nozzle hole and to be closely adhered to a nozzle surface of the head, a pump provided at a waste liquid flow channel connected to the cap. The processor of the printer drives the pump in a state in which the cap is closely adhered to the nozzle surface, one of the first supply valve or the second supply valve is open, and the other of the first supply valve or the second supply valve is closed.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion that has a supply port, a second discharge port, a plurality of nozzles, and a nozzle surface on which a plurality of the nozzles are open, and that discharges the liquid from the nozzles, a liquid supply flow path coupled to the supply port so that the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting portion, and a liquid return flow path coupled to the second discharge port so that the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting portion is returned to the liquid supply flow path, in which a pressure lowering operation of lowering a pressure in the liquid ejecting portion is performed in a state where a flow of the liquid in the liquid return flow path is blocked after performing a pressurization discharge operation of pressurizing the liquid in the liquid ejecting portion and discharging the liquid from the nozzle.

There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus. A print head includes a nozzle that discharges a liquid. A recovery unit includes a cap that caps the nozzle and a pump that suctions a liquid from the nozzle via the cap, and discharges to a waste liquid tank that accommodates a waste liquid of suctioned liquid. A control unit causes the recovery unit to execute at least one of a first recovery operation, in which the suction pump is driven at a first driving amount, or a second recovery operation, in which the pump is driven at a second driving amount smaller than the first driving amount, based on an amount of waste liquid discharged to the waste liquid tank.

A primer apparatus for a print head structure of an inkjet printer, in which the primer apparatus comprises a pump to supply a flow of air to the print head structure, an outlet valve and a control valve in fluid communication with and disposed between the pump and the outlet valve, the outlet valve comprising a venting structure to reduce the pressure of a flow of air supplied to the print head structure when the control valve is open.

A printer for printing plate-like print media includes a printing unit having at least one print head for printing print media according to the inkjet printing. The printing unit is movable in and against a conveying direction. A cleaning unit is provided for cleaning the print unit and includes a cleaning device for suctioning ink out of the print head in a suctioning direction. The cleaning unit further includes a drive device for moving the cleaning device in different operating positions. A cleaning device for such a printer and a method for maintaining the printer are also provided.

The coupling structure includes a container side joint and a main body side joint. The container side joint includes a container opening/closing valve, a container side communication passage, a backflow prevention valve and a protrusion. The container opening/closing valve is brought into contact with the protrusion by a pressure of the liquid filled in the container side communication passage. The main body side joint includes a main body opening/closing valve and a main body side communication passage. When the main body opening/closing valve pushes the container opening/closing valve at a coupling of the container side joint and the main body side joint, the container opening/closing valve is pushed in a coupling direction, is also tilted and is separated from the protrusion to communicate the container side communication passage with the main body side communication passage.