An inkjet printing apparatus having a printhead assembly comprises a plurality of printing heads on each of which there is defined a nozzle orifice surface having a row of nozzle orifices through which ink is ejected. The printing apparatus includes a cleaning station comprising a cleaning head array, a plurality of cleaning heads mountable on the cleaning head array and a purge tray. Ambient air is forced under vacuum into a flow channel within each cleaning head such that highly focused fluid flow is generated at the orifice surface when the flow volume impinges the profiled exterior of a vacuum outlet port provided on each cleaning head producing sufficient shear forces to remove accumulated ink and debris from the nozzle orifice surface. The invention also relates to improved cleaning heads, an array of heads in a cleaning station assembly and a method of cleaning nozzle orifice surfaces.

An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink container in which ink to be used to perform printing on a print target is stored, a nozzle which is connected to the ink container and from which pressurized and supplied ink is jetted, charging electrodes that charge ink particles jetted from the nozzle with electricity, deflecting electrodes that polarize the ink particles charged with electricity by the charging electrodes, a gutter that recovers ink not used for printing, a solvent container in which a solvent is stored, and a liquid nozzle which is connected to the solvent container and from which a pressurized and supplied solvent is jetted. The liquid nozzle includes a liquid flow passage portion that extends from the nozzle in a direction of the gutter, and a liquid jet hole that is formed at an angle allowing the pressurized and supplied solvent to hit the nozzle through the liquid flow passage portion.

An ink-jet printer includes: a base material transport mechanism for transporting a base material along a transport path in a transport direction; an ink ejection head having a lower surface opposed to the transport path, and an ink ejection port for ejecting ink toward the transport path; and a base plate having a lower surface opposed to the transport path over the transport path, and a mounting hole open in the lower surface, the ink ejection head being mounted in the mounting hole. The base plate includes an air flow hole that is a though hole penetrating through the base plate. The air flow hole has an air outlet open in a location downstream of the ink ejection port in the lower surface. Air passing through the air flow hole is ejected from the air outlet toward the transport path.

An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink container in which ink to be used to perform printing on a print target is stored, a nozzle which is connected to the ink container and from which pressurized and supplied ink is jetted, charging electrodes that charge ink particles jetted from the nozzle with electricity, deflecting electrodes that polarize the ink particles charged with electricity by the charging electrodes, a gutter that recovers ink not used for printing, a solvent container in which a solvent is stored, and a liquid nozzle which is connected to the solvent container and from which a pressurized and supplied solvent is jetted. The liquid nozzle includes a liquid flow passage portion that extends from the nozzle in a direction of the gutter, and a liquid jet hole that is formed at an angle allowing the pressurized and supplied solvent to hit the nozzle through the liquid flow passage portion.

A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection head having a nozzle surface provided with an ejection port of a nozzle from which a liquid is ejected, a cap that comes into contact with the nozzle surface to cover the nozzle, an air pressure adjuster that adjusts an air pressure inside the cap when the cap is in contact with the nozzle surface, and a contact force adjuster that sets, equal to a first pressure, a contact force that is a pressure causing the cap to come into contact with the nozzle surface when the air pressure adjuster sets the air pressure inside the cap equal to a first air pressure, and sets the contact force equal to a second pressure lower than the first pressure when the air pressure adjuster sets the air pressure inside the cap equal to a second air pressure higher than the first air pressure.

A single pass inkjet printer that utilizes a modular printing system with one or more self-contained printing modules, where each printing module is easy to remove and replace from a large printing machine, thus resulting in an overall system that is easy to service and maintain Each module is a self-contained printer including an ink supply, printhead drive electronics, and printhead assembly in order to provide one color or fluid of inkjet printing capability. Each module includes a precise three-point compliant self-aligning mount system to obtain accurate printhead positioning, and a unique integrated printhead tending system that includes a compact movable vacuum knife for cleaning the printheads, and a printhead capping station for sealing and protecting the printheads from the ambient environment when not in use.

A method for contactless cleaning of a nozzle plate of a print head. The method may include: providing a suction element, the suction element causing a fluid to flow along a surface of the nozzle plate and toward the suction element for removing residue from the nozzle plate; sucking-in, by the suction element, the fluid together with the removed residue; and separating the sucked-in fluid from the sucked-in residue. Also, a suction element for cleaning of such a nozzle plate. The suction element may be configured to cause a fluid to flow along a surface of the nozzle plate and toward the suction element for removing residue from the nozzle plate and sucking-in the fluid with the residue. The suction element may include a mouth piece and a wheel, the wheel being arranged such that the mouth piece is spaced away from the surface of the nozzle plate.

A method of maintaining an elongate inkjet printhead includes the steps of: positioning a suction nozzle opposite inkjet nozzles of the printhead; positioning a wiper offset from the inkjet nozzles; and moving the suction nozzle and the wiper together along a length of the printhead. The wiper contacts only a non-printing part of the printhead while the suction nozzle is spaced apart from the inkjet nozzles of printhead.

A printer can comprise an ink head for discharging ink toward a printing medium, and a blowing device for blowing air against the printing medium. The blowing device can comprise a first case that is disposed further rearward, in a direction of movement, than the ink head. The first case can have a first air intake opening for taking in air of the vicinity of the printing medium, a first fan for drawing in air from the first air intake opening and expelling air from a first outlet opening. A second case can be positioned further rearward, in the movement direction Y1, than the first air intake opening, and can have a second air intake opening that opens facing upward and a second fan for drawing in air from the second air intake opening and expelling air toward the printing medium from a second outlet opening. The magnitude of the airflow of the first fan can be less than the magnitude of the airflow of the second fan.

An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a wiper member, a cleaning liquid supply device, a cleaning liquid flow path, and a controller. The cleaning liquid flow path includes a vertical tubular member connected to the cleaning liquid supply device and extending upward, and a horizontal tubular member connected to an upper end of the vertical tubular member and extending in a horizontal direction. The controller extrudes a cleaning liquid in at least a part of the cleaning liquid flow path from a cleaning liquid supply port before control of a cleaning operation for wiping an ink ejection surface of the recording head, thereby performing control of an air bubble release operation of the cleaning liquid flow path.