Patent ID: 6318835
Filing Date: 2001-11-20
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink-jet printer for ejecting ink drops at a recording medium, the ink-jet printer provided with a maintenance mechanism for performing a maintenance operation, comprising:a recording-medium transporter that transports the recording medium;a driving unit that provides a driving force to drive the recording-medium transporter;a recording head having a plurality of nozzles and a nozzle surface, the plurality of nozzles ejecting ink drops toward the recording medium;a suction cap that covers the nozzle surface of the recording head when the maintenance operation is performed;a suction pump that sucks ink out of the recording head via the suction cap;a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface of the recording head;a carriage that holds the recording head;a lock that secures the carriage at a predetermined position;a cam that drives the suction cap, the suction pump and the wiper, and a connection/disconnection mechanism that selectively either transfers the driving force provided by the driving unit to the cam to drive the cam in a forward direction only or prevents the driving force provided by the driving unit from being transferred to the cam.