Patent ID: 6382766
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink jetting nozzle maintenance apparatus of an image forming apparatus, comprising:a cap preventing a blockage in a nozzle on a printing standby mode, said cap comprising a suction diaphragm expanding the volume of a cap space formed during a sealing of said nozzle, said suction diaphragm being extended by a suction diaphragm lowering unit lowering said suction diaphragm in an opposite direction from said nozzle expanding the volume of the cap space when said cap seals said nozzle and additionally moves a certain distance; the cap space being subjected to a negative pressure by the extending of said suction diaphragm to permit a certain amount of ink to be sucked out of said nozzle preventing the drying of an inlet of said nozzle; and said nozzle having ink sucked out under the negative pressure into droplets to prevent said nozzle from drying during the sealing of said nozzle by said cap and the ink being wiped out of said nozzle by a wiper during a wiping operation of the printing operation, the sealing of said nozzle by said cap, the wiping of said nozzle, and the suctioning of ink from said nozzle being driven by a reciprocal movement of a carriage.