Abstract:
A head capping device is adapted to seal a nozzle formation face of a liquid ejecting head in which a nozzle orifice from which liquid is ejected is formed. A capping unit includes: a cap, adapted to be abutted against the nozzle formation face to seal the nozzle orifice; a regulator, provided on the cap; a slider, mounting the cap; and a claw, provided on the slider and adapted to be abutted against the liquid ejecting head. An actuator is operable to move the capping unit in between a first position at which the cap is separated away from the nozzle formation face and a second position at which the cap is abutted against the nozzle formation face. The slider is so configured as to have a first movable length during the movement between the first position and the second position. The cap is so configured as to have a second movable length which is smaller than the first movable length, during the movement between the first position and the second position. The regulator is so configured as to be abutted against a base to restrict the movement of the cap in a direction separating away from the liquid ejecting head when the capping unit is moved from the second position to the first position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a head capping device that includes a capping unit which can move to a first position, which is spaced apart from a recording head, and a second position, which comes into contact with the recording head to seal a nozzle orifice array composed of nozzle orifices, by an actuator.  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus incorporating such a head capping device.  
         [0003]     A liquid ejecting apparatus is not limited to recording apparatuses, such as an ink jet recording apparatus a copy machine, a facsimile or the like, in which ink is ejected onto a recording medium, such as recording paper, from a recording head serving as a liquid ejecting head, so that recording is performed on the recording medium. Examples of the liquid ejecting apparatus include various apparatuses in which, instead of the ink, liquid for a specific purpose is ejected onto a target medium from a liquid ejecting head, so that the ejected liquid adheres onto the target medium. In addition, examples of the liquid ejecting head include the above-mentioned recording head, a colored material ejecting head that is used for manufacturing a color filter in a liquid crystal display or the like, an electrode material (conductive paste) ejecting head that is used for forming an electrode in an organic EL display or a field emission display (FED), a bioorganic material ejecting head that is used for manufacturing a biochip, a sample ejecting head that serves as a micropipette and ejects the sample, or the like.  
         [0004]     As an example of the ink jet recording apparatus or the liquid ejecting apparatus, there is an ink jet printer. The ink jet printer comprises a carriage that mounts an ink jet recording head, and the carriage is reciprocally driven in a primary scanning direction by a carriage motor while being guided by a guide member (for example, a guiding shaft) that extends in the primary scanning direction.  
         [0005]     Here, if the recording head continuously performs the recording on the recording medium, clogging or the like may occur in a nozzle orifice from which the ink is ejected, so that superior recording cannot be performed.  
         [0006]     Accordingly, in order to maintain a state of the nozzle orifice as a superior state, the recording head performs the so-called flushing operation in which it moves to a head capping device during recording so as to eject the ink toward a cap. Then, after the recording is completed, the recording head moves to the head capping device so that the nozzle orifice is sealed with the cap. Then, the so-called suction operation is performed in which a pressure of the cap is turned into a negative pressure by a pump, so that the nozzle orifice is sucked.  
         [0007]     When the flushing operation or the suction operation is performed, in order to determine the relative positional relationship between the recording head and the cap, a claw that can come into contact with the recording head is provided in the cap. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-307701A discloses such a head capping device in which a cap holder is provided with a claw and moves integrally with a cap.  
         [0008]     Here, since the claw and the cap move together, when the flushing operation is performed, the distance between the cap and the recording head is increased, which results in occurrence of the mist.  
         [0009]     Accordingly, it is suggested a head capping device in which a claw comes into contact with one side face of the recording head in a primary scanning direction to decrease the distance between the cap and the recording head at the time of flushing operation, thereby preventing the mist from occurring.  
         [0010]     As shown in  FIG. 18 , a recording head  401  formed with nozzle orifices is mounted on a carriage. A claw  403  that can come into contact with the recording head  401  is formed in a capping unit  402 .  
         [0011]     When the flushing operation and the suction operation are performed, the carriage moves at a high speed in a direction shown by an arrow, and reduces a moving speed near a position opposing the capping unit  402 . The recording head  401 , which moves at a low speed, comes slowly into contact with the claw  403  of the capping unit  402  at the position shown in  FIG. 18 , so that the shock due to the contact can be decreased. When the recording head comes into contact with the claw  403 , the recording head  401  pushes down the claw  403  by the driving of the carriage motor, and the urging force with respect to the carriage side is applied to the capping unit  402  by a spring (not shown). Accordingly, since the recording head  401  and the claw  403  come into contact with each other without clearance, the relative positional relationship between the recording head  401  and the capping unit  402  are determined with high precision. Then, the driving of the carriage motor is stopped. In this state, the ink is ejected from the nozzle orifice, that is, the flushing operation is performed.  
         [0012]     In addition, the waiting position of the capping unit  402  is set to the distance from the recording head  401  to the extent that the mist can be prevented from occurring, and the distance to the extent that the cap does not come into contact with the recording head  401  when the carriage moves. Therefore, when the flushing operation is performed, the cap does not need to move.  
         [0013]     Here, when the suction operation is performed, after the driving of the carriage motor is stopped, the capping unit  402  moves to and then comes into contact with the recording head so as to seal the nozzle orifice. Then, the pressure of inside of the carriage is turned into the negative pressure by the pump, and the nozzle orifice is sucked.  
         [0014]     However, in order to prevent that the recording head abuts against the claw, since the recording head reduces the moving speed near the position opposing the cap so as to move at a low speed, the throughput may be decreased.  
         [0015]     Further, when the recording head comes into contact with the claw to be placed in a predetermined position, the load applied to the carriage motor includes not only the moving load for the carriage but also the urging force of the cap. Therefore, the load for the carriage motor is increased, which results in making it difficult to reduce the size of the carriage motor.  
         [0016]     In addition, when the cap is released from the state which seals the nozzle orifice, the cap and the recording head may adhere to each other due to the pushing force or the ink. Incidentally, the load for the adhesion releasing force and the load for the frictional resistance force between the claw and the recording head are simultaneously applied to an actuator for moving the cap, which results into making it difficult to reduce the size of the actuator.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     It Is therefore an object of the invention to provide a head capping device which is capable of preventing the mist from occurring at the time of flushing operation, not reducing the speed when a carriage having a recording head moves to a position opposing a cap, and setting the relative positional relationship between the cap and the recording head with high precision when a nozzle orifice is sealed.  
         [0018]     It is also an object of the invention to provide a head capping device capable of resolving a problem of the load generated when a cap is spaced apart from a recording head.  
         [0019]     It is also an object of the invention to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus incorporating such a head capping device.  
         [0020]     In order to achieve at least one of the above objects, according to the invention, there is provided a head capping device, adapted to seal a nozzle formation face of a liquid ejecting head in which a nozzle orifice from which liquid is ejected is formed, the device comprising:  
         [0021]     a base;  
         [0022]     a capping unit, comprising: 
        a cap, adapted to be abutted against the nozzle formation face to seal the nozzle orifice;     a regulator, provided on the cap;     a slider, mounting the cap; and     a claw, provided on the slider and adapted to be abutted against the liquid ejecting head; and        
 
         [0027]     an actuator, operable to move the capping unit in between a first position at which the cap is separated away from the nozzle formation face and a second position at which the cap is abutted against the nozzle formation face, wherein:  
         [0028]     the slider is so configured as to have a first movable length during the movement between the first position and the second position;  
         [0029]     the cap is so configured as to have a second movable length which is smaller than the first movable length, during the movement between the first position and the second position; and  
         [0030]     the regulator is so configured as to be abutted against the base to restrict the movement of the cap in a direction separating away from the liquid ejecting head when the capping unit is moved from the second position to the first position.  
         [0031]     With the above configuration, at the first position, the position of the cap in the direction connecting the first position and the second position can be determined with high precision with respect to the base. That is, when the flushing operation is performed, the distance between the cap and the liquid ejecting head can be set with high precision. As a result, at the first position, the distance between the cap and the liquid ejecting head can be smaller to the extent that the mist does not occur, but can be set such that the liquid ejecting head and the cap do not come into contact with each other.  
         [0032]     In addition, since the slider and the cap can independently move by the distance as required. For example, even though the slider is sufficiently separated away from the liquid ejecting head when the capping unit is placed in the first position, the cap can be configured to be placed in the vicinity of the liquid ejecting head. That is, when the flushing operation is performed, the cap can be placed such that it is possible to prevent the liquid ejected from the nozzle orifice from being floating mist. Therefore, an additional movement for preventing the mist is not required.  
         [0033]     Furthermore, the slider can be configured that the claw is always separated apart from the liquid ejecting head when the capping unit is placed in the first position. In this case, the liquid ejecting head will not collide with the claw when the liquid ejecting head is moved to a position opposing the cap. Accordingly, the driving speed of the carriage motor does not need to be reduced near the position opposing the cap. As a result, the time taken for the flushing operation performed during the liquid ejection can be shortened. In addition, also when the suction operation is performed after the liquid ejection, the same advantage can be obtained.  
         [0034]     Further, since the liquid ejecting head does not come into contact with the claw, when the liquid ejecting head moves to the position opposing the cap, the load applied on the carriage motor does not increase. Accordingly, it is possible to attain a small-sized carriage motor.  
         [0035]     The cap may have a first side adapted to oppose the liquid ejecting head, and a second side opposite to the first side. The regulator may include a leg provided in the second side of the cap.  
         [0036]     With this configuration, relative to the moving direction of the capping unit between the first position and the second position, it is possible to position the cap at the first position with high precision with respect to the base with the simple structure.  
         [0037]     The capping unit may be configured such that, when the capping unit is moved from the second position to the first position, the cap and the slider are first moved together, the leg is then abutted against the base so that only the cap is stopped, and the slider is finally stopped.  
         [0038]     With this configuration, relative to the moving direction of the capping unit between the first position and the second position, it is possible to position the cap at the first position with high precision without depending on the position of the slider.  
         [0039]     The base may comprise an engagement member adapted to be engaged with the leg when the capping unit is placed in the first position. At least one of the leg and the engagement member may be formed with a tapered outer face.  
         [0040]     With this configuration, at the first position, it is possible to determine the position of the cap in the directions orthogonal to the moving direction of the capping unit between the first position and the second position.  
         [0041]     The head capping device may further comprise an urging member, disposed between the base and the slider and urging the slider toward the second position. The capping unit may be configured such that, when the capping unit is moved from the second position to the first position, the slider and the cap are moved together after the slider is abutted against the cap.  
         [0042]     With this configuration, separately from the urging member for the slider, an independent urging member for the cap does not need to be provided.  
         [0043]     In order to achieve at least one of the above objects, according to the invention, there is also provided a liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising: a liquid ejecting head, having a nozzle formation face formed with a nozzle orifice, and adapted to eject liquid from the nozzle orifice toward a target medium; and the above-described head capping device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0044]     The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0045]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a recording apparatus (liquid ejecting apparatus) incorporating a head capping device according to a first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0046]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the recording apparatus;  
         [0047]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the head capping device;  
         [0048]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the head capping device;  
         [0049]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an ink sucking device provided with the head capping device;  
         [0050]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view showing a main portion of the head capping device;  
         [0051]      FIG. 7  is a side view showing a state that the head capping device is placed in the first position thereof;  
         [0052]      FIG. 8  is a section view of the head capping device of  FIG. 7  taken along a line extending in a primary scanning direction of a recording head in the recording apparatus;  
         [0053]      FIG. 9  is a side view showing a state that the head capping device is moved from the first position to the second position thereof;  
         [0054]      FIG. 10  is a section view of the head capping device of  FIG. 9  taken along a line extending in the primary scanning direction;  
         [0055]      FIG. 11  is a side view showing a state that the head capping device is placed in the second position;  
         [0056]      FIG. 12  is a section view of the head capping device of  FIG. 11  taken along a line extending in the primary scanning direction;  
         [0057]      FIGS. 13A  to  13 C are side views for explaining the movable length of the head capping device;  
         [0058]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing a disassembled state of a capping unit in the head capping device;  
         [0059]      FIGS. 15A  to  16 B are section views of the head capping device viewed from a secondary scanning direction, showing states when the capping unit is moved from the first position to the second position;  
         [0060]      FIG. 17  are a section view of the head capping device viewed from the secondary scanning direction, showing a state that the capping unit adhered on the recording head is moved from the second position to the first position;  
         [0061]      FIG. 18  is a section view of a head capping device according to a second embodiment of the invention, viewed from the primary scanning direction and showing a state that a capping unit is placed in the first position thereof;  
         [0062]      FIG. 19  is a section view of the head capping device of  FIG. 18 , viewed from the primary scanning direction and showing a state that the capping unit is moved from the first position to the second position thereof;  
         [0063]      FIG. 20  is a section view of the head capping device of  FIG. 18 , viewed from the primary scanning direction and showing a state that the capping unit is placed in the second position;  
         [0064]     FIGS.  21  to  23  are section views of a head capping device according to a third embodiment of the invention, viewed from the secondary scanning direction and showing a state that a capping unit is moved from the second position to the first position;  
         [0065]      FIG. 24  is a top plan view of a head capping device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0066]      FIG. 25  is a schematic side view showing a related-art head capping device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0067]     Embodiments of the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0068]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , on a rear side of a main body of a recording apparatus  100 , a feeder cassette  101  in which paper serving as a recording medium is laminated is detachably provided. The uppermost paper in the feeder cassette  101  is picked up by a sheet feeding roller (not shown) that is driven by a sheet feeding motor  104  and then guided to a sheet guide  103 , and it is fed to a sheet transporting roller (not shown) of a downstream side of a sheet transporting direction. The paper is further transported to a recording region  143  of the downstream side of the sheet transporting direction by the sheet transporting roller that is driven by a sheet transporting motor (not shown).  
         [0069]     In the recording region  143 , there are provided a platen  105  that supports the lower surface of the paper and a carriage  107  that is provided so as to oppose the platen  105 . In this case, the carriage  107  is driven by a carriage motor  102  while being guided to a carriage guide shaft (not shown) that extends in a primary scanning direction. On a bottom face of the carriage  107 , a recording head  106  is provided which ejects ink onto the paper. Further, the paper, which has been recorded by the recording region  143 , is further carried to the downstream side and then ejected from a front side of the recording apparatus  100  by a sheet ejecting roller (not shown).  
         [0070]     In addition, an ink cartridge (not shown) is loaded below the main body of the recording apparatus  100 , and the ink is supplied to an ink supplying path (not shown) through an ink supplying needle (not shown). Further, the ink is supplied to the recording head  106  of the carriage  107  through an ink supplying tube  110 . In addition, at the time of flushing or cleaning of the recording head  106 , in an ink sucking device  200  which is provided in the home position side to perform ink sucking operation to maintain an ink ejecting characteristic of the recording head  106 .  
         [0071]     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the ink sucking device  200  comprises a head capping device  230  that can come into contact with the recording head  106 . The head capping device  230  comprises a capping unit  202 . The capping unit  202  has a cap  204  that seals the recording head  106 , and a slider  205  that moves together with the cap  204  so as to be adjacent to or spaced apart from the recording head  106 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a slider guide  215   a  is provided in a base  215 , and a slider rib  207  is provided on one side of the slider  205 . The slider guide  215   a  and the slider rib  207  come into contacts with each other, which results in positioning the slider  205 .  
         [0072]     In addition, the ink sucking device  200  comprises a gear unit  218  which transmits motive power from the sheet transporting motor or the sheet feeding motor  104 . The gear unit  218  transmits motive power to a suction pump  281  that sucks the inside of the capping portion of the head capping device  230  so as to depressurize the inside of the capping member. A lever  210  is provided in the base  215  and engages with the slider  205  to allow the slider  205  to move so as to be adjacent to or spaced apart from the recording head  106 . Specifically, the slider  205  is urged to the recording head side by a spring  211  (see FIGS.  7  to  12 ) disposed between the base  215  and the slider  205 . Here, the lever  210  receives the motive power from the gear unit  218 , pivots so as to be against spring force of the spring  211 , and moves the slider  205  and the cap  204 . The detailed description of the operation will be made below with reference to FIGS.  7  to  12 . In addition, the cap  204  is constructed so that air can be sent from a vent valve  219  through a vent tube  242  (see  FIG. 5 ).  
         [0073]     In addition, the ink sucking device  200  further comprises a head wiping device  217  which comprises a wiper  302  that can come into contact with a nozzle formation face  106   b  of the recording head  106  so as to wipe off the ink adhered thereon. The head wiping device  217  is provided so that it engages with a wiper guide rib  215   b  provided on the base  215  and a guide groove  303   d  provided on a wiper base  303  so as to be guided in a vertical moving direction.  
         [0074]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , a decompressor  283  that is rotatable is provided in the suction pump  281 , and a pump tube  282  that is formed of an elastic material is provided around the circumference of the decompressor  283 . One end of the pump tube  282  is connected to the suction tube  241  that is connected to the bottom portion of the cap  204 . A protrusion (not shown) is provided around the circumference of the decompressor  283 . When the decompressor  283  rotates, the protrusion serves to squeeze out the air in the pump tube to the other end of the pump tube  282 . That is, the air, which exists on one end side of the inside of the pump tube, can move to the other end side of the pump tube. Accordingly, the suction pump  281  can generate the negative pressure in the cap through the suction tube  241 .  
         [0075]     Here, on one end side of the vent tube  242  that is connected to the bottom portion of the cap  204 , the vent valve  219  is provided. The vent valve  219  can open by an actuator (not shown) so that the air can be sent to the inside of the cap. Accordingly, when the pressure of the inside of the cap is turned into the negative pressure by the suction pump  281 , the vent valve  219  can opens so that the negative pressure state of the cap  204  can be released.  
         [0076]     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the abutment face  203  is formed of an elastic body on the cap  204  so that it can surely seal the nozzle formation face  106   b . In addition, in the cap, an ink absorbing member  209  is provided which can absorb the ink ejected from the nozzle orifice. The ink absorbing member  209  is held by a retainer  216  that is welded to posts  204   b  extending from the bottom of the inner space of the cap  204  by thermal caulking or the like. In addition, the vent port  227  is formed in the cap  204 , and the vent port  227  communicates with the vent valve  219  through the vent tube  242  that is connected to the bottom face of the cap  204 .  
         [0077]     The slider  205  is provided with a first claw  214   c  which can come into contact with the upstream side face and the downstream side face relative to a secondary scanning direction (sheet transporting direction) of the recording head  106  when the recording head  106  is placed in the home position. In addition, the slider  205  is provided with a second claw  214   d  which can come into contact with home position side face of the recording head  106  when the recording head  106  is placed in the home position.  
         [0078]     In addition, on the downstream side of the gear unit  218  relative to the power transmitting direction, a cam  213  is provided. The cam  213  comes into contact with the lever  210  (which will be described in detail below) so as to pivot the lever  210 , and thus moves the slider  205  and the gear portion  204 .  
         [0079]     In addition, in the base  215 , at a first position that will be described in detail below, a pair of slider position regulators  359 , which come into contact with lower ends of the slider ribs  207 , are provided.  
         [0080]     Next, the operation of the lever  210 , the slider  205 , and the cap  204  when the cam  213  rotates will be described below. In this case, the first position of the head capping device  230  refers to a state that is spaced apart from the recording head  106 , and the second position of the head capping device  230  refers to a state that comes into contact with the recording head  106  to seal a nozzle orifice array  106   a  composed of nozzle orifices.  
         [0081]     As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the slider  205  is urged to the recording head side by the spring  211  that is provided between the slider  205  and the base  215 .  
         [0082]     On the right side of  FIG. 7 , a cam gear  212  having the cam  213  is rotatably provided so as to be against the spring force of the spring  211 . The cam  213  comes into contact with a first arm  210   a  that is formed on one end of the lever  210 , so that the cam  213  can pivot the lever  210  on the basis of a pivot shaft  210   b . In addition, a second arm  210   c  is formed on the other end of the lever  210 , and an opening  210   d  formed in the second arm  210   c  engages with a first tapered projection  206  and a second tapered projection  208  that are formed on the slider  205 . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the cam  213  comes into contact with the first arm  210   a , so that the cam  213  pivots the lever  210  in a counterclockwise direction in the figure so as to push down the slider  205 .  
         [0083]     In addition, on the bottom face of the cap  204 , legs  204   c  are provided so as to come into contact with the base  215 . These legs  204   c  are inserted into leg receiving holes  363  (see FIGS.  15  to  17 ) that are formed in the bottom of the slider  205 . That is, the spring  211  does not directly come into contact with the cap  204 , but comes into contact with the slider  205  so as to urge the same. In this way, the spring  211  can indirectly urge the cap  204  through the slider  205 . Accordingly, in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the slider  205  is lowered by the cam  213  and the lever  210  to the position at which any force is not applied to the cap  204 . In addition, the leg  204   c  comes into contact with the base  215 , so that the cap  204  is positioned in the vertical direction.  
         [0084]     In addition, a first slope face  214   a  and a second slope face  214   e  are respectively provided in the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d  so that they come into contact with the recording head  106  and smoothly guide the slider  205 . In addition, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a first abutment face  214   b  of the first claw  214   c  and a second abutment face  214   f  of the second claw  214   d  are narrowed in order to reduce frictional resistance between the first claw  214   c  or the second claw  214   d  and the recording head  106 .  
         [0085]     On the nozzle formation face  106   b , the nozzle orifice array  106   a  is formed within a range smaller than a size of the cap  204 .  
         [0086]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208  of the slider  205 , which engages with the opening  210   d  of the second arm  210   c , are tapered in the same direction. In this case, as described above, the slider  205  is urged by the spring  211  upward in  FIG. 8 . On the other hand, the slider  205  is urged downward by the lever  210  so as to be against the spring force. By the opening  210   d , the first tapered projection  206 , and the second tapered projection  208 , the slider  205  is urged leftward in  FIG. 8 , that is, to the away position side. Incidentally, the slider rib  207  of the slider  205  shown in  FIG. 4  is restricted by the slider guide  215   a  of the base  215 , and positioned in the primary scanning direction.  
         [0087]     As shown in  FIG. 9 , if the cam gear  212  rotates in the counterclockwise direction in the figure, the cam  213  gradually retreats, and thus the lever  210 , which is in contact with the arm gear  212 , gradually pivots in a clockwise direction. In addition, as the lever  210  pivots, the slider  205  gradually moves to the recording head side.  
         [0088]     Further, if the arm gear  212  rotates in the counterclockwise direction, the slider  205  further moves to the recording head side. The first slope face  214   a  of the first claw  214   c  or the second slope face  214   e  of the second claw  214   d  come into contact with the lower portion of the side face of the recording head  106 . This state is illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 .  
         [0089]     In this state, if the cam gear  212  further rotates in the counterclockwise direction, the slider  205  further moves the recording head side. Accordingly, the lower portion of the side face of the recording head  106  gradually goes down the first slope face  214   a  of the first claw  214   c  or the second slope face  214   e  of the second claw  214   d  so as to come into contact with the first abutment face  214   b  of the first claw  214   c  or the second abutment face  214   f  of the second claw  214   d . That is, the relative positional relationship between the slider  205  and the recording head  106  are determined with high precision by the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d.    
         [0090]     Incidentally, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the slider  205 , which is guided to the second slope face  214   e  of the second claw  214   d  that comes into contact with the bottom side of a side face of home position side of the recording head  106 , moves to a right side in the figure, that is, to home position side. Specifically, the slider rib  207  of the slider  205  shown in  FIG. 4  is spaced apart from the slider guide  215   a  of the base  215 . In addition, the force by which the slider  205  is urged to the away position side by the opening  210   d , the first tapered projection  206 , and the second tapered projection  208  is regulated by the second claw  214   d  that comes into contact with the bottom side of the side face of the home position side of the recording head  106 . Accordingly, since the second claw  214   d  can comes into contact with the bottom side of the side face of the home position side of the recording head  106  without the clearance, the slider  205  is relatively positioned with respect to the recording head  106  with high precision in the primary scanning direction.  
         [0091]     In addition, if the cam gear  212  rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the slider  205  further moves to the recording head side, and the bottom face of the slider  205  comes into contact with the bottom face of the cap  204  so as to move the cap  204  to the recording head side. That is, the leg  204   c  of the cap  204  is spaced apart from the base  215 , and the cap  204  is move to the recording head side together with the slider  205 .  
         [0092]     The cam gear  212  further rotates in the counterclockwise direction from the state shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , and the cam  213  is spaced apart from the lever  210 . In this case, as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the slider  205  and the cap  204  moves to the recording head side while being guided to the first abutment face  214   b  of the first claw  214   c  and the second abutment face  214   f  of the second claw  214   d , and the abutment face  203  of the cap  204  comes into contact with the nozzle formation face  106   b  of the recording head  106 . If the cap  204  comes into contact with recording head  106 , the lever  210  is made free. That is, since the lever  210  does not come into contact with the cam  213 , no action is taken with respect to the slider  205 . Accordingly, the force by which the slider  205  is urged to the away position side by the opening  210   d , the first tapered projection  206 , and the second tapered projection  208  is not generated. That is, the extra urging force is released in the primary scanning direction at the same time as the cap  204  coming into contact with the recording head  106 . As a result, the cap  204  can surely seal the nozzle formation face  106   b.    
         [0093]     That is, the cam  213 , the lever  210 , the first tapered projection  206 , and the second tapered projection  208  serve as a motive power releaser  231  (see  FIG. 11 ). At the second position, since the lever  210  does not come into contact with the cam  213  as described above, no action is taken with respect to the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208 . Accordingly, since no action is taken with respect to the opening  210   d , the first tapered projection  206 , and the second tapered projection  208 , the force by which the slider  205  is urged to the away position side is not generated. That is, the motive power releaser  231  can make the force urged to the away position side not applied to the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208  of the slider  205  in the second position.  
         [0094]     Next, a sequence in which the capping unit  202  moves from the second position to the first position will be described.  
         [0095]     In a state that the capping unit  202  shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  are at the second position, if the cam gear  212  rotates in the clockwise direction in  FIG. 11 , the cam  213 , which is spaced apart from the lever  210 , comes into contact with the first arm  210   a  of the lever  210 . In addition, the cam  213  pivots the lever  210  in the counterclockwise direction in  FIG. 11 . Accordingly, as the cam  213  rotates, the second arm  210   c  can make the slider  205  engaging with the second arm  210   c  move to the position shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10  so that the slider  205  gradually moves downward against the spring force of the springs  211 .  
         [0096]     Incidentally, since the lever  210  regulates the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208  of the slider  205  so as to be against the spring force of each of the springs  211 , the force by which the above-mentioned lever  210  urges the slider  205  from the home position side to the away position side is generated. Accordingly, when the capping unit  202  moves from the state shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  to the state shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the second slope faces  214   e  of the second claws  214   d , which are provided in the slider  205 , come into contact with the recording head  106 . That is, the slider  205  is guided to the second slope faces  214   e , then moves downward in  FIG. 10 , and then moves to the away position side (that is, the left side). In addition, the pair of slider ribs  207  come into contact with a pair of slider guides  215   a  that are provided in the base  215 .  
         [0097]     When the slider  205  moves downward in  FIG. 9 , the two legs  204   c  come into contact with the base  215  so that the movement of the cap  204  in a downward direction is regulated. That is, it is possible to position the cap  204  at the first position with high precision in the heightwise direction. As a result, at the time of flushing operation, the distance between the recording head  106  and the cap  204  is decreased to the extent that mist is not generated, and set so that the recording head  106  and the cap  204  do not come into contact with each other.  
         [0098]     In this embodiment, the legs  204   c  are provided below the cap  204  so as to come into contact with the base  215 . However, in stead of the legs  204   c , protrusions may be provided on the side face of the cap  204  so that the protrusions may come into contact with the base  215 .  
         [0099]     In this embodiment, the legs  204   c  come into contact with the base  215  of the head capping device  230 . However, in stead of the base  215  of the head capping device  230 , the legs  204   c  may come into contact with a fixed member of the recording apparatus  100  serving as the base. In such a case, it is possible to position the cap  204  with higher precision in the heightwise direction at the first position.  
         [0100]     In the state shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , when the cam gear  212  further rotates in the clockwise direction in  FIG. 9 , the lever  210  further rotates in the counterclockwise direction. In addition, the lever  210  pushes down the slider  205  to the position of the slider  205  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  so as to move only the slider  205  downward. Incidentally, the position in the moving direction between the position of the height direction of the slider  205  at the first position, that is, the first position and the second position is restricted by the position of the lever  210 . The lower ends of the pair of slider ribs  207  come into contact with the pair of slider position regulators  359  (see  FIG. 6 ) provided in the base  215 , so that the slider  205  at the first position maintains the stable posture.  
         [0101]     As shown in FIGS.  15  to  17 , a tapered portion  312  is formed near the distal end of each of the legs  204   c  (see FIGS.  15  to  17 ).  
         [0102]     When the cap  204  moves from the above-mentioned second position to the first position, the tapered portions  312  of the legs  204   c  come into contact with the leg receiving holes  311 . Accordingly, the legs  204   c  can engage with the leg receiving holes  311  while being guided by the tapered portions  312 . When the distal ends of the legs  204   c  abut against the bottom of the leg receiving holes  311 , the movement of the cap  204  to the first position is completed. Incidentally, at the first position, the cap  204  is constructed so that it is positioned with high precision in not only the heightwise direction but also the primary scanning direction and the sub scanning direction.  
         [0103]     In this embodiment, the tapered portion  312  is provided on the leg  204   c . However, the tapered projection  312  may be provided on the leg receiving hole  311 . In addition, the tapered portions  312  may be provided on both of the leg  204   c  and the leg receiving hole  311 .  
         [0104]     Next, the movable length of the head capping device  230  will be described.  FIG. 13A  shows a state that the capping unit  202  is placed in the first position.  FIG. 13B  shows a state that the capping unit  202  is placed in the second position.  FIG. 13C  shows an upper limit of the movement of the head capping unit  202  in a case where the recording head  106  is not placed above the capping unit  202 . As shown in  FIG. 13C , since the safety margin “d” is secured in the movable length, the clearance is not generated between the cap  204  and the recording head  106  in the state shown in  FIG. 13B . Accordingly, at the time of the suction operation, it is possible to surely depressurize the inside of the cap.  
         [0105]     As shown in  FIG. 14 , on the cap  204 , the abutment face  203  is provided which comes into contact with the nozzle formation face  106   b  of the recording head  106  and which is formed of an elastic material. The posts  204   b  are provided in the cap  204 , and the retainer  216  are secured to the top ends of the posts  204   b  to retain the ink absorbing member  209 . A vent port  227  is provided such that a top end thereof is made flush with the top face of the ink absorbing member  209 , so that air can be sent to the inside of the cap  204  through the vent valve  219 . On the bottom face of the cap  204 , the suction port  228  is provided. When the suction pump  281  is driven, the suction port  228  can send the ink held by the ink absorbing member  209  provided in the cap  204  to the suction pump  281 . On the bottom face of the cap  204 , a pair of separation claws  204   a  are provided on a diagonal line of the cap  204 . When the separation claw  204   a  moves in a vertical direction between the first position and the second position, it engages with the slider  205  so that the separation claw  204   a  and the slider  205  can regulate the relative position to each other.  
         [0106]     On the side face of the slider  205 , the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208  are provided so as to extend in the primary scanning direction. As shown in  FIGS. 8, 10 , and  12 , each of the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208  is tapered in the same direction, engages with the lever  210  as described above, and turns the urging force of the spring  211  and the lever  210  in the vertical direction into the force for urging the slider  205  from the home position side to the away position side in the primary scanning direction.  
         [0107]     On the side face of the slider  205 , a pair of slider ribs  207  are provided so as to extend in the sheet transporting direction (secondary scanning direction). In this case, the slider ribs  207  are provided so that they come into contact with the slider guide  215   a  that is provided in the base  215  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 . That is, since the slider rib  207  comes into contact with the slider guide  215   a  or is regulated by the slider guide  215   a  by the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side, the slider  205  at the first position is positioned with high precision in the primary scanning direction.  
         [0108]     The slider  205  is provided with the first claws  214   c , which can come into contact with the upstream side face and the downstream side face of the recording head  106  relative to the sheet transporting direction, and the second claw  214   d , which can come into contact with the side face of the home position side of the recording head  106  facing the primary scanning direction.  
         [0109]     Although the pair of separation claws  204   a  are provided on the diagonal line of the cap  204  as described the above, only one separation claw  204   a  is shown in  FIGS. 15A  to  17 .  
         [0110]     As shown in  FIG. 15A , at the first position, the separation claw  204   a  takes no action.  
         [0111]     Next, as shown in  FIG. 15B , as the lever  210  pivots slightly in the counterclockwise direction in this figure, the slider  205  moves slightly to the recording head side. Incidentally, the cap  204  maintains the first position without movement.  
         [0112]     Further, as shown in  FIG. 16A , as the lever  210  pivots in the counterclockwise direction in this figure, the slider  205  further moves to the recording head side. Incidentally, first, the first slope faces  214   a  of the pair of first claws  214   c  come into contact with the lower parts of the upstream side face and the downstream side face of the recording head  106  relative to the sheet transporting direction. Then, the lower part of the recording head  106 , which comes into contact with the first slope face  214   a , is guided to the first abutment face  214   b  while going down the first slope face  214   a . That is, the slider  205  is guided by the first claw  214   c  in the sheet transporting direction with relatively high precision with respect to the recording head  106 , and is then positioned. Next, the bottom wall of the slider  205  comes into contact with the bottom face of the cap  204 . Accordingly, the leg  204   c  of the cap  204  is spaced apart from the base  215 , and the slider  205  is moved to the recording head side together with the cap  204 .  
         [0113]     As shown in  FIG. 16B , as the lever  210  further pivots in the counterclockwise direction in this figure, the cap  204  comes into contact with the recording head  106  so as to seal the nozzle orifice array  106   a . As described above, while the capping unit  202  moves from the first position to the second position, the separation claw  204   a  takes no action.  
         [0114]     However, as shown in  FIG. 17 , when the capping unit  202  moves from the second position to the first position, due to the ink or pushing force, the cap  204  may adhere to the recording head  106 . In this case, first, the lever  210  pivots in the clockwise direction in this figure so that the slider  205  is spaced apart from the recording head  106 . That is, the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d  are spaced apart from the recording head  106 . Next, the lever  210  further pivots in the clockwise direction in this figure, and the separation claw  204   a  of the cap  204  abuts against the bottom face of the slider  205 . That is, if the lever  210  further rotates, the relative position is regulated by the separation claw  204   a , and the slider  205  and the cap  204  are moved together to the first position. Accordingly, the cap  204  can be separated from the recording head  106 .  
         [0115]     Further, since the pair of the separation claws  204   a  are provided on the diagonal line of the cap  204 , the cap  204  can be surely separated from the recording head  106 . That is, it is avoided a case where the separation is not completely made while only a part of the cap  204  still adheres to the recording head  106 .  
         [0116]     In this embodiment, in the recording apparatus  100  which ejects the ink from the nozzle orifice that serves as the nozzle orifice provided in the recording head  106  and performs the recording on the paper serving as the recording medium, the head capping device  230  according to this embodiment has the capping unit  202  that can move to the first position, which is spaced apart from the recording head  106 , and the second position, which seals the nozzle orifice array  106   a  that comes into the recording head  106  and is made of the nozzle orifices, by the spring  211 , the cam  213 , and the lever  210 . The capping unit  202  includes a slider  205  in which the claw  214  that can come into contact with the recording head  106  is formed, and the capping unit  204  that is accommodated in the slider and moves relatively with respect to the slider  205  so as to seal the nozzle orifice array  106   a . Further, in the slider  205  or the cap  204 , the separation claw  204   a , which regulates the relative position to each other, is provided.  
         [0117]     As a result, when moving from the second position to the first position, even though the cap  204  adheres to the recording head  106 , since the position of the slider  205  moves, the separation claw  204   a  can serve to move the position of the capping unit  204 . Accordingly, even though the capping unit  204  adheres to the recording head  106 , the slider  205  can move so as to engage with the separation claw  204   a  so that the cap  204  can be separated from the recording head  106 .  
         [0118]     In addition, since the cap  204  can relatively move with respect to the slider  205 , the cap  204  at the first position can be provided at the position near the recording head  106 . That is, at the time of the flushing operation, the cap  204  is already disposed at the position near the nozzle orifice to the extent that it can prevent that the ink ejected from the nozzle orifice becomes floating mist. Therefore, the additional movement for preventing the mist does not need to be made.  
         [0119]     Further, the slider  205  at the first position is positioned so that the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d  of the claw  214  are always spaced apart from the recording head  106 . Accordingly, when the recording head  106  moves the position opposing the capping unit  204 , the recording head  106  does not abut against the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d . For this reason, the driving speed of the carriage motor  102  does not need to be reduced from the high speed to the low speed near the position opposing the cap  204 .  
         [0120]     As a result, the time taken for the flushing operation performed at the time of recording can be shortened. In addition, even when the suction operation is performed after the recording operation, since the driving speed of the carriage motor does not need to be reduced, the time taken for the suction operation can be reduced. In addition, since the recording head  106  does not come into contact with the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d , when the recording head  106  moves to the position opposing the cap  204 , the load applied on the carriage motor  102  is not increased. Accordingly, it is possible to downsize the carriage motor  102 .  
         [0121]     When moving from the first position to the second position, the contact frictional resistance between the claw  214  and the recording head  106  is generated, which results in the load for the cam  213 , the lever  210 , the sheet transporting motor or the sheet feeding motor  104 . In addition, when the cap  204  adheres to the recording head  106 , the force by which the cap  204  is separated from the recording head  106  through the separation claw  204   a  becomes the load for the cam  213 , the lever  210 , the sheet transporting motor or the sheet feeding motor  104 . Further, the cap  204  is generally urged to the direction of the recording head  106  by the elastic force of the spring  211 . Accordingly, in the cam  213 , the lever  210 , the sheet transporting motor or the sheet feeding motor  104 , the load corresponding to the accumulated force of the contact frictional resistance, the separation force, and the spring force may be generated.  
         [0122]     Accordingly, when the separation claw  204   a  of this embodiment moves from the second position to the first position, only the slider  205  starts to move, and when the cap  204  stops at the second position, that is, when the cap  204  adheres to the recording head  106 , it is constructed so that it engages with the slider  205  after the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d  of the claw  214  of the slider  205  are spaced apart from the recording head  106 .  
         [0123]     As a result, at least the frictional resistance and the separation force do not simultaneously become the load for the cam  213 , the lever  210 , the sheet transporting motor or the sheet feeding motor  104 . That is, it is possible to differentiate the timing of the load that is applied to the cam  213 , the lever  210 , the sheet transporting motor or the sheet feeding motor  104 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the sheet transporting motor or the sheet feeding motor  104 .  
         [0124]     Here, in the head capping device  230  in which the cap  204  and the slider  205  freely move, as a method of preventing the mist from occurring at the time of the flushing operation, a method of positioning the cap  204  at the first position so as to be adjacent to the recording head  106  is considered. In this case, when moving from the first position to the second position, first, if the cap  204  moves or the cap  204  and the slider  205  move at the same time, the cap  204  may come into contact with or seal the recording head  106 .  
         [0125]     Accordingly, in the recording apparatus  100  which ejects the ink from the nozzle orifice that serves as the nozzle orifice provided in the recording head  106  and performs the recording on the paper, the head capping device  230  according this embodiment has a capping unit  202  that can move to the first position, which is spaced apart from the recording head  106 , and the second position, which seals the nozzle orifice array  106   a  that comes into the recording head  106  and is made of the nozzle orifices, by the spring  211 , the cam  213 , and the lever  210 . The capping unit  202  includes a slider  205  in which the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d  of the claw  214  that can come into contact with the recording head  106  are formed, and the capping unit  204  that moves relatively with respect to the slider  205  and seals the nozzle orifice array  106   a . When moving from the first position to the second position, first, the slider  205  starts to move, and then the cap  204  moves. In this case, the cap  204  is provided in the slider  205  so that it can move in a vertical direction with respect to the nozzle formation face  106   a.    
         [0126]     As a result, before the cap  204  comes into contact with or seals the recording head  106 , the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d  of the claw  214  of the slider  205  come into contact with the recording head  106  so as to guide the cap  204  to the predetermined position with high precision.  
         [0127]     For example, when the moving from the first position to the second position, in a case where the slope faces  214   a  and  214   e  are provided at the distal end of the claw  214  and the slider  205  moves in advance, the claw  214  can make the slope faces  214   a  and  214   e  come into contact with the part of the recording head side so that the sliders  205  and the cap  204  can move in the direction parallel to the nozzle formation face  106   b  of the recording head  106 . That is, the claw  214  moves the cap  204  to the position opposing the sealed nozzle orifice array  106   a  in the direction parallel to the nozzle formation face  106   b , and the cap  204  can move to the direction for sealing the nozzle orifice array  106   a  (direction vertical to the nozzle formation face  106   b ).  
         [0128]     Further, in this embodiment, the cap  204  starts to move after the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d  of the claw  214  of the slider  205  come into contact with the recording head  106 .  
         [0129]     As a result, after accurately positioning the cap  204  with the respect to the recording head  106  with high precision by the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   d , the cap  204  moves. As a result, the moving distance of the cap  204  from the first position to the second position, that is, the movable length of the cap  204  can be set to be short. Therefore, in order to prevent the mist from occurring at the time of the flushing operation, the cap  204  can be provided so that the cap at the first position is further adjacent to the recording head  106 .  
         [0130]     For example, when the moving from the first position to the second position, in a case where after the slope faces  214   a  and  214   e  are provided at the distal end of the claw  214  and the slider  205  moves in advance to come into contact with the recording head  106 , the cap  204  moves, the claw  214  can make the cap  204  to the position opposing the nozzle orifice array  106   a  in the direction parallel to the nozzle formation face  106   b , and the cap  204  can move to the direction for sealing the nozzle orifice array  106   a  (direction vertical to the nozzle formation face  106   b ). That is, it is possible to shorten the moving distance in the sealing direction.  
         [0131]     In the recording apparatus  100  which ejects the ink from the nozzle orifice that serves as the nozzle orifice provided in the recording head  406  and performs the recording on the paper, the head capping device  230  according to this embodiment has a capping unit  202  that can move to the first position, which is spaced apart from the recording head  106 , and the second position, which seals the nozzle orifice array  106   a  that comes into contact with the recording head  106  and is made of the nozzle orifices, by the spring  211 , the cam  213 , and the lever  210 . The capping unit  202  includes a slider  205  in which the first claw  214   c  and the second claw  214   e  of the claw  214  that can come into contact with the recording head  106  are formed, and the capping unit  204  that is accommodated in the slider  205  and seals the nozzle orifice array  106   a . In the movement between the first position and the second position, the movable length of the cap  204  is smaller than the movable length of the slider  205 , and at the first position, the cap  204  is constructed so that it comes into contact with the base  215  of the head capping device  230  so as to regulate the movement from the second position toward the first position.  
         [0132]     In addition, in the head capping device  230  according to this embodiment, when the capping unit  202  moves from the second position to the first position, first, the cap  204  and the slider  205  move together. Next, only the cap  204  is stopped, and then the slider  205  is stopped. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the legs  204   c  come into contact with the base  215 , and only the cap  204  is stopped. However, the portions of the cap  204  may not come into contact with the base  215 , and the cap  204  may be stopped. For example, the cap  204  may be supported by an urging member, such as a spring, which is provided in the slider.  
         [0133]     In the recording apparatus  100  which ejects the ink from the nozzle orifice that serves as the nozzle orifice provided in the recording head  106  and performs the recording on the paper, the capping device  230  according this embodiment has the capping unit  202  that can move to the first position, which is spaced apart from the recording head  106 , and the second position, which seals the nozzle orifice array  106   a  that comes into the recording head  106  and is made of the nozzle orifices, by the spring  211 , the cam  213 , and the lever  210 . The capping unit  202  includes the second claw  214   d  that can come into contact with one side face of the recording head  106 , the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208  that receive the force from the lever  210 . The force which the slider  205  receives from the lever  210  when moving between the first position and the second position is applied to the recording head  106  through the second claw  214   d , and the second claw  214   d  is constructed so as to guide the capping unit  202 .  
         [0134]     As a result, when the suction operation is performed, since the second claw  214   d  comes into contact with the recording head  106  without the clearance so as to guide the capping unit  202  to the second position, the relative positional relationship between the capping unit  202  and the recording head  106  at the second position can be determined with high precision in the direction where the force which the slider  205  receives from the lever  210  is applied (the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side in the primary scanning direction).  
         [0135]     For example, when the moving from the first position to the second position, in a case where the direction that the force applied from the actuator  210  is directed from the home position side to the away position side of the primary scanning direction, the claw  214   d  located in the home position side can move closely and come into contact with the one side face of the recording head  106  located in the away position side to as to guide the capping unit  202  to the second position. On the other hand, in a case where the one side face of the recording head  106  is located in the home position side and the abutment face  214   f  of the claw  214   d  is located in the away position side, the slope face  214   e  is provided at the front end of the claw  214   d , the slope face  214   e  comes into contact with a portion of the recording head side, and the capping unit  202  can be guided to the second position. That is, the slope face  214   e  comes into contact with the portion of the recording head side, and can move the capping unit  202  and the claw  214   d  to the home position side while being against the force from the actuator  210 . Accordingly, the abutment face  214   f  of the claw  214   d  can move to the home position side more than the one side face of the recording head  106 . As a result, similar to the above-mentioned description, the claw  214   d  of the home position side can move closely and come into contact with the one side face of the recording head  106  located in the away position side to as to guide the capping unit  202  to the second position.  
         [0136]     In addition, since the second claw  214   d  can come into contact with the one side face of the recording head  106  to as to guide the capping unit  202  to the second position, in the direction where the force which the slider  205  receives from the lever  210  is applied (the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side), the second claw  214   d  may be provided on only one side, and an additional claw does not need to be provided at the position opposing the second claw  214   d.    
         [0137]     In addition, in the capping device  230  according to this embodiment, the slider rib  207  is provided in the capping unit side, and the slider rib  207  is constructed such that it comes into contact with the slider guide  215   a  at the first position. In this case, the slider guide  215   a  that is provided in the base  215  by the force which the slider  205  receives from the lever  210  (the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side).  
         [0138]     As a result, in a direction where the force which the slider  205  receives from the lever  210  (the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side) is applied, the capping unit  202  at the first position can positioned with high precision with respect to the base  215 . For example, at the time of the flushing operation, the recording head  106  moves to the position opposing the capping unit  202  so as to eject ink. At this time, since the capping unit  202  is disposed at the first position with high precision, the ink ejected from the recording head  106  can be surely received by the capping unit  202  without being floating mist.  
         [0139]     Further, the capping device  230  according to this embodiment includes a motive power releaser  231  allows the lever  210  not to apply the power with respect to the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208  when the capping unit  202  is placed in the second position.  
         [0140]     That is, in a state in which the capping unit  202  comes into contact with the recording head  106  and seals the nozzle orifice array  106   a , the extra force (the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side) is not applied to the capping unit  202 , it is possible to surely seal the nozzle orifice array  106   a . Accordingly, the inside of the capping unit  202  can be decompressed so as to perform excellent suction operation.  
         [0141]     In this embodiment, the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208  converts the spring force of the spring  211 , which is the force for urging the capping unit  202  from the first position to the second position, into the force which the slider  205  receives from the lever  210  (the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side).  
         [0142]     As a result, the direction of the elastic force of the spring  211  is converted into another direction by the tapered portions (the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208 ) so as to become the force which the slider  205  receives the lever  210  (the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side).  
         [0143]     The carriage  107 , which has the recording head  106 , is reciprocally driven in the primary scanning direction by the carriage motor  102  while being guided to the carriage guide shaft that extends in the primary scanning direction as described above. Accordingly, when the carriage  107  moves to the position opposing the capping unit  202  so as to stop, in the variation in the stop position of the carriage  107 , it is apparent that the variation in the primary scanning direction is larger than the variation in the secondary scanning direction (sheet transporting direction).  
         [0144]     Accordingly, in this embodiment, the direction where the force that the slider  205  receives from the lever  210  (the force for urging the slider  205  to the away position side) is applied becomes the primary scanning direction.  
         [0145]     As a result, in the primary scanning direction, the relative positional relationship between the capping unit  202  and the recording head  106  at the second position can be determined with high precision. That is, when the capping unit  202  moves to the second position, even though the variation in the stop position of the recording head  106  in the primary scanning direction is large, the capping unit  202  can be positioned relatively with respect to the recording head  106  which should follow the variation in the primary scanning direction.  
         [0146]     The second claw  214   d  according to this embodiment has the second slope face  214   e  and the second abutment face  214   f  continued from the second slope face  214   e , which are provided at the distal end thereof.  
         [0147]     As a result, when the capping unit  202  moves between the first position and the second position, the second slope face  214   e  comes into contact with the recording head  106  so as to guide the capping unit  202 . For example, when moving from the first position to the second position, in a case where one side face of the recording head  106  is located in the home position side and the abutment face of the claw  214   d  is located in the away position side, the slope face  214   e  comes into contact with the portion of the recording head side, and thus it can guide the capping unit  202  to the second position while being against the force from the actuator  210 . At this time, if the slope face  214   e  is elongated in a direction where the force is applied from the actuator  210 , it can follow the variation in the position of the recording head  106  within the elongated range.  
         [0148]     In addition, since the second claw  214   d  has the second abutment face  214   f  continued from the second slope face  214   e , when the capping unit  202  moves between the first position and the second position, it can reduce the area contacting the recording head  106 . That is, it is possible to reduce the frictional resistance when by the second abutment face  214   f , the capping unit  202  is guided to move.  
         [0149]     In this embodiment the tapered faces are provided as the first tapered projection  206  and the second tapered projection  208 . However, the tapered faces (slope faces) may be provided on the openings  210   d  of the lever  210 .  
         [0150]     Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. Components similar to those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals and repetitive explanations for those will be omitted.  
         [0151]     In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS.  18  to  20 , at the first position of the capping unit  202 , the legs  204   c  come into contact with base protrusions  362  that are provided on the base  215 . Accordingly, the position of the cap  204  in the heightwise direction can be determined with high precision at the first position. That is, at the time of the flushing operation, the distance between the cap  204  and the recording head  106  can be set to the extent that the mist is not generated, but the cap  204  and the recording head  106  do not come into contact with each other.  
         [0152]     A pair of tapered faces  356  is formed on the outer faces of the slider  205  in the secondary scanning direction. On the other hand, a pair of slope faces  360  is formed on the slider guides  215   a . Specifically, the slope faces  360  are provided so that the distance between the tapered faces  356  and the slider guides  215   a  is gradually decreased downward.  
         [0153]     A rib  355  is provided on a proximal end of each of the legs  204   c , and a rib receiving member  358  is provided near each of the leg receiving holes  311 .  
         [0154]     As the slider  205  moves upward from the first position of the capping unit  202  shown in  FIG. 18  to the position shown in  FIG. 19  and to the second position shown in  FIG. 20 , the clearance is generated between the tapered faces  356  and the slope faces  360 . Accordingly, as the slider  205  and the cap  204  move upward, they are released from the regulation of the base  215  in the sheet transporting direction. In addition, the slider  205  and the cap  204  are guided to the first claws  214   c  and the second claws  214   d  and positioned with relatively high precision with respect to the recording head  106 .  
         [0155]     Here, as the slider  205  is pushed down from the second position of the capping unit  202  shown in  FIG. 20  to the position shown in  FIG. 19  and to the first position shown in  FIG. 18 , the tapered faces  356  come into contact with the slope faces  360 . Accordingly, at the first position, the slider  205  can be positioned with high precision with respect to the base  215  in the sheet transporting direction.  
         [0156]     In addition, when moving from the first position to the second position, the ribs  355  is engaged with the rib receiving member  358  (cf.,  FIG. 21 ). Accordingly, the cap  204  can rock with respect to the slider  205  in the primary scanning direction owing to the curved face of the rib receiving member  358 . As a result, when moving from the first position to the second position, even though the slider  205  is urged to the away position side of the primary scanning direction, the frictional resistance is generated between the second claw  214   d  and the recording head  106 , and the slider  205  is inclined with respect to the recording head  106  in the primary scanning direction, thereby maintaining its posture positively, and surely coming into contact with recording head  106 . As a result, the cap  204  can surely seal the nozzle orifice array  106   a.    
         [0157]     Moreover, at the second position, the position of the cap  204  with respect to the slider  205  in the primary scanning direction can be determined with high precision. Incidentally, as described above, the relative positional relationship between the slider  205  and the recording head  106  can be determined with high precision by the second claw  214   d . Accordingly, in the primary scanning direction, the relative position of the cap  204  with respect to the recording head  106  can be determined with high precision.  
         [0158]     In this embodiment, the ribs  355  are provided on the cap  204 , and the rib receiving members  358  are provided on the slider  205 . However, the rib receiving member may be provided on the cap  204 , and the ribs may be provided on the slider  205 .  
         [0159]     Next, a third embodiment of the invention will be described. Components similar to those in the second embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals and repetitive explanations for those will be omitted.  
         [0160]     In this embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 21 , a first separation claw  351  and a second separation claw  352  are provided on the diagonal line of the sealing surface of the cap  204 . Here, the “sealing surface” refers to a surface formed by a contacting position when the abutment face  203  comes into contact with the nozzle formation face  106   b.    
         [0161]     In the slider  205 , at the positions where the first separation claw  351  and the second separation claw  352  of the cap  204  come into contact with, a first regulator  353  and a second regulator  354  are provided. The first separation claw  351 , the second separation claw  352 , the first regulator  353 , and the second regulator  354  are provided so that they regulate the relative position between the slider  205  and the cap  204 . The distance H 1  between the first separation claw  351  and the first regulator  353  is smaller than the distance H 2  between the second separation claw  352  and the second regulator  354 .  
         [0162]     As shown in  FIG. 22 , even when the lever  210  pivots from the state shown in  FIG. 21  so that the slider  205  is gradually pushed down, the cap  204  may adhere to the nozzle formation face  106   b  of the recording head  106  due to the urging force of the two springs  211  and the solidification of the ink. In this case, when the slider  205  moves downward, the first claws  214   c  and the second claws  214   d  are spaced apart from the recording head  106 . Then, since the first separation claw  351  and the first regulator  353  first come into contact with each other, the force for pushing down the cap  204  is generated at the home position side of the primary scanning direction and the upstream side of the sheet transporting direction.  
         [0163]     Next, as shown in  FIG. 23 , as the lever  210  further pushes down the slider  205 , since the second separation claw  352  and the second regulator  354  come into contact with each other due to the time difference obtained by the difference between the distance H 1  and the distance H 2 , the force for pushing down the cap  204  is generated at the away position side of the primary scanning direction of the contact position and the downstream side of the sheet transporting direction. That is, the cap  204  that has adhered to the nozzle formation face  106   b  can be gradually separated form the nozzle formation face  106   b  from the position that the first separation claw  351  and the first regulator  353  are provided toward the position that the second separation claw  352  and the second regulator  354  are provided.  
         [0164]     Incidentally, the time difference obtained by the difference between the distance H 1  and the distance H 2  is set, such that the cap  204  having been adhered to the nozzle forming opening surface  106   b  is not separated at one time, but is gradually separated from the edge portion of the cap  204 . As compared with a case where the cap is separated at one time, it is possible to peels off the cap  204  from the nozzle formation face  106   b  by the weak force.  
         [0165]     In addition, since the cap  204  is gradually separated from the edge portion of the cap  204 , it is possible to avoid splashing of the ink when the cap is separated, as compared with the case where the cap is separated at one time.  
         [0166]     In this embodiment, two separation claws  351  and  352  and two regulators  353  and  354  are provided. However, three or more separation claws and regulators may be provided.  
         [0167]     In this embodiment, the home position side of the primary scanning direction becomes the relatively short distance H 1 . That is, the side of the cap  204  opposite to the side where the paper is transported is separated from the nozzle formation face  106   b . Accordingly, even though ink is splashed when the cap  204  is separated from the nozzle formation face  106   b , such splashed ink can be prevented from splashing to the side where the paper is transported. As a result, even though the ink is splashed when the cap is separated, the splashed ink will not contaminate the paper and the sheet transporting path.  
         [0168]     In addition, a ink-ink shielding wall may be provided between the two second claws  214   d  of the slider  205 . In this case, even when the ink splashes to the home position side of the primary scanning direction, it is possible to prevent the splashed ink from contaminate the circumference.  
         [0169]     In this embodiment, the first separation claw  351  and the first regulator  353  are provided on the edge portion of the cap  204  that is spaced apart from the center of the cap  204 . Here, the “edge portion” refers to the outline of the abutment face  203 , including the sides and the corners.  
         [0170]     Further, the second separation claw  352  and the second regulator  354  are provided at the corner portion sides opposite to the corner portions, where the first separation claw  351  and the regulator  353 . Here, the “corner portion” refers to a portion on or near the corner.  
         [0171]     Next, a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described. Components similar to those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals and repetitive explanations for those will be omitted.  
         [0172]     In this embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 34 , there are provided three springs  411  between the base  215  and the slider  205 . These three springs  411  are arranged such that a plurality of springs are arranged when viewed from both of the primary scanning direction X and the secondary scanning direction Y. That is, the three springs  411  are not aligned in either the primary scanning direction X or the secondary scanning direction Y. When the capping unit  202  moves to the second position, the first claws  214   c  and the second claws  214   d  that are provided in the slider  205  comes into contact with the recording head  106 . Since the frictional force is generated, the posture of the slider  205  with respect to the nozzle formation face  106   b  becomes unstable. Even in this case, the posture of the slider  205  with respect to the nozzle formation face  106   b  can be stabilized by the urging force of the springs  411  that are arranged as described the above. Accordingly, the posture of the cap  204  that is disposed in the slider  205  can be parallel to the nozzle formation face  106   b . As a result, the abutment face  203  of the cap  204  can come into contact with the nozzle formation face  106   b  of the recording head  106  without the clearance.  
         [0173]     Although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein. Such changes and modifications as are obvious are deemed to come within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention as defined in the appended claims.