Patent ID: 8777370

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a recording head having a nozzle surface on which multiple nozzles to eject droplets are arranged in a line; a suction device; and a cap to cover the nozzle surface of the recording head, including: a suction hole to connect a space formed by the cap and the nozzle surface with the suction device; an air hole to connect the space with air; and an absorbent formed inside the cap, a top surface of the absorbent being retracted from a contact portion of the cap contacting the nozzle surface of the recording head, wherein each of the suction hole and the air hole is not covered by the absorbent, and when the nozzle surface is capped with the cap, a flow passage is secured between the air hole to the suction hole and air flows through the flow passage from the air hole to the suction hole without flowing through the absorbent, wherein a longitudinal direction of the cap extends vertically, the air hole is located on an upper end of the cap and flow through the air hole is vertical, the suction hole of the cap is located on a lower end and flow through the suction hole is vertical, and the absorbent is located between the air hole and the suction hole without covering the air hole and the upper surface of the suction hole, and wherein when the nozzle surface of the recording head is capped with the cap, the absorbent is separated by a space from the nozzle surface, and both of a distance between the air hole and the nozzle surface and a distance between the suction hole and the nozzle surface are greater than a separation distance, occupied by the space, between the absorbent and the nozzle surface.