Patent ID: 6866362

Claim:
A maintenance apparatus for cleaning an ink jet recording head, said maintenance apparatus comprising: a wipe member formed of an elastic material and holding a plurality of wipe portions; a mechanism for supporting the wipe member such that one of the wipe portions is abutted against a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles communicating with a pressure chamber for holding ink; a mechanism for moving the mechanism for supporting the wipe member along the nozzles; and means for switching the wipe portion abutted against the nozzle plate, wherein the wine member is wound in a roll, wherein the mechanism for supporting the wipe member supports the wipe member such that a tip of the wipe member is adapted to abut against the nozzle plate and supports the tip of the wipe member such that the mechanism for supporting the wipe member is adapted to pay out the tip of the wipe member, and wherein the means for switching the wipe portion switches the wipe portion by cutting the tip of the wipe member paid out from the wipe member supporting mechanism with a wipe member cutting mechanism.