Patent ID: 8303078

Claim:
A liquid ejection apparatus, comprising: a liquid ejection head including: a liquid ejection surface in which a plurality of liquid ejection ports which eject liquid are arranged; a plurality of pressure chambers which contain the liquid and are connected to the liquid ejection ports, respectively; and a plurality of pressure generating devices which apply pressure to the liquid contained in the pressure chambers, respectively; a sub tank, arranged external to the liquid ejection head, which contains the liquid and supplies the liquid to the liquid ejection head; a main tank which contains the liquid and supplies the liquid to the sub tank; a pressure adjustment device which includes a pressure adjustment pump which replenishes or expells gas to adjust pressure inside the sub tank, the pressure adjustment device adjusting back pressure in the liquid ejection head by adjusting the pressure inside the sub tank with the pressure adjustment pump; a head drive device which applies selectively, to the pressure generating devices, a liquid ejection drive waveform which causes the liquid to be ejected from the liquid ejection ports of the liquid ejection head, and a meniscus slight vibration waveform which causes a surface of the liquid of each of the liquid ejection ports to perform slight vibration to an extent whereby the liquid is not ejected from the liquid ejection ports of the liquid ejection head; a cleaning member which slides over the liquid ejection surface of the liquid ejection head; and a control device which controls a first sliding motion in which the cleaning member slides over the liquid ejection surface of the liquid ejection head, and a second sliding motion in which the cleaning member slides over the liquid ejection surface of the liquid ejection head following the first sliding motion to wipe the liquid ejection surface, wherein: the first sliding motion is performed in a state where interior of the liquid ejection head is pressurized by the pressure adjustment device to set the surface of the liquid of each of the liquid ejection ports of the liquid ejection head to a projecting shape, and where the meniscus slight vibration waveform is applied to the pressure generating devices by the head drive device, in such a manner that the liquid ejection surface is wetted by the liquid which seeps out from the liquid ejection ports; and the second sliding motion is performed in a state where the application of the meniscus slight vibration waveform to the pressure generating devices is halted.