Patent ID: 7909431

Claim:
An image recording apparatus comprising: a plurality of liquid ejection heads respectively having ejection faces which are arranged in such a manner that the ejection faces form two rows extending in one direction and in addition two of the ejection faces included in different rows do not overlap each other along a direction perpendicular to the one direction with respect to an in-plane direction of the ejection faces, the plurality of liquid ejection heads being divided into one or more head groups each including two of the liquid ejection heads corresponding to the different rows; a recording medium conveyance mechanism which conveys a recording medium in the one direction while making the recording medium opposed to the ejection faces; a plurality of wipers which wipe the ejection faces of the liquid ejection heads; and a movement means which moves two of the wipers for wiping two ejection faces of the two liquid ejection heads belonging to each head group, simultaneously in opposite directions along the perpendicular direction while keeping the two wipers in contact with the ejection faces, in such a manner that each of the wipers moves outward from a region where no droplet is ejected to a position which overlaps, along the vertical direction, at least either one of an outside region of a conveyance region where the recording medium is conveyed by the recording medium conveyance mechanism and an outside region of the recording medium conveyance mechanism.