Patent ID: 8033638

Claim:
An inkjet recording device comprising: a recording head having a nozzle surface formed with a plurality of nozzle arrays and configured to eject ink droplets from the plurality of nozzle arrays, the plurality of nozzle arrays including a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array adjacent to the first nozzle array; a wiping mechanism having a wiper for wiping the nozzle surface; a carriage on which the recording head is mounted; and a carriage moving mechanism that guides the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of nozzle arrays, wherein the wiping mechanism moves the wiper relative to and in contact with the nozzle surface, in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the plurality of nozzles arrays, the predetermined angle being smaller than an angle formed with respect to the plurality of nozzle arrays by a straight line drawn between a nozzle to be wiped first in the first nozzle array and a nozzle to be wiped last in the second nozzle array, and wherein the wiping mechanism includes a guide mechanism that guides the wiper in a direction parallel with the plurality of nozzle arrays, the guide mechanism and the carriage moving mechanism being controlled such that the wiper moves in the inclined direction relative to the nozzle surface.