Patent ID: 8727483

Claim:
A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: a conveyance mechanism configured to convey a recording medium; a liquid ejection head that has an ejection surface having a plurality of ejection openings and is longer in a first direction than in a second direction, the first direction being defined as a direction parallel to the ejection surface and orthogonal to a conveyance direction when the recording medium passes through a position opposing the liquid ejection head, the second direction being defined as a direction parallel to the ejection surface and orthogonal to the first direction; and a capping unit including: (a) a cap having an annular lip component and a diaphragm, the annular lip component being made of an elastic material and surrounding the liquid ejection head, the diaphragm being made of an elastic material and being formed between the lip component and the liquid ejection head, (b) an opposing member opposing the ejection surface over an ejection space that opposes the ejection surface, and (c) a cap moving mechanism arranged to move the cap between an abutting position where the lip component abuts to the opposing member and a separated position where the lip component is separated from the opposing member, the cap further having a holder which surrounds the liquid ejection head, has a smaller linear expansion coefficient than the lip component, and has higher rigidity than the lip component, a plurality of first hooks being formed along the first direction at one of: (i) elongated portions of the lip component extending in the first direction, and (ii) parts of the holder opposing the elongated portions of the lip component, a plurality of first receiving portions hooked on the first hooks being formed along the first direction at the other of: (i) the elongated portions of the lip component, and (ii) the parts of the holder, the lip component and the holder being connected with each other such that the first hooks hook the first receiving portions in a third direction orthogonal to the ejection surface, and a plurality of first gaps being formed between the first hooks and the first receiving portions in the first direction.