Patent ID: 8182062

Claim:
A maintenance apparatus for a nozzle surface in which a plurality of nozzles ejecting a liquid are formed, in an ejection head having a nozzle row in which the nozzles are aligned in a main scanning direction, the maintenance apparatus comprising: a liquid storage member which is disposed in a position opposing the nozzle surface of the ejection head at a prescribed distance from the nozzle surface, and which has a liquid holding surface which has a length, in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, corresponding to a length in the sub-scanning direction of a nozzle arrangement region in which the plurality of nozzles are provided; a liquid supply device which supplies a liquid to the liquid holding surface; a movement device which moves the liquid storage member through a whole length of the nozzle row in the main scanning direction, while bringing the liquid held on the liquid holding surface into contact with the nozzle surface without bringing the liquid holding surface into contact with the nozzle surface; and a wiping device which wipes the nozzle surface that has been wetted by the liquid supplied to the liquid storage member, while moving subsequently to the liquid storage member, to remove adhering material attached to the nozzle surface.