Patent ID: 8596753

Claim:
A nozzle surface cleaning apparatus configured to clean a nozzle surface of a droplet ejection head in which the nozzle surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, the apparatus comprising: a cleaning liquid deposition device which deposits cleaning liquid on the nozzle surface while moving relatively to the nozzle surface in a direction perpendicular to a direction of inclination of the nozzle surface; an excess cleaning liquid removal device which removes excess cleaning liquid adhering to a lower edge portion of the nozzle surface in terms of the direction of inclination, while moving relatively to the nozzle surface in the direction perpendicular to the direction of inclination of the nozzle surface, the excess cleaning liquid being a part of the cleaning liquid deposited by the cleaning liquid deposition device, wherein the excess cleaning liquid removal device includes a squeegee which is pressed against only to the lower edge portion of the nozzle surface to sweep the excess cleaning liquid; and a wiping device which wipes the nozzle surface after the excess cleaning liquid is removed by the excess cleaning liquid removal device, while moving relatively to the nozzle surface in the direction perpendicular to the direction of inclination of the nozzle surface; and wherein the wiping device comprises a wiping web wrapped about a pressing roller and the pressing roller is supported by a pair of supporting sections in a rotatable fashion and swingably within a plane perpendicular to the direction of inclination of the nozzle surface.