Patent ID: 6916080

Claim:
A cleaning device for cleaning a printhead of an ink-jet printer, comprising: a cap member that covers said printhead by coming into close contact with the printhead, said cap member receiving waste ink discharged from the printhead; a cleaning unit provided with a cleaning blade, said cleaning blade removing ink adhered to the printhead; an ink absorber that absorbs ink adhered to said cleaning blade; a first vent provided to said cap member; a second vent provided adjacent to said ink absorber; a suction device connected to said first and second vents to remove waste ink from said cap member and said ink absorber through said first and seconds vents, respectively, by suction; a first moving mechanism connected to said cap member to move said cap member between first and second positions, said cap member coming into close contact with the printhead to cover the printhead at said first position, said cap member being placed apart form the printhead at said second position; a second moving mechanism connected to said cleaning unit to reciprocate said cleaning blade in parallel with an ink ejecting surface of the printhead; a first power transmission mechanism selectively connected to one of said first and second moving mechanisms; and a first driving device connected to said first power transmission mechanism to provide driving force through said first power transmission mechanism to one of said first and second moving mechanisms.