Patent ID: 7410237

Claim:
An image recording apparatus comprising: an inkjet head which includes: (i) a nozzle plate where a plurality of nozzles that shoot ink are arranged in a column, and (ii) an ink chamber which retains ink and communicates with said plurality of nozzles, wherein an area of the inkjet head that is positioned adjacent to the nozzle plate has a water-repellency that is different from a water-repellency of the nozzle plate, wherein ink gathers at a boundary between the nozzle plate and the area due to the difference between the water-repellencies; at least one suction section which includes at least one suction opening having a suction area that is larger than any one of the nozzles, and a negative pressure generating section which applies a negative pressure to the suction area of the suction opening, so as to draw ink present in the suction area by suction to a fluid passage, wherein the suction opening communicates with the fluid passage via an inlet hole through which the ink is drawn; a suction section driving mechanism which causes the suction opening to face the nozzles, and which moves the suction section with respect to the nozzles along a nozzle arrangement direction along which the nozzles are arranged in the column; and a positive pressure applying section which applies a positive pressure to the ink chamber, wherein when the suction opening faces the nozzles, the inlet hole faces said boundary on the inkjet head; and wherein while the positive pressure applying section applies the positive pressure to the ink chamber, the suction section driving mechanism moves the suction section in the nozzle arrangement direction, thereby causing the inlet hole to draw in by suction ink present in the vicinity of the nozzles.