Head cleaning mechanism and inkjet recording apparatus including the same

A head cleaning mechanism comprising:

• a recording head having an ink ejection surface in which a plurality of ink ejection ports are opened to eject ink onto the recording medium;
• and
• a wiper for wiping the ink ejection surface in a predetermined direction, wherein
• the recording head includes a plurality of cleaning liquid supply ports disposed on an upstream side of the ink ejection port in a wiping direction in which the wiper wipes the ink ejection surface, so as to supply cleaning liquid, and an inclined surface connected to a supply port formation surface in which the cleaning liquid supply ports are formed, on the upstream side in the wiping direction, the inclined surface being inclined downward toward a downstream side in the wiping direction, a tip of the wiper being in pressure contact with the inclined surface in the wiping operation, and
• the inclined surface has a pressure contact start position at which the wiper starts the pressure contact in the wiping operation, and a water repellent region formed at least from the pressure contact start position to a position on an upstream side of the cleaning liquid supply port in the wiping direction to have a contact angle with water of 90° or more.