Inkjet recording apparatus including cap attachable to nozzle surface of recording head

An inkjet recording apparatus, comprising:

• a recording head having a nozzle surface in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink are formed;
• a cap that is detachably attached to the nozzle surface of the recording head;
• a suction portion that performs a suction purge process of applying suction to a sealed space between the cap attached to the nozzle surface and the nozzle surface so that the ink in the plurality of nozzles is sucked out;
• and
• a control portion that controls an operation of attaching the cap to the nozzle surface and detaching the cap therefrom,
• wherein
• the cap includes:
• a rectangular bottom surface that is to be opposed at a prescribed distance to the nozzle surface;
• and
• side walls that are provided to stand along four sides of the bottom surface and make contact at distal end parts thereof with the nozzle surface, and
• in detaching the cap from the nozzle surface, the control portion sequentially executes:
• a first release operation in which, in a state where a lower positioned one of the side walls of the cap is in contact with the nozzle surface, others of the side walls of the cap are released from the nozzle surface;
• a wiping operation in which, while the lower positioned one of the side walls of the cap is kept in contact with the nozzle surface, the cap is moved upward by a prescribed amount along a part of the nozzle surface;
• and
• a second release operation in which all the side walls of the cap are released from the nozzle surface.