Ink jet recording apparatus including blade for cleaning nozzle surface

An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:

• a recording head including a nozzle surface including a plurality of nozzles, each having an ink outlet oriented downward, the recording head being supported so as to move in an up-down direction;
• a blade that wipes the nozzle surface, by moving in a predetermined moving direction in contact with the nozzle surface;
• and
• a cleaning liquid dispensing unit that stores therein cleaning liquid supplied from a cleaning liquid supply source, and supplies the cleaning liquid between a travel start position of the blade and the nozzle surface,
• wherein the cleaning liquid dispensing unit includes a receptacle configured to store the cleaning liquid supplied by the cleaning liquid supply source, the receptacle having a top face open upward,
• wherein the ink jet recording apparatus further comprises a wipe unit including the blade, and movable between a wiping position where the blade makes contact with the nozzle surface, and a standby position spaced from the nozzle surface,
• wherein the cleaning liquid dispensing unit is unified with the wipe unit,
• when the wipe unit moves to the wiping position, the cleaning liquid dispensing unit is configured to move to a dispensing position between the travel start position of the blade and the nozzle surface, and
• when the wipe unit moves to the standby position, the cleaning liquid dispensing unit is configured to move to a supply position where the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source to the receptacle.