Liquid ejection apparatus, mist collecting mechanism and mist collection method

A mist collecting mechanism configured to collect mists that are generated when liquid is ejected from a liquid ejection head that performs printing by ejecting the liquid, the mist collecting mechanism comprising:

• a suction port configured to suck an air containing mists;
• a first blow-out port that blows out an air in order to guide the air containing mists to the suction port;
• and
• a second blow-out port that blows out an air in order to adjust a position, toward which the air blown out from the first blow-out port flows, so that the air blown out from the first blow-out port is appropriately sucked by the suction port.

A liquid ejection apparatus comprising a liquid ejection head having an ejection port array, in which ejection ports configured to eject liquid are arranged in a predetermined direction, the liquid ejection apparatus applying the liquid ejected from the ejection port to a printing medium, the liquid ejection apparatus further comprising:

• a first blow-out port configured to blow out an air toward the printing medium;
• a suction port configured to suck an air containing mists that are generated when the liquid is ejected from the ejection port;
• and
• a second blow-out port configured to blow out an air toward the printing medium, wherein
• the ejection port array, the second blow-out port, the suction port, and the first blow-out port are arranged in this order from an upstream side toward a downstream side with respect to a relative movement direction between the liquid ejection head and the printing medium.

A mist collection method configured to collect mists that are ejected along with a droplet ejected from an ejection port configured to eject liquid, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a liquid ejection apparatus including:
• an ejection port array in which ejection ports configured to eject liquid are arranged in array;
• a first blow-out port configured to blow out an air toward a printing medium;
• a suction port configured to suck an air;
• and a second blow-out port configured to blow out an air toward the printing medium, wherein the ejection port array, the second blow-out port, the suction port, and the first blow-out port are arranged in this order in parallel;
• and
• ejecting liquid from the ejection port, and sucking the mists, which were ejected from the ejection port, from the suction port by sucking an air from the suction port, and by blowing out a specified amount of air from the first blow-out port, and by blowing out an amount of air smaller than the specified amount from the second blow-out port.