Liquid ejection apparatus

A liquid ejection apparatus, comprising:

• a liquid ejection head comprising:
• an inlet opening through which liquid flows into the liquid ejection head;
• an outlet opening through which the liquid flows out of the liquid ejection head;
• an internal passage through which the inlet opening and the outlet opening communicate with each other;
• an ejection surface formed with a plurality of ejection openings through which the liquid ejection head ejects the liquid;
• and a plurality of individual liquid passages extending from the internal passage respectively to the plurality of ejection openings;
• a first tank configured to store the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head;
• a first supply passage through which the first tank and the inlet opening communicate with each other;
• a first discharge passage through which the outlet opening and the first tank communicate with each other;
• a first pump configured to supply the liquid from the first tank to the internal passage via the first supply passage;
• a communication control valve configured to switch a state of the first discharge passage selectively to one of a communicating state in which the first tank and the outlet opening communicate with each other, and an isolating state in which the first tank and the outlet opening are isolated from each other;
• a cap mechanism comprising:
• a facing member which faces the ejection surface, with an ejection space formed between the facing member and the ejection surface;
• and an elastic member which substantially isolates the ejection space from an outside space by enclosing the ejection space and the plurality of ejection openings with the facing member and the ejection surface, the cap mechanism being configured to switch a state of the ejection space selectively to one of:
• a first isolated state in which the ejection space is isolated from the outside space by the elastic member;
• a second isolated state in which the ejection space is isolated from the outside space by the elastic member in a state in which the facing member is spaced apart from the ejection surface by a greater distance than in the first isolated state;
• and an open state in which the ejection space is opened to the outside space by the elastic member;
• and
• a controller configured to control the cap mechanism, the first pump, and the communication control valve to:
• perform an ejection-opening purging operation for, after establishing the first isolated state of the ejection space, discharging the liquid from the plurality of ejection openings by establishing the isolating state of the first discharge passage in a state in which the liquid in the first tank is being supplied to the internal passage by the first pump;
• and after a completion of the ejection-opening purging operation, stop the liquid in the first tank from being supplied to the internal passage,
• the controller being configured to control the cap mechanism in the ejection-opening purging operation to switch the state of the ejection space from the first isolated state to the second isolated state.