Printing apparatus and discharge head maintenance method

Abstract

The cover member 51 performs the capping . In this capping, the cover member 51 covers the nozzles 421 from below by causing the ink receiving space 527 open upward to face the nozzle plane 42 from below while being stopped with respect to the discharge heads 44. The cover member 51 includes the liquid retaining member 541 for retaining the cleaning liquid, and the liquid retaining member 541 contacts the non-nozzle plane 43 during the execution of the capping. The ink can be removed from the non-nozzle plane 43 by diffusing the ink adhering to the non-nozzle plane 43 into the cleaning liquid. Since the cover member 51 is stopped with respect to the discharge heads 4 during the execution of the capping, the liquid retaining member 541 continues to continuously contact the non-nozzle plane 43. The ink can be effectively removed from the non-nozzle plane 43.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.