Recording head cleaning apparatus, image recording apparatus and recording head cleaning method

A recording head cleaning apparatus which cleans a nozzle surface of a recording head that is disposed at an inclination with respect to horizontal, the apparatus comprising:

• an application roller having a substantially conical shape of which a circumferential surface holds cleaning liquid and has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the nozzle surface, a rotational axis of the application roller being an axis pertaining to the substantially conical shape;
• and
• a rotating device which rotates the application roller on the rotational axis to apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface while not making the application roller in contact with the nozzle surface, wherein:
• the rotational axis of the application roller is disposed at an inclination with respect to the horizontal;
• and
• a sum of the inclination of the rotational axis with respect to the horizontal and an inclination of the circumferential surface of the application roller with respect to the rotational axis is substantially equal to the inclination of the nozzle surface with respect to the horizontal.

An image recording apparatus, comprising:

• a recording medium conveyance device which has a cylindrical shape and holds and conveys a recording medium on a circumferential surface of the recording medium conveyance device in a prescribed conveyance direction;
• a recording head having a nozzle surface in which nozzles ejecting liquid to record an image on the recording medium are arranged, the nozzle surface being disposed to face the circumferential surface of the recording medium conveyance device at an inclination with respect to horizontal;
• and
• a recording head cleaning unit which includes:
• an application roller having a substantially conical shape of which a circumferential surface holds cleaning liquid and has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the nozzle surface, a rotational axis of the application roller being an axis pertaining to the substantially conical shape;
• and a rotating device which rotates the application roller on the rotational axis to apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface while not making the application roller in contact with the nozzle surface, wherein
• the rotational axis of the application roller is provided as being not parallel to the nozzle surface of the recording head.

An image recording apparatus, comprising:

• a recording medium conveyance device which has a cylindrical shape and holds and conveys a recording medium on a circumferential surface of the recording medium conveyance device in a prescribed conveyance direction;
• a recording head having a nozzle surface in which nozzles ejecting liquid to record an image on the recording medium are arranged, the nozzle surface being disposed to face the circumferential surface of the recording medium conveyance device at an inclination with respect to horizontal;
• and
• a recording head cleaning unit which includes:
• an application roller having a substantially conical shape of which a circumferential surface holds cleaning liquid and has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the nozzle surface, a rotational axis of the application roller being an axis pertaining to the substantially conical shape;
• and a rotating device which rotates the application roller on the rotational axis to apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface while not making the application roller in contact with the nozzle surface, wherein:
• the rotational axis of the application roller is disposed at an inclination with respect to the horizontal;
• and
• a sum of the inclination of the rotational axis with respect to the horizontal and an inclination of the circumferential surface of the application roller with respect to the rotational axis is substantially equal to the inclination of the nozzle surface with respect to the horizontal.

A method of cleaning a nozzle surface of a recording head that is disposed at an inclination with respect to horizontal, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating an application roller having a substantially conical shape of which a circumferential surface holds cleaning liquid and has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the nozzle surface, on a rotational axis of the application roller being an axis pertaining to the substantially conical shape;
• and
• applying the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface while not making the application roller in contact with the nozzle surface, wherein
• the rotational axis of the application roller is provided as being not parallel to the nozzle surface of the recording head.

A method of cleaning a nozzle surface of a recording head that is disposed at an inclination with respect to horizontal, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating an application roller having a substantially conical shape of which a circumferential surface holds cleaning liquid and has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the nozzle surface, on a rotational axis of the application roller being an axis pertaining to the substantially conical shape;
• and
• applying the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface while not making the application roller in contact with the nozzle surface, wherein:
• the rotational axis of the application roller is disposed at an inclination with respect to the horizontal;
• and
• a sum of the inclination of the rotational axis with respect to the horizontal and an inclination of the circumferential surface of the application roller with respect to the rotational axis is substantially equal to the inclination of the nozzle surface with respect to the horizontal.