Inkjet recording apparatus that conveys recording medium while applying negative pressure

An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

• a conveyance section having a conveying surface on which a recording medium is to be placed and configured to convey the recording medium while the recording medium is placed on the conveying surface, the conveying surface having a plurality of holes;
• a recording head configured to eject ink onto the recording medium being conveyed by the conveyance section;
• a negative pressure applying section including an airflow chamber that has an upper wall having a plurality of holes and in which negative pressure for sucking the recording medium is created, the negative pressure applying section being configured to suck the recording medium by the negative pressure through the holes in the upper wall and the holes in the conveying surface to cause the recording medium to be sucked onto the conveying surface;
• and
• a gap forming section that is disposed at a location upstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and corresponding to the first region of the upper wall of the airflow chamber to form a narrow gap with the conveying surface of the conveyance section, wherein
• negative pressure applied through a plurality of first holes among the holes in the upper wall is greater than negative pressure applied through a plurality of second holes among the holes in the upper wall,
• the first holes are located in a first region of the upper wall,
• the second holes are located in a second region of the upper wall,
• the first region is located upstream of a head facing region of the upper wall in a conveyance direction of the recording medium,
• the head facing region is located opposite to the recording head with the conveying surface therebetween,
• the second region is located downstream of the first region in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and includes the head facing region, and
• a distance across the narrow gap in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface is set so as to allow air flowing into the narrow gap from surrounding space to have a higher flow velocity in the narrow gap than before flowing into the narrow gap.