Inkjet head cleaning apparatus and method

摘要

According to an example embodiment, an inkjet head cleaning apparatus that removes ink residue from an inkjet head after a purging operation in a non-contact manner includes a cleaning blade and a drive unit. The cleaning blade is at a distance from a bottom of the inkjet head. The drive unit is configured to move the cleaning blade in a direction parallel to the inkjet head bottom. The cleaning blade includes a flat upper surface parallel to the inkjet head bottom, and an ink film is produced between the flat upper surface of the cleaning blade and the inkjet head bottom. The cleaning blade also includes an elongated groove longitudinally in the upper surface of the cleaning blade.