Capping mechanism and ink jet recording apparatus using such capping mechanism

摘要

The present invention provides a capping mechanism for protecting a recording head for effecting recording by discharging ink toward a recording medium, comprising a cap movable in directions along which the cap can be contacted with and separated from a discharge port face of the recording head, a cam mechanism for controlling a position of the cap, a shifting mechanism for shifting the cap in said directions, and a biasing mechanism for biasing the cap to be separated from the discharge port face, and wherein the cam mechanism includes first and second cams and the shifting mechanism includes first and second engagement portions so that the first cam is normally engaged with the first engagement portion, and, when the first cam is disengaged from the first engagement portion, the second cam is engaged with the second engagement portion.