Recording head and inkjet recording device

Abstract

To provide a recording head and an inkjet recording device which can prevent ink rising to a side face caused by cleaning of an ink discharge surface from falling onto a recording medium.SOLUTION: A recording head 52 includes an ink discharge part 53, and an ink holding part 55. The ink holding part 55 includes a sheet part 551, and a holding part 552. The sheet part 551 has an upper end side fixed to the ink discharge part 53, and a lower end side movable to a side face 53s of the ink discharge part 53 in a contact / separation direction. The holding part 552 is positioned on the side of the ink discharge part 53 of the lower end of the sheet part 551, is arranged so as to be brought into contact with or close contact with the side face 53s of the ink discharge part 53, and holds ink in an adjacent region to the ink discharge part 53.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a print head and an inkjet printing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head that discharges ink onto a recording medium such as paper to record an image. In order to prevent ink discharge defects from the recording head in an inkjet recording apparatus, a technique for cleaning the ink discharge surface of the recording head has been proposed.

[0003] On the other hand, in a recording head, cleaning of the ink ejection surface may cause ink to rise up the side of the recording head. If the ink rises up the side of the recording head and dries and solidifies, and the amount of ink increases, there is a risk that the ink may fall onto the paper passing under the recording head. An example of a recording head that aims to solve this problem is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0004] The recording head of a conventional inkjet recording device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a first water-repellent film formed on the ink ejection surface, the first water-repellent film having a contact angle with water of 90° or more, and a second water-repellent film formed on the side surface, the second water-repellent film having a contact angle with water 10° or more higher than that of the first water-repellent film. This makes it possible to suppress adhesion of ink to the side surface of the recording head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-124111 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the conventional technology has a problem in that, for example, if the water repellency of the side surface of the recording head is impaired, there is a risk that the ink adhesion to the side surface may be insufficiently suppressed, which may cause the ink to fall onto the paper passing under the recording head.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a recording head and inkjet recording device that can prevent ink that has risen up on the sides due to cleaning of the ink ejection surface from falling onto the recording medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the recording head of the present invention comprises an ink ejection section and an ink retention section. The ink ejection section has an ink ejection surface that ejects ink onto a recording medium. The ink retention section is disposed on a side surface of the ink ejection section and retains ink between the ink ejection section and the side surface of the ink ejection section. The ink retention section comprises a sheet section and a retention section. The upper end side of the sheet section is fixed to the ink ejection section and the lower end side is movable in a direction toward and away from the side surface of the ink ejection section. The retention section is located on the ink ejection section side of the lower end section of the sheet section, is disposed in contact with or close to the side surface of the ink ejection section, and retains the ink in an area adjacent to the ink ejection section. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the configuration of the present invention, the ink can be held in the adjacent area of ​​the side of the ink ejection section between the ink ejection section and the holding section, which makes it possible to prevent ink that rises up on the side of the print head due to cleaning of the ink ejection surface from falling onto the print medium. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic sectional front view of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a top view of a recording unit of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic front view of a recording head of a recording unit of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the recording head of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic bottom view of the recording head of FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a schematic side view showing a state in which a wiping operation has started in the recording head of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the wiping operation of the recording head in FIG. 4 is nearing completion. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic front view of a recording head of a recording unit of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional front view of an inkjet recording apparatus 1 of an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a top view of a recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of Fig. 1. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 is, for example, an inkjet recording printer. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, a paper supply unit 3, a paper transport unit 4, a recording unit 5, a drying unit 6, and a control unit 7.

[0013] The paper supply unit 3 stores a plurality of sheets of paper (recording medium) S, and separates and sends out the sheets of paper S one by one during recording. The paper transport unit 4 transports the sheets of paper S sent out from the paper supply unit 3 to the recording unit 5 and drying unit 6, and then discharges the sheets of paper S after recording and drying to the paper discharge unit 21. When double-sided recording is performed, the paper transport unit 4 distributes the sheets of paper S after recording and drying on the first side to the reversing transport unit 44 by the branching unit 43, and then switches the transport direction to reversing the sheets of paper S and transports them again to the recording unit 5 and drying unit 6.

[0014] The paper conveying section 4 includes a first belt conveying section 41 and a second belt conveying section 42. The first belt conveying section 41 has a first conveying belt 411 formed in an endless shape. The second belt conveying section 42 has a second conveying belt 421 formed in an endless shape. The first belt conveying section 41 and the second belt conveying section 42 adsorb and hold the paper S on the outer surface (upper surface) of the upper side of the first conveying belt 411 and the second conveying belt 421, respectively, and convey the paper S. The first belt conveying section 41 is disposed below the recording section 5 and conveys the paper S. The second belt conveying section 42 is disposed downstream of the first belt conveying section 41 in the paper conveying direction, and is disposed in the drying section 6 and conveys the paper S.

[0015] The recording unit 5 faces the paper S, which is adsorbed and held on the upper surface of the first conveyor belt 411 and conveyed, and is disposed above the first conveyor belt 411 with a predetermined interval. As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 5 holds head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y corresponding to four colors, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively. The head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y are arranged side by side along the paper conveying direction Dc so that their longitudinal directions are parallel to the paper width direction Dw, which is perpendicular to the paper conveying direction Dc. Since the four head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y have the same basic configuration, in the following description, the identification symbols "B", "C", "M", and "Y" representing each color may be omitted unless there is a particular need to limit them.

[0016] Each of the head units 51 for each color has a line-type inkjet recording head 52. In each of the head units 51 for each color, a plurality of recording heads 52 (for example, three (52a, 52b, 52c)) are arranged in a staggered pattern along the paper width direction Dw. That is, in this embodiment, the width direction of the recording head 52 (the longitudinal direction of the recording head 52) and the paper width direction Dw coincide with each other. Therefore, the width direction of the recording head 52 may be referred to as the head width direction Dw.

[0017] The recording head 52 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles 531 at its bottom. The plurality of ink ejection nozzles 531 are arranged in a row along the paper width direction Dw, and can eject ink over the entire recording area on the paper S. That is, the recording head 52 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles 531 that eject ink onto the paper S. The recording unit 5 sequentially ejects ink from each of the recording heads 52 of the four color head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y toward the paper S transported by the first transport belt 411, and records a full-color image or a monochrome image on the paper S.

[0018] The drying unit 6 is disposed downstream of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction, and is provided with a second belt transport unit 42. The paper S on which an ink image has been recorded in the recording unit 5 is adsorbed and held by the second transport belt 421 in the drying unit 6, and the ink is dried while being transported.

[0019] The control unit 7 includes a CPU, a memory unit, and other electronic circuits and electronic components (none of which are shown). The CPU controls the operation of each component provided in the inkjet recording device 1 based on control programs and data stored in the memory unit to perform processing related to the functions of the inkjet recording device 1. The paper supply unit 3, paper transport unit 4, recording unit 5, and drying unit 6 each receive commands individually from the control unit 7 and work together to record on the paper S. The memory unit is composed of a combination of a non-volatile storage device such as a program ROM (Read Only Memory) or a data ROM, and a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0020] Next, the configuration of the recording head 52 of the recording unit 5 will be described with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5. Figures 3, 4, and 5 are a schematic front view, a schematic side view, and a schematic bottom view of the recording head 52 of the recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording device 1 of the first embodiment. Note that since the three recording heads 52a, 52b, and 52c of each color have the same shape and configuration, the identification symbols (a, b, c) will be omitted in the following description.

[0021] The recording head 52 includes an ink ejection section 53 , a cleaning liquid supply section 54 , and an ink holding section 55 .

[0022] The ink ejection section 53 has an ink ejection surface F1 on its lower surface. The ink ejection surface F1 faces the surface of the paper S transported on the first transport belt 411. As shown in FIG. 5, the ink ejection surface F1 has a nozzle region R in which a large number of ink ejection nozzles 531 are arranged. That is, the ink ejection surface F1 has a large number of ink ejection nozzles 531 open therethrough and ejects ink onto the paper S. A water-repellent film (not shown) is formed on the ink ejection surface F1. The ink ejection sections 53 of four colors (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) are individually supplied with ink of four colors stored in ink tanks (ink supply sources) outside the head unit 51.

[0023] The ink ejection unit 53 ejects ink from the ink ejection nozzles 531 toward the paper S that is adsorbed and held on the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 411 and conveyed in accordance with image data received from an external computer, based on a control signal from the control unit 7. As a result, a color image in which four colors of ink, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, are superimposed, or a monochrome image is formed on the paper S on the first conveyor belt 411.

[0024] The cleaning liquid supply unit 54 is provided below the ink ejection unit 53, on one end side in the head width direction Dw. The cleaning liquid supply unit 54 has a cleaning liquid supply surface F2 on its lower surface. The cleaning liquid supply surface F2 is parallel to the ink ejection surface F1 and is adjacent to the ink ejection surface F1 along the head width direction Dw. A water-repellent film (not shown) is formed on the cleaning liquid supply surface F2. A large number of cleaning liquid supply ports 541 open in the cleaning liquid supply surface F2. The large number of cleaning liquid supply ports 541 are arranged in a staggered pattern, for example, along the paper transport direction Dc.

[0025] In the maintenance process of the recording head 52, a wiping operation is performed on the ink ejection surface F1. In the wiping operation of this embodiment, the wiper 10 moves in the head width direction Dw, which is the wiping direction, along the ink ejection surface F1. Fig. 6 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the wiping operation has started in the recording head 52 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the wiping operation is nearing completion in the recording head 52 of Fig. 4.

[0026] Ink 53L is ejected from the ink ejection nozzle 531 onto the ink ejection surface F1. The ink 53L includes, for example, ink with high viscosity inside the ink ejection nozzle 531, foreign matter, air bubbles, etc., and is forcibly pushed out from the ink ejection nozzle 531. Due to surface tension, the ink 53L is held below the ink ejection surface F1 in a predetermined length in the head width direction Dw and in a state spread over the entire area of ​​the ink ejection surface F1 in the paper transport direction Dc (the depth direction of the paper in FIGS. 6 and 7, see FIG. 5).

[0027] Cleaning liquid 54L is supplied to the cleaning liquid supply surface F2 from a cleaning liquid supply port 541. The cleaning liquid 54L is held under the cleaning liquid supply surface F2 by surface tension, with a predetermined length in the head width direction Dw, and in a state in which it spreads across the entire area of ​​the cleaning liquid supply surface F2 in the paper transport direction Dc (the depth direction of the paper in FIGS. 6 and 7, see FIG. 5).

[0028] The wiper 10 moves below the cleaning liquid supply unit 54 during maintenance processing of the recording head 52. Then, as shown in Fig. 6, the wiper 10 rises and comes into contact with the cleaning liquid supply unit 54 at a predetermined pressure. Then, as shown in Fig. 7, the wiper 10 moves in the head width direction Dw along the cleaning liquid supply surface F2 and the ink ejection surface F1.

[0029] The wiper 10 wipes the cleaning liquid 54L from the cleaning liquid supply surface F2, and then carries the cleaning liquid 54L to the ink ejection surface F1. This makes it possible to easily remove ink that has adhered to the ink ejection surface F1 of the recording head 52.

[0030] The cleaning liquid is preferably a solution containing similar components to the ink but not containing coloring materials. The cleaning liquid is a liquid composition composed of a solvent component and water, and optionally containing surfactants, preservatives, antifungal agents, etc. The cleaning liquid is excellent in cleaning ink and dissolving solidified ink.

[0031] In addition, in the wiping operation on the ink ejection surface F1, only one of the ejection of the ink 53L onto the ink ejection surface F1 and the supply of the cleaning liquid 54L to the cleaning liquid supplying surface F2 may be performed.

[0032] 3 and 4, the ink retaining portion 55 is disposed on a side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53. The side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 extends in the up-down direction parallel to the head width direction Dw. The ink retaining portion 55 is disposed across substantially the entire horizontal area of ​​the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53. More specifically, substantially the entire horizontal area refers to a range equal to or larger than the horizontal range in which the ink ejection nozzles 531 are present on the ink ejection surface F1. The ink retaining portion 55 includes a sheet portion 551 and a retaining portion 552.

[0033] The sheet portion 551 is formed in a rectangular shape extending over substantially the entire area of ​​the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 in the horizontal and vertical directions. The sheet portion 551 is made of, for example, a polyester film. The upper end side of the sheet portion 551 is fixed to the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 by, for example, double-sided tape. The lower end side of the sheet portion 551 is a free end and is movable toward and away from the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53.

[0034] The retaining portion 552 is fixed to the surface of the lower end of the sheet portion 551 facing the ink ejection portion 53. In other words, the retaining portion 552 is located on the side of the lower end of the sheet portion 551 where the ink ejection portion 53 is present. The ink retaining portion 552 and the sheet portion 551 do not need to be separate members, but if they are separate members, it is easier to realize the ink retaining portion 55 having the characteristics described below. The retaining portion 552 has a shorter length in the up-down direction than the sheet portion 551. The retaining portion 552 has a predetermined thickness in the direction facing the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53, and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending across almost the entire horizontal area of ​​the sheet portion 551.

[0035] The holding portion 552 is made of, for example, silicon, and is fixed to the lower end of the sheet portion 551 by double-sided tape or the like. The holding portion 552 may be made of, for example, a fluororesin such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). The holding portion 552 is disposed in contact with or in close proximity to the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53. This is a state in which no ink or the like is attached to the ink ejection portion 53 and the holding portion 552, as described below. The side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 and the holding portion 552 being in close proximity means that the distance between the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 and the holding portion 552 is 1 mm or less, further 0.5 mm or less, and particularly 0.3 mm or less.

[0036] For example, when wiping the ink ejection surface F1 of the recording head 52, the ink that rises up onto the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 via the wiper 10 permeates into the adjacent area between the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 and the retaining portion 552. As a result, the retaining portion 552 retains the ink in the adjacent area with the ink ejection portion 53. In this way, the ink retaining portion 55 retains the ink that has risen along the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 from the ink ejection surface F1 side.

[0037] According to the above configuration, the ink can be held by utilizing the capillary phenomenon in the region of the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53, between the ink ejection portion 53 and the holding portion 552. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink that rises up on the side surface of the recording head 52 due to cleaning of the ink ejection surface F1 from falling onto the paper S.

[0038] Ink that has infiltrated into the adjacent area between the ink ejection unit 53 and the holding unit 552 is held by capillary action, and has high resistance to falling. That is, even in a situation where an air flow for adsorbing and holding the paper S to the outer surface (upper surface) of the first conveyor belt 411 flows downward below the recording head 52, the ink can continue to be held in the adjacent area between the ink ejection unit 53 and the holding unit 552 against the force of the air flow. Also, by deforming the sheet unit 551, the distance between the side surface 53s of the ink ejection unit 53 and the holding unit 552 changes, so that more ink can be held.

[0039] By providing the ink retaining portion 55 on the side surface 53s along the wiping direction of the ink ejection portion 53, it is possible to effectively retain ink that has risen along the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 due to wiping. The ink retaining portion 55 may be provided on the side surface extending in a direction intersecting the head width direction Dw (paper transport direction Dc in this embodiment) at the upstream end and downstream end in the wiping direction.

[0040] At least the surface of the holding portion 552 facing the ink ejection portion 53 has higher water repellency than the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53. With this configuration, ink is easily repelled, and it is possible to make it difficult for ink to rise above the holding portion 552.

[0041] The retaining portion 552 is biased in a direction of contacting the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 by the elastic force of the sheet portion 551. As a result, the retaining portion 552 is disposed in a position that is in contact with or close to the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53. This configuration can prevent the retaining portion 552 from easily moving too far away from the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53. This can increase the possibility that ink that has risen up to the adjacent area between the ink ejection portion 53 and the retaining portion 552 will be sucked in by capillary action. This effect can be further enhanced when the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 and the retaining portion 552 are in contact with each other.

[0042] It is not necessary for the entire holding portion 552 to be in contact with the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53, but rather it is sufficient for there to be contact at several points in the head width direction Dw. Also, by setting the distance between the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 and the holding portion 552 to 1 mm or less, preferably 0.5 mm or less, and particularly 0.3 mm or less in the entire head width direction Dw, it is possible to reduce the number of places where suction by capillary action is difficult to occur.

[0043] In addition, when ink is sucked in, the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 and the ink holding portion 552 are unlikely to separate too far, and the amount of ink held between them is unlikely to become too large. This makes it possible to enhance the effect of holding the ink so that it does not fall.

[0044] The thickness of the holding portion 552 is 0.5 mm or less. More preferably, the thickness of the holding portion 552 is 0.3 mm or less. By making the thickness of the holding portion 552 thin, the ink that rises up on the side surface of the recording head 52 easily permeates into the adjacent area between the ink ejection portion 53 and the holding portion 552, and is also less likely to drop from the lower end of the holding portion 552.

[0045] The wiper 10 is made of an elastic material, and is deformed by contacting the cleaning liquid supply unit 54 with a predetermined pressure. Since the length of the wiper 10 in the paper transport direction Dc is longer than that of the ink ejection surface F1, the wiper 10 is elastically deformed during the wiping operation, and the area outside the ink ejection surface F1 in the paper transport direction Dc is positioned above the ink ejection surface F1.

[0046] Therefore, the retaining portion 552 is located above the ink ejection surface F1 with a predetermined gap therebetween. For example, the retaining portion 552 is located above the ink ejection surface F1 with a gap of 0.3 to 2.0 mm therebetween. More preferably, the retaining portion 552 is located above the ink ejection surface F1 with a gap of 0.5 to 1.5 mm therebetween. This configuration makes it possible to prevent ink on the wiper 10 during the wiping operation from coming into contact with the retaining portion 552. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink on the wiper 10 during the wiping operation from penetrating into the adjacent area between the ink ejection portion 53 and the retaining portion 552.

[0047] The holding portion 552 is fixed so as to protrude downward from the lower end of the sheet portion 551 (see FIG. 3). That is, the lower end of the holding portion 552 is located lower than the lower end of the sheet portion 551. The lower end of the holding portion 552 is exposed to the outside in the paper transport direction Dc, that is, on the opposite side to the ink ejection portion 53. The surface of the holding portion 552 opposite to the surface facing the ink ejection portion 53 at the lower end side has higher water repellency than the side surface 53S of the ink ejection portion 53. As a result, even if the ink rises up to the outside of the holding portion 552, the ink quickly falls and enters the adjacent area between the ink ejection portion 53 and the holding portion 552. This makes it possible to make it difficult for the ink to fall from the ink ejection portion 53.

[0048] In addition, the water repellency of the outside of the holding portion 552 is lower than that of the ink ejection surface F1. This makes it possible to prevent ink adhering to the outside of the holding portion 552 from dripping down onto the ink ejection surface F1.

[0049] In addition, the adhesive material such as double-sided tape used to fix the holding portion 552 to the sheet portion 551 may have low liquid resistance. For this reason, the lower end of the sheet portion 551 is positioned higher than the lower end of the holding portion 552. This makes it possible to prevent the ink from rising up to the adhesive material such as the double-sided tape. Therefore, the fixing strength of the holding portion 552 to the sheet portion 551 can be appropriately maintained.

[0050] 8 is a schematic front view of the recording head 52 of the recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The recording head 52 of the second embodiment includes an ink holding unit 55. The ink holding unit 55 includes a sheet portion 553 and a holding portion 552.

[0051] The sheet portion 553 is formed in a rectangular shape extending across substantially the entire horizontal and vertical area of ​​the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53. The upper end side of the sheet portion 553 is fixed to the side surface 53s of the ink ejection portion 53 by, for example, double-sided tape.

[0052] The sheet portion 553 has an opening 5531. The opening 5531 is located near the inside of the lower edge of the sheet portion 553 and near the inside of both horizontal edges of the sheet portion 553. The opening 5531 is, for example, rectangular, and opens in the thickness direction of the sheet portion 553. The opening 5531 opens over a region facing the holding portion 552 and a region above the upper end of the holding portion 552. Note that the opening 5531 preferably opens at least above the upper end of the holding portion 552.

[0053] The sheet portion 553 is highly elastic and is easily deformed, particularly near both horizontal ends of the lower end, which is the free end. This makes it easier for ink to rise to the upper side of the ink ejection portion 53. In response to this, by providing the opening 5531 in the sheet portion 553 as in the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the ink from rising to the upper side of the ink ejection portion 53.

[0054] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, since the inkjet recording device 1 is equipped with the recording head 52 having the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent ink that has risen up the side of the recording head 52 due to cleaning of the ink ejection surface F1 from falling onto the paper S in the inkjet recording device 1.

[0055] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] The present invention can be used in a print head and an inkjet printing apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 Inkjet recording device 5 Recording section 10. Wiper 52 Recording head 53 Ink ejection section 53s side 55 Ink holder 531 Ink ejection nozzle 551, 553 Seat section 552 Holding part 5531 Opening F1 Ink ejection surface S Paper (recording medium)

Claims

1. an ink ejection unit having an ink ejection surface for ejecting ink onto a recording medium; an ink retaining portion disposed on a side surface of the ink ejection portion and retaining ink between the ink retaining portion and the side surface of the ink ejection portion; Equipped with The ink holding portion is a sheet portion having an upper end side fixed to the ink ejection portion and a lower end side movable in a direction toward and away from a side surface of the ink ejection portion; a retaining portion that is located on the ink ejection portion side of a lower end portion of the sheet portion, that is disposed in contact with or in close proximity to a side surface of the ink ejection portion, and that retains the ink in an area adjacent to the ink ejection portion; A recording head comprising:

2. 2. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein a surface of said holding portion facing said ink ejection portion has higher water repellency than a side surface of said ink ejection portion.

3. 3. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the lower end of the holding portion opposite to the surface facing the ink ejection portion has higher water repellency than a side surface of the ink ejection portion.

4. 4. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is biased in a direction of contacting a side surface of the ink ejection portion by the elastic force of the sheet portion.

5. 5. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the holding portion is 0.5 mm or less.

6. 6. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is located above the ink ejection surface with a predetermined distance therebetween.

7. 7. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein the sheet portion has an opening located near the inside of both horizontal edges and opening at least above the upper end of the holding portion.

8. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising the recording head according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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