Head cap; liquid droplet ejection apparatus provided with head cap; method of manufacturing LCD device, organic EL device; electron emission device, PDP device, electrophoretic display device, color filter, and organic EL; method of forming spacer, metallic wiring, lens, resist, and light diffusion body

1. A head cap comprising:

a cap base;

an absorbing material housing part which is formed on a surface of said cap base;

a function liquid absorbing material which is disposed inside said absorbing material housing part;

an absorbing material urging member which urges the function liquid absorbing material;

a sealing member which is formed so as to come into intimate contact with a nozzle surface of a function liquid droplet ejection head; and

a seal fixing member which fixes said sealing member to said cap base;

wherein said sealing member is fixed to said cap base in a state in which said absorbing material urging member is urged.

2. The head cap according to claim 1 , wherein said absorbing material housing part comprises a loop-shaped peripheral portion which defines a recessed groove and which projects beyond said cap base, said recessed groove being filled with the function liquid absorbing material, and wherein a peripheral portion of said absorbing material urging member is seated on said loop-shaped peripheral portion.

3. The head cap according to claim 1 , wherein said absorbing material urging member is formed into a small thickness and comprises: a frame-shaped part which urges the peripheral portion of said function liquid absorbing member; and a lattice-shaped part which urges an intermediate portion thereof.

4. The head cap according to claim 3 , wherein said frame-shaped part and said lattice-shaped part are formed integral with each other.

5. The head cap according to claim 1 , wherein said absorbing material urging member is formed of a stainless steel.

6. The head cap according to claim 1 , wherein said sealing member is integrally formed of: a loop-shaped projecting part which comes into intimate contact with said nozzle surface; a loop-shaped urging part which urges said absorbing material urging member; and a loop-shaped fixing part which is fixed to said cap base, and wherein said loop-shaped urging part is formed on a back surface side of said loop-shaped projecting part.

7. The head cap according to claim 6 , wherein said seal fixing member is formed into a loop shape and is screwed to said cap base in a state in which said loop-shaped fixing part of said sealing member is urged against said cap base.

8. The head cap according to claim 1 , further comprising: a cap holder which slidably supports said cap base in a direction of close adhesion; and a spring which urges said cap base, with said cap holder serving as a receiver, wherein said cap holder has formed therein a restricting projection part which restricts a position of said cap base in a slightly inclined state relative to said cap base against said spring.

9. A liquid droplet ejection apparatus comprising:

a head cap as set forth in claim 1 ;

the function liquid droplet ejection head;

an approaching and departing mechanism for relatively moving said head cap toward, and away from, said function liquid droplet ejection head; and

a suction mechanism for sucking a function liquid from said function liquid droplet ejection head through said head cap which is connected to, and adhered to, said head cap.