Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090109254 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The present invention teaches and claims an image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming portion including one or more inkjet heads for forming an image on a recording medium by discharging ink from an ink discharge surface of the inkjet head; a recording medium transporting portion having a transport surface which is positioned below the ink discharge surface and on which the recording medium is placed for transporting a sheet to a position facing the ink discharge surface; a moving mechanism for moving the transport surface toward and away from the ink discharge surface; an ink discharge surface protecting mechanism including but not limited to a cap member and a driving device for moving the cap member; and a control unit for moving the transport surface away from the ink discharge surface to operate the ink discharge surface protecting mechanism when the recording medium is jammed during transportation of the recording medium. | 04-30-2009 |
20090267980 | IMAGE FORMING METHOD, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND INKJET HEAD - An image forming method for use in an inkjet head includes a pressure chamber filled with ink, a nozzle which communicates with the pressure chamber and in which a meniscus of the ink is formed, a piezoelectric element which pressurizes the pressure chamber, and a drive circuit which performs an operation of ejecting the ink in a printing state and generates a basic pulse for vibrating the meniscus in a non-printing state. The basic pulse is generated by turning off a voltage applied to the piezoelectric element for substantially the same period as a natural vibration period of the ink. An additional pulse is generated at least once before or after the basic pulse when the basic pulse is generated by the drive circuit in the non-printing state. The additional pulse is generated by turning off the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element. | 10-29-2009 |
20100201730 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND HEAD DEVICE - An image forming apparatus may include a head having: nozzles which eject ink for one pixel onto a recording medium; pressurization chambers coupled to the nozzles, and a pressure application portion. The pressure application portion may execute an ejection operation and/or a swinging operation. The ejection operation may include ejecting the ink from the nozzles. The swinging operation may enable swinging of meniscus of the ink in the nozzles and disable ink ejection. In some embodiments, a print control portion may control the ejection operation in the pressure application portion, and a swing control device may control the swing operation. In some embodiments, the swing operation may be directed at specific nozzles based upon image data scheduled to be printed. | 08-12-2010 |
20110205294 | INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS - An inkjet recording apparatus is provided, which includes a plurality of recording heads that record an image on a recording medium by ink ejected from the inkjet nozzles and a plurality of wiper members, each arranged corresponding to each recording head, and performing cleaning of a nozzle face of each recording head by moving relative to each recording head. Timing at which at least one of the wiper members abuts against one recording head is different from another timing at which another wiper member differing from the one wiper member abutting against the one recording head abuts against another recording head. | 08-25-2011 |
20120274687 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The present invention teaches and claims an image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming portion including one or more inkjet heads for forming an image on a recording medium by discharging ink from an ink discharge surface of the inkjet head; a recording medium transporting portion having a transport surface which is positioned below the ink discharge surface and on which the recording medium is placed for transporting a sheet to a position facing the ink discharge surface; a moving mechanism for moving the transport surface toward and away from the ink discharge surface; an ink discharge surface protecting mechanism including but not limited to a cap member and a driving device for moving the cap member; and a control unit for moving the transport surface away from the ink discharge surface to operate the ink discharge surface protecting mechanism when the recording medium is jammed during transportation of the recording medium. | 11-01-2012 |
20120274690 | IMAGE FORMING METHOD, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND INKJET HEAD - An image forming method for use in an inkjet head includes a pressure chamber filled with ink, a nozzle which communicates with the pressure chamber and in which a meniscus of the ink is formed, a piezoelectric element which pressurizes the pressure chamber, and a drive circuit which performs an operation of ejecting the ink in a printing state and generates a basic pulse for vibrating the meniscus in a non-printing state. The basic pulse is generated by turning off a voltage applied to the piezoelectric element for substantially the same period as a natural vibration period of the ink. An additional pulse is generated at least once before or after the basic pulse when the basic pulse is generated by the drive circuit in the non-printing state. The additional pulse is generated by turning off the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element. | 11-01-2012 |
20130027493 | INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS - An inkjet recording apparatus may include a conveyor belt, suction unit, linear recording heads, and head frame shaped like a plate. The conveyor belt has a placement face on which a recording medium is placed and may be configured to cause the placement face to move in a conveyance direction. The suction unit disposed below the placement face applies a suction force exerted by a downward airflow to the recording medium placed on the placement face. The linear recording heads may be disposed upward opposite to the suction unit across the conveyor belt, have a nozzle face where an ink ejection nozzle is formed, and extend in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. Linear recording heads may be arranged in the conveyance direction. The linear recording heads may be attached to the head frame. The head frame may have a ventilation opening penetrating in a thickness direction. | 01-31-2013 |
20130182026 | INKJET RECORDING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR STABLE INK EJECTION - An inkjet recording device includes a recording head, a head driving unit, and a controller. A selector of the head driving unit performs selection for individual nozzles so that when the drive waveform selection data for printing one line at this time sent from a data processing section indicates that the number of times of ink ejection is 0, and drive waveform selection data for printing the next one line indicates that the number of times of ink ejection is 0, drive voltage according to none of one or more drive waveforms for ink ejection or a drive waveform for meniscus oscillation is applied to a piezoelectric element. | 07-18-2013 |
20140184715 | CONVEYOR DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A plurality of suction holes are formed in a conveyance belt of a conveyor device. A suction unit is arranged on one of surfaces of the conveyance belt. The suction unit includes a unit case in which cells adjacent in a paper conveyance direction are formed and defined by a partition wall extending in a width direction of the conveyance belt, a ceiling wall interposed between the unit case and the conveyance belt, and a fan provided in each of the adjacent cells. The ceiling wall includes a slit group which communicates the respective adjacent cells with the plurality of suction holes. The slit group includes a plurality of slits formed across the partition wall. The plurality of slits formed across the partition wall include slits in communication with one of the adjacent cells and slits in communication with the other of the adjacent cells. | 07-03-2014 |
20140184716 | CONVEYOR DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Multiple suction holes are formed in a conveyance belt of a conveyor device. A suction unit is arranged on one of surfaces of the conveyance belt. The suction unit includes a unit case. The unit case includes a plurality of cells arranged side by side in the width direction of the conveyance belt and in a conveyance direction of paper. A fan is provided in each of the plurality of cells. | 07-03-2014 |
20140210155 | CONVEYOR DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A conveyor device includes a support portion in which a through hole is formed and which is configured to support a to-be-conveyed medium;a negative pressure chamber configured to cause negative pressure to act on the to-be-conveyed medium through the through hole to suck the to-be-conveyed medium to the support portion; and a conveyance section configured to convey the to-be-conveyed medium sucked to the support portion. The negative pressure chamber includes a wall in which a communication hole to communicate the negative pressure chamber with the air is formed. The conveyor device further includes a shutter configured to slide on the wall of the negative pressure chamber to open/close the communication hole. | 07-31-2014 |