Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a recording head having a nozzle surface in which nozzles to eject liquid droplets in a horizontal direction or a direction slanted from the horizontal direction are formed, the nozzle surface being disposed in a vertical direction or a direction slanted from the vertical direction; a head tank to supply liquid to the recording head; a suction cap to cap the nozzle surface of the recording head; a suction member connected to the suction cap to suck out liquid from the nozzles by the suction cap; a valve member to open or close a sealed space formed by capping the nozzle surface with the suction cap to atmosphere; a liquid supplier to supply the liquid to the head tank and return the liquid from the head tank; and a control unit to control servicing of the recording head.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head configured to have a nozzle face on which nozzles that discharge liquid droplets are formed; a cap configured to cap the nozzle face of the recording head; a discharge path configured to be connected to the cap; a suction pump configured to be provided in the discharge path and be made of a tube pump; and an atmosphere opening part configured to open an airtight space, created when the nozzle face is capped by the cap, to the atmosphere. The atmosphere opening part is configured to communicate with the inside of the cap at a position higher than a surface of liquid discharged into the cap, and a check valve configured to prevent a flow of the liquid toward the cap from the suction pump is provided in the discharge path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes a substantially flat top face and a slanted front face, the bottom side of which recedes backward. The image forming apparatus may includes a paper discharge tray disposed at a lower portion of the slanted front face, the paper discharge tray protruding forward. The paper discharge tray may be tiltable upward and downward. Because the bottom side of the slanted front face recedes backward, the flat top face can be provided, and simultaneously, enough space for the feeding and discharging of paper can be secured.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet amount detector to detect an amount of sheets accommodated in the sheet feeding tray, an ejected sheet amount detector to detect an amount of sheets ejected onto the sheet ejection tray, and a vibration damper to damp vibration of the image forming apparatus caused by movement of the carriage. A controller is provided to control the vibration damper to damp vibration of the image forming apparatus in accordance with respective amounts of sheets and ejected sheets detected by the sheet amount detector and the ejected sheet amount detector in prescribed acceleration and deceleration regions of the carriage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a carriage including image forming units, the carriage driven reciprocally in a main scanning direction; a conveyance unit to convey a sheet of recording media to a position where the image forming units perform image formation; a first detector provided to the carriage, the first detector including a light emitting part and a light receiving part to periodically detect a surface of the sheet; a calculation unit to calculate a relative amount of movement between the sheet and the image forming units by comparing patterns periodically detected by the first detector; and a control unit to control a timing to perform image formation by the image forming units and an amount of conveyance of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit based on a result calculated by the calculation unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a carriage, and a damping mechanism. The carriage includes an image forming mechanism and moves back and forth in a main scan direction. The damping mechanism generates an impact to suppress vibration caused by movement of the carriage. The damping mechanism suppresses vibration during at least one of acceleration and deceleration of the carriage, and is inactive during movement of the carriage at a constant speed. The damping mechanism suppresses vibration when acceleration of the carriage equals or exceeds a predetermined threshold acceleration. The damping mechanism includes a suppression member and a mass member that strikes the suppression member. The suppression member is at least one of a shock absorber and an elastic member. Shock absorbing characteristics of the shock absorber and elasticity of the elastic member are variable.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a carriage, an image forming unit, a storage unit, a vibration absorber, and a controller. The carriage reciprocally moves in a main scan direction. The image forming unit is mounted on the carriage. The storage unit stores a speed profile of the carriage. The vibration absorber has controllable vibration reduction characteristics to reduce vibration. The controller controls the vibration reduction characteristics of the vibration absorber in accordance with the speed profile.

Abstract: An opening and closing mechanism includes a movable member removably mounted relative to a main body of an apparatus, an opening and closing member having a cover portion, protrusions, and pivot shafts, and shaft position adjusters to change positions of the pivot shafts while the cover portion pivots between a closed position and an open position. The opening and closing member is arranged so that, on an imaginary plane perpendicular to a central axis of each pivot shaft on which each pivot shaft and the movable member are projected, a projected portion of each pivot shaft is positioned to interfere with a projected portion of the movable member when the cover portion is placed at the closed position, and the cover portion is positioned so as not to interfere with a trajectory of movement of the movable member while the cover portion pivots toward the open position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming device to form an ink image on a recording sheet, a discharger to discharge the sheet bearing the ink image in a face-down manner, and a stacker to stack the discharged sheet thereon. The stacker includes a first surface to deform a rear end portion of the sheet, and a second surface which has a surface to press a front end portion of the sheet and is slanting so as to rise in the sheet discharging direction. The first and second surfaces are arranged such that the first surface or an extended surface thereof intersects at an angle with the second surface or an extended surface thereof to form an intersection line and such that when the front edge of the recording sheet reaches the second surface, the rear edge of the recording sheet has not yet been discharged by the discharger.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a recording head; a cap member capping the nozzle surface of the recording head and including a release port and a suction port; a suction unit in communication with the suction port; a switch unit opening and closing the release port to the air and capable of adjusting the opening amount of the release port to at least a first opening amount and a second opening amount larger than the first opening amount; and a control unit that controls the suction unit and the switch unit so that the release port is opened to the first opening amount to have a predetermined amount of air flow into the cap member after the cap member is suctioned by the suction unit, and the release port is then opened to the second opening amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a conveyance belt, a reverse passage, and a charger. The belt is looped around at least two rollers to adhere a recording medium thereto by electrostatic force and convey the medium. The belt defines a normal conveyance area in which the medium is conveyed in a first direction with the medium facing the head. The reverse passage sends the medium back again to a portion of the belt upstream from the head in the first direction. The reverse passage includes an opposite conveyance area of the belt in which the medium is conveyed in a second direction and a bypass passage to guide the medium separated from the opposite conveyance area toward the normal conveyance area. The charger is disposed between the bypass passage and an outer surface of the belt to charge the outer surface of the belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a conveyance belt, a charger, a reverse passage, and an auxiliary conveyance roller. The belt is looped around at least two rollers to adhere a recording medium thereto by electrostatic force and convey the medium. The belt defines a normal conveyance area in which the medium is conveyed in a first direction. The reverse passage delivers the medium turned around in an area downstream from the belt in the first direction and sends the medium back again to a portion of the belt upstream from the head in the first direction. The reverse passage includes an opposite conveyance area of the belt in which the medium is conveyed in a second direction opposite the first direction. The auxiliary conveyance roller is disposed at least one of an entry part and an exit part of the opposite conveyance area.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes a substantially flat top face and a slanted front face, the bottom side of which recedes backward. The image forming apparatus may includes a paper discharge tray disposed at a lower portion of the slanted front face, the paper discharge tray protruding forward. The paper discharge tray may be tiltable upward and downward. Because the bottom side of the slanted front face recedes backward, the flat top face can be provided, and simultaneously, enough space for the feeding and discharging of paper can be secured.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a conveyance unit to intermittently convey a recording medium in a conveyance direction, a carriage movable in a main scanning direction and including a recording head, a conveyance path having a curved portion provided downstream from an imaging range of the recording head, a first discharge member provided downstream from the imaging range to discharge the recording medium, and a second discharge member provided downstream from the first discharge member and having a nip to sandwich the recording medium to discharge the recording medium. A length of the conveyance path extending from a downstream edge of the imaging range to the nip is longer than a maximum length of the recording medium usable in the image forming apparatus to prevent a leading edge of the recording medium from being sandwiched by the second discharge member when the carriage performs last scanning movement.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head configured to have a nozzle face on which nozzles that discharge liquid droplets are formed; a cap configured to cap the nozzle face of the recording head; a discharge path configured to be connected to the cap; a suction pump configured to be provided in the discharge path and be made of a tube pump; and an atmosphere opening part configured to open an airtight space, created when the nozzle face is capped by the cap, to the atmosphere. The atmosphere opening part is configured to communicate with the inside of the cap at a position higher than a surface of liquid discharged into the cap, and a check valve configured to prevent a flow of the liquid toward the cap from the suction pump is provided in the discharge path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a recording head having a nozzle surface in which nozzles to eject liquid droplets in a horizontal direction or a direction slanted from the horizontal direction are formed, the nozzle surface being disposed in a vertical direction or a direction slanted from the vertical direction; a head tank to supply liquid to the recording head; a suction cap to cap the nozzle surface of the recording head; a suction member connected to the suction cap to suck out liquid from the nozzles by the suction cap; a valve member to open or close a sealed space formed by capping the nozzle surface with the suction cap to atmosphere; a liquid supplier to supply the liquid to the head tank and return the liquid from the head tank; and a control unit to control servicing of the recording head.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes a substantially flat top face and a slanted front face, the bottom side of which recedes backward. The image forming apparatus may includes a paper discharge tray disposed at a lower portion of the slanted front face, the paper discharge tray protruding forward. The paper discharge tray may be tiltable upward and downward. Because the bottom side of the slanted front face recedes backward, the flat top face can be provided, and simultaneously, enough space for the feeding and discharging of paper can be secured.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet amount detector to detect an amount of sheets accommodated in the sheet feeding tray, an ejected sheet amount detector to detect an amount of sheets ejected onto the sheet ejection tray, and a vibration damper to damp vibration of the image forming apparatus caused by movement of the carriage. A controller is provided to control the vibration damper to damp vibration of the image forming apparatus in accordance with respective amounts of sheets and ejected sheets detected by the sheet amount detector and the ejected sheet amount detector in prescribed acceleration and deceleration regions of the carriage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head that discharges an electrically substantially neutral droplet of ink onto a recording medium; a transport unit that transports the recording medium such that a recording surface of the recording medium is substantially orthogonal with respect to an ink discharge direction of the recording head; and an electric field generating unit that generates an electric field when the recording head discharges the droplet of ink. The electric field is substantially parallel to the ink discharge direction in terms of intensity.

Abstract: A mechanical transport device includes a system for transport; and a hard disk drive attached to the system. The hard disk drive comprises a magnetic recording disk to record data, a head to read or write the data to or from the disk, and a drop sensor designed to sense a shock condition. The system for transport may be a vehicle such as a car. Additional systems are also presented.