Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main tank that stores ink; an ink head unit that includes a first heating device to heat the ink and that ejects the heated ink; a supply channel that supplies the ink from the main tank to the ink head unit; and a second heating device that heats the supply channel. The second heating device starts heating at a predetermined timing such that a temperature of a specific region in the supply channel becomes equal to or more than a second temperature that is a melting point of a component having a highest melting point.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a cleaning member that comes into contact with a nozzle surface of a head unit that forms an image on a recording medium by an inkjet head, the cleaning member cleaning an ink remaining on the nozzle surface; a winding part that winds the cleaning member so that an unused part of the cleaning member comes in contact with the nozzle surface; and a hardware processor that controls the winding part to change a winding amount of the cleaning member according to an amount of ink to be cleaned by the cleaning member.

Abstract: A valve device includes a flow channel section where fluid flows, a reserving section that reserves fluid from the flow channel section, a valve that switches between opening and blocking of the fluid flow in the flow channel section based on an operation signal, and a hardware processor that determines a deterioration degree of the valve on a basis of an operation of the valve based on the operation signal and of pressure in the reserving section.

Abstract: There is provided an inkjet recording device including an inkjet head provided with a nozzle(s); an ink supplier which supplies ink to the inkjet head; a driver which performs a driving operation to cause pressure variation of ink; and a controller. The inkjet head includes: a common flow path in which supplied ink to the inkjet head flows; a filter provided in the common flow path; an individual flow path(s) respectively feeding ink having passed the filter to each of the nozzles; and a first discharge port from which ink in the common flow path is discharged. In a bubble discharging operation of ink, the controller causes the ink supplier to supply ink with a pressure which allows ink to leak out from the nozzles, while causing the driver to perform a predetermined driving operation, so that ink is discharged from the first discharge port.

Abstract: Provided is an inkjet recording device including: an inkjet head; an ink storage; a flow passage; a negative pressure generator; a heater; a wiper; and a hardware processor, in which in a case in which the ink inside the ink filled region is a solid, the hardware processor performs heating control including control of generating a negative pressure in the ink storage, and control of heating the ink in the ink filled region in a state in which the negative pressure is generated to change the phase of the ink from a solid to a liquid, and in a case in which the negative pressure in the ink storage acts on the ink in the nozzle by the heating control, the hardware processor initiates wiping control of performing the wiping operation and performs the wiping control in combination with the heating control.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet recording apparatus capable of easily and more reliably performing fixation processing on a recording medium moved after image recording. The ink jet recording apparatus is provided with: an image forming unit (12) that ejects ink; a first conveyance unit (11) that conveys a recording medium (P) on which the ejected ink is to land and relatively moves the same with respect to the image forming unit; a fixation unit (24) that fixes the ink that has landed on the recording medium; a second conveyance unit (21) that conveys the recording medium on which the ink to be fixed has landed and relatively moves the same with respect to the fixation unit; and a first end pressing roller (215) and a second end pressing roller (216) which serve as a floating suppression unit that suppresses, from the ink-landed surface side, floating of the recording medium from a recording medium conveyance surface in the second conveyance unit.

Abstract: There is provided an inkjet recording device including an inkjet head provided with a nozzle(s); an ink supplier which supplies ink to the inkjet head; a driver which performs a driving operation to cause pressure variation of ink; and a controller. The inkjet head includes: a common flow path in which supplied ink to the inkjet head flows; a filter provided in the common flow path; an individual flow path(s) respectively feeding ink having passed the filter to each of the nozzles; and a first discharge port from which ink in the common flow path is discharged. In a bubble discharging operation of ink, the controller causes the ink supplier to supply ink with a pressure which allows ink to leak out from the nozzles, while causing the driver to perform a predetermined driving operation, so that ink is discharged from the first discharge port.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a maintenance method of a nozzle surface hardly causing discharge bending even if image formation is performed with a wax-containing ink for a long period of time. The present invention is a maintenance method of a nozzle surface provided with a discharge port of a nozzle of a discharge head capable of discharging an inkjet ink containing a wax which reversibly undergoes a phase transition upon temperature change, a photopolymerizable compound, and a photopolymerization initiator, cured by irradiation with an active ray. This method includes a step of moving an ink absorber at a speed of 10 mm/sec or more and 1000 mm/sec or less while the ink absorber is in contact with a nozzle surface at a contact pressure of 1 mg/mm2 or more and 1000 mg/mm2 or less.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet recording apparatus capable of easily and more reliably performing fixation processing on a recording medium moved after image recording. The ink jet recording apparatus is provided with: an image forming unit (12) that ejects ink; a first conveyance unit (11) that conveys a recording medium (P) on which the ejected ink is to land and relatively moves the same with respect to the image forming unit; a fixation unit (24) that fixes the ink that has landed on the recording medium; a second conveyance unit (21) that conveys the recording medium on which the ink to be fixed has landed and relatively moves the same with respect to the fixation unit; and a first end pressing roller (215) and a second end pressing roller (216) which serve as a floating suppression unit that suppresses, from the ink-landed surface side, floating of the recording medium from a recording medium conveyance surface in the second conveyance unit.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes an ink tank, a print head, an ink flow passage, a degassing device, a circulation flow passage and a circulation pump. The print head discharges ink supplied from the ink tank through the ink flow passage. The degassing device is disposed midway in the ink flow passage and removes air from the ink. The circulation flow passage has two ends respectively connected to two sides of the degassing device. The circulation pump is disposed midway in the circulation flow passage and returns the ink flowing out of the degassing device to a position to flow in the degassing device. The ink flow passage between an outflow port from the circulation flow passage and an inflow port thereto and the circulation flow passage are formed such that the ink is movable at approximately a constant speed.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes an ink tank, a print head, an ink flow passage, a degassing device, a circulation flow passage and a circulation pump. The print head discharges ink supplied from the ink tank through the ink flow passage. The degassing device is disposed midway in the ink flow passage and removes air from the ink. The circulation flow passage has two ends respectively connected to two sides of the degassing device. The circulation pump is disposed midway in the circulation flow passage and returns the ink flowing out of the degassing device to a position to flow in the degassing device. The ink flow passage between an outflow port from the circulation flow passage and an inflow port thereto and the circulation flow passage are formed such that the ink is movable at approximately a constant speed.

Abstract: Inkjet recording apparatus includes recording head 241 having a plurality of nozzles N, first ink storage section 242, supply passage 301 connecting recording head 241 and section 242, electromagnetic valve 310 that opens or closes section 242, second ink storage section 243, pump P1 that supplies the ink in section 243 to section 242, an electromagnetic valve 312 that opens or closes the second storage ink section 243, recovery passage 302 that connects the recording head 241 and the second storage section 243, and electromagnetic valves 307 and 308 which open or close the recovery passage 302. Control unit 40 allows ink inside the recording head 241 to reflow to the second ink storage section 243 by operating the pump P1 in a state in which the electromagnetic valves 310 and 312 are closed and the electromagnetic valve 308 is opened.

Abstract: Inkjet recording apparatus includes recording head 241 having a plurality of nozzles N, first ink storage section 242, supply passage 301 connecting recording head 241 and section 242, electromagnetic valve 310 that opens or closes section 242, second ink storage section 243, pump P1 that supplies the ink in section 243 to section 242, an electromagnetic valve 312 that opens or closes the second storage ink section 243, recovery passage 302 that connects the recording head 241 and the second storage section 243, and electromagnetic valves 307 and 308 which open or close the recovery passage 302. Control unit 40 allows ink inside the recording head 241 to reflow to the second ink storage section 243 by operating the pump P1 in a state in which the electromagnetic valves 310 and 312 are closed and the electromagnetic valve 308 is opened.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a development apparatus that includes: a developer storing part; a developer supply mechanism; and a surplus developer removing section; wherein the developer supply mechanism includes: a toner storing part; a carrier storing part; a developer conveying path and a conveying mechanism, both are arranged between the toner storing part and the developer storing part, and between the carrier storing part and the developer storing part; wherein the developer conveying path includes a toner ejection outlet through which a toner stored in the toner storing part is ejected and a carrier ejection outlet through which a carrier stored in the carrier storing part is ejected, and a supplying developer ejection outlet through which a supplying developer is ejected to the developer storing part; and wherein the conveying mechanism is adapted to convey the toner and the carrier while stirring them.

Abstract: An image forming system, having means for storing usage histories of latent image carriers, developer, or the like and maintenance cycles of image forming apparatuses and having a function for selecting image forming apparatuses outputting an image based on the usage history data or the maintenance cycles, in order to achieve uniform output image qualities. By managing the usage histories so as to achieve approximately the same deteriorated conditions of the latent image carriers of the image forming apparatuses, the image forming apparatuses can be put in the same condition and thus the output image qualities can be approximately the same in the image forming apparatuses. Additionally, the maintenance cycles can be adjusted to be approximately the same in the image forming apparatuses. Otherwise, maintenance periods can be controlled so as not to overlap in the image forming apparatuses.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a development apparatus that includes: a developer storing part; a developer supply mechanism; and a surplus developer removing section; wherein the developer supply mechanism includes: a toner storing part; a carrier storing part; a developer conveying path and a conveying mechanism, both are arranged between the toner storing part and the developer storing part, and between the carrier storing part and the developer storing part; wherein the developer conveying path includes a toner ejection outlet through which a toner stored in the toner storing part is ejected and a carrier ejection outlet through which a carrier stored in the carrier storing part is ejected, and a supplying developer ejection outlet through which a supplying developer is ejected to the developer storing part; and wherein the conveying mechanism is adapted to convey the toner and the carrier while stirring them.

Abstract: In a color image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of developing devices each provided with a developing roller structured with a developing sleeve and a fixed magnetic pole member, an agitating member, a recovering and feeding member, a regulating member and a developing device casing member, at least one of the plurality of developing devices has a different developer storing capacity and a different outer diameter of the recovering and feeding member for the other developing devices and has the same angle allocation values among the plurality of fixed magnetic poles in the fixed magnetic pole member.

Abstract: An image forming system, having means for storing usage histories of latent image carriers, developer, or the like and maintenance cycles of image forming apparatuses and having a function for selecting image forming apparatuses outputting an image based on the usage history data or the maintenance cycles, in order to achieve uniform output image qualities. By managing the usage histories so as to achieve approximately the same deteriorated conditions of the latent image carriers of the image forming apparatuses, the image forming apparatuses can be put in the same condition and thus the output image qualities can be approximately the same in the image forming apparatuses. Additionally, the maintenance cycles can be adjusted to be approximately the same in the image forming apparatuses. Otherwise, maintenance periods can be controlled so as not to overlap in the image forming apparatuses.

Abstract: In a color image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of developing devices each provided with a developing roller structured with a developing sleeve and a fixed magnetic pole member, an agitating member, a recovering and feeding member, a regulating member and a developing device casing member, at least one of the plurality of developing devices has a different developer storing capacity and a different outer diameter of the recovering and feeding member for the other developing devices and has the same angle allocation values among the plurality of fixed magnetic poles in the fixed magnetic pole member.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image forming apparatus which employs a recycling scheme of recovering and reusing transfer residue toner, and a convey control method for recycle toner. In order to prevent a phenomenon such as fogging or character thickening, a toner recycle mechanism shares one driving source with a photosensitive body or fixing unit, and includes an electromagnetic clutch for switching driving force transmission to the recycling means when driving the photosensitive body or fixing unit, and a controller which controls power supply to the electromagnetic clutch. The convey control method for recycle toner includes the steps of starting copying, measuring a printing ratio of an image pattern per image, and suppressing a return amount of the recycle toner when the printing ratio of the image pattern is low.