Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a conveying mechanism that is provided in this apparatus body and conveys a sheet, a recording head that moves along a moving path orthogonal to a conveying direction of the sheet, ejects an ink to the sheet to print an image on the sheet, and, after the printing is finished, stands by in a first standby position on one end side of the moving path, and a CPU that moves the recording head that is on standby in the first standby position to an arbitrary position of the moving path.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inkjet recording apparatus includes a plurality of inkjet heads, a common supply pipe, a common collection pipe and an ink tank device. The common supply pipe includes an upper inner wall from one end side in a longitudinal direction to the other end side, which is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction from the one end side to the other end side if an ink flow direction and opposite direction of a gravitational force are defines as positive axes. The common collection pipe is supplied with the ink from the common supply pipe at one end side in the longitudinal direction. The ink tank device supplies the ink to the one end side of the common supply pipe, and collects the ink from the common collection pipe.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprising a color ink container having a capacity V1 accommodating therein a solvent polymerizable in the presence of an acid and a colorant, a reaction liquid container having a capacity V2 (V2<V1) accommodating therein a reaction liquid comprising a solvent, and a photo-acid generating agent capable of generating an acid when irradiated with light, a stirring container mixing the color ink and the reaction liquid at a mixing ratio of S1:S2 (the color ink:the reaction liquid) to prepare a recording ink, a color ink supply means feeding the color ink to the stirring container, a reaction liquid supply means feeding the reaction liquid to the stirring container, an ink jet recording head ejecting the recording ink to a recording medium, and a supply tube feeding the recording ink to the recording head.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a transport mechanism that is provided in the apparatus main body and transports a sheet, a recording head to record an image by discharging ink to the sheet transported by the transport mechanism, a sheet guide that is provided to be opposite to the recording head and guides the sheet, a transport roller provided at an upstream side of the sheet guide in a sheet transport direction, an ejection roller provided at a downstream side thereof, and a transport unit that integrates the medium guide, the transport roller and the ejection roller and is provided to freely come in and out of the apparatus main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveying path that continues to a paper feeding unit and a paper discharge unit, a conveying mechanism that conveys a sheet along the conveying path, plural liquid ejecting heads that eject liquid onto the sheet conveyed on the conveying path, a sensor that is provided in a position between the plural liquid ejecting heads and the paper discharge unit and measures the glossiness of the sheet on which the liquid is ejected, and a control mechanism that compares the glossiness of the sheet immediately after the liquid is ejected and the glossiness measured by the sensor to calculate drying time of the liquid and controls conveying speed of the conveying mechanism to equalize conveying time for the sheet from the plural liquid ejecting heads to the paper discharge unit with the drying time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and a supporting mechanism that supports this image forming unit. A feed tray for placing sheets thereon is provided in a rear part of the image forming unit. The supporting mechanism includes a base member and a turntable. The turntable can move along a guide section to a first position on a rear side and a second position on a front side with respect to the base member. The supporting mechanism includes a rotation stopping mechanism that prevents the turntable from rotating when the turntable is in the first position and a rotating mechanism that rotates the turntable in a horizontal plane in a state in which the turntable has moved to the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a conveying mechanism that is provided in this apparatus body and conveys a sheet, a recording head that ejects an ink to the medium conveyed by this conveying mechanism and records an image on the medium, and a sheet guide that is spaced apart from and opposed to this recording head, guides the sheet, and is provided to be freely inserted into and taken out from the apparatus body.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ink jet recording apparatus includes a first ink jet head, a second ink jet head, a main feeding passage, a first roundabout feeding passage, and a controller. The first ink jet head forms an image on a medium. The second ink jet head forms an image on the medium. The main feeding passage feeds the medium so that the first ink jet head and the second ink jet head form an image on the medium. The first roundabout feeding passage feeds the medium without allowing the medium to face the first ink jet head. The controller controls so as to feed the medium through the first roundabout feeding passage if the first ink jet head is unusable.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprising a color ink container having a capacity V1 accommodating therein a solvent polymerizable in the presence of an acid and a colorant, a reaction liquid container having a capacity V2 (V2<V1) accommodating therein a reaction liquid comprising a solvent, and a photo-acid generating agent capable of generating an acid when irradiated with light, a stirring container mixing the color ink and the reaction liquid at a mixing ratio of S1:S2 (the color ink:the reaction liquid) to prepare a recording ink, a color ink supply means feeding the color ink to the stirring container, a reaction liquid supply means feeding the reaction liquid to the stirring container, an ink jet recording head ejecting the recording ink to a recording medium, and a supply tube feeding the recording ink to the recording head.

Abstract: According to one embodiment an ink jet apparatus includes, an ink jet head, a first tank, a second tank, a third tank, a first flow channel, a second flow channel, and a flow control mechanism. The first tank is disposed upstream of the ink jet head with respect to a flow of ink. The second tank is disposed downstream of the ink jet head with respect to the flow of ink. The third tank is disposed downstream of the ink jet head with respect to the flow of ink. The first flow channel connects the first tank to the ink jet head and connects the ink jet head to the second tank and the third tank. The second flow channel connects the second tank and the third tank with the first tank. The flow control mechanism controls a pressure state of at least one of the second tank and the third tank.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a transport mechanism that is provided in the apparatus main body and transports a sheet, a recording head to record an image by discharging ink to the sheet transported by the transport mechanism, a sheet guide that is provided to be opposite to the recording head and guides the sheet, a transport roller provided at an upstream side of the sheet guide in a sheet transport direction, an ejection roller provided at a downstream side thereof, and a transport unit that integrates the medium guide, the transport roller and the ejection roller and is provided to freely come in and out of the apparatus main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a conveying mechanism that is provided in this apparatus body and conveys a sheet, a recording head that ejects an ink to the medium conveyed by this conveying mechanism and records an image on the medium, and a sheet guide that is spaced apart from and opposed to this recording head, guides the sheet, and is provided to be freely inserted into and taken out from the apparatus body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet guide that guides a sheet carried by a carrier mechanism in a first casing, a second casing that is mounted rotatably via a support shaft on the first casing and that is opened and closed about the support shaft, and a recording head that is provided in this second casing and that ejects ink to the sheet guided by the sheet guide while moving along a moving path orthogonal to a direction of carrying the sheet and thus records an image thereon, and that, after the end of this recording operation, moves to a standby position on one end side of the moving path and waits there.

Abstract: There is provided a photoreceptor cleanerless image forming apparatus capable of decreasing color mixture or an exposure error due to reverse transfer toner or untransferred toner. An image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention comprises four image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d configured to be photoreceptor cleanerless in a 4-drum tandem manner. Each image forming unit includes a photoreceptor 103a, 103b, 103c, or 103d, a charger 105a, 105b, 105c, or 105d, an exposure apparatus 106a, 106b, 106c, or 106d, and a developing apparatus 109a, 109b, 109c, or 109d. When exposure intensities Iy, Ic, Im, and Ik are assumed for exposure sources of the exposure apparatuses in the image forming units which form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black images, respectively, the exposure intensities are configured to satisfy conditions of Ik?Ic?Im?Iy and Ik>Iy. This decreases an exposure error (image hysteresis) in an image formed on paper.

Abstract: An inkjet ink is provided, which includes a pigment dispersion containing an organic dispersant, a black pigment having an average particle diameter of not more than 200 nm, and a resinous dispersing agent, the organic dispersant being formed of at least one polymerizable compound, and the black pigment being included therein at an amount ranging from 2 to 30% by weight based on the organic dispersant, and an ionic compound. A ?-potential of the black pigment to the at least one polymerizable compound of the organic dispersant is confined within the range of ?10 mV to +100 mV.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes plural cartridge loading units respectively corresponding to plural ink cartridges and configured in such a manner that the respective ink cartridges are loaded therein in a reloadable manner, ink inflow ports provided to the respective plural cartridge loading units to introduce the inks accommodated in the ink cartridges to be supplied to the plural heads when connected to ink outflow ports provided to the ink cartridges, a detection unit configured to detect whether the ink cartridges are loaded in the cartridge loading units as predetermined before the ink outflow ports come into contact with the ink inflow ports when the ink cartridges are loaded in the cartridge loading units, and a notifying unit configured to notify a detection result of the detection unit in a form of a display or a sound.

Abstract: There is provided a photoreceptor cleanerless image forming apparatus capable of decreasing color mixture or an exposure error due to reverse transfer toner or untransferred toner. An image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention comprises four image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d configured to be photoreceptor cleanerless in a 4-drum tandem manner. Each image forming unit includes a photoreceptor 103a, 103b, 103c, or 103d, a charger 105a, 105b, 105c, or 105d, an exposure apparatus 106a, 106b, 106c, or 106d, and a developing apparatus 109a, 109b, 109c, or 109d. When exposure intensities Iy, Ic, Im, and Ik are assumed for exposure sources of the exposure apparatuses in the image forming units which form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black images, respectively, the exposure intensities are configured to satisfy conditions of Ik?Ic?Im?Iy and Ik >Iy. This decreases an exposure error (image hysteresis) in an image formed on paper.

Abstract: There is provided a pigment dispersion comprising at least one resin-coated pigment comprising a resin and a pigment, and having an average particle diameter of 250 nm or less, and a dispersion medium containing as a major component a cation polymeric compound having a viscosity of 30 mPa·s or less at a temperature of 25° C. and a boiling point of 150° C. or more at 1 atm. The pigment is incorporated in the pigment dispersion at a ratio ranging from 3 to 41% by weight based on a total weight of the dispersion medium, and the resin is incorporated in the resin-coated pigment at a ratio ranging from 5 to 37% by weight based on the weight of the pigment.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes at least one ink jet head having a plurality of ejection ports arranged herein to eject droplets to a recording medium, a conveyance section including a conveyance surface for conveying the recording medium and to convey the recording medium in a direction different from an arrangement direction of the respective ejection ports, a suction force generation section to generate a suction force to adsorb the recording medium onto the conveyance surface, a thickness detection section to detect a thickness of the recording medium, and a control section to suppress cockling generated in the recording medium according to the thickness of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a carrying unit that carries a recording medium in a carrying direction, and a recording head that ejects ink to the recording medium carried by the carrying unit to perform recording. An application unit is provided on an upstream side of a carrying direction from the recording head in the carrying unit and supplies a treatment liquid to predetermined division application ranges which are divided in a direction perpendicular to the carrying direction of the recording medium depending on a size of the recording medium.