Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a carriage movable in a main scanning direction in the image forming apparatus; a recording head mounted on the carriage to eject droplets; a maintenance unit disposed outboard of a recording area in the main scanning direction of the carriage and including a first liquid receptacle to collect droplets not used for image formation; a first space provided between the recording area and the maintenance unit; and a first sloped member provided at a side of the first space close to the maintenance unit. The sloped member has a sloped portion inclined downwardly from an upper side toward a lateral side close to the recording area to guide droplet mist generated by ejection of droplets from the head to a lower part of the first space with movement of the carriage from a position facing the maintenance unit to a position facing the recording area.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a carriage mounts a recording head for discharging droplets, and moves in a main scan direction. A guide member slidably guides the carriage. An encoder scale is arranged along the main scan direction. An encoder sensor reads the encoder scale. The carriage includes a head mounting part for mounting the recording head, and a sensor attaching part for attaching the encoder sensor. The sensor attaching part is provided so as to be extended from the head mounting part. The encoder scale is arranged at a location which the encoder sensor can read. A partition member is provided to separate the head mounting part from the sensor attaching part in the carriage. The head mounting part is arranged in a first space, and the sensor attaching part and the encoder scale are arranged in a second space separated from the first space by the partition member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a carriage, a height adjustment mechanism provided to the carriage to change a height of the carriage and including a cam member and a rotation guide member, a guide member to guide the carriage in a main scanning direction, and a pressing member to drive the cam member. The rotation guide member is pressed against the pressing member to drive the cain member and change the height of the carriage. Upon a change in the height of the carriage from an upper position to a lower position, the carriage moves through at least a part of a range extending from one end to an opposite end of the guide member at a speed slower than a speed of the carriage during image formation to contact the rotation guide member and the pressing member against each other at the slower speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a carriage having a contact portion and an image forming unit that ejects liquid onto a recording medium to form an image on the recording medium, a height adjustment mechanism provided to the carriage to change a height of the carriage, a guide member to support the height adjustment mechanism and to guide the carriage in a main scanning direction, and an impact reduction member provided to the guide member that is contacted by the contact portion of the carriage upon adjustment of the height of the carriage by the height adjustment mechanism to temporarily hold the carriage as the carriage is lowered from an upper position to a lower position by the height adjustment mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a carriage, an image forming unit installed in the carriage to eject liquid onto a recording medium, a guide member to guide the carriage in a main scanning direction corresponding to a width direction of the recording medium, and a position restriction member detachably attachable to the carriage to restrict a position of the carriage relative to the guide member in a vertical direction. The carriage includes a first slide member slidably supported by the guide member, a second slide member that slidably contacts the guide member to prevent rotation of the carriage relative to the guide member, and a third slide member that slidably contacts the guide member to determine a position of the carriage in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. The position of the carriage is not restricted by the guide member in the vertical direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body and a printing assembly. The printing assembly includes a carriage, an encoder scale, an encoder sensor, and a flexible cable. The carriage has a head mounting part and a board mounting part arranged along a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. The head mounting part mounts a recording head. The board mounting part mounts both the sensor and a carriage-side circuit board connected to the cable. A housing of the body has a first cover portion to cover an area opposing the head mounting part and a second cover portion to cover an area opposing the board mounting part. The first cover portion is openably disposed at the body to allow a user to open the first cover portion. The second cover portion is stationarily fixed at the body to prevent a user from opening the second cover portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a carriage reciprocally movable in a main scanning direction in the image forming apparatus; a recording head mounted on the carriage to eject droplets; a carriage circuit board mounted on the carriage and equipped with a circuit; a control circuit board provided in the image forming apparatus and equipped with a control circuit; a board mount provided in the carriage on which the carriage circuit board is horizontally disposed; and a flexible flat cable connecting the control circuit board and the carriage circuit board and movable in the main scanning direction below the board mount. The flexible flat cable is extended below the carriage circuit board, bent back toward the carriage circuit board, and connected to the carriage circuit board from the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a carriage movable in a main scanning direction in the image forming apparatus; a recording head mounted on the carriage to eject droplets; a maintenance unit disposed outboard of a recording area in the main scanning direction of the carriage and including a first liquid receptacle to collect droplets not used for image formation; a first space provided between the recording area and the maintenance unit; and a first sloped member provided at a side of the first space close to the maintenance unit. The sloped member has a sloped portion inclined downwardly from an upper side toward a lateral side close to the recording area to guide droplet mist generated by ejection of droplets from the head to a lower part of the first space with movement of the carriage from a position facing the maintenance unit to a position facing the recording area.