Abstract: A droplets drying device includes: a drying mechanism having a plurality of light sources that are arranged in a width direction of a recording medium, and dry droplets ejected onto the recording medium by emitting light toward the droplets; a moving mechanism that moves the drying mechanism in the width direction; a light shield member that is opposed to at least part of the drying mechanism being moved by the moving mechanism, and interrupts light emitted from the light sources disposed in the part, opposed to the light shield member, of the drying mechanism; and a measuring member that is disposed in a light shield region where the light shield member interrupts incoming light, and receives light emitted from each of the light sources and measures a light quantity of the light source as the measuring member is moved relative to the drying mechanism in the width direction.

Abstract: An irradiation device includes: an irradiation unit that is disposed downstream of an ejection unit that ejects droplets, in a movement direction of a medium that is moved relative to the ejection unit so as to form a gap between the irradiation unit and the medium, and that irradiates, with light, droplets that have been ejected from the ejection unit and landed on the medium; and a transparent member that is shaped like a belt, transmits light, and is moved through the gap relative to the irradiation unit.

Abstract: A droplets drying device includes: a drying mechanism having a plurality of light sources that are arranged in a width direction of a recording medium, and dry droplets ejected onto the recording medium by emitting light toward the droplets; a moving mechanism that moves the drying mechanism in the width direction; a light shield member that is opposed to at least part of the drying mechanism being moved by the moving mechanism, and interrupts light emitted from the light sources disposed in the part, opposed to the light shield member, of the drying mechanism; and a measuring member that is disposed in a light shield region where the light shield member interrupts incoming light, and receives light emitted from each of the light sources and measures a light quantity of the light source as the measuring member is moved relative to the drying mechanism in the width direction.

Abstract: An irradiation device includes: an irradiation unit that is disposed downstream of an ejection unit that ejects droplets, in a movement direction of a medium that is moved relative to the ejection unit so as to form a gap between the irradiation unit and the medium, and that irradiates, with light, droplets that have been ejected from the ejection unit and landed on the medium; and a transparent member that is shaped like a belt, transmits light, and is moved through the gap relative to the irradiation unit.

Abstract: There is provided a drying device. A drying unit is configured to dry a recording medium having an image formed thereon by an image forming unit. A detection unit is configured to detect a moisture content ratio of a print part having predetermined density and size and formed on the recording medium and a moisture content ratio of a blank part, which is a region of the recording medium on which an image is not formed, before the recording medium having the image formed thereon is conveyed to the drying unit by a conveyance unit. A control unit is configured to control at least one of a drying strength of the drying unit and a conveying speed of the conveyance unit on the basis of the moisture content ratio of the print part and the moisture content ratio of the blank part.

Abstract: A drying device includes: a drying unit including: a heating space having a heating unit; a drying space that has a conveyance path of a recording medium and in which the recording medium is dried by radiation heat produced by the heating unit; and a partition member that separates the heating space and the drying space from each other in such a manner that gas can move between the heating space and the drying space; a first supply unit that supplies gas to the drying unit in a direction that is opposite to a conveying direction of the recording medium; and a second supply unit that supplies gas to the drying unit in a direction from the heating unit to the partition member.

Abstract: A drying device includes: a drying unit including: a heating space having a heating unit; a drying space that has a conveyance path of a recording medium and in which the recording medium is dried by radiation heat produced by the heating unit; and a partition member that separates the heating space and the drying space from each other in such a manner that gas can move between the heating space and the drying space; a first supply unit that supplies gas to the drying unit in a direction that is opposite to a conveying direction of the recording medium; and a second supply unit that supplies gas to the drying unit in a direction from the heating unit to the partition member.

Abstract: There is provided a drying device. A drying unit is configured to dry a recording medium having an image formed thereon by an image forming unit. A detection unit is configured to detect a moisture content ratio of a print part having predetermined density and size and formed on the recording medium and a moisture content ratio of a blank part, which is a region of the recording medium on which an image is not formed, before the recording medium having the image formed thereon is conveyed to the drying unit by a conveyance unit. A control unit is configured to control at least one of a drying strength of the drying unit and a conveying speed of the conveyance unit on the basis of the moisture content ratio of the print part and the moisture content ratio of the blank part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a conveying device that conveys a recording medium; a droplets ejecting device that ejects droplets onto the recording medium being conveyed by the conveying device; a drying unit that dries the droplets that have been ejected on the recording medium being conveyed by the conveying device; and a varying unit that varies a conveyance path length from the droplets ejecting device to the drying unit in accordance with at least one of a conveyance speed of the recording medium and an ejected droplets permeation characteristic of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of nozzles that include a normal nozzle which is normal in ejection of liquid droplets and an abnormal nozzle which is abnormal in ejection of liquid droplets; a storage unit in which nozzle information capable of determining a non-ejection nozzle which does not eject liquid droplets at the time of image forming is stored to correspond to each of a plurality of different conditions; and a control unit that performs a control based on the nozzle information corresponding to at least one of the conditions related to the image forming such that liquid droplets are not ejected from the non-ejection nozzle, and performs a control based on the image information such that liquid droplets are ejected from the nozzles except the non-ejection nozzle among the plurality of nozzles.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a conveying device that conveys a recording medium; a droplets ejecting device that ejects droplets onto the recording medium being conveyed by the conveying device; a drying unit that dries the droplets that have been ejected on the recording medium being conveyed by the conveying device; and a varying unit that varies a conveyance path length from the droplets ejecting device to the drying unit in accordance with at least one of a conveyance speed of the recording medium and an ejected droplets permeation characteristic of the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of nozzles that include a normal nozzle which is normal in ejection of liquid droplets and an abnormal nozzle which is abnormal in ejection of liquid droplets; a storage unit in which nozzle information capable of determining a non-ejection nozzle which does not eject liquid droplets at the time of image forming is stored to correspond to each of a plurality of different conditions; and a control unit that performs a control based on the nozzle information corresponding to at least one of the conditions related to the image forming such that liquid droplets are not ejected from the non-ejection nozzle, and performs a control based on the image information such that liquid droplets are ejected from the nozzles except the non-ejection nozzle among the plurality of nozzles.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection head comprises an ejector, a liquid viscosity-increase prevention structure and a liquid viscosity-increase prevention controller. The ejector includes a nozzle for ejecting a liquid droplet, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle through a communication path, and an actuator for applying pressure to a liquid in the pressure chamber. The liquid viscosity-increase prevention structure prevents an increase of viscosity of the liquid in the ejector. The liquid viscosity-increase prevention controller changes the operation frequency of the liquid viscosity-increase prevention structure between when the liquid droplet is ejected from the nozzle and when ejection of the liquid droplet is paused and no liquid droplet is being ejected from the nozzle.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting head including: a piezoelectric element that includes a piezoelectric body, a first electrode disposed on one side of the piezoelectric body, and a second electrode disposed on the other side of the piezoelectric body; a first layer on one side of which the second electrode of the piezoelectric element is disposed; a second layer disposed on the other side of the first layer; a first electrical wire formed between the first layer and the second layer; and a second electrical wire that connects the first electrical wire and the second electrode, is provided.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting head includes: an ejector having a nozzle, a pressure chamber, and a drive element that applies pressure to a liquid inside the pressure chamber; and a controller that applies a drive waveform to the drive element. The controller vibrates a flow velocity of the liquid ejected from the nozzle in a first positive direction vibration mode for causing a leading end portion of the liquid droplet to be ejected from the nozzle toward the opposite side of the pressure chamber side; and a second positive direction vibration mode for adjusting the velocity of a trailing end portion of the liquid droplet. An interval between the first positive direction vibration mode and the second positive direction vibration mode is set so as to make the velocity of the trailing end portion of the columnar liquid droplet faster than the velocity of the leading end portion thereof.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection head comprises an ejector, a liquid viscosity-increase prevention structure and a liquid viscosity-increase prevention controller. The ejector includes a nozzle for ejecting a liquid droplet, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle through a communication path, and an actuator for applying pressure to a liquid in the pressure chamber. The liquid viscosity-increase prevention structure prevents an increase of viscosity of the liquid in the ejector. The liquid viscosity-increase prevention controller changes the operation frequency of the liquid viscosity-increase prevention structure between when the liquid droplet is ejected from the nozzle and when ejection of the liquid droplet is paused and no liquid droplet is being ejected from the nozzle.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus includes an ejecting unit, a driving unit and a correcting unit. The ejecting unit has plural droplet ejection portions that include pressure chambers containing a liquid, ejecting portions ejecting droplets, and driving elements that cause the ejecting portions to eject droplets of a droplet volume in accordance with a driving signal. The driving unit generates a driving signal according to ejection data and applies the driving signal with a predetermined voltage application cycle period. Between different volume droplets, when a difference of the ejection time, from ejection until adhering to a medium, or from application of the driving signal until adhering to the medium, exceeds ½ the voltage application cycle period, the correcting unit corrects the ejection data according to the ejection time difference such that the voltage application timing of the driving signal is corrected by an integer multiple of the voltage application cycle period.

Abstract: A liquid-drop-ejecting recording head carries out image recording by applying a jetting pulse having a binary digital driving waveform to a piezoelectric element, providing a vibration wave to liquid accommodated in an accommodating chamber, and ejecting a liquid drop from a eject opening. The liquid-drop-ejecting recording head classifies each pixel in accordance with density data thereof. When recording a pixel belonging to a high density range, plural jetting pulses, whose pulse width is ½ times a natural vibration period of a liquid flow at a flow path of the liquid, are applied within a single printing cycle at an interval which is set in advance in accordance with density data of the pixel.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus includes an ejecting unit, a driving unit and a correcting unit. The ejecting unit has plural droplet ejection portions that include pressure chambers containing a liquid, ejecting portions ejecting droplets, and driving elements that cause the ejecting portions to eject droplets of a droplet volume in accordance with a driving signal. The driving unit generates a driving signal according to ejection data and applies the driving signal with a predetermined voltage application cycle period. Between different volume droplets, when a difference of the ejection time, from ejection until adhering to a medium, or from application of the driving signal until adhering to the medium, exceeds ½ the voltage application cycle period, the correcting unit corrects the ejection data according to the ejection time difference such that the voltage application timing of the driving signal is corrected by an integer multiple of the voltage application cycle period.

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting head including: a piezoelectric element that includes a piezoelectric body, a first electrode disposed on one side of the piezoelectric body, and a second electrode disposed on the other side of the piezoelectric body; a first layer on one side of which the second electrode of the piezoelectric element is disposed; a second layer disposed on the other side of the first layer; a first electrical wire formed between the first layer and the second layer; and a second electrical wire that connects the first electrical wire and the second electrode, is provided.