Abstract: A cushioning member according to the present disclosure includes a first member and a second member. The first member has a first recess shaped along a lower portion of an ink-filled ink pack. The second member has a second recess shaped along an upper portion of the ink pack. The ink pack is stored in a space formed by facing the first recess and the second recess. The ink pack is attached to an ink supply device in a state where it is placed on the first member.

Abstract: A liquid container includes a pack main body and a covering body. The covering body covers a part of the pack main body and is more hardly deformable than the pack main body. The pack main body includes a trunk part, a pair of sealing parts and a spout. The trunk part is formed into a rectangular cylindrical shape in a state where the ink is stored. The pair of sealing parts seal both ends of the trunk part. At least one of the sealing parts is formed into a gabled roof shape having a pair of flat portions facing each other in the thickness direction and a pair of gable portions facing each other in a width direction. The covering body includes a pair of covering flat plates covering at least a part of the pair of flat portions.

Abstract: An ink supply device includes a plurality of ink containers, a plurality of heater units, a frame, a lower fixing member and an upper fixing member. In the ink container, ink is stored. The heater units are arranged in a horizontal arrangement direction. The heater unit includes a tube in which the ink fed from the ink container is passed, a hearer heating the ink passing through the tube and a casing by which the tube and the heater are supported. In the frame, the ink containers and the heater units are stored. The lower fixing member is fixedly mounted to the frame and holds all lower portions of the heater units. The upper fixing member is detachably mounted to the frame and holds all upper portions of the heater units.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a housing, a cap unit, a protrusion and a guide part. The recording head has an ink ejecting port on a lower face. The housing supports the recording head. The cap unit includes a cap. The cap unit is inserted into a space below the recording head in a predetermined direction to be attached to the housing and to cover the lower face of the recording head with the cap. The protrusion is protruded from a lower portion of the housing on a rear side in the predetermined direction more downward than the lower face of the recording head. The guide part is formed in an upper portion of the cap unit on the rear side in the predetermined direction and comes into contact with the protrusion so as to guide insertion and removal of the cap unit.

Abstract: A liquid container includes a pack main body and a covering body. The covering body covers a part of the pack main body and is more hardly deformable than the pack main body. The pack main body includes a trunk part, a pair of sealing parts and a spout. The trunk part is formed into a rectangular cylindrical shape in a state where the ink is stored. The pair of sealing parts seal both ends of the trunk part. At least one of the sealing parts is formed into a gabled roof shape having a pair of flat portions facing each other in the thickness direction and a pair of gable portions facing each other in a width direction. The covering body includes a pair of covering flat plates covering at least a part of the pair of flat portions.

Abstract: A heater unit includes a metal plate, a pipe and a linear heater. The pipe comes into contact with one surface of the metal plate, and a fluid to be heated is passed through the pipe. The linear heater comes into contact with the other surface of the metal plate and is disposed along the pipe.

Abstract: An ink supply device includes a plurality of ink containers, a plurality of heater units, a frame, a lower fixing member and an upper fixing member. In the ink container, ink is stored. The heater units are arranged in a horizontal arrangement direction. The heater unit includes a tube in which the ink fed from the ink container is passed, a hearer heating the ink passing through the tube and a casing by which the tube and the heater are supported. In the frame, the ink containers and the heater units are stored. The lower fixing member is fixedly mounted to the frame and holds all lower portions of the heater units. The upper fixing member is detachably mounted to the frame and holds all upper portions of the heater units.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a housing, a cap unit, a protrusion and a guide part. The recording head has an ink ejecting port on a lower face. The housing supports the recording head. The cap unit includes a cap. The cap unit is inserted into a space below the recording head in a predetermined direction to be attached to the housing and to cover the lower face of the recording head with the cap. The protrusion is protruded from a lower portion of the housing on a rear side in the predetermined direction more downward than the lower face of the recording head. The guide part is formed in an upper portion of the cap unit on the rear side in the predetermined direction and comes into contact with the protrusion so as to guide insertion and removal of the cap unit.

Abstract: A wipe unit, including one or more wipers, a wiper carriage, a collection tray, and an ink receiving member, cleans a recording head having an ink ejection surface in which an ink ejection port for ejecting ink onto a recording medium is opened. The one or more wipers wipe off ink on the ink ejection surface. The wiper carriage is moved along a wiping direction while holding the wiper. The collection tray, having a tray surface and placed below the wiper, collects ink wiped off by the wiper. The ink receiving member, which is recessed-shaped and provided in the wiper carriage, receives ink dropping from a wiper that is placed furthest downstream in the wiping direction among the one or more wipers, and moreover the ink receiving member lets the ink drop onto the tray surface.

Abstract: A maintenance unit includes a wiper for wiping off ink on a recording head and a wiper carriage. A holding metal plate holds the wiper and includes a communication portion which connects together an upper space and a lower space. The communication portion has an ink guide member. The ink guide member has an upper opening and a lower opening. The length of the upper opening in the direction perpendicular to the wiping direction is larger than the length of an ink ejection face. The length of the communication portion is smaller than the length of the ink ejection face.

Abstract: A maintenance unit includes a wiper for wiping off ink on a recording head and a wiper carriage. A holding metal plate holds the wiper and includes a communication portion which connects together an upper space and a lower space. The communication portion has an ink guide member. The ink guide member has an upper opening and a lower opening. The length of the upper opening in the direction perpendicular to the wiping direction is larger than the length of an ink ejection face. The length of the communication portion is smaller than the length of the ink ejection face.

Abstract: A wipe unit, including one or more wipers, a wiper carriage, a collection tray, and an ink receiving member, cleans a recording head having an ink ejection surface in which an ink ejection port for ejecting ink onto a recording medium is opened. The one or more wipers wipe off ink on the ink ejection surface. The wiper carriage is moved along a wiping direction while holding the wiper. The collection tray, having a tray surface and placed below the wiper, collects ink wiped off by the wiper. The ink receiving member, which is recessed-shaped and provided in the wiper carriage, receives ink dropping from a wiper that is placed furthest downstream in the wiping direction among the one or more wipers, and moreover the ink receiving member lets the ink drop onto the tray surface.

Abstract: A recording head maintenance device has a wiper, a blade unit, a wiper carriage, a supporting frame, a wiper moving mechanism, and a unit lifting mechanism. The wiper carriage includes a carriage body in a flat-plate shape, a pair of rail portions provided at both side end parts of the carriage body that are parallel to the movement direction of the wiper carriage, positioning pins protruding horizontally from the inner side faces of the rail portions respectively, positioning pulleys provided rotatably on the rail portions respectively and making contact with a head housing holding the recording head, thereby to keep the gap between the wiper and the ink ejection surface constant. The blade unit has, on both its side faces facing the rail portions, engagement portions that engage with the positioning pins to hold the positioning pins from above and below.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a transfer section, a main body frame, a fixing device, a discharge section, a recording medium conveyance path, an openable/closable member, a cover sheet, a cover moving mechanism, a cooling section, and a slide member. The cover sheet is reciprocatable between a protection position at which it covers a side of the image carrier that faces the recording medium conveyance path and a retraction position at which it is arranged in a clearance between the image carrier and the main body frame. At the retraction position, the cover sheet blocks an air flow passage between the cooling section and the fixing device. The slide member is disposed at a lower end corner portion of the main body frame, and contacts the cover sheet reciprocating between the protection position and the retraction position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a transfer section, a main body frame, a fixing device, a discharge section, a recording medium conveyance path, an openable/closable member, a cover sheet, a cover moving mechanism, a cooling section, and a slide member. The cover sheet is reciprocatable between a protection position at which it covers a side of the image carrier that faces the recording medium conveyance path and a retraction position at which it is arranged in a clearance between the image carrier and the main body frame. At the retraction position, the cover sheet blocks an air flow passage between the cooling section and the fixing device. The slide member is disposed at a lower end corner portion of the main body frame, and contacts the cover sheet reciprocating between the protection position and the retraction position.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device has a pair of upper discharge rollers including a first discharge roller and a first following roller, a second discharge tray, a corrugation member, and a moving mechanism. The first discharge roller is rotatable in forward and reverse directions. The corrugation member corrugates the sheet by making contact with its sheet face. The moving mechanism moves the corrugation member between a first position, where it makes contact with the sheet face of the sheet, and a second position, where it is located above, away from, the nip portion of the pair of upper discharge rollers. An image forming apparatus incorporates such a sheet conveying device.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device has a pair of upper discharge rollers including a first discharge roller and a first following roller, a second discharge tray, a corrugation member, and a moving mechanism. The first discharge roller is rotatable in forward and reverse directions. The corrugation member corrugates the sheet by making contact with its sheet face. The moving mechanism moves the corrugation member between a first position, where it makes contact with the sheet face of the sheet, and a second position, where it is located above, away from, the nip portion of the pair of upper discharge rollers. An image forming apparatus incorporates such a sheet conveying device.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member, a pressure member, and a conveyance guide. The heating member internally includes a heating element. The pressure member includes an elastic layer located to be pressed against the heating member to ensure a fixing nip area between the heating member and the pressure member. The conveyance guide is located upstream with respect to the fixing nip area in a conveying path of a sheet on which the toner image is formed, and assists the sheet to run. The conveyance guide includes a first guiding portion that guides a head of the sheet to a distal end position close to the heating member and a second guiding portion that guides a tail of the sheet from the distal end position to an intermediate position between the heating member and the pressure member.