Image forming apparatus and recording medium
US8317282B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 7, 2010 |
| Grant date | Nov 27, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 14, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J2002/17579
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a head to eject liquid droplets, a sub-tank having a container to store an amount of liquid supplied to the head, a negative pressure generator unit generating a negative pressure and an air introducing mechanism to introduce air, a main-tank to supply the amount of liquid into the sub-tank, a pressure detector unit to detect a pressure inside the sub-tank, and a controller to control an image forming operation using a remaining amount of liquid in the sub-tank while the main-tank is at an end status, where the controller determines whether the pressure inside the sub-tank is within a normal range, causes, if the detected pressure is not within the normal range, the air introducing mechanism to introduce air to raise the pressure inside the sub-tank, and causes the head to eject non-image forming liquid to cause the pressure to fall within the normal range.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.