Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Masashi Ohnishi

Shotaro Takeuchi

Kazuyoshi Kondo

Makoto Kikura

Kazuyoshi Matsumoto

Norikazu Yanase

Gaku Hosono

Yuuzoh Obata

Junji Seto

Tetsuo Suzuki

Satoru Yoshida

Tadashi Hayakawa

Tsutomu Sasaki

Suguru Masunaga

Yoshinori Uchino

Tomoaki Nakano

Shingo Kuboki

Yuta Moriwaki

Yoshimitsu Ogura

Ikoh Soh

Shingo Masaoka

Yoichi Kawabata

Yuuichiroh Tsujiguchi

Yuta Kashiwagi

Seiya Ogawa

Atsushi Miwa

Namio Ogihara

Yasukazu Kitamura

Takao Otsuka

Yasunobu Kawajiri

A developer supply device includes a body, a developer supply unit drawably insertable into the body, and a developer container removably installable in the developer supply unit. The developer container contains a developer and includes a developer discharge port. The developer supply unit includes a lever that closes the developer discharge port when the lever has moved to a first position and opens the developer discharge port when the lever has moved to a second position, and a lock that engages an engagement portion of the lever in conjunction with an operation of drawing the developer supply unit from the body to restrict the lever from moving from the first position to the second position and disengage from the engagement portion in conjunction with an operation of inserting the developer supply unit into the body to allow the lever to move from the first position to the second position.

Developer supply device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A liquid discharge apparatus is provided including a liquid discharge head, a cap, and a wiper. The liquid discharge head includes a nozzle plate having thereon a nozzle for discharging a liquid. The cap caps a surface of the nozzle plate. The wiper moves relative to the nozzle plate to wipe the surface of the nozzle plate. The surface of the nozzle plate has a cap contact region that is contactable with the cap. The wiper starts wiping from a wiping start position that is disposed between both end parts of the cap contact region in a direction of wiping. The wiper comes into contact with the surface of the nozzle plate at the wiping start position and moves in a first direction to wipe the surface of the nozzle plate, and thereafter moves in a second direction opposite the first direction to wipe the surface of the nozzle plate.

Liquid discharge apparatus including wiper to wipe surface of nozzle plate both in forward direction and in opposite direction

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a waste liquid container accommodation part, and a waste liquid drain passage member. The waste liquid container accommodation part replaceably accommodates a first waste liquid container to contain waste liquid. The waste liquid drain passage member guides waste liquid into the waste liquid container accommodation part. The apparatus body includes a mount portion to mount a second waste liquid container having a capacity greater than the waste liquid container accommodation part. The mount portion of the apparatus body is different from the waste liquid container accommodation part. The waste liquid container accommodation part accommodates a relay unit to relay a drain passage from the waste liquid drain passage member to the second waste liquid container, replaceably with the first waste liquid container.

Replay unit for waste liquid container and image forming apparatus incorporating the relay unit

An image forming apparatus includes a media roll, art image forming device, and a feeder. In the media roll, a printing medium having an adhesive face is wound in a roll shape. The image forming device forms an image on the printing medium. The feeder feeds the printing medium. The feeder includes a protection belt and a pair of rotary bodies. The protection belt presses against and protects the adhesive face of the printing medium. The pair of rotary bodies sandwich and press the printing medium and the protection belt between the pair of rotary bodies. An approach angle of the printing medium is within a range from 0&#xb0; to 30&#xb0; and is formed by the printing medium drawn from the media roll and approaching to between the pair of rotary bodies and an opposing face of the protection belt opposing the image forming device.

Image forming apparatus configured for rolled printing media having adhesive face

A liquid cartridge detachably attached to an image forming apparatus to supply liquid to image forming apparatus. The liquid cartridge includes a cartridge case composed of first and second sub cases. At least one of the first and second sub cases includes an open space to accommodate an information storage device in the open space. The first and second sub cases are combined to close the open space and hold the information storage device so as to prevent removal of the information storage device accommodated in the open space therefrom.

Liquid cartridge and image forming apparatus with same

A liquid cartridge is detachably attachable to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus. The liquid cartridge includes a cartridge case, an information memory element, and a holding unit. The cartridge case includes at least two dividable case parts. The at least two dividable case parts form a front face of the cartridge case to face the apparatus body when the liquid cartridge is attached to the apparatus body. An information memory element is held at the front face of the cartridge case. The holding unit is provided in one of the at least two dividable case parts to hold the information memory element with only the one of the at least two dividable case parts. The holding unit includes a groove to receive the information memory element and a displaceable claw to hold the information memory element between the groove and the claw.

Liquid cartridge and image forming apparatus incorporation same

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a conveyance unit, a correction unit, and an attitude controller. The image forming device forms an image on a printing medium. The conveyance unit is disposed opposing the image forming device to convey the printing medium. The correction unit corrects an attitude of a leading edge of the printing medium sent out from the conveyance unit. The attitude controller controls correction of the attitude of the leading edge of the punting medium performed by the correction unit. The attitude controller determines whether or not the correction of the attitude of the leading edge of the printing medium is to be performed, and causes the correction unit to perform the correction when the attitude controller determines that the correction is to be performed.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus prevents the problem of reduced utilization efficiency of a waste fluid tank caused by the storage of waste fluids with high and low viscosities in the same open-type waste fluid tank. The image forming apparatus includes a first waste fluid tank for storing waste ink fluid ejected from a recording head, and a second waste fluid tank for storing waste ink fluid ejected into a cap of the recording head. The waste ink fluid ejected into the cap is guided to the second waste fluid tank via a tube. The second waste fluid tank is an airtight structure having an inlet at one end to which the tube is detachably connected via a needle or a valve. At the other end of the second waste fluid tank, there is disposed an opening communicating the inside and the outside of the tank.

An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a waste liquid receiving member, a waste liquid tank, a needle member that is connected to the waste liquid receiving member and includes a needle part that is detachably inserted into the waste liquid tank, and a fastening member that detachably fastens the needle member. The fastening member includes a lock part that locks the needle member; the needle member includes a lock lever part that locks with the lock part of the fastening member; the needle member and the fastening member include fitting parts that fit together when the needle member is rotated; and by rotating the needle member, the lock lever is locked with the lock part, the fitting parts of the needle member and the fastening member are fit together, and the needle member is fastened to the fastening member.

An image forming apparatus includes a recording head having a nozzle configured to jet a liquid drop of ink; a cap member configured to be moved between a sealing position where a nozzle surface of the recording head is sealed and an opening position where the nozzle surface is opened; a waste liquid tank movably provided and configured to receive a waste liquid of the ink, the waste liquid being generated by idle-ejecting the liquid drop not contributing to image forming from the recording head; and a moving part configured to move the waste liquid tank tied to movement of the cap member. A position of the waste liquid tank in a case of idle-ejection being performed from the recording head last time and another position of the waste liquid tank in a case of idle-ejection being performed from the recording head this time are different.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Masashi Ohnishi