The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 18, 2012
Filed:
Dec. 11, 2009
Wataru Takahashi, Miyagi, JP;
Takashi Miyagi, Miyagi, JP;
Naoki Okazaki, Miyagi, JP;
Yoshinari Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Wataru Takahashi, Miyagi, JP;
Takashi Miyagi, Miyagi, JP;
Naoki Okazaki, Miyagi, JP;
Yoshinari Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an ink discharge unit including nozzles to discharge ink and to form an image on a recording medium; a conveyer belt to convey the recording medium so that the recording medium passes through an area facing the ink discharge unit, the conveyor belt including blank discharge holes to let the ink for a blank discharge through; a control unit to control an ink discharge operation of the ink discharge unit; a blank discharge receiver to receive the ink for the blank discharge, provided at a position facing the ink discharge unit across the conveyor belt; and a belt position detection unit to detect a position in a direction perpendicular to a belt moving direction of the conveyor belt, wherein the control unit controls the blank discharge operation of the ink discharge unit based on a detection result detected by the belt position detection unit.