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. 25, 2012
Filed:
Dec. 01, 2010
Tomomi Katoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiroh Tokuno, Tokyo, JP;
Jun Ichinowatari, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumitaka Kikkawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomomi Katoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Toshiroh Tokuno, Tokyo, JP;
Jun Ichinowatari, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumitaka Kikkawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a liquid tank, a first fluid flow path supplying liquid to the recording head, a second fluid flow path being in communication with the liquid tank, a pressure adjusting valve allowing fluid communication between the first and the second fluid flow paths, a cap member covering a nozzle surface of the recording head, and a suction unit being in communication with the cap member. The pressure adjusting valve includes a movable member movably disposed in the internal fluid flow path, wherein the movable member includes a sealing unit that seals the communication between the first and the second fluid flow paths when the cap member covers the nozzle surface of the recording head and a negative pressure is generated in a cap-member space formed between the cap member and the nozzle surface by driving the suction unit.