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:
Feb. 25, 2014
Filed:
Sep. 11, 2012
Satoru Tobita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kunihiro Yamanaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Naoko Kitaoka, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Satou, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoru Tobita, Kanagawa, JP;
Kunihiro Yamanaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Naoko Kitaoka, Kanagawa, JP;
Takashi Satou, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus comprises a printing head unit, a driving waveform generator that generates and outputs a driving waveform having four or more driving pulses in chronological order per driving cycle, and a selector that selects and applies one of multiple driving pulses to a pressure generator to cause a printing head unit to selectively discharge a liquid droplet of three or more different sizes. The driving waveform includes three or more driving pulses at least having a final driving pulse to collectively discharge the biggest liquid droplet. The driving waveform includes a micro-driving pulse for discharging a smallest droplet within a time period of from about 2×Tc to about 4×Tc after the driving waveform starts being outputted when Tc represents a natural vibration period of a separate liquid chamber of the printing head unit.