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:
May. 05, 2015
Filed:
Jun. 13, 2011
Hiroyoshi Komaba, Kanagawa, JP;
Shinji Imoto, Tokyo, JP;
Satoshi Kitaoka, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a treatment-liquid application unit applying a treatment liquid from a chamber to a recording medium; a treatment-liquid storage unit to store the liquid; a supply channel member forming a supply channel to supply the liquid from the treatment-liquid storage unit to the chamber; a collection channel member forming a collection channel to collect the liquid from the chamber; and a temporary storage portion disposed in the collection channel to temporarily store the liquid. The temporary storage portion has an internal horizontal cross-sectional area greater than a channel cross-sectional area of the collection channel. The collection channel member has a first channel portion of a channel cross-sectional area smaller than the internal horizontal cross-sectional area of the temporary storage portion. A liquid level of the liquid in the collection channel is maintained in the first channel portion after termination of collecting operation.