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:
Aug. 09, 2016
Filed:
Jan. 09, 2014
Soyoung Park, Kanagawa, JP;
Mikio Ohashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoichi Ito, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumitaka Kikkawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Soyoung Park, Kanagawa, JP;
Mikio Ohashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoichi Ito, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumitaka Kikkawa, Kanagawa, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a recording head, a maintenance unit, a cover, and a controller. The recording head has a nozzle face and nozzles in the nozzle face to eject droplets of liquid. The maintenance unit has a cap to protect the nozzle face of the recording head. The cover opens an interior of the apparatus body to an outside of the apparatus body. The controller performs a normal control to cap the nozzle face of the recording head with the cap on opening of the cover and a special control to expose the nozzle face of the recording head to an area opened by the cover on receipt of an external instruction.