Image forming apparatus, image reading device, and liquid discharge device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420561-B2
Application number	US-202318202351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2023
Priority date	Jun 14, 2022
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a housing having an opening; a drum configured to rotate around a rotation axis to convey a medium in a conveyance direction; an image former configured to form an image on the medium on the drum; and a reader downstream of the image former in the conveyance direction, the reader configured to read the image on the medium formed by the image former. The image former and the reader are radially arranged with respect to the rotation axis of the drum. The reader is drawable from the opening of the housing along the rotation axis of the drum.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a drum configured to rotate around a rotation axis to convey a medium in a conveyance direction;
an image former configured to form an image on the medium on the drum;
a reader downstream of the image former in the conveyance direction, the reader configured to read the image on the medium formed by the image former; and
a support supporting and thermally insulating the reader, wherein
the image former and the reader are radially arranged with respect to the rotation axis of the drum;
the reader is drawable from the opening of the housing along the rotation axis of the drum; and
the support includes:
a first space accommodating the reader;
a second space different from the first space;
a path between the first space and the second space; and
a shield configured to openably close the path.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising multiple readers including the reader, the multiple readers including:
a first reader configured to read the image in a first range along the rotation axis; and
a second reader configured to read the image in a second range different from the first range along the rotation axis.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image former includes a liquid discharge head.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the liquid discharge head comprises multiple inkjet heads.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image former discharges a liquid onto the medium to form the image on the medium,
the reader includes an optical portion to read the image, and
the reader is movable in a direction parallel to the rotation axis.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein a drawing movement of the reader is restricted within a predetermined distance along the rotation axis, and
the predetermined distance is equal to or more of a half of an entire length of the reader along the rotation axis.

7. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a drum configured to rotate around a rotation axis to convey a medium in a conveyance direction;
a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid onto the medium to form an image on the medium on the drum;
a reader downstream of the liquid discharge head in the conveyance direction, the reader configured to read the image on the medium formed by the liquid discharge head; and
a support supporting and thermally insulating the reader, wherein
the liquid discharge head and the reader are radially arranged with respect to the rotation axis of the drum;
the reader is drawable from the opening of the housing along the rotation axis of the drum; and
the support includes:
a first space accommodating the reader;
a second space different from the first space;
a path between the first space and the second space; and
a shield configured to openably close the path.

8. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the liquid discharge head comprises a single inkjet head.

9. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the liquid discharge head comprises multiple inkjet heads.

10. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the multiple inkjet heads comprise a first inkjet head, a second inkjet head, a third inkjet head, and a fourth inkjet head that discharge different colors of ink.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a drum configured to rotate around a rotation axis to convey a medium in a conveyance direction;
an image former configured to form an image on the medium on the drum; and
a reader downstream of the image former in the conveyance direction, the reader configured to read the image on the medium formed by the image former, wherein
the image former and the reader are radially arranged with respect to the rotation axis of the drum,
the reader is drawable from the opening of the housing along the rotation axis of the drum,
the image former discharges a liquid onto the medium to form the image on the medium,
the reader includes an optical portion to read the image, and is movable in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, and
a drawing movement of the reader is restricted within a predetermined distance along the rotation axis, the predetermined distance is equal to or more of a half of an entire length of the reader along the rotation axis.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the image former includes a liquid discharge head.

13. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein the liquid discharge head comprises a single inkjet head.

14. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein the liquid discharge head comprises multiple inkjet heads.

15. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the multiple inkjet heads comprise a first inkjet head, a second inkjet head, a third inkjet head, and a fourth inkjet head that discharge different colors of ink.

Assignees

• Tokunaga Yusuke
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tokunaga Yusuke

Classifications

• B41J2025/008

  comprising a plurality of print heads placed around a drum · CPC title

• B41J2/2135 Primary

  Alignment of dots · CPC title