公开(公告)号：US12103316B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-01

申请号：US18061587

申请日：2022-12-05

Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.

Inventor： Katsuhiro Umeda ,  Yusuke Nishisaka ,  Hiroshi Akita

IPC: B41J29/393 ,  B41J2/14 ,  B41J2/195

CPC classification number: B41J2/195 ,  B41J2/14233 ,  B41J29/393 ,  B41J2029/3935

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an ink-jet head including a storage that stores phase transition ink, the ink-jet head forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting the phase transition ink; and one or more hardware processors. The one or more hardware processors change a driving condition of the ink-jet head for a case of ejecting the phase transition ink on a basis of a first reading result of a pattern image formed by the ink-jet head; estimate occurrence of a state change of the phase transition ink in the storage when the driving condition that is changed satisfies a predetermined condition; and determine whether a lifetime of the ink-jet head is over in accordance with whether the occurrence of the state change is estimated.

公开(公告)号：US11247472B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-15

申请号：US16897741

申请日：2020-06-10

Applicant: Konica Minolta Inc.

Inventor： Katsuhiro Umeda

IPC: B41J2/165

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus carries ink ejected from an inkjet head and cleans a transfer body that transfers the ink onto a recording medium at a transfer nip, and the cleaning apparatus includes: a cleaning rotor that contacts the transfer body and rotates in a counter direction opposite to a moving direction of the transfer body to remove a pre-coating agent and an impurity present on the transfer body after transfer.