Patent ID: 7097374
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet by ejecting ink; a sheet feed table that is disposed to face an ink ejection direction of the image forming device and has a surface region at an upper side thereof for supporting the sheet; a sheet feeding mechanism that feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction; at least one air suctioning portion that is formed on the surface region of the sheet feed table at an upstream or a downstream side of an image forming region, wherein when the image forming device forms the image, the air suctioning portion allows air to be sucked therethrough; an air suctioning device that sucks air through the air suctioning portion; and an ink receiver that is formed on the surface region of the sheet feed table and that receives ink ejected from the image forming device, the ink receiver being disposed in a portion of the image forming region, wherein the air suctioning portion includes a downstream air suctioning portion and an upstream air suctioning portion disposed downstream of and upstream of the ink receiver in the sheet feeding direction and both the downstream air suctioning portion and the upstream air suctioning portion have a plurality of openings arranged in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction.