Patent ID: 7506974
Filing Date: 2009-03-24
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an ejection head which forms an image on an ejection receiving medium, by ejecting liquid having electrorheological properties onto the ejection receiving medium; a holding device which holds the ejection receiving medium on a surface facing a liquid ejection surface of the ejection head; a conveyance device which conveys at least one of the ejection head and the ejection receiving medium held by the holding device relatively to each other in a conveyance direction; a first electrode group which includes at least a pair of a positive electrode and a negative electrode provided in the holding device, has a lengthwise direction coinciding with a sub-scanning direction substantially parallel to the conveyance direction of the conveyance device, and is disposed so as to be aligned with the main scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction; a first voltage supply device which supplies a prescribed voltage to the first electrode group; a second electrode group which includes at least a pair of a positive electrode and a negative electrode disposed so as to be substantially perpendicular to the first electrode group; a second voltage supply device which supplies a prescribed voltage to the second electrode group; an electrode group switching device which switches between supplying the prescribed voltage to the first electrode group and supplying the prescribed voltage to the second electrode group; and an electrode group switching control device which controls the electrode group switching device in such a manner that, the prescribed voltage is supplied to the first electrode group when suppressing deposition interference on the ejection receiving medium between droplets of the liquid ejected from different ejection apertures, and the prescribed voltage is supplied to the second electrode group when suppressing deposition interference on the ejection receiving medium between droplets of the liquid ejected from a same ejection aperture.