Patent ID: 8540337

Claim:
An image forming apparatus in which foam bubbles are formed by at least one of a liquid and a gel, the image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit forming an image on a recording medium; and a foam application unit applying some of the foam bubbles to the recording medium or an intermediate member for applying to the recording medium, the foam application unit comprising: a foam forming unit forming the foam bubbles; an application unit applying some of the foam bubbles to the recording medium or the intermediate member; and a supplying unit introducing the foam bubbles from the foam forming unit and supplying said some of the foam bubbles to the application unit through a supply opening, wherein the supplying unit includes a discharge opening through which others of the foam bubbles not to be supplied to the application unit are discharged, and an amount of the foam bubbles introduced from the foam forming unit to the supplying unit is greater than an amount of said some of the foam bubbles supplied to the application unit, wherein the discharge opening is disposed beyond an end, and outside an extent of the supply opening in a longitudinal direction of the supply opening, said longitudinal direction being orthogonal to a direction in which said some of the foam bubbles are applied to the recording medium or the intermediate member.