Patent ID: 8870335

Claim:
A liquid discharge state detection device comprising: a light emitting element that emits a light beam having a specific polarization direction; a light receiving element that is placed at a position shifted from a beam diameter of the light beam, wherein the light receiving element receives scattered light generated when the light beam collides with a liquid droplet; and an analyzer positioned between the light emitting element and the light receiving element, wherein the analyzer detects scattered light having a polarization direction the same as the specific polarization direction of the light beam emitted by the light emitting element, wherein the light receiving element receives the scattered light that has passed through the analyzer and carries out light-to-voltage conversion of the received light amount obtained as a result of the scattered light reaching a light receiving surface of the light receiving element, and a discharge state of the liquid droplet is detected from measuring a voltage of the light-to-voltage conversion.