Patent ID: 8474946

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium to be recorded; and a foam application unit that applies a foam generated from at least any one of a liquid and a gel to the medium to be recorded or an intermediate member for applying the foam to the medium to be recorded, wherein the foam application unit has a foam generation unit that generates the foam, an application unit that applies the generated foam to the medium to be recorded or the intermediate member, a foam supplying path through which the generated foam is supplied to the application unit, and a unit that increases a volume of the foam supplying path, and wherein the foam application unit increases the volume of the foam supplying path at a specific moment in time when generation of the foam by the foam generation unit is being stopped, and wherein when the supply of the foam to the application unit is being stopped, the unit that increases the volume of the foam supplying path cause the foam to travel in a direction that the foam does not travel during foam supply operation.