Patent ID: 7097276

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for printing a document image having images and characters by spraying ink onto a medium, comprising: a carrier for holding a black ink cartridge and a color ink cartridge; nozzle caps for preventing ink, which exists in nozzles of the black ink cartridge and color ink cartridge and in a vicinity of the nozzles, from drying while the carrier is in standby for a next printing action; nozzle wipers for wiping off unnecessary ink existing in the nozzles of the black ink cartridge and color ink cartridge and in the vicinity thereof when the carrier commences an action from the standby state; a sled for supporting the nozzle caps and nozzle wipers and approaching the carrier in line with a movement of the carrier; and an ink receiver cup, which is disposed downward of the sled, for rotating in one direction in line with the movements of the sled, wherein: the black ink cartridge and color ink cartridge carries out a preliminary discharge by which ink is discharged from the nozzles to the ink receiver cup before commencing printing on a medium or by an instruction of a user; and the ink receiver cup has a plurality of flow-out pores, through which color inks flow out, formed at positions where the strength of the ink receiver cup is not remarkably lowered, at portions other than a part on which black ink is sprayed through the preliminary discharge.