Patent ID: 8702198

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a fluid applicator unit including a nozzle surface having a plurality of sets of nozzles, the fluid applicator unit to eject a plurality of sets of warm-up fluid drops through a plurality of sets of nozzles and to eject a plurality of sets of detection fluid drops through the plurality of sets of nozzles; a drop detection unit to establish a detection zone and to detect the plurality of sets of detection fluid drops transmitted therein; a detection receiving member to receive the sets of detection fluid drops; a receiving and wiping member including a plurality of receiving portions to periodically move in an advance direction with respect to the nozzles, one or more of the receiving portions to receive the sets of warm-up fluid drops such that not all of the plurality of sets of warm-up fluid drops are received on a same receiving portion, and another of the receiving portions to selectively contact and wipe the nozzle surface of the fluid applicator unit; and wherein the sets of detection fluid drops ejected from the fluid applicator unit pass into the detection zone and the sets of warm-up fluid drops ejected by the fluid applicator unit bypass the detection zone, wherein the receiving and wiping member comprises a length of fabric material, and the plurality of receiving portions comprise different segments of the length of fabric material.