Patent ID: 8272731

Claim:
An image-forming apparatus, comprising: a recording head configured to eject ink droplets; a maintenance-recovery unit to clean the recording head; a transport belt configured to transport a sheet, and having an upper surface disposed facing the recording head; a release mechanism configured to change a position of the transport belt between a home position close to the recording head and a release position away from the recording head; a home position sensor to detect a current position of the trans sort belt at the home position, and a release position sensor to detect the current position of the transport belt at the release position; and a control mechanism configured to control transport and discharge of the sheet and cleaning of the recording head, wherein the control mechanism moves the transport belt from the home position to the release position with the sheet on the transport belt when the control mechanism detects a sheet jam, after the transport belt is moved from the home position to the release position, the control mechanism causes the recording head to move to the maintenance-recovery unit in a direction in which the sheet is transported on the upper surface of the transport belt at the home position, and then causes the maintenance-recovery unit to clean the recording head; the control mechanism rotates the transport belt in the direction in which the sheet is transported at the release position, and causes the transport belt to discharge the sheet from the transport belt; the control mechanism returns the transport belt to the home position after the sheet is discharged from the transport belt at the release position and the recording head is cleaned by the maintenance-recovery unit.