Patent ID: 8567928

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for recording a print on a target article, comprising: a print head having a nozzle which injects ink in a particle state, a charging electrode which charges said ink into the ink particle, a deflecting electrode which deflects the charged ink particle, and a gutter which captures the ink particle not used for printing; a main body portion having an ink container which stores said ink, a supply pump which supplies said ink to said print head, a solvent container which stores a solvent, a collecting pump which supplies said solvent from said solvent container to said ink container and collects the ink particle captured by said gutter in said ink container, an operation control portion, and a liquid chamber; and a motor which operates said supply pump and said collecting pump; wherein said liquid chamber has an ink chamber which temporarily stores ink to be supplied to said print head and a solvent chamber which temporarily stores said solvent and is constituted by a supply path which supplies said ink from said main body portion to said print head, a solvent path which supplies said solvent from said main body portion to said print head, and a collecting path which returns said ink particle captured by said gutter to said ink container, said ink chamber being provided between said supply pump in said supply path and said nozzle, said solvent chamber being provided between said solvent container in said solvent path and said nozzle, and said liquid chamber being divided by a member which relatively changes volumes of said ink chamber and said solvent chamber by a pressure of the ink supplied to said print head, said member is configured to be displaced responsive to an increase of the pressure of the ink so that the ink can be supplied to said nozzle, the supply of the ink and the solvent to the nozzle is configured to be switched over by transition of the member; and wherein said member is in a state where a diaphragm member is displaced at a position closest to the side of said ink chamber when a printing operation is stopped.