(19)
(11) EP 0 884 185 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
31.03.1999 Bulletin 1999/13

(43) Date of publication A2:
16.12.1998 Bulletin 1998/51

(21) Application number: 98110682.6

(22) Date of filing: 10.06.1998
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: B41J 2/165
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 11.06.1997 JP 153456/97

(71) Applicant: Canon Aptex Inc.
Mitsukaido-shi Ibaraki-ken (JP)

(72) Inventor:
  • Sonobe, Youichi
    Mitsukaido-shi, Ibaraki (JP)

(74) Representative: Pellmann, Hans-Bernd, Dipl.-Ing. 
Patentanwaltsbüro Tiedtke-Bühling-Kinne & Partner Bavariaring 4
80336 München
80336 München (DE)

   


(54) Image forming method and apparatus therefor


(57) An image forming apparatus prevents foreign matter, such as dust or the like from being sucked into an ink passage from an ejection opening when a liquid ejection head ejecting a liquid is elevated from an image forming position to a recovery process position located above the image forming position. The image forming apparatus includes a liquid supply passage (39) connected to the liquid ejection head (21) which is provided with ejection opening (44) for ejecting liquid, liquid supply device (41) for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection head (21) via the liquid supply passage (39), recovery process device for recovering ejecting condition of liquid from the liquid ejection head (21), head moving device for moving the liquid ejection head between the recovery process position for performing recovery process of the liquid ejection head (21) by the recovery process device and an image forming position for forming an image on the printing medium by the liquid ejection head (21), and closing device (41) for closing the liquid supply passage (39) during movement of the liquid ejection head (21) into the recovery process position by the head moving device.






Search report