There are provided an image forming apparatus and an image forming method in which the deformation of an image caused by the deformation of a medium is suppressed in the image formation on a medium to which tension is applied. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming liquid-application amount-information acquisition unit that acquires information about the amount of applied image forming liquid, a tension-information acquisition unit that acquires information about tension applied to a medium, an elastic modulus acquisition unit that acquires an elastic modulus of the medium calculated using the information about the amount of applied image forming liquid, a medium deformation amount-calculation unit that calculates the amount of deformation of the medium using tension information and the elastic modulus, and an image conversion section that converts the image data into converted image data, which represents a converted image to be formed on the medium in a state where the tension is applied. The image forming apparatus forms an image on the medium, to which the tension is applied, on the basis of the converted image data.

A liquid circulation apparatus includes a circulation channel through which a liquid is circulated via a liquid discharge head including a supply port and a discharge port. The circulation channel includes a first manifold communicating with the supply port of the liquid discharge head, a second manifold communicating with the discharge port of the liquid discharge head, a supply channel connecting the first manifold and the supply port of the liquid discharge head, and a discharge channel connecting the second manifold and the discharge port of the liquid discharge head. A fluid resistance from the first manifold to the supply port of the liquid discharge head via the supply channel is smaller than a fluid resistance from the second manifold to the discharge port of the liquid discharge head via the discharge channel.

The present disclosure is related to a liquid dispensing amount control apparatus. The liquid dispensing amount control apparatus may include at least one nozzle and at least one heating device. The heating device may be configured to heat a position of liquid dispensed from the nozzle to form a droplet.

In a sheet conveying device, a foreign substance separating unit has an air discharge chamber, foreign substance collection chamber, air introduction chamber, a plurality of first air vents formed in a first partition wall that partitions the air introduction chamber and the foreign substance collection chamber, a plurality of second air vents formed in a second partition wall that partitions the air introduction chamber and the air discharge chamber, centrifugal separation parts each including a reverse truncated cone-like wall portion extending downward from each of the first air vents, cylindrical parts that each are provided coaxially with each of the centrifugal separation parts, and an inclination surface portion that is formed around each of the cylindrical parts above each of the first air vents and is inclined in a circumferential direction.

A liquid circulation apparatus includes a circulation channel through which a liquid is circulated via a liquid discharge head including a supply port and a discharge port. The circulation channel includes a first manifold communicating with the supply port of the liquid discharge head, a second manifold communicating with the discharge port of the liquid discharge head, a supply channel connecting the first manifold and the supply port of the liquid discharge head, and a discharge channel connecting the second manifold and the discharge port of the liquid discharge head. A fluid resistance from the first manifold to the supply port of the liquid discharge head via the supply channel is smaller than a fluid resistance from the second manifold to the discharge port of the liquid discharge head via the discharge channel.

In a sheet conveying device, a foreign substance separating unit has an air discharge chamber, foreign substance collection chamber, air introduction chamber, a plurality of first air vents formed in a first partition wall that partitions the air introduction chamber and the foreign substance collection chamber, a plurality of second air vents formed in a second partition wall that partitions the air introduction chamber and the air discharge chamber, centrifugal separation parts each including a reverse truncated cone-like wall portion extending downward from each of the first air vents, cylindrical parts that each are provided coaxially with each of the centrifugal separation parts, and an inclination surface portion that is formed around each of the cylindrical parts above each of the first air vents and is inclined in a circumferential direction.

Provided is a pressure control device for stably controlling the internal air pressure of a reservoir. The pressure control device includes: an input terminal receiving source air pressure; an intake valve connected between the input terminal and an output terminal; an exhaust valve connected to the output terminal; a pressure sensor connected to the output terminal and generating a sensed value by sensing pressure at the output terminal; and a controller simultaneously operating the intake valve and the exhaust valve by simultaneously operating a first control loop for adjusting the degree of opening of the intake valve by comparing the sensed value with a first target value and a second control loop for adjusting the degree of opening of the exhaust valve by comparing the sensed value with a second target value.

The invention relates to a die for depositing a conductive fluid onto a substrate, including a structure (11) for supporting at least one fluid (13) which is conductive and the viscosity of which sensitive to the radiation from a light source (5), in order to deposit said fluid (13) onto a substrate (3) so as to form conductive contacts or tracks on the substrate (3). The support structure (11) includes at least one tank (17) for said conductive fluid, the bottom wall (19) of which is to be arranged opposite said substrate (3) during the deposition, and said bottom wall (19) has perforations for enabling the flow (18) of said conductive fluid (13) onto the substrate (3) when said fluid (13) is subjected to the radiation (15) from said light source (5), wherein the perforations are formed according to a pattern of the fluid to be deposited onto the substrate (3). The die (7) further comprises an optical plate (9) having a pattern (30) pervious to the radiation from said light source (5), the optical plate (9) being impervious to the radiation from said light source (5) outside said pattern (30), while the pattern (30) pervious to the radiation from said light source on said optical plate (9) corresponds to a pattern covering the pattern (22) of the perforations of said support structure.

A liquid ejection head includes nozzles through which liquid is ejected, pressure chambers communicating with the nozzles, volumes of the chambers being varied to eject the liquid, a substrate including an electrode on a surface of the substrate, an actuator connected to the electrode and configured to vary the volumes, the actuator having a first side surface connected to the surface of the substrate, a first cover member that covers the first side surface and includes openings each facing one of the chambers, the openings having larger fluid resistance than the chambers, an insulating material between the surface of the substrate and the first cover member, and an insulating film that covers the electrode on the substrate.

An apparatus for supplying chemical liquid may include at least two ink jet heads, a reservoir for receiving a chemical liquid provided onto a substrate from each of the at least two ink jet heads, a chemical liquid supplying member for providing the chemical liquid to each of the at least two ink jet heads, and a chemical liquid collecting member for drawing and collecting a chemical liquid remaining in each of the at least two ink jet heads. One path of the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid supplying member to the chemical liquid collecting member via one of the at least two ink jet heads may be substantially the same as a length of another path of the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid supplying member to the chemical liquid collecting member via the other of the at least two ink jet heads.