Image forming apparatus having a missing nozzle detection unit

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including an image printing unit formed above a printing path along which an image is formed on a print medium. The printing unit has an array inkjet printhead with a length corresponding to the width of a print medium and includes a plurality of nozzles to eject ink. The multi-functional device also includes an image scanning unit formed above the image printing unit with a scanning unit formed on a document reading path to transfer a document to scan and read the document and a missing nozzle detection unit which forms a missing nozzle detection path that connects the printing path and the document reading path, and transports a print medium on which a test image is formed by the array inkjet printhead, to the document reading path via the missing nozzle detection path to scan the test image using the scanning unit. The image scanning unit and the missing nozzle detection unit also share the scanning unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.