Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a recording head having nozzles to eject droplets of a liquid;
• a liquid tank to store the liquid to be supplied to the recording head;
• a waste liquid tank to store a waste of the liquid;
• a valve located on the liquid tank while communicating therewith;
• a discharge flow path connecting the valve with the waste liquid tank;
• and
• a discharging device located on the discharge flow path to feed a fluid from the liquid tank to the waste liquid tank,
• wherein the discharging device is a reversible discharging device to close the discharge flow path when being stopped, and the valve includes:
• a valve member, which has a communication path connecting the liquid tank with the discharge flow path and which is movable to open and close the discharge flow path;
• a valve sheet located on the discharge flow path and having an opening serving as a part of the discharge path, wherein the valve member is contacted with or separated from the valve sheet to close or open the discharge flow path;
• and
• a biasing member to bias the valve member in such a direction that the valve member is separated from the valve sheet, and
• wherein when the discharging device is not driven, the valve member opens the discharge flow path, and when the discharging device is driven in a forward direction, the valve member keeps the discharge flow path opening even though air flows through the communication path of the valve member, whereas, in a case in which the liquid flows through the communication path of the valve member, the valve member is moved by the liquid to close the discharge flow path, wherein after the discharge flow path is closed, the discharging device is driven in a reverse direction and then stopped.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a recording head having nozzles to eject droplets of a liquid;
• a liquid tank to store the liquid to be supplied to the recording head;
• a waste liquid tank to store a waste of the liquid;
• a valve located on the liquid tank while communicating therewith;
• a discharge flow path connecting the valve with the waste liquid tank;
• and
• a discharging device located on the discharge flow path to feed a fluid from the liquid tank to the waste liquid tank,
• wherein the valve includes:
• a first valve member, which has a communication path connecting the liquid tank with the discharge flow path and which is movable to open and close the discharge flow path;
• a valve sheet located on the discharge flow path and having an opening serving as a part of the discharge flow path, wherein the first valve is contacted with or separated from the valve sheet to close or open the discharge flow path;
• a biasing member to bias the first valve member in such a direction that the first valve member is separated from the valve sheet;
• and
• a second valve member to open and close the discharge flow path in conjunction with movement of the first valve member, and
• wherein when the discharging device is not driven, the first valve member opens the discharge flow path while the second valve member opens the discharge flow path, and when the discharging device starts to be driven, the first and second valve members keep the discharge flow path opening even though air flows to the discharge flow path through the communication path of the first valve member, whereas, in a case in which the liquid flows through the communication path of the first valve member while the first and second valve members open the discharge flow path, the first valve member is moved by the liquid and the second valve member is moved to close the discharge flow path in conjunction with movement of the first valve member.