# US 8,770,686 B2 · Image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,686 B2 - Document ID: US8770686B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/424,541 - Filed: 2012-03-20 - Published: 2012-10-04 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-30 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Hiroyoshi Komaba; Shinji Imoto; Satoshi Kitaoka; Seiji Hoshino; Shozo Sakura - Inventors: Hiroyoshi Komaba; Shinji Imoto; Satoshi Kitaoka; Seiji Hoshino; Shozo Sakura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770686B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/17566: {Ink level or ink residue control} - B41J 11/0015: {for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114)} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract An image forming apparatus including an image forming device forming an image on a surface of a recording material; a recording material passage; a treatment liquid applicator including a tray containing a treatment liquid, a first roller applying the treatment liquid to the surface of the recording material, and a second roller drawing the treatment liquid from the tray to supply the treatment liquid to the first roller; a liquid level inclination detector detecting whether the surface of the treatment liquid is inclined; a treatment liquid supplying device supplying the treatment liquid to the tray; and a controller connected with liquid level detector and the treatment liquid supplying device. The controller stops the operation of the treatment liquid supplying device when determining according to the detection result of the liquid level detector that the surface of the treatment liquid is inclined in a predetermined amount or more. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming device to form an image on a surface of a recording material; a recording material passage through which the recording material is fed; a treatment liquid applicator including: a tray to contain treatment liquid; a first roller opposed to the recording material passage to apply the treatment liquid to the recording material fed through the recording material passage; and a second roller adjacent to the first roller to pick up the treatment liquid from the tray to supply the treatment liquid to the first roller; a liquid level inclination detector to detect whether a surface of the treatment liquid in the tray is inclined; a treatment liquid supplying device to supply the treatment liquid to the tray; and a controller connected with the liquid level inclination detector and the treatment liquid supplying device, wherein the controller stops the treatment liquid supplying device from supplying the treatment liquid when determining according to a detection result of the liquid level inclination detector that the surface of the treatment liquid in the tray is inclined in a predetermined amount or more, wherein the liquid level inclination detector includes liquid level sensors disposed at respective ends of the second roller in an axial direction of the second roller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid level inclination detector detects inclination of the surface of the treatment liquid by angle, and wherein the controller stops the treatment liquid supplying device from supplying the treatment liquid when determining according to a detection result of the liquid level inclination detector that the surface of the treatment liquid in the tray is inclined at a predetermined angle, below which the treatment liquid in the tray does not overflow from the tray. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid level sensors disposed at the respective ends of the second roller in the axial direction thereof constitute a first liquid level inclination detector and also serve as a stored liquid amount detector to detect an amount of the treatment liquid stored in the tray, and wherein the liquid level inclination detector further includes: a second liquid level inclination detector having additional liquid level sensors disposed at the respective ends of the second roller in the axial direction thereof, wherein the additional liquid level sensors are located at a higher position, in a vertical direction, than the liquid level sensors that constitute the first liquid level inclination detector, and wherein the controller drives the treatment liquid supplying device until both of the liquid level sensors that constitute the first liquid level inclination detector detect the surface of the treatment liquid in the tray. ### Claim 4 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming device to form an image on a surface of a recording material; a recording material passage through which the recording material is fed; a treatment liquid applicator including: a tray to contain the treatment liquid; a first roller opposed to the recording material passage to apply the treatment liquid to the recording material fed through the recording material passage; and a second roller adjacent to the first roller to pick up the treatment liquid from the tray to supply the treatment liquid to the first roller; a liquid level inclination detector to detect whether a surface of the treatment liquid in the tray is inclined; a treatment liquid supplying device to supply the treatment liquid to the tray; a controller connected with the liquid level inclination detector and the treatment liquid supplying device, wherein the controller stops the treatment liquid supplying device from supplying the treatment liquid when determining according to a detection result of the liquid level inclination detector that the surface of the treatment liquid in the tray is inclined in a predetermined amount or more; and an operating portion to issue a warning that the treatment quid is about to overflow, the operating portion being connected with the the controller, wherein the controller allows the operating portion to issue the warning when determining according to the detection result of the liquid level inclination detector that the surface of the treatment liquid in the tray is inclined in the predetermined amount or more. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the treatment liquid supplying device includes: a liquid flow path, which is connected with a bottom portion of the tray and through which the treatment liquid is supplied to the tray by the treatment liquid supplying device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the treatment liquid supplying device includes: at least one of a liquid feeder capable of feeding the treatment liquid to the tray through the liquid flow path and collecting the treatment liquid from the tray through the liquid flow path, and an on-off valve capable of opening and closing the liquid flow path. ### Claim 7 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming device to form an image on a surface of a recording material; a recording material passage through which the recording material is fed; a treatment liquid applicator including: a tray to contain the treatment liquid; a first roller opposed to the recording material passage to apply the treatment liquid to the recording material fed through the recording material passage; and a second roller adjacent to the first roller to pick up the treatment liquid from the tray to supply the treatment liquid to the first roller; a liquid level inclination detector to detect whether a surface of the treatment liquid in the tray is inclined; a treatment liquid supplying device to supply the treatment liquid to the tray; a controller connected with the liquid level inclination detector and the treatment liquid supplying device, wherein the controller stops the treatment liquid supplying device from supplying the treatment liquid when determining according to a detection result of the liquid level inclination detector that the surface of the treatment liquid in the tray is inclined in a predetermined amount or more; and a liquid level detector, which is different from the liquid level inclination detector and which includes a liquid level sensor located at each side of the second roller in an axial direction thereof to detect a level of surface of the treatment liquid in the tray, wherein the treatment liquid supplying device includes: a liquid flow path, which is connected with two bottom portions of the tray and through which the treatment liquid is supplied to the tray or is collect from the tray according to a detection result of the liquid level detector, wherein the two bottom portions face the liquid level sensors, respectively; and at least one of a liquid feeder capable of feeding the treatment liquid to the tray through the liquid flow path and collecting the treatment liquid from the tray through the liquid flow path, and an on-off valve capable of opening and closing the liquid flow path, and wherein the controller controls an amount of the treatment liquid remaining in the tray according to a detection result of the second liquid level detector when the treatment liquid is collected. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a sensing position in a vertical direction of one of the liquid level sensors is different from a sensing position of the other liquid level sensor of the liquid level sensors.