US 11,981,141 B2
Wiping method and image forming apparatus
Ichiroh Fujii, Kanagawa (JP); Takumi Atake, Tokyo (JP); Yohta Sakon, Kanagawa (JP); Akira Izutani, Osaka (JP); and Hiroko Ohkura, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/753,267
Filed by Ichiroh Fujii, Kanagawa (JP); Takumi Atake, Tokyo (JP); Yohta Sakon, Kanagawa (JP); Akira Izutani, Osaka (JP); and Hiroko Ohkura, Kanagawa (JP)
PCT Filed Sep. 15, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/058540
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 25, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/053496, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-169755 (JP), filed on Sep. 18, 2019; and application No. 2020-127275 (JP), filed on Jul. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0001696 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 2/165 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/16544 (2013.01) [B41J 2/16552 (2013.01); B41J 2002/16558 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wiping method for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head, the wiping method comprising:
relatively moving the liquid discharge head and a wiper impregnated with a cleaning fluid, the cleaning fluid containing a lactone compound in an amount of 5% by mass or more,
wherein the wiper includes:
a first layer configured to contact the nozzle surface, having a thickness of t1; and
one or more layers other than the first layer, having a total thickness of t2,
wherein t1 is smaller than t2,
wherein a void ratio of the first layer is smaller than a void ratio of at least one of said one or more layers other than the first layer, and
wherein the void ratio of each one of the layers is riven by the following formula:
void ratio=1−apparent density/true density.