US 11,999,158 B2
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and storage medium
Yuusuke Matsuki, Kanagawa (JP); Daisuke Mezaki, Kanagawa (JP); Kiyoshi Tsukamura, Kanagawa (JP); and Yuki Tsuchiya, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Yuusuke Matsuki, Kanagawa (JP); Daisuke Mezaki, Kanagawa (JP); Kiyoshi Tsukamura, Kanagawa (JP); and Yuki Tsuchiya, Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on Mar. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/699,799.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-057705 (JP), filed on Mar. 30, 2021; and application No. 2021-211429 (JP), filed on Dec. 24, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0314657 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B41J 11/00 (2006.01); B41J 2/21 (2006.01); B41J 11/22 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 11/00214 (2021.01) [B41J 2/2107 (2013.01); B41J 11/22 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid onto a recording medium, the liquid including a metallic ink and a color ink;
an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the liquid on the recording medium with light;
a carriage on which the liquid discharge head and the irradiation unit are mounted; and
a moving unit configured to alternately perform a main scanning movement and a sub-scanning movement, the main scanning movement in which the carriage is moved relative to the recording medium in a main scanning direction, the sub-scanning movement in which the carriage is moved relative to the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction,
wherein the liquid discharge head discharges the metallic ink in a region of the recording medium in a former main scanning movement,
wherein the liquid discharge head discharges the color ink in the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged, in a latter main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement,
wherein the irradiation unit irradiates the region in which the color ink has been discharged with the light, and
wherein the irradiation unit irradiates the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged with the light, in an intermediate main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement and before the latter main scanning movement.