US 12,466,198 B2
Liquid discharge apparatus
Satoshi Ueno, Tokyo (JP); and Muneyuki Okeguchi, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Satoshi Ueno, Tokyo (JP); and Muneyuki Okeguchi, Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on Sep. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/368,020.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-147012 (JP), filed on Sep. 15, 2022; and application No. 2023-126126 (JP), filed on Aug. 2, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0092092 A1, Mar. 21, 2024
Int. Cl. B41J 11/00 (2006.01); B41J 2/21 (2006.01); B41J 3/407 (2006.01); B41J 29/387 (2006.01); B41M 5/00 (2006.01); D06P 5/30 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 3/4078 (2013.01) [B41J 2/2114 (2013.01); B41J 29/387 (2013.01); B41M 5/0017 (2013.01); D06P 5/30 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a holder to reciprocally move while holding a recording medium,
a pre-treatment head to discharge a pre-treatment liquid onto a surface of the recording medium held by the holder,
a smoother to smooth the pre-treatment liquid, which is discharged onto the surface of the recording medium, along the surface of the recording medium by a movement of the holder,
a print head to discharge a printing liquid onto the surface of the recording medium with the pre-treatment liquid smoothed,
a lifter to vertically move the holder between a lifted position at which the pre-treatment liquid or the printing liquid is discharged onto the surface of the recording medium and a lowered position at which the pre-treatment liquid or the printing liquid is not discharged onto the surface of the recording medium,
an interlock switch for the lifter, and
wherein when the smoother is lifted by the lifter with an object caught between the holder and the smoother, the smoother is pushed up by the object to operate the interlock switch to stop the holder.