Liquid consuming apparatus and ink-jet printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093101-B2
Application number	US-201615335855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A liquid consuming apparatus includes: a liquid consumer that consumes liquid; a liquid receiver that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid consumer; a first waste-liquid storage connected to the liquid receiver so as to allow communication of the liquid therebetween; a second waste-liquid storage connected to the first waste-liquid storage so as to allow communication of the liquid therebetween; a housing; and a sheet tray supported by the housing. The first waste-liquid storage is disposed on a side of the sheet tray. The second waste-liquid storage is disposed under the sheet tray.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid consuming apparatus, comprising:
a liquid consumer that consumes liquid;
a liquid receiver that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid consumer;
a first waste-liquid storage connected to the liquid receiver so as to allow communication of the liquid therebetween;
a second waste-liquid storage connected to the first waste-liquid storage such that an inner space of the first waste-liquid storage and an inner space of the second waste-liquid storage directly communicate with each other;
a housing; and
a sheet tray supported by the housing,
the first waste-liquid storage being disposed on a side of the sheet tray,
the second waste-liquid storage being disposed under the sheet tray,
wherein the second waste-liquid storage overlaps the sheet tray when viewed from an upper side in an up and down direction.

2. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an upper end of the first waste-liquid storage is located above an upper end of the second waste-liquid storage.

3. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a bottom area of the first waste-liquid storage is less than that of the second waste-liquid storage, and
wherein a height of the first waste-liquid storage is greater than that of the second waste-liquid storage.

4. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the housing comprises at least one rib protruding downward from a lower surface of the housing, and
wherein a lower end of the first waste-liquid storage and a lower end of the second waste-liquid storage are located above a lower end of the at least one rib.

5. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the at least one rib comprises a plurality of ribs extending in a first direction in which the sheet tray and the first waste-liquid storage are arranged,
wherein the plurality of ribs are spaced apart from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and
wherein at least the second waste-liquid storage of the first waste-liquid storage and the second waste-liquid storage is disposed between the plurality of ribs.

6. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first waste-liquid storage and the second waste-liquid storage are removable downward from a lower surface of the housing.

7. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a roller that conveys a sheet supported by the sheet tray; and
a first reinforcement disposed on a lower surface of the housing below the roller,
wherein the first waste-liquid storage and the second waste-liquid storage do not overlap the first reinforcement when viewed from an upper side in an up and down direction.

8. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet tray is supported in a state in which the sheet tray protrudes frontward from the housing,
wherein the liquid consuming apparatus further comprises a second reinforcement disposed on a front portion of a lower surface of the housing, and
wherein the first waste-liquid storage and the second waste-liquid storage do not overlap the second reinforcement when viewed from an upper side in an up and down direction.

9. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a third waste-liquid storage is disposed in the housing at a position located between the liquid receiver and the first waste-liquid storage, and
wherein a liquid absorber of the first waste-liquid storage and a liquid absorber of the third waste-liquid storage are held in contact with each other.

10. An ink-jet printer, comprising:
an ink-jet head;
a first waste-ink storage;
a second waste-ink storage;
a first waste-ink path connected to the first waste-ink storage, the first waste-ink path being connectable to the ink-jet head, wherein the first waste-ink storage is communicated with the ink-jet head via the first waste-ink path when the first waste-ink path is connected to the ink-jet head;
a second waste-ink path connected to the first waste-ink storage and the second waste-ink storage, wherein the second waste-ink storage is communicated with the ink-jet head via the first ink path and the second ink path when the first ink path is connected to the ink-jet head, an inner space of the first waste-ink-storage and an inner space of the second waste-ink storage communicating each other through the second waste-ink path;
a housing; and
a sheet tray supported by the housing,
wherein the first waste-ink storage is disposed on a side of the sheet tray, and the second waste-ink storage is disposed under the sheet tray.

11. The ink-jet printer according to claim 10 , wherein the second waste-ink storage overlaps the sheet tray when viewed from an upper side in an up and down direction.

12. An ink-jet printer, comprising:
an ink-jet head;
a first waste-ink storage;
a second waste-ink storage connected to the first waste-ink storage such that an inner space of the first waste-ink storage and an inner space of the second waste-ink storage directly communicate with each other;
a waste-ink path comprising an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being connected to first ink storage, the inlet being connectable to the ink-jet head;
a housing; and
a sheet tray supported by the housing,
wherein the first waste-ink storage is disposed on a side of the sheet tray, and the second waste-ink storage is disposed under the sheet tray,
wherein the second waste-ink storage overlaps the sheet tray when viewed from an upper side in an up and down direction.

13. The ink-jet printer according to claim 12 , wherein the inlet of the first ink path is defined by a cap.

14. A liquid consuming apparatus, comprising:
a liquid consumer that consumes liquid;
a liquid receiver that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid consumer;
a first waste-liquid storage connected to the liquid receiver so as to allow communication of the liquid therebetween;
a second waste-liquid storage connected to the first waste-liquid storage such that an inner space of the first waste-liquid storage and an inner space of the second waste-liquid storage directly communicate with each other;
a housing; and
a sheet tray supported by the housing,
the first waste-liquid storage being disposed on a side of the sheet tray,
the second waste-liquid storage being disposed under the sheet tray,
wherein a bottom area of the first waste-liquid storage is less than that of the second waste-liquid storage, and
wherein a height of the first waste-liquid storage is greater than that of the second waste-liquid storage.

15. A liquid consuming apparatus, comprising:
a liquid consumer that consumes liquid;
a liquid receiver that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid consumer;
a first waste-liquid storage connected to the liquid receiver so as to allow communication of the liquid therebetween;
a second waste-liquid storage connected to the first waste-liquid storage such that an inner space of the first waste-liquid storage and an inner space of the second waste-liquid storage directly communicate with each other;
a housing; and
a sheet tray supported by the housing,
the first waste-liquid storage being disposed on a side of the sheet tray,
the second waste-liquid storage being disposed under the sheet tray,
wherein the first waste-liquid storage and the second waste-liquid storage are removable downward from a lower surface of the housing.

16. A liquid consuming apparatus, comprising:
a liquid consumer that consumes liquid;
a liquid receiver that rece

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishikawa Yasuo

Classifications

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J13/103

  for the sheet feeding section · CPC title

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2/1721 Primary

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J2/185

  Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers · CPC title