Waste liquid container, attachment, waste liquid collection unit, and liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9233543-B2
Application number	US-201514699914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

A waste liquid container is detachably mounted on a mounting unit which includes a discharge portion discharging a waste liquid and a projection to which a substrate connection portion is joined. The waste liquid container includes: a containing portion that is able to contain the waste liquid; a connection concave portion that is opened in a mounting direction; a circuit substrate that includes connection terminals electrically connected to the substrate connection portion and is joined to the connection concave portion; and a waste liquid introduction portion that is connected to the discharge portion. In the connection concave portion, one pair of guide portions guiding the projection is formed so that the connection terminals are interposed therebetween in a width direction intersecting the mounting direction. Of the pair of guide portions, one guide portion is disposed between the connection terminals and the waste liquid introduction portion in the width direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waste liquid container detachably mounted on a mounting unit which includes a discharge portion discharging a waste liquid and a projection to which a substrate connection portion is joined, the waste liquid container comprising:
a containing portion that is able to contain the waste liquid;
a connection concave portion that is opened in a mounting direction in regard to the mounting unit so that the projection is insertable at a time of mounting on the mounting unit;
a circuit substrate that includes connection terminals electrically connected to the substrate connection portion at the time of the mounting on the mounting unit and is joined to the connection concave portion; and
a waste liquid introduction portion that is connected to the discharge portion at the time of the mounting on the mounting unit,
wherein in the connection concave portion, one pair of guide portions guiding the projection at the time of the mounting on the mounting unit is formed so that the connection terminals are interposed therebetween in a width direction intersecting the mounting direction, and
wherein of the pair of guide portions, one guide portion is disposed between the connection terminals and the waste liquid introduction portion in the width direction.

2. The waste liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein the one guide portion protrudes in a wall portion forming the waste liquid introduction portion and the connection concave portion to project toward an inside of the connection concave portion.

3. The waste liquid container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the one pair of guide portions includes a guide surface extending in the mounting direction and the width direction, and
wherein the waste liquid introduction portion is opened in the mounting direction and an opening center of the waste liquid introduction portion is located on a plane including the guide surface.

4. The waste liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the connection terminals are disposed to face a region between the one guide portion and the other guide portion of the one pair of guide portions.

5. The waste liquid container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the substrate connection portion includes a movable contact portion elastically deformable according to a contact pressure, and
wherein at the time of the mounting on the mounting unit, the one pair of guide portions engages with the projection by an elastic restoration force of the movable contact portion which is pressed against the connection terminals and is elastically deformed.

6. The waste liquid container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connection concave portion and the waste liquid introduction portion are formed to be arranged in the width direction in a convex portion protruding from the containing portion in the mounting direction, and
wherein both ends of the convex portion in the width direction are disposed in the width direction more inside than both ends of the containing portion in the width direction.

7. The waste liquid container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an absorber that is able to absorb the waste liquid;
an accommodation member in which an accommodation concave portion capable of accommodating the absorber is formed;
a film member that covers an opening of the accommodation concave portion; and
a reinforcement member that is disposed between the absorber and the film member,
wherein the containing portion is surrounded by the accommodation concave portion and the film member.

8. The waste liquid container according to claim 7 ,
wherein the accommodation member includes a protrusion projecting inside the accommodation concave portion, and
wherein the absorber includes an insertion portion into which the protrusion is insertable.

9. The waste liquid container according to claim 8 , wherein the reinforcement member is disposed between the protrusion and the film member.

10. The waste liquid container according to claim 7 , wherein the reinforcement member is formed of a sheet-shaped resin material.

11. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting unit that is able to eject a liquid; and
a mounting unit on which the waste liquid container according to claim 1 is detachably mounted,
wherein the mounting unit includes a discharge portion discharging a waste liquid and a projection to which a substrate connection portion is joined.

12. An attachment which is a separate body from a waste liquid containing unit accommodated in an accommodation chamber, in which a mounting unit including a discharge portion discharging a waste liquid to a waste liquid containing unit and a projection to which a substrate connection portion is joined, in a state in which the liquid containing unit is mounted on the mounting unit, the attachment comprising:
a connection concave portion that is opened in a mounting direction in regard to the mounting unit so that the projection is insertable at a time of mounting on the mounting unit; and
a circuit substrate that includes connection terminals electrically connected to the substrate connection portion at the time of the mounting on the mounting unit and is joined to the connection concave portion,
wherein in the connection concave portion, one pair of guide portions guiding the projection at the time of the mounting on the mounting unit is formed so that the connection terminals are interposed therebetween in a width direction intersecting the mounting direction.

13. The attachment according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a waste liquid introduction portion that is connected to the discharge portion at the time of the mounting on the mounting unit,
wherein of the pair of guide portions, one guide portion is disposed between the connection terminals and the waste liquid introduction portion in the width direction.

14. The attachment according to claim 13 , wherein the one guide portion protrudes in a wall portion forming the waste liquid introduction portion and the connection concave portion to project toward an inside of the connection concave portion.

15. The attachment according to claim 13 ,
wherein the one pair of guide portions includes a guide surface extending in the mounting direction and the width direction, and
wherein the waste liquid introduction portion is opened in the mounting direction and an opening center of the waste liquid introduction portion is located on a plane including the guide surface.

16. The attachment according to claim 12 , wherein at least some of the connection terminals are disposed to face a region between the one guide portion and the other guide portion of the one pair of guide portions.

17. A waste recovery unit comprising:
the attachment according to claim 12 ;
a waste liquid containing unit that is able to contain a waste liquid; and
a connection passage that connects the attachment to the waste liquid containing unit.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Hirasawa Yusuke
• Ogura Yasuhiro
• Takekoshi Taro
• Nozawa Izumi

Classifications

• B41J2/16523

  Waste ink transport from caps or spittoons, e.g. by suction (Collecting or collectors of waste ink B41J2/1721) · CPC title

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2/1721 Primary

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J2/16547

  the wipers and caps or spittoons being on the same movable support · CPC title

• B41J2/185 Primary

  Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers · CPC title