Waste liquid reservoir and liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840078-B2
Application number	US-201715399909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Jan 18, 2016
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid onto a medium, a mounting portion on which a liquid collection container including an absorber that absorbs liquid is removably mounted, a liquid receiving portion configured to receive the liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting head, and a relay portion located in a region communicating with the liquid receiving portion. The relay portion is located at a position in contact with the absorber of the liquid collection container mounted in the mounting portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waste liquid reservoir to be removably mounted in a mounting chamber in a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, a waste liquid receiving portion that receives the liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting head as waste liquid, a discharge unit that discharges the liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting head as waste liquid, a substrate connection unit, and the mounting chamber accommodating therein the discharge unit and the substrate connection unit, the waste liquid reservoir comprising:
a waste liquid storage container including a sidewall and a bottom plate defining a waste liquid storage chamber that stores the waste liquid, the waste liquid storage chamber including a waste liquid inlet, located in a ceiling portion of the waste liquid storage chamber and opened toward an insertion direction so as to allow the waste liquid received by the waste liquid receiving portion to be introduced, when the waste liquid reservoir enters the mounting chamber by being moved in the insertion direction;
a waste liquid introduction port to be connected to the discharge unit by being moved in the mounting chamber in a connection direction different from the insertion direction; and
a circuit board including a connection terminal to be electrically connected to the substrate connection unit by being moved in the connection direction in the mounting chamber,
wherein the waste liquid introduction port is located in a front wall of the waste liquid storage container intersecting the sidewall and the bottom plate, and
the connection terminal is located in the sidewall of the waste liquid storage container different from the front wall and the ceiling portion.

2. The waste liquid reservoir according to claim 1 ,
wherein the waste liquid storage container includes a plurality of the waste liquid inlets aligned in the connection direction.

3. The waste liquid reservoir according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mounting chamber includes a detent portion that detains the waste liquid storage container,
the waste liquid storage container includes an engaging portion to be engaged with the detent portion when the waste liquid reservoir moves in the connection direction in the mounting chamber, the engaging portion being located in the ceiling portion, and
the connection terminal is located between the bottom plate and the engaging portion, in the waste liquid storage container.

4. The waste liquid reservoir according to claim 3 ,
wherein the mounting chamber includes a guide projection projecting in the connection direction,
the waste liquid storage container includes a fitting portion to be engaged with the guide projection when the waste liquid reservoir moves in the connection direction, and
the waste liquid introduction port is located between the fitting portion and the engaging portion in a width direction that is an extending direction of the bottom plate and the front wall of the waste liquid storage container.

5. The waste liquid reservoir according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mounting chamber includes a guide projection projecting in the connection direction,
the waste liquid storage container includes a fitting portion to be engaged with the guide projection when the waste liquid reservoir moves in the connection direction, and
the waste liquid introduction port, the connection terminal, and the fitting portion are located in the waste liquid storage container at positions overlapping an imaginary plane extending along the bottom plate.

6. The waste liquid reservoir according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a waste liquid transfer portion extending from the waste liquid receiving portion and projecting into the mounting chamber; and
an absorber capable of absorbing the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage chamber,
wherein the absorber enters into contact with the waste liquid transfer portion by being moved in the connection direction in the mounting chamber.

7. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid;
a waste liquid receiving portion that receives the liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting head as waste liquid;
a discharge unit that discharges the liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting head as waste liquid;
a substrate connection unit; and
a mounting chamber accommodating therein the discharge unit and the substrate connection unit,
wherein the waste liquid reservoir according to claim 1 is removably mounted in the mounting chamber.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Takekoshi Taro
• Hirasawa Yusuke
• Tanaka Hidenori

Classifications

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2/16523

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

• B41J2/1721

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J2/16517 Primary

  Cleaning of print head nozzles (B41J2/16505, B41J2/1707 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2002/1728

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic