Liquid consuming apparatus and ink-jet printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969172-B2
Application number	US-201615336446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A liquid consuming apparatus includes: a liquid consumer; a liquid receiver; a first waste-liquid storage including (i) a first housing connected to the liquid receiver to allow liquid communication between the first housing and the liquid receiver, and (ii) a first liquid absorber disposed in the first housing; and a second waste-liquid storage including (a) a second housing connected to the first waste-liquid storage to allow liquid communication between the second housing and the first waste-liquid storage, and (b) a second liquid absorber disposed in the second housing. The first housing has a first opening that opens toward the second housing. The second housing has a second opening that opens toward the first housing. The first liquid absorber protrudes from the first opening to an outside of the first housing. The second liquid absorber is in contact with the first liquid absorber protruding from the first opening.

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 comprising a first housing connected to the liquid receiver so as to allow communication of the liquid between the first housing and the liquid receiver, and a first liquid absorber disposed in the first housing, a portion of the first liquid absorber passing a first opening of the first housing such that the portion of the first liquid absorber protrudes from an end of the first housing to an outside of the end of the first housing and an end of the portion of the first liquid absorber is located at the outside of the end of the first housing; and
a second waste-liquid storage comprising a second housing connected to the first waste-liquid storage so as to allow communication of the liquid between the second housing and the first waste-liquid storage, and a second liquid absorber disposed in the second housing,
the first housing comprising the first opening that opens toward the second housing,
the second housing comprising a second opening that opens toward the first housing,
the first liquid absorber protruding from the first opening to an outside of the first housing,
the second liquid absorber being in contact with the first liquid absorber protruding from the first opening.

2. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing is located on an upper side of the second housing.

3. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing comprises an inner wall defining the first opening, and a space is formed between the inner wall and the first liquid absorber.

4. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first housing comprises a side surface, a bottom surface, and a rib that protrudes from the side surface to an inner space of the first housing and that extends to the bottom surface in an up and down direction, and
wherein the first liquid absorber is in contact with the rib.

5. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing comprises a positioning member located on an upper side of the first opening and in contact with an upper surface of the first liquid absorber.

6. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the first housing comprises a third opening in addition to the first opening formed in a bottom portion of the first housing, and the third opening opens upward, and
wherein the third opening is sealed with the positioning member.

7. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the positioning member comprises:
at least one port communicating with an inner space of the first housing; and
a tube supporter that supports a tube connected to the at least one port and the liquid receiver.

8. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the tube supporter supports the tube extending upward from the at least one port, such that the tube is curved downward.

9. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the positioning member comprises two ports as the at least one port, and
wherein the first liquid absorber divides the inner space of the first housing into a space communicating with a first port of the two ports and a space communicating with a second port of the two ports.

10. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second housing comprises a sheet formed with the second opening and sealing an opening of the second housing which opens upward.

11. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second housing comprises a rib protruding upward from a bottom surface of the second housing and bent in a hook shape.

12. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor disposed in the second housing and configured to sense the liquid,
wherein the second housing comprises:
a first cable supporter that supports a cable extending from the sensor; and
a second cable supporter comprising (i) a guide that guides the cable to a position located below a position at which the first cable supporter supports the cable and (ii) a nip portion that holds the cable with the guide, with the cable interposed between the nip portion and the guide.

13. An ink-jet printer comprising:
an ink-jet head;
a first waste-ink storage comprising a first housing and a first liquid absorber disposed in the first housing;
a second waste-ink storage comprising a second housing and a second liquid absorber disposed in the second housing, a portion of the first liquid absorber passing a first opening of the first housing such that the portion of the first liquid absorber protrudes from an end of the first housing to an outside of the end of the first housing and an end of the portion of the first liquid absorber is located at the outside of the end of the first housing; and
a waste-ink path connected to the first waste-ink storage, the 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 waste-ink path when the waste-ink path is connected to the ink-jet head,
the first liquid absorber protruding to an outside of the first housing,
the second liquid absorber being in contact with the first liquid absorber protruding from the first housing.

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 comprising a first housing connected to the liquid receiver so as to allow communication of the liquid between the first housing and the liquid receiver, and a first liquid absorber disposed in the first housing;
a second waste-liquid storage comprising a second housing connected to the first waste-liquid storage so as to allow communication of the liquid between the second housing and the first waste-liquid storage, and a second liquid absorber disposed in the second housing, the first housing comprising a first opening that opens toward the second housing, the second housing comprising a second opening that opens toward the first housing, the first liquid absorber protruding from the first opening to an outside of the first housing, the second liquid absorber being in contact with the first liquid absorber protruding from the first opening,
a third housing accommodating the liquid consumer and the first waste-liquid storage;
a first sheet tray supported by the third housing;
a fourth housing mountable on and removable from a lower side of the third housing selectively;
a second sheet tray supported by the fourth housing; and
a third waste-liquid storage disposed in the fourth housing and connectable to the second waste-liquid storage and the first waste-liquid storage selectively,
wherein the second waste-liquid storage is mountable on and removable from the third housing below the first sheet tray, and
wherein the third waste-liquid storage is located on a side of the second sheet tray.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishikawa Yasuo
• Ueda Toshiro
• Tatematsu Yuya
• FUKUE Hideo

Classifications

• B41J2002/1728

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B41J2002/1856

  waste ink containers · CPC title

• B41J2002/1853

  ink collectors for continuous Inkjet printers, e.g. gutters, mist suction means · CPC title

• B41J2/1721 Primary

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J2/16523 Primary

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