JP2009269194A - Waste fluid collector, fluid jet device, and method for manufacturing waste fluid collector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly insert and extract an insertion and extraction member and to appropriately remove waste fluid adhering to the insertion and extraction member. <P>SOLUTION: The waste fluid collector includes: a container in which waste fluid that is fluid to be discarded is stored; an absorber which is provided in the container and absorbs the waste fluid; and an opening portion which is formed on the sidewall of the container, through which the insertion and extraction member provided on the fluid jet device is inserted and extracted when the container is attached to/detached from the fluid jet device, and which includes a first portion covered with a counter portion of the absorber opposed to the sidewall, when the opening portion is seen from a direction perpendicular to the sidewall, and a second portion not covered therewith. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste fluid recovery body, a fluid ejection device, and a method for manufacturing a waste fluid recovery body.

As one of the waste fluid recovery bodies, there is a waste ink recovery body attached to an ink jet printer which is a fluid ejecting apparatus. The waste ink collection body is for collecting waste ink discharged from a discharge member provided in the printer.
Moreover, said waste fluid collection | recovery body is equipped with the container which accommodates the waste fluid which is the fluid discarded, and the absorber which is provided in the said container and absorbs the said waste fluid. Thereby, the collect | recovered waste fluid can be absorbed and accommodated.
JP 2007-130998 A

  By the way, from the viewpoint of recycling and the like, there is a demand for realizing a configuration in which the waste fluid recovery body can be attached and detached. On the other hand, some waste fluid collection bodies include an opening through which an insertion / extraction member (for example, the discharge member corresponds to the insertion / extraction member) is inserted / removed. For this reason, in order to respond to said request | requirement, it is necessary to insert / extract an insertion / extraction member appropriately.

  Moreover, since waste fluid is discharged | emitted from the insertion / extraction member discharge member which is a discharge member, waste fluid may adhere to an insertion / extraction member. And when a waste fluid collection body is pulled out, there is a possibility that the waste fluid hanging from the insertion / extraction member may cause dirt on the waste fluid collection body and the like to be attached and detached thereafter.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the subject which concerns, and the place made into the objective is to perform the insertion / extraction of the insertion / extraction member smoothly, and to remove the waste fluid adhering to an insertion / extraction member appropriately.

In order to solve the above problems, the main present invention is:
A container for containing a waste fluid which is a discarded fluid;
An absorber provided in the container and absorbing the waste fluid;
An opening formed on the side wall of the container and into which the insertion / extraction member provided in the fluid ejection device is inserted / removed when the fluid ejection device is attached to / detached from the fluid ejection device. When viewed, an opening having a first portion closed by a facing portion facing the side wall of the absorber, and a second portion not blocked by the facing portion;
It is a waste fluid recovery body characterized by comprising.

  Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

A container for containing a waste fluid which is a discarded fluid;
An absorber provided in the container and absorbing the waste fluid;
An opening formed on the side wall of the container and into which the insertion / extraction member provided in the fluid ejection device is inserted / removed when the fluid ejection device is attached to / detached from the fluid ejection device. When viewed, an opening having a first portion closed by a facing portion facing the side wall of the absorber, and a second portion not blocked by the facing portion;
A waste fluid recovery body comprising:
According to such a waste fluid recovery body, the insertion / extraction member is inserted / extracted while being in contact with the absorber that closes the first portion. Therefore, the insertion / extraction member can be smoothly inserted and removed, and the waste fluid attached to the insertion / extraction member is appropriately Can be removed.

Also, such a waste fluid recovery body,
In the container, a plurality of absorbers are provided in a stacked state,
It is desirable that the first portion is blocked by the facing portion of at least one absorber among the plurality of absorbers.
In this case, since there is at least one absorber that can be contacted by the insertion / extraction member, the insertion / extraction member can easily come into contact with the absorber that blocks the first portion.

Also, such a waste fluid recovery body,
A guide groove that guides the insertion / extraction member when the insertion / extraction member is inserted / extracted is formed in the facing portion of one absorber located at the same position as the opening of the plurality of absorbers. ,
It is desirable that a portion of the facing portion around the guide groove closes the first portion.
In such a case, the insertion / extraction member easily comes into contact with a portion (or guide groove) around the guide groove of the one absorber.

Also, such a waste fluid recovery body,
Of the absorber around the guide groove, the upper part of the absorber located below the guide groove closes the first portion,
It is desirable that the position of the upper surface of the upper portion is located below the center of the opening in the vertical direction.
In such a case, the upper portion is unlikely to become a resistance when the insertion / extraction member is inserted / removed, so that the insertion / extraction can be performed smoothly and waste fluid that may adhere to the lower portion of the insertion / extraction member and hang down can be appropriately removed.

Also, such a waste fluid recovery body,
The guide groove is preferably smaller than an outer diameter of a shaft portion provided in the insertion / extraction member and inserted / extracted into / from the opening.
In such a case, the insertion / extraction member can reliably contact a portion (or guide groove) around the guide groove of the one absorber.

A fluid ejection device body;
A discharge member for discharging a waste fluid which is a discarded fluid;
A waste fluid recovery body that is detachable from the fluid ejecting apparatus main body for recovering the waste fluid discharged from the discharge member,
A container for accommodating the waste fluid; an absorber provided in the container for absorbing the waste fluid; and an opening formed in a side wall of the container, into which the discharge member is inserted and withdrawn, and perpendicular to the side wall An opening having a first portion closed by a facing portion facing the side wall of the absorber and a second portion not blocked by the facing portion when the opening is viewed from any direction. A waste fluid recovery body comprising:
A fluid ejecting apparatus comprising:
According to this fluid ejecting apparatus, since the insertion / extraction member is inserted / extracted while contacting the absorber that closes the first portion, the insertion / extraction member is smoothly inserted and removed, and the waste fluid adhering to the insertion / extraction member is appropriately removed. It can be removed.

A step of preparing a container having an opening in the side wall and an absorber that absorbs a waste fluid that is a discarded fluid;
A step of mounting the absorber in the container so as to face the side wall, and when the opening is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the side wall, a facing portion facing the side wall of the absorber is Attaching the absorber in the container so as to block the first part of the opening and not block the second part of the opening;
A method for producing a waste fluid recovery body characterized by comprising:
According to such a method for manufacturing a waste fluid recovery body, the insertion / extraction member is inserted / extracted while being in contact with the absorber that closes the first portion of the manufactured waste fluid recovery body, so that the insertion / extraction member is smoothly inserted / extracted, And it becomes possible to remove appropriately the waste fluid adhering to the insertion / extraction member.

=== Configuration of Printer ===
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an overall configuration of a printer 1 that is an example of a fluid ejecting apparatus. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the printer 1. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the overall configuration of the printer 1. In FIG. 2A, the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the front-rear direction are indicated by arrows. In addition, these three directions shown in the drawings after FIG. 2B coincide with the directions shown in FIG. 2A.

Hereinafter, a basic configuration of the printer 1 will be described.
The printer 1 includes a transport unit 20, a carriage unit 30, a head unit 40, a detector group 50, a controller 60, a maintenance unit 70, and the like. The printer 1 that has received print data from the computer 110 as an external device controls each unit (such as the transport unit 20) by the controller 60. The controller 60 controls each unit based on the print data received from the computer 110 and prints an image on paper. The situation in the printer 1 is monitored by a detector group 50, and the detector group 50 outputs a detection result to the controller 60. The controller 60 controls each unit based on the detection result output from the detector group 50.

  The transport unit 20 is for transporting a medium (for example, paper S) in a predetermined direction (hereinafter referred to as a transport direction). The transport unit 20 includes a paper feed roller 21, a transport motor 22, a transport roller 23, a platen 24, and a paper discharge roller 25. The paper feed roller 21 feeds the paper inserted into the paper insertion slot into the printer. The transport roller 23 transports the paper S fed by the paper feed roller 21 to a printable area. The transport roller 23 is driven by the transport motor 22. The platen 24 supports the paper S being printed. The paper discharge roller 25 discharges the paper S to the outside of the printer.

  The carriage unit 30 is for moving the head 41 in a predetermined direction (hereinafter referred to as a moving direction). The carriage unit 30 includes a carriage 31 and a carriage motor 32 (also referred to as a CR motor). The carriage 31 can reciprocate in the moving direction and is driven by a carriage motor 32. Further, the carriage 31 detachably holds an ink cartridge that stores ink, which is an example of a fluid.

  The head unit 40 is for ejecting ink onto paper. The head unit 40 includes a head 41 having a plurality of nozzles. Since the head 41 is provided on the carriage 31, when the carriage 31 moves in the movement direction, the head 41 also moves in the movement direction. Then, when the head 41 is intermittently ejected while moving in the moving direction, dot lines (raster lines) along the moving direction are formed on the paper. The ink includes both water-based ink and oil-based ink.

  The detector group 50 includes a linear encoder 51, a rotary encoder 52, a paper detection sensor 53, an optical sensor 54, and the like. The linear encoder 51 detects the position of the carriage 31 in the moving direction. The rotary encoder 52 detects the rotation amount of the transport roller 23. The paper detection sensor 53 detects the position of the leading edge of the paper being fed. The optical sensor 54 detects the presence or absence of paper by a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit attached to the carriage 31.

  The maintenance unit 70 is for performing various maintenance operations so that the ejection of ink from the head 41 to the paper S is satisfactorily maintained. The detailed configuration of the maintenance unit 70 will be described later.

  The controller 60 is a control unit (control unit) that controls the printer. The controller 60 includes an interface unit 61, a CPU 62, a memory 63, and a unit control circuit 64. The interface unit 61 transmits and receives data between the computer 110 and the printer 1. The CPU 62 is an arithmetic processing unit that controls the entire printer. The memory 63 is for securing an area for storing a program of the CPU 62, a work area, and the like, and includes storage elements such as a RAM and an EEPROM. The CPU 62 controls each unit via the unit control circuit 64 in accordance with a program stored in the memory 63.

=== Configuration of Maintenance Unit 70 ===
The maintenance unit 70 is provided below the home position HP (see FIG. 2A) of the carriage unit 30. Here, the home position HP refers to a position where the carriage unit 30 is located (the right end portion in FIG. 2A) when the printer 1 is powered off or when the head 41 is maintained.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the maintenance unit 70. The maintenance unit 70 includes an ink suction mechanism 71 and a tube support mechanism 79. In the following, after describing the configuration of the ink suction mechanism 71, the configuration of the tube support mechanism 79 will be described.

<<< Configuration of Ink Suction Mechanism 71 >>>
The ink suction mechanism 71 is for sucking ink ejected from the head 41. As shown in FIG. 3, the ink suction mechanism 71 has a cap 72, a tube 73, and a suction pump 74.

  The cap 72 has a rectangular box shape corresponding to the lower surface 41a (specifically, the nozzle forming surface) of the head 41. The cap 72 moves up and down based on driving of a lifting device (not shown). When the cap 72 is raised while the carriage unit 30 is moved to the home position HP, the cap 72 contacts the lower surface 41a of the head 41 while surrounding the nozzle row on the nozzle formation surface. Then, the ink ejected from the head 41 lands on the cap 72.

  The tube 73 connects the cap 72 and a waste ink tank 200 which is an example of a waste fluid recovery body. The tube 73 forms a flow path through which waste ink that is discarded ink flows. The suction pump 74 is provided on the path of the tube 73 and forcibly sucks the ink in the cap 72 ejected from the head 41 as waste ink. The waste ink forcedly sucked by the suction pump 74 flows through the tube 73 and is discharged into the waste ink tank 200.

<<< Configuration of Tube Support Mechanism 79 >>>
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the tube support mechanism 79. FIG. 5A is a cutaway front view of the tube support mechanism 79 showing the support member 90 in a normal state. FIG. 5B is a cutaway front view of the tube support mechanism 79 showing a state in which the support member 90 is retracted. FIG. 6A is a cutaway front view of the tube support mechanism 79 showing a state in which the support member 90 swings upward. FIG. 6B is a cutaway front view of the tube support mechanism 79 showing a state in which the support member 90 swings downward.

  The tube support mechanism 79 is for supporting the tube 73 through which waste ink flows. As shown in FIG. 4, the tube support mechanism 79 includes a base portion 80, an assembly plate 84, and a support member 90. Below, a structure is demonstrated for every component.

<Configuration of the base portion 80>
The base portion 80 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A horizontal plate portion 81, a through hole 82, and a tube stopper 83 are formed in the base portion 80.
The horizontal plate portion 81 has a rectangular plate shape, and extends forward from the lower portion of the front wall of the base portion 80. The horizontal plate portion 81 has a pair of left and right screw holes 81a. A set screw 87 is screwed into each screw hole 81a.
In the present embodiment, three through holes 82 are provided. The three through holes (the upper through hole 82a, the central through hole 82b, and the lower through hole 82c) are formed to be aligned in the vertical direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the inner peripheral surfaces (more specifically, the axially intermediate positions) of the upper through hole 82a and the lower through hole 82c among the three through holes are respectively provided on the inner peripheral surfaces. A facing flange portion 82d is formed.
The tube stopper 83 has a substantially U shape and sandwiches and supports the tube 73. The tube stopper 83 is formed at the upper end of the front wall of the base body 80.

<Configuration of Support Member 90>
The support member 90 is a resin molded product having rigidity, and is for supporting the tube 73 in a straight line. The support member 90 is located on the front side of the base body 80. As shown in FIG. 4, the support member 90 includes a cylindrical body 91 that is an example of a shaft portion, a flange portion 92, a cylindrical portion 93, a column portion 94, an alignment pin 97, and a vertical plate portion. 98.

  The cylindrical body 91 supports the tube 73 on its inner peripheral surface. On the rear side in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 91, a flange 92 is integrally formed in a rectangular plate shape. The cylindrical body 91 has a distal end side cylindrical portion 91a having a cylindrical shape on the distal end side. The distal end side cylindrical portion 91a has an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the tube 73, and supports the distal end of the tube 73 in a fitted state.

  The cylindrical body 91 includes a non-cylindrical portion (specifically, a small-diameter non-cylindrical portion 91b having a small inner diameter and a large-diameter non-cylindrical portion having a large inner diameter). 91d). This non-cylindrical part is formed from the front end side cylindrical part 91a to the rear collar part 92. In addition, on the inner surface of the small-diameter non-cylindrical portion 91b, pinch claws 91c that are paired with each other at a plurality of locations (three locations in the present embodiment) in the axial direction of the tubular body 91 are provided. The sandwiching claws 91c sandwich three portions of the portion extending from the distal end of the tube 73 to the proximal end side.

  The cylindrical portion 93 is formed to protrude rearward from the flange portion 92 in the support member 90. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 93 is smaller than the diameter of the central through hole 82 b of the base portion 80. The cylindrical portion 93 has an inner diameter that allows the tube 73 to be inserted therethrough, and the tube 73 passes through the cylindrical portion 93.

  The columnar part 94 is formed so as to protrude rearward from the upper side and the lower side of the cylindrical part 93 on the rear surface of the flange part 92. The two cylindrical portions 94 can be inserted into the through holes 82a and 82c, respectively. The two cylindrical portions 94 are inserted into the corresponding through holes 82a and 82c in a state in which the coil springs 86 are inserted through the respective peripheral surfaces. Further, a screw hole (not shown) is formed on the tip surface of each cylindrical portion 94. As shown in FIG. 5A and the like, the front ends of the two coil springs 86 abut against the rear surface of the flange 92, and the rear ends of the coil springs 86 are flanges provided on the inner peripheral surfaces of the through holes 82a and 82c. It comes into contact with the portion 82d.

The alignment pin 97 protrudes forward from the front surface of the flange portion 92. The alignment pin 97 is provided on the left side edge of the front surface of the flange portion 92.
The vertical plate portion 98 has a rectangular plate shape and protrudes forward from a position below the alignment pin 97 on the front surface of the flange portion 92. A connection terminal 99 is attached to the right side surface of the vertical plate portion 98. The connection terminal 99 is connected to the controller 60 via a harness (not shown).

<Configuration of assembly plate 84>
The assembly plate 84 is provided on the rear surface side of the base portion 80, and is for attaching the support member 90 to the base portion 80. A through hole 85 a corresponding to the central through hole 82 b of the base body 80 is formed at the center of the assembly plate 84. In addition, screw insertion holes 85b are formed on the upper side and the lower side of the through hole 85a of the assembly plate 84, respectively.
And the stop inserted into the screw insertion hole 85b with respect to the two cylindrical portions 94 (specifically, screw holes) of the support member 90 protruding rearward from the through holes 82a and 82c of the base portion 80. The support member 90 is attached to the base portion 80 by fixing the screw 88 with screws.

<Operation of Support Member 90>
The support member 90 of the present embodiment is configured to move (swing) when a pressing force (external force) is applied. Hereinafter, the mechanism by which the support member 90 moves (swings) will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B.

  When the pressing force (external force) is not applied, the support member 90 of the tube support mechanism 79 is attached to the front side as shown in FIG. 5A by the urging force of the coil spring 86 penetrating each cylindrical portion 94. It is in a state of being pushed (normal state). Therefore, when a pressing force is applied from the front side to the rear side with respect to the flange portion 92 of the support member 90, the flange portion 92 that has received the pressing force moves rearward as shown in FIG. 5B. fall back. That is, the support member 90 moves backward while retracting the coil spring 86 while supporting the tube 73 together with the assembly plate 84.

  In addition, the cylindrical portion 93 and the two columnar portions 94 of the support member 90 are fitted to the corresponding through holes 82a to 82c so that there is a sufficient gap in the radial direction. For this reason, when an external force is applied to the tubular body 91 (particularly, the distal-end-side tubular portion 91a) from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the tubular body 91, the support member 90 that has received the external force is The base end portion (specifically, the contact portion of each cylindrical portion 94 with the flange portion 82d of the upper through hole 82a and the lower through hole 82c) is swung.

  That is, when an external force is applied from the lower side to the upper side with respect to the distal end side cylindrical portion 91a of the cylindrical body 91, the support member 90 moves the distal end side cylindrical portion 91a upward as shown in FIG. 6A. Swing to move. On the other hand, when an external force from the upper side to the lower side is applied to the distal end side tubular portion 91a, the support member 90 moves the distal end side tubular portion 91a downward as shown in FIG. 6B. Swing. Similarly, when an external force is applied to the distal end side cylindrical portion 91a from the left and right direction, the support member 90 swings so as to move the distal end side cylindrical portion 91a in the left and right direction. Thus, the support member 90 that supports the tube 73 has a configuration in which the distal end side can swing freely with the base end portion as a fulcrum.

  In the present embodiment, the tube 73 and the support member 90 constitute a discharge member that discharges waste ink.

=== Configuration of Waste Ink Tank 200 and Tank Storage Unit 11 ===
The printer 1 is provided with a waste ink tank 200 for collecting waste ink discharged from the tube 73 supported by the support member 90 during maintenance or the like. The waste ink tank 200 can be attached to and detached from a printer main body that is a fluid ejecting apparatus main body (this printer main body means a portion of the printer 1 excluding the maintenance unit 70 and the waste ink tank 200). It has become. The printer 1 is provided with a tank accommodating portion 11 for accommodating a waste ink tank 200 attached to the printer main body. Therefore, in the following description, the configuration of the waste ink tank 200 will be described after the configuration of the tank housing portion 11 is described.

<<< Structure of Tank Storage Unit 11 >>>
As shown in FIG. 3, the tank accommodating portion 11 is positioned below the home position HP at one end portion (the right end portion in FIG. 2A) in the frame 10 of the printer main body. This tank accommodating part 11 has comprised the rectangular parallelepiped shape along the front-back direction. The tank storage unit 11 includes a storage chamber 12, an attachment / detachment port 14, and an opening / closing door 16.

  The storage chamber 12 is a space formed between the bottom wall 13a and the upper wall 13b of the frame 10. A waste ink tank 200 is stored in the storage chamber 12. The height of the storage chamber 12 (the distance between the bottom wall 13a and the top wall 13b) is higher than the height of the waste ink tank 200 so that the posture of the waste ink tank 200 can be tilted in the storage chamber 12. Is set large enough.

  The attachment / detachment port 14 is an opening through which the waste ink tank 200 passes when the waste ink tank 200 is inserted into the storage chamber 12 and when the waste ink tank 200 is removed from the storage chamber 12. The attachment / detachment port 14 is formed on the front side of the tank housing portion 11.

  The open / close door 16 is a door for moving between a closed position and an open position to open and close the detachable opening 14. The upper end portion of the open / close door 16 is rotatably supported by a pair of left and right shaft portions 15 provided on both sides of the upper edge portion of the attachment / detachment opening 14. Further, a grip portion 16 a (see FIG. 2A) that can be gripped by an operator is formed on the front surface of the open / close door 16. The opening / closing door 16 is opened / closed between a closed position indicated by a solid line and an open position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 when the grip portion 16a is gripped and the shaft portion 15 is opened / closed. To do.

  Further, an engaging convex portion 16 b is formed at a portion of the opening / closing door 16 that faces the waste ink tank 200. The engagement convex portion 16b engages with the front tub 210b of the waste ink tank 200 and restricts the waste ink tank 200 from moving upward when the open / close door 16 is located at the closed position.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a front step surface 17a, a middle step surface 17b, and a rear step surface 17c are formed on the upper surface of the bottom wall 13a in order from the front to the rear in the front-rear direction. These three surfaces are stepped, with the front surface 17a positioned highest and the rear surface 17c positioned lowest.

  The front stage surface 17 a is formed at the same height as the lower end portion of the attachment / detachment port 14. The middle step surface 17b is formed slightly shorter than the length of the waste ink tank 200 in the front-rear direction. The substantially entire region of the middle step surface 17b and the rear half region of the front step surface 17a form the mounting position of the waste ink tank 200. A locking step 18a is formed between the front end of the middle step surface 17b and the rear end of the front step surface 17a so as to extend in the left-right direction. The rear stage surface 17c is formed slightly lower than the middle stage surface 17b via the step portion 18b. The tube support mechanism 79 described above is installed on the rear stage surface 17c.

<<< Configuration of Waste Ink Tank 200 >>>
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the waste ink tank 200. FIG. 8 is a front view of the waste ink tank 200 when the opening 217 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rear side wall 212. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the waste ink tank 200 showing the positional relationship between the cylindrical body 91 and the four ink absorbers. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the waste ink tank 200 showing the relationship between the cylindrical body 91 and the ink absorber 230. In FIG. 10, the ink absorber 250 and the film member 260 are omitted for convenience of explanation.
As shown in FIG. 7, the waste ink tank 200 includes a container 210, four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250, a film member 260, and a CSIC 270. Below, a structure is demonstrated for every component.

<Configuration of container 210>
The container 210 is for containing waste ink. The container 210 has a bottomed box shape with an open top. And the rib 215 which comprises a thin plate shape is formed in several places of each inner surface of the rear side wall 212 of the container 210, and the left-right side walls 213, 214 along the up-down direction. A columnar column 211 is provided at a position slightly closer to the front side than the center of the inner bottom surface of the container 210.

  In addition, a recess 216 is formed in the left corner of the rear portion of the container 210. As a result, the rear side wall 212 is separated into a main rear side wall 212a positioned relatively on the rear side and a sub rear side wall 212b positioned relatively on the front side. Similarly, the left side wall 213 is separated into a main left side wall 213a positioned relatively on the left side and a sub left side wall 213b positioned relatively on the right side.

  An opening 217 that slightly protrudes to the rear side is formed in the main rear side wall 212a. When the waste ink tank 200 is attached to and detached from the printer main body, the cylindrical body 91 of the support member 90 is inserted into and removed from the opening 217. Further, the cylindrical rear portion 212b is provided with a cylindrical tube portion 218 that protrudes rearward. A positioning hole 218 a is formed at the tip of the cylindrical portion 218.

  Further, at a position slightly closer to the rear end than the front end of the bottom surface of the container 210, a locked step portion 219 that can be engaged with the locking step portion 18a on the bottom wall 13a in the front-rear direction extends in the left-right direction. Is formed.

<Configuration of Ink Absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250>
The four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250 are provided in a stacked state in the container 210, and absorb the waste ink discharged from the tube 73 supported by the support member 90. Further, the four ink absorbers not only absorb the waste ink but also have a function of permeating the waste ink. For this reason, it can suppress that waste ink is absorbed only by a specific ink absorber.

  The four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240 and 250 are each formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the upper opening 210 a of the container 210. Of the four ink absorbers, the shape of the ink absorber 220 located in the lowermost (lowermost layer) is the same as the shape of the ink absorber 250 located in the uppermost layer. For this reason, the two ink absorbers 220 and 250 can be formed as a common component. The thickness of the second ink absorber 230 from the bottom is the same as the thickness of the third ink absorber 240 from the bottom (however, the shape of the two ink absorbers 230 and 240 is one). Different parts). The four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, and 250 may all have the same thickness, or may have different thicknesses.

  In addition, cuts 221, 231, 241, and 251 are formed on the outer edges of the four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, and 250, respectively. These cuts are formed at positions corresponding to the ribs 215 of the container 210. Further, circular through holes 222, 232, 242, and 252 are formed at positions slightly forward of the centers of the four ink absorbers (positions corresponding to the columns 211 of the container 210), respectively. ing. Then, the ribs 215 corresponding to the respective notches are respectively inserted, and the columns 211 are inserted into the four circular through holes, whereby the four ink absorbers are positioned with respect to the container 210 in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. ing. Note that the upper opening 210a of the container 210 and the four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, and 250 have similar shapes and are roughly positioned, so the rib 215 and the column 211 of the container 210, The cuts 221, 231, 241, 251 and the circular through holes 222, 232, 242, 252 may be eliminated.

  In addition, rectangular rectangular through holes 233 and 243 are formed at positions closer to the rear side than the respective centers of the ink absorber 230 and the ink absorber 240. 9, the ink absorber 220 closes the rectangular through hole 233 from below, and the ink absorber 250 closes the rectangular through hole 243 from above. The waste ink discharged from the cylindrical body 91 (tube 73) inserted up to the rectangular through hole 233 falls on the upper surface of the ink absorber 220 and penetrates into the interior to be absorbed. As the amount of waste ink absorbed increases, the ink absorber 220 gradually permeates into the upper ink absorber.

  Here, when the amount of waste ink is large, the waste ink is not immediately permeated into the ink absorber 220. Therefore, the rectangular through hole 233 temporarily stores the waste ink. That is, the discharged waste ink is stored until it is absorbed by the ink absorber (permeates the ink absorber). Therefore, it is desirable that the size of the rectangular through hole 233 is a size that can store the amount of waste ink to be discharged.

  Further, the ink absorber 250 is stored in the rectangular through hole 233 when the container 210 is removed while the rectangular through hole 233 stores waste ink and the container 210 is turned upside down. Receives and absorbs waste ink. As a result, the ink absorber 250 prevents ink from leaking out of the container 210.

  Further, the ink absorber 250 suppresses evaporation of the discharged waste ink. When the waste ink evaporates, the ink absorber is clogged by the thickened ink, and the waste ink discharged after that becomes difficult to penetrate. The ink absorber 250 blocks the rectangular through holes 233 and 243 so as not only to suppress ink evaporation on the upper surface of the ink absorber 220 from which the discharged waste ink falls, but also above the ink absorbers 220, 230, and 240. Therefore, evaporation from these three ink absorbers is also suppressed.

  Of the four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250, the same position as the opening 217 in the vertical direction (specifically, at the center of a connection port 217 a described later of the opening 217, the most in the vertical direction) An escape groove 246 is formed in a facing portion 245 of the ink absorber 240 located at a position close to the main rear side wall 212a. In addition, a guide groove 244 that guides the tubular body 91 when the tubular body 91 is inserted and removed is formed in the facing portion 245. The guide groove 244 is a cut groove formed from the rectangular through hole 243 to the escape groove 246 in the front-rear direction. Further, the width and height of the guide groove 244 are set to a size that is smaller than the outer diameter (diameter) of the cylindrical body 91 and is in contact with the cylindrical body 91 to be inserted and removed (see FIG. 10). The escape groove 246 may not be provided.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the ink absorber 250 closes the guide groove 244 from above, and the ink absorber 230 closes the guide groove 244 from below. For this reason, the guide groove 244 is blocked by the ink absorber in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. In other words, the cylindrical body 91 inserted by being guided by the guide groove 244 is covered with the ink absorbers 230, 240, 250 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

  By the way, although only one ink absorber 230 is provided between the ink absorber 220 and the ink absorber 240 in the vertical direction, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, two or more ink absorbers may be provided between the ink absorber 220 and the ink absorber 240. In such a case, since the size of the container 210 is increased, the amount of waste ink that can be collected can be further increased.

  In the present embodiment, the rectangular through hole 233 is formed below the guide groove 244 in the vertical direction, and corresponds to a storage portion that stores the waste ink discharged from the tube 73.

<Configuration of film member 260>
The film member 260 is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the upper opening 210 a of the container 210. The film member 260 is attached to the container 210 with an adhesive or the like so as to cover the upper opening 210a of the container 210 in a state where the ink absorbers are stacked in the vertical direction.

  The film member 260 is a fluid impermeable member and seals the upper opening 210 a of the container 210. For this reason, it can suppress that the solvent of the waste ink absorbed by the ink absorber evaporates etc., and the remaining waste ink solidifies on the surface of an ink absorber. As a result, a decrease in waste ink absorption efficiency can be suppressed, and a decrease in waste ink storage efficiency can be suppressed.

<Configuration of CSIC 270>
The CSIC 270 is an element that stores various types of information regarding the waste ink tank 200. The CSIC 270 is attached to the outer surface of the sub left side wall 213b of the left side wall 213. When the waste ink tank 200 is attached to the printer main body, the CSIC 270 is connected to the connection terminal 99 (FIG. 4) of the support member 90. Thereby, the controller 60 can read the information stored in the CSIC 270.

  The stored information is mainly information related to the date of manufacture of the waste ink tank 200, the capacity of the waste ink that can be stored, and the number of recyclings. Based on the information on the waste ink capacity, the controller 60 can determine when to replace the waste ink tank 200. Further, the controller 60 can restrict the use of the waste ink tank 200 based on the information on the number of times of recycling (for example, when the number of times of recycling is greater than a threshold value, the printer to which the waste ink tank 200 is attached). 1 is not activated).

<About the structure of the opening 217 and its relationship with the periphery>
The opening 217 has a connection port 217 a that is a circular hole (hereinafter also referred to as a circular hole) formed so as to penetrate the main rear side wall 212 a of the rear side wall 212. When the waste ink tank 200 is attached or detached, the cylindrical body 91 of the support member 90 is inserted into or removed from the connection port 217a.

  The connection port 217a is formed so that the diameter (inner diameter) of the inner peripheral surface gradually becomes smaller as it goes from the opening edge to the inner depth (that is, it becomes a tapered surface). For this reason, when the member (cylindrical body 91) inserted in the connection port 217a from the outside contacts the inner peripheral surface of the connection port 217a, the cylindrical body 91 is further inserted thereafter. It is guided toward the inner center.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the opening 217 has at least one ink absorber (the book) when the opening 217 (specifically, the connection port 217a) is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the main rear side wall 212a. In the embodiment, the first portion 217b closed by the facing portion 235 facing the main rear side wall 212a of the three ink absorbers 230, 240, 250), the escape groove 246 (facing portion 245), and the facing portion 255, And a second portion 217c that is not blocked by the facing portion.

  Specifically, the width and height of the guide groove 244 of the ink absorber 240 are smaller than the diameter of the connection port 217a. For this reason, when the opening 217 is viewed from the direction perpendicular to the main rear side wall 212a, the portion 244a around the guide groove 244 in the facing portion of the ink absorber 240 is visible from the opening 217, and One portion 217b is closed. Further, the upper part of the opposing part of the ink absorber 230 and the lower part of the opposing part of the ink absorber 250 are visible from the opening part 217, respectively, and block the first part 217b that is a part of the opening part 217. . Thus, in the present embodiment, closing the opening 217 refers to a state in which the ink absorber is visible from the opening 217 (the guide groove 244 is located at the back, Invisible).

The upper surface of the upper part is positioned below the center of the connection port 217a in the vertical direction, and the lower surface of the lower part is positioned above the center of the connection port 217a in the vertical direction. For this reason, when the tubular body 91 is inserted and removed from the connection port 217a, the tubular body 91 is likely to come into contact with at least one of the three ink absorbers 230, 240, and 250.

=== Removal Work of Waste Ink Tank 200 ===
As described above, the waste ink tank 200 is attached to and detached from the printer body. The timing at which the waste ink tank 200 is actually attached and detached is, for example, a state where the ink absorption amount of the ink absorber is saturated (in other words, the waste ink capacity stored in the CSIC 270 has been reached). Therefore, it is time to replace the waste ink tank 200. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the procedure for attaching the waste ink tank 200 will be described, and then the procedure for removing the waste ink tank 200 will be described.

<<< Installation Procedure of Waste Ink Tank 200 >>>
11A to 11D are schematic diagrams for explaining the positional relationship between the waste ink tank 200 and the support member 90 when the waste ink tank 200 is attached. In addition, in FIG. 11A-FIG. 11D, the tank accommodating part 11 is not shown on account of description (it is the same also in FIG. 12A-FIG. 12D mentioned later). Further, the support member 90 is illustrated in a simplified manner.

  In order to mount the new waste ink tank 200 on the printer main body, an operator (here, a user will be described as an example) first opens the door 16 (in other words, opens the door 16). Position in the open position).

  Next, the user inserts the waste ink tank 200 into the opened attachment / detachment opening 14 from the rear end side where the opening 217 is formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 11A, the user moves the waste ink tank 200 toward the rear side in the mounting direction at the mounting position. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the rear side middle step surface 17 b is lower than the front step surface 17 a on the attachment / detachment port 14 side at the bottom surface of the tank housing portion 11. Therefore, the waste ink tank 200 is inclined so that the rear end portion (rear side wall 212) is lower than the front end portion 210c due to its own weight. Then, the waste ink tank 200 moves while being in contact with the middle surface 17b (see FIG. 11A). Then, as shown in FIG. 11B, as shown in FIG. 11B, the waste ink tank 200 is placed in the opening 217 (connection port 217a) of the main rear side wall 212a before the whole of the waste ink tank 200 enters the storage chamber 12. The cylindrical portion 91a at the distal end side of the cylindrical body 91 is inserted.

  On the other hand, in the ink support mechanism 79, when the waste ink tank 200 is mounted (removed), the support member 90 receives an external force so that the distal end side cylindrical portion 91a moves upward. It swings with each cylindrical portion 94 as a fulcrum at the contact portion of the upper through hole 82a and the lower through hole 82c with the flange portion 82d. In other words, when the waste ink tank 200 is attached or detached, the support member 90 is configured such that the distal end side can swing freely with the base end portion as a fulcrum. For this reason, when the front end side cylindrical portion 91a of the cylindrical body 91 is inserted into the opening 217 of the waste ink tank 200 that has moved in a tilted state, the front end side of the cylindrical body 91 is in the vertical direction. Upon receiving an external force from below to above (for example, receiving an external force from the inner peripheral surface of the connection port 217a), the ink moves so as to correspond to the inclination of the waste ink tank 200 (FIG. 6A).

  Here, as described above, the inner peripheral surface of the connection port 217a is a tapered surface whose diameter (inner diameter) becomes smaller toward the inner back side of the connection port 217a. For this reason, even if the distal end side cylindrical portion 91a is displaced from the center of the connection port 217a, the cylindrical body 91 slides toward the center of the connection port 217a as the connection port 217a is inserted. While being guided.

  Then, the distal end side tubular portion 91 a that has passed through the connection port 217 a comes into contact with the portion 244 a around the guide groove 244 of the ink absorber 240 and the upper surface of the ink absorber 230. Therefore, the portion 244a around the guide groove 244 and the upper surface of the ink absorber 230 have a function of guiding the distal end side tubular portion 91a (tubular body 91). Further, when waste ink adheres to the outer periphery of the distal end side tubular portion 91a, the waste portion is disposed by the peripheral portion 244a of the guide groove 244 and the upper surface of the ink absorber 230 when the tubular body 91 is inserted. Ink is wiped off. It should be noted that the front end side cylindrical portion 91 a may be in contact with the lower surface of the ink absorber 250.

  When the waste ink tank 200 is further moved toward the inner side of the storage chamber 12, the main rear side wall 212a and the flange portion 92 of the support member 90 come into contact with each other as shown in FIG. 11C. Along with this, the distal end side tubular portion 91 a reaches the position of the rectangular through hole 243 of the ink absorber 240. Further, when the main rear side wall 212 a and the flange 92 come into contact with each other, the alignment pin 97 of the support member 90 is inserted into the alignment hole 218 a of the cylinder portion 218 provided in the waste ink tank 200. As a result, the waste ink tank 200 is aligned in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

  When the user further pushes in the waste ink tank 200 thus aligned, the support member 90 moves backward while contracting the coil spring 86 by the force of the user's hand (corresponding to the pressing force described above) (FIG. 5B). When the collar portion 92 is retracted to the position closest to the base portion 80, as shown in FIG. 11D, the posture of the waste ink tank 200 becomes horizontal in the storage chamber 12 due to its own weight. Then, the bottom surface of the waste ink tank 200 (container 210) comes into surface contact with the middle surface 17b in the tank housing portion 11. At this time, the locked step portion 219 formed on the bottom surface of the container 210 is located on the inner side of the storage chamber 12 with respect to the locking step portion 18 a of the tank storage portion 11. In other words, the waste ink tank 200 passes the mounting position in the mounting direction.

  Thereafter, when the force (the above-described user's hand force) that has acted to move the waste ink tank 200 in the mounting direction is released, the collar 92 moves forward by the biasing force of the coil spring 86. For this reason, the waste ink tank 200 is pressed forward (in the removal direction) by the flange 92. Then, the waste ink tank 200 receiving the pressing force slides forward on the middle step surface 17b, and the locked step portion 219 is locked to the locking step portion 18a as shown in FIG. As a result, the waste ink tank 200 positioned at the mounting position is positioned in the front-rear direction in the storage chamber 12.

  The waste ink tank 200 does not pass through the mounting position in the mounting direction, and is leveled by its own weight at the mounting position, and may receive the urging force of the coil spring 86 at that time.

  Thereafter, the user returns the open / close door 16 to the closed position. Thereby, the mounting operation of the waste ink tank 200 is completed. When the open / close door 16 is located at the closed position, the engagement convex portion 16b of the open / close door 16 is engaged with the front side tub 210b of the waste ink tank 200 as shown in FIG. As a result, the waste ink tank 200 is positioned so that it cannot move in the vertical direction within the storage chamber 12. As described above, the waste ink tank 200 is positioned so as not to move in a plurality of directions (front-rear direction and up-down direction), so that the insertion state of the cylindrical body 91 with respect to the opening 217 is appropriately maintained. Accordingly, the waste ink is appropriately discharged from the tube 73 supported by the cylindrical body 91.

<<< Removal Procedure of Waste Ink Tank 200 >>>
12A to 12D are schematic diagrams for explaining the positional relationship between the waste ink tank 200 and the support member 90 when the waste ink tank 200 is removed. The removal of the waste ink tank 200 is roughly performed in the reverse order of the above-described procedure for installing the waste ink tank 200.

  In order to remove the waste ink tank 200 stored in the storage chamber 12, the user opens the opening / closing door 16 again. In addition, when the opening / closing door 16 is opened, the engagement between the engagement convex portion 16b of the opening / closing door 16 and the front tub 210b of the waste ink tank 200 is released. Thereby, the upward movement of the waste ink tank 200 is allowed.

  Next, the user inserts his / her hand into the attachment / detachment opening 14 and grips the front end portion 210c of the waste ink tank 200 in the state shown in FIG. 12A. Then, the user tilts the posture of the waste ink tank 200 as shown in FIG. 12B by lifting the front end portion 210c of the waste ink tank 200 upward. As a result, the locked state between the locking step portion 18a of the tank housing portion 11 and the locked step portion 219 of the waste ink tank 200 is released. As a result, the forward movement of the waste ink tank 200 is allowed.

  Here, the urging force of the coil spring 86 acts on the waste ink tank 200 in the removal direction (forward in the front-rear direction) via the flange 92 of the support member 90. For this reason, when the latching state of the latching step portion 18a and the latched step portion 219 is released, the biasing force becomes a force that assists the movement of the waste ink tank 200 in the removal direction.

  Next, the user takes out the waste ink tank 200 from the storage chamber 12 in a tilted posture (FIG. 12C). At this time, the cylindrical body 91 (specifically, the outer peripheral surface) of the support member 90 comes into contact with the ink absorber 230 and the portion 244 a around the guide groove 244 of the ink absorber 240. For this reason, the cylindrical body 91 moves while being guided by the peripheral portion 244 a of the guide groove 244 and the ink absorber 230. Along with this, a part of the distal end side cylindrical portion 91a of the cylindrical body 91 comes out from the connection port 217a. Further, since the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 91 (particularly, the front end side cylindrical portion 91a) moves while being in sliding contact with the ink absorbers 230 and 240, it adheres to the waste ink that has adhered to the outer peripheral surface, particularly the front end portion. Then, waste ink that may sag is wiped off. At this time, the cylindrical body 91 may be in sliding contact with the absorber 250.

  Even after the cylindrical body 91 is taken out from the connection port 217, the user continues to take out the waste ink tank 200 in the horizontal state as shown in FIG. 12D. In this manner, when the entire waste ink tank 200 is removed from the attachment / detachment port 14, the removal of the old waste ink tank 200 is completed. Then, after the old waste ink tank 200 is taken out, a new waste ink tank 200 is attached to the attachment position in the attachment procedure of the waste ink tank 200. For this reason, the replacement work of the old and new waste ink tanks 200 is easily and appropriately performed.

=== Effectiveness of Printer 1 According to the Present Embodiment ===
As described above, as shown in FIG. 7, the waste ink tank 200 is provided with (a) a container 210 that stores waste ink that is discarded ink, and (b) a container 210 that is provided in the container 210 and absorbs waste ink. And (c) an opening 217 formed on the main rear side wall 212a of the container 210 and into which the support member 90 (an example of an insertion / extraction member) is inserted / extracted. When the opening 217 is viewed from the vertical direction, the first portion 217b is blocked by the facing portion facing the main rear side wall 212a of the ink absorbers 230, 240, and 250, and is blocked by the facing portion. And an opening 217 (see FIG. 8) having a second portion 217c that is not formed.

  Accordingly, as described below, the support member 90 (specifically, the cylindrical body 91) can be smoothly inserted into and removed from the opening 217, and the waste ink adhering to the cylindrical body 91 can be appropriately removed. It becomes possible to do.

  That is, the presence of the first portion 217b and the second portion 217c allows the ink absorber 230 to block the first portion 217b when the cylindrical body 91 is inserted (removed) through the second portion 217c. There is a high possibility of contact with 240 and 250 (at least one of the ink absorbers). For this reason, when the cylindrical body 91 is further inserted (removed) in contact with the ink absorber that closes the first portion 217b, the ink absorber functions as a guide for the cylindrical body 91. Become. Therefore, the insertion / extraction of the cylindrical body 91 with respect to the opening 217 is smoothly performed. As a result, the waste ink tank 200 can be smoothly attached to and detached from the printer main body.

  Further, the cylindrical body 91 moves (slids) while being in contact with the ink absorbers 230, 240, and 250 (at least one of the ink absorbers) that closes the first portion 217b. Waste ink adhering to the outer peripheral surface of 91 (in particular, the front end side cylindrical portion 91a) is easily wiped off. As a result, the waste ink attached to the cylindrical body 91 is appropriately removed.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, as described above, the support member 90 (tubular body 91) is configured to be swingable, but the first portion 217b is also provided to such a cylindrical body 91. Since the ink absorbers 230, 240, and 250 (at least one of the ink absorbers) to be blocked can be appropriately brought into contact with each other, the above-described effect becomes more beneficial.

=== About Manufacturing Method of Waste Ink Tank 200 ===
Next, a manufacturing method (assembly method) of the waste ink tank 200 having the above-described configuration will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a method for assembling the waste ink tank 200.

  First, members necessary for assembling the waste ink tank 200 are prepared (step S2). That is, a container 210, four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250, a film member 260, and a CSIC 270 are prepared.

  Next, four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250 are sequentially attached to the empty container 210 (step (S4)), that is, from the upper opening 210a of the container 210, the ink absorber 220 and the ink absorber 230. In this order, the ink absorber 240 and the ink absorber 250 are housed in the container 210. As a result, the four ink absorbers are stacked in the container 210 (see FIG. 7).

  Here, in this step, the ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, and 250 are attached in the container 210 so that the facing portions 225, 235, 245, and 255 are opposed to the main rear side wall 212a. In particular, in the present embodiment, the ink absorber 240 is attached to the opening 217 so that the ink absorber 240 has the following relationship. That is, when the opening 217 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the main rear side wall 212a, the facing portion 245 facing the main rear side wall 212a of the ink absorber 240 blocks the first portion 217b of the opening 217 and opens. The ink absorber 240 is attached in the container 210 so as not to block the second portion 217c of the portion 217. Further, the ink absorbers 230 and 250 are attached so that the upper portion of the facing portion 235 of the ink absorber 230 and the lower portion of the facing portion 255 of the ink absorber 250 respectively block the first portion 217b. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8, the 1st part 217b and the 2nd part 217c will be formed.

Next, the film member 260 is attached to the upper opening 210a of the container 210 to which the ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250 are attached (step S6). Then, the CSIC 270 is attached to the outer surface of the sub left side wall 213b of the container 210 (step S8). The CSIC 270 stores various information (such as the date of manufacture of the waste ink tank 200) in advance.
Thus, the assembly of the waste ink tank 200 is completed. Then, the waste ink tank 200 that has been assembled is attached to the printer body.

  In the above description, the timing for attaching the CSIC 270 is after the film member 260 is attached, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the film member 260 may be attached after the CSIC 270 is attached.

=== Recycling of Waste Ink Tank 200 ===
As described above, after the old waste ink tank 200 is removed, a new waste ink tank 200 is mounted (that is, the waste ink tank 200 is replaced). Then, from the viewpoint of resource saving, environmental protection, cost reduction, etc., as described below, the replaced waste ink tank 200 is recycled.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the recycling procedure of the waste ink tank 200. This flowchart is performed after the waste ink tank 200 removed from the printer main body is collected in a recycling factory or the like.

First, the film member 260, the four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250, and the CSIC 270 are removed from the collected waste ink tank 200, that is, the waste ink tank 200 is disassembled (step S12). Specifically, after removing the film member 260, the four ink absorbers are sequentially taken out from the container 210, and the CSIS 270 attached to the outer surface of the sub left side wall 213b is removed.
After the waste ink tank 200 is disassembled, the container 210 that is contaminated with the waste ink is washed (step S14). Here, the cleaning of the container 210 is performed, for example, by immersing the container 210 in a solvent or the like. However, the cleaning method of the container 210 is not limited to this.
Next, new ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, and 250 are attached (step S16). That is, the ink absorber is refilled (refilled) into the container 210.

  Here, it is desirable that all of the attached ink absorbers are new, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, since the ink absorber 220 and the ink absorber 250 have the same shape, the used ink absorber 250 (the ink absorber 250 is dirty compared to the other ink absorbers 220, 230, and 240). May be reused as the ink absorber 220 in the recycled product. As a result, parts can be saved. Alternatively, the used ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, and 250 may be washed and reused. Furthermore, another ink absorber having a different ink absorption performance may be filled. Thus, by selecting the ink absorber to be filled according to the situation where it is placed, highly convenient recycling can be realized.

  Next, the film member 260 is attached to the upper opening 210a of the container 210 (step S18). Here, although it is desirable to use a new article as the film member 260 to be attached, the film member 260 once used may be reused. For example, an adhesive is applied to the film member 260 and then attached to the container 210. Instead of attaching the film member 260, the upper opening 210a of the container 210 may be sealed with a lid.

  Next, the CSIC 270 whose stored information has been changed is attached (step S20). That is, the CSIC 270 in which the data relating to the waste ink capacity is reset and the data relating to the number of recycling times is updated is attached. As a result, when the waste ink tank 200 as a recycled product is reused, it is appropriately used based on the information of the CSIC 270.

  The waste ink tank 200 recycled in this way is recycled as a recycled product. In other words, the recycled waste ink tank 200 is shipped again and attached to the printer body again by the operator.

  In the above description, the container 210 is washed alone, but is not limited thereto. For example, the container 210 to which the four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250 are attached may be cleaned. In such a case, the recycling process can be simplified as compared with the case where the container 210 and the ink absorber are separately washed.

  Further, in the above description, the four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, and 250 are refilled. However, the four ink absorbers may not be filled (that is, the ink absorption in the container 210). There is no body and only a space for storing waste ink).

=== Other Embodiments ===
The fluid ejecting apparatus and the like according to the present invention have been described above based on the above embodiment, but the above-described embodiment is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and limits the present invention. is not. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes the equivalents thereof.

  In the above-described embodiment, the fluid ejecting apparatus is embodied as an ink jet printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and liquids other than ink (liquids in which functional material particles are dispersed in addition to liquids, such as gels) It is also possible to embody a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges a fluid other than a liquid (including a fluid) or a fluid (such as a solid that can be ejected by flowing as a fluid).

  For example, a liquid material injection device for injecting a liquid material in the form of dispersed or dissolved materials such as electrode materials and color materials used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, EL (electroluminescence) displays, and surface-emitting displays, and biochip manufacturing It may be a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bio-organic substance used in the above, or a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resins to form liquid injection devices that inject lubricating oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. Examples include a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid onto a substrate, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as acid or alkali to etch the substrate, a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects gel, and a powder such as toner. It may be a powder jet recording apparatus that jets a solid. The present invention can be applied to any one of these injection devices.

  In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the first portion 217b of the opening 217 is blocked by the three ink absorbers 230, 240, and 250. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Is not to be done. For example, as shown in FIGS. 15A to 15E, the opening 217 may be closed.

  15A to 15E are schematic views for explaining another embodiment. In FIG. 15A, from the viewpoint that waste ink is likely to adhere mainly to the lower side of the cylindrical body 91 (in other words, it is difficult for waste ink to adhere to the upper side of the cylindrical body 91). Not provided. From the same viewpoint, the ink absorber 250 and the ink absorber 240 are not provided in FIG. 15B. In FIG. 15C, the ink absorber 230 is not visible, but when the cylindrical body 91 is inserted and removed, the cylindrical body 91 contacts the upper surface of the ink absorber 230. In FIG. 15D, only the right side of the left and right portions of the guide groove 244 of the ink absorber 240 is visible. In such a case, the cylindrical body 91 being inserted / removed can be guided by the visible portion and the edge of the opening 217. In FIG. 15E, the guide groove 244 has a circular shape instead of a square shape. Since the guide groove 244 follows the shape of the cylindrical body 91, it is easier to guide.

  In the above embodiment, the opening 217 has the circular hole connection port 217a as shown in FIG. 8, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the shape of the connection port 217a may be a triangle or a quadrangle, and may be a polygon that is a pentagon or more. Further, the shape of the connection port 217a may be an ellipse. 16A and 16B are schematic views showing other examples of the connection port 217a.

  In the above embodiment, the four ink absorbers 220, 230, 240, 250 are stacked in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 7, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 17A, four ink absorbers may be stacked in the left-right direction. Even in such a case, as shown in FIG. 17B, the opening 217 is blocked by the ink absorber. FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B are diagrams for explaining another embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the carriage 31 holds the ink cartridge. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ink cartridge may be installed in a portion other than the carriage 31 of the printer 1, and the ink of the ink cartridge may be supplied to the head 41 provided in the carriage 31 via a tube or the like.

1 is a block diagram of an overall configuration of a printer 1. FIG. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the printer 1. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the overall configuration of the printer 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a maintenance unit 70. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a tube support mechanism 79. FIG. FIG. 5A is a cutaway front view of the tube support mechanism 79 showing the support member 90 in a normal state. FIG. 5B is a cutaway front view of the tube support mechanism 79 showing a state in which the support member 90 is retracted. FIG. 6A is a cutaway front view of the tube support mechanism 79 showing a state in which the support member 90 swings upward. FIG. 6B is a cutaway front view of the tube support mechanism 79 showing a state in which the support member 90 swings downward. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a waste ink tank 200. FIG. 3 is a front view of the waste ink tank 200 when the opening 217 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rear side wall 212. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a waste ink tank 200 showing a positional relationship between a cylindrical body 91 and four ink absorbers. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a waste ink tank 200 showing a relationship between a cylindrical body 91 and an ink absorber 230. FIG. 11A to 11D are schematic diagrams for explaining the positional relationship between the waste ink tank 200 and the support member 90 when the waste ink tank 200 is attached. 12A to 12D are schematic diagrams for explaining the positional relationship between the waste ink tank 200 and the support member 90 when the waste ink tank 200 is removed. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a method of assembling the waste ink tank 200. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a recycling procedure of the waste ink tank 200. 15A to 15E are schematic views for explaining another embodiment. 16A and 16B are schematic views showing other examples of the connection port 217a. FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B are diagrams for explaining another embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 printer, 10 frame, 11 tank housing, 12 housing,
13a Bottom wall, 13b Top wall, 14 Removable port, 15 Shaft part, 16 Open / close door,
16a gripping part, 16b engaging convex part, 17a front stage surface, 17b middle stage surface,
17c rear stage surface, 18a locking step part, 18b step part, 20 transport unit,
21 paper feed roller, 22 transport motor, 23 transport roller, 24 platen,
25 discharge roller, 30 carriage unit, 31 carriage,
32 carriage motor, 40 head unit, 41 head,
50 detector groups, 51 linear encoder, 52 rotary encoder,
53 paper detection sensor, 54 optical sensor, 60 controller,
61 interface unit, 62 CPU, 63 memory,
64 unit control circuit, 70 maintenance unit,
71 Ink suction mechanism, 72 cap, 73 tube,
74 suction pump, 79 tube support mechanism, 80 base portion,
81 horizontal plate portion, 82a upper through hole, 82b central through hole,
82c lower through hole, 82d flange, 83 tube stopper,
84 assembly plate, 85a through hole, 85b screw insertion hole,
86 Coil spring, 88 Set screw, 90 Support member,
91 cylindrical body, 91a tip side cylindrical portion, 91b non-cylindrical portion,
91c pinching claw, 91d large diameter part, 92 collar part, 93 cylindrical part,
94 cylindrical part, 97 alignment pin, 98 vertical plate part,
99 connection terminal, 110 computer, 200 waste ink tank,
210 container, 210a top opening, 211 pillars,
212a main rear side wall, 212b secondary rear side wall, 213a main left side wall,
213b Sub left side wall, 214 right side wall, 215 rib, 216 recessed part,
217 opening, 217a connection port, 218 cylinder, 219 locked step,
220, 230, 240, 250 Ink absorber,
221, 231, 241, 251 notches,
222, 232, 242, 252 circular through holes,
233, 243 rectangular through hole,
225, 235, 245, 255 opposite part,
244 Guide groove, 244a Surrounding part,
246 escape groove, 260 film member,
270 CSIC

Claims (7)

A container for containing a waste fluid which is a discarded fluid;
An absorber provided in the container and absorbing the waste fluid;
An opening formed on the side wall of the container and into which the insertion / extraction member provided in the fluid ejection device is inserted / removed when the fluid ejection device is attached to / detached from the fluid ejection device. When viewed, an opening having a first portion closed by a facing portion facing the side wall of the absorber, and a second portion not blocked by the facing portion;
A waste fluid recovery body comprising: The waste fluid recovery body according to claim 1,
In the container, a plurality of absorbers are provided in a stacked state,
The waste fluid recovery body, wherein the first portion is closed by the facing portion of at least one absorber among the plurality of absorbers. The waste fluid recovery body according to claim 2,
A guide groove that guides the insertion / extraction member when the insertion / extraction member is inserted / extracted is formed in the facing portion of one absorber located at the same position as the opening of the plurality of absorbers. ,
The waste fluid recovery body, wherein a portion of the facing portion around the guide groove closes the first portion. The waste fluid recovery body according to claim 3,
Of the absorber around the guide groove, the upper part of the absorber located below the guide groove closes the first portion,
The position of the upper surface of the upper part is located below the center of the opening in the vertical direction. A waste fluid recovery body according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein
The waste fluid recovery body, wherein the guide groove is smaller than an outer diameter of a shaft portion provided in the insertion / extraction member and inserted / extracted into / from the opening. A fluid ejection device body;
A discharge member for discharging a waste fluid which is a discarded fluid;
A waste fluid recovery body that is detachable from the fluid ejecting apparatus main body for recovering the waste fluid discharged from the discharge member,
A container for accommodating the waste fluid; an absorber provided in the container for absorbing the waste fluid; and an opening formed in a side wall of the container, into which the discharge member is inserted and withdrawn, and perpendicular to the side wall An opening having a first portion closed by a facing portion facing the side wall of the absorber and a second portion not blocked by the facing portion when the opening is viewed from any direction. A waste fluid recovery body comprising:
A fluid ejecting apparatus comprising: Providing a container having an opening in a side wall and an absorber that absorbs a waste fluid that is a discarded fluid;
A step of mounting the absorber in the container so as to face the side wall, and when the opening is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the side wall, a facing portion facing the side wall of the absorber is Attaching the absorber in the container so as to block the first part of the opening and not block the second part of the opening;
A method for producing a waste fluid recovery body characterized by comprising:

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