JP2015208990A - Liquid injection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid injection device allowing liquid in a liquid storage section to be efficiently discharged from a discharge hole provided on a side wall portion in a cap member forming the liquid storage section with a bottom portion and the side wall portion.SOLUTION: A liquid injection device 11 comprises: a liquid injection section 31 having nozzles capable of injecting liquid; a cap member 63 having a side wall portion 65 formed with a discharge hole 68 and a bottom portion 64 provided with a groove 71 communicating with the discharge hole 68 and being provided with a recess and forming a liquid storage section capable of storing the liquid with the side wall portion 65 and the bottom portion 64; a suction mechanism 44 sucking fluid in the liquid storage section via the discharge hole 68; and a sheet-like member 73 having a suction hole 73a formed at a position where overlapping with a part of the groove 71 while overlapping with the bottom portion 64 so as to cover the groove 71 in the liquid storage section.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as a printer.

  As an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, there is an ink jet printer that performs printing by ejecting ink from nozzles provided in a droplet ejecting head. Among these printers, there is a printer that discharges the liquid in the liquid droplet ejecting head by bringing the cap member into contact with the liquid droplet ejecting head so as to cover the nozzle and applying a suction force to the nozzle through the cap member. There is (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-76253 A

  By the way, the cap member as described above has a bottom portion in which a discharge hole for discharging the liquid in the cap member is formed, and a side wall portion that intersects the bottom portion so as to surround the discharge hole. In general, the tip of the side wall portion contacts the droplet ejecting head by moving in a direction approaching the droplet ejecting head.

  Here, it is necessary to connect the second end of the suction tube to which the first end is connected to the suction pump. Therefore, when the discharge hole is provided in the bottom portion of the cap member, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the cap member because the protrusion for connecting the suction tube is provided in the bottom portion of the cap member.

  On the other hand, when the discharge hole is provided in the side wall portion, it becomes difficult to exert a suction force on the entire cap member, so that a problem arises that the liquid in the cap member cannot be sufficiently discharged by suction. .

  Such problems are not limited to printers that perform printing by ejecting ink, but are generally used in liquid ejecting apparatuses that include a liquid ejecting unit and a cap member that receives liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting unit. It is common.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cap member in which a bottom portion and a side wall portion form a liquid storage portion, so that the liquid in the liquid storage portion is efficiently discharged from a discharge hole provided in the side wall portion. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus that can discharge well.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the effects thereof will be described.
A liquid ejecting apparatus that solves the above problems includes a liquid ejecting unit having a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid, a side wall part in which a discharge hole is formed, and a bottom part in which a groove communicating with the discharge hole is recessed. The side wall portion and the bottom portion form a liquid storage portion capable of storing liquid, a suction mechanism for sucking fluid in the liquid storage portion through the discharge hole, and the groove in the liquid storage portion. A sheet-like member that is superimposed on the bottom so as to cover and has a suction hole formed at a position overlapping a part of the groove.

  According to this configuration, the flow path communicating with the discharge hole is formed by the sheet-like member stacked on the bottom portion and the groove provided in the bottom portion, so that when the suction mechanism is driven, the flow passage is formed on the sheet-like member. The liquid reservoir is sucked through the suction holes. That is, since the suction hole of the sheet-like member is formed at a position overlapping with a part of the groove, even when the discharge hole is provided on the side wall, the liquid is discharged from the position overlapping with the suction hole of the groove formed at the bottom. The inside of the storage part can be sucked. Therefore, in the cap member in which the bottom part and the side wall part form the liquid storage part, the liquid in the liquid storage part can be efficiently discharged from the discharge hole provided in the side wall part.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the sheet-like member has flexibility.
According to this configuration, when the suction mechanism is driven and the space surrounded by the groove formed in the bottom and the sheet-like member is sucked, the sheet-like member bends and displaces and closely contacts the bottom. . Thereby, a clearance gap can be eliminated between a sheet-like member and a bottom part, and the inside of a liquid storage part can be efficiently attracted | sucked through a suction hole.

The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid absorber capable of absorbing a liquid, and the liquid absorber is accommodated in the liquid storage portion with the sheet-like member interposed between the liquid absorber and the bottom portion.
According to this configuration, the liquid absorber absorbs the liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting unit, so that leakage of the liquid from the liquid storing unit can be suppressed. Further, by storing the liquid absorber in the liquid storage portion with the sheet-like member interposed between the bottom portion and the bottom portion, the sheet-like member can be prevented from coming out of the liquid storage portion.

The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a pressing member that presses the sheet-like member through the liquid absorber.
According to this configuration, the movement of the liquid absorber and the sheet-like member can be restricted by the pressing member, and the sheet-like member can be pressed against the bottom via the liquid absorber. Thereby, a clearance gap can be eliminated between a sheet-like member and a bottom part, and the inside of a liquid storage part can be efficiently attracted | sucked through a suction hole.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid absorber is made of an elastic body having a higher compression elastic modulus than the cap member, and the pressing member is in a state of being compressed and deformed by pressing the liquid absorber in the liquid reservoir. Hold.

  According to this configuration, the sheet-like member can be pressed against the bottom by the elastic restoring force of the liquid absorber by compressing and deforming the liquid absorber with the pressing member. Thereby, a clearance gap can be eliminated between a sheet-like member and a bottom part, and the inside of a liquid storage part can be efficiently attracted | sucked through a suction hole.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid absorber is made of a porous material, the liquid level height of the liquid that can be absorbed by the capillary force of the liquid absorber is Ha, and the length of the bottom in the extending direction of the discharge hole is Is Lb, and Ha + Lc ≧ Lb, where Lc is the distance between the discharge hole and the suction hole in the extending direction.

  According to this configuration, the value (Ha + Lc) obtained by adding the liquid level height Ha of the liquid that can be sucked up by the capillary force of the liquid absorber and the distance Lc between the discharge hole and the suction hole is in the extending direction of the discharge hole. It is not less than the length Lb of the bottom. Therefore, even when the posture of the cap member changes and the discharge hole is arranged vertically above the groove, the liquid in the liquid storage portion can be sucked up to the discharge hole.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the cap member is provided with a vent hole that opens at a position closer to the discharge hole than the suction hole and away from the bottom portion in the liquid storage portion.

  According to this configuration, since the vent hole opens at a position away from the bottom in the liquid reservoir, the inflow of liquid into the vent hole can be suppressed. Further, when the cap member is inclined and the discharge hole is positioned vertically above the suction hole, if the vent hole is closer to the discharge hole than the suction hole, the liquid flows into the vent hole. Can be suppressed.

1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment. The perspective view which shows the state at the time of use of a liquid ejecting apparatus. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of the liquid ejecting apparatus. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a maintenance mechanism included in the liquid ejecting apparatus. The perspective view which shows the waste liquid container with which the liquid ejecting apparatus was mounted | worn. The top view of a cap. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. The disassembled perspective view of a cap. The disassembled perspective view of a cap. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a vertically placed liquid ejecting apparatus. (A) is a perspective view of a mounting part and a waste liquid container, (b) is a front view of a mounting part. The disassembled perspective view of the waste liquid container of one Embodiment. The front view of the waste liquid container of one Embodiment. FIG. 14 is a rear view of the waste liquid container shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the waste liquid container shown in FIG. 13. The bottom view of the waste liquid container shown in FIG. The right view of the waste liquid container shown in FIG. The left view of the waste liquid container shown in FIG. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 19-19 in FIG. 13. The perspective view of the waste liquid container before mounting | wearing. The perspective view of the waste liquid container after mounting | wearing. The schematic diagram which shows the effect | action of a waste liquid container. The front view which shows the connection recessed part of a waste liquid container.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a liquid ejecting apparatus and a waste liquid container mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet printer that performs recording (printing) by ejecting ink, which is an example of liquid, on a medium such as paper.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a rectangular box-shaped casing 12 and an opening / closing body 13 attached to the casing 12. The opening / closing body 13 includes a rectangular plate-like main body portion 13a that is rotatably attached to the housing portion 12, and a rectangular plate-like extension portion whose base end portion is rotatably attached to the main body portion 13a. 13b.

  The extending portion 13b is smaller than the main body portion 13a. Further, a handle portion 13c is recessed at the distal end side of the extending portion 13b. The opening / closing body 13 is disposed at the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and the open position shown in FIG. 2 by putting the hand on the handle portion 13c and rotating the extension portion 13b and the main body portion 13a to respective predetermined angles. The

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the opening / closing body 13 is disposed at the open position, an insertion port 14 for inserting the medium S into the housing unit 12 and a discharge port 15 for discharging the medium S from the housing unit 12. And are exposed. The opening / closing body 13 disposed in the open position functions as a support base (paper feed tray) that supports the medium S inserted into the insertion port 14.

  In the housing portion 12, the outer wall where the insertion port 14 opens is the upper wall 16, the outer wall opposite to the upper wall 16 is the bottom wall 17, the outer wall where the discharge port 15 opens is the front wall 18, and the opposite side of the front wall 18. The outer wall is called the rear wall 19. Further, in the housing part 12, a pair of outer walls that intersect with the upper wall 16, the bottom wall 17, the front wall 18 and the rear wall 19 are referred to as outer walls 20 (20 R, 20 L). And in the housing | casing part 12, the upper wall 16 side may be called a top | upper surface side, and the bottom wall 17 side may be called a bottom face side.

  On the surface (top surface) side of the upper wall 16, an operation unit 101 for operating the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, and a display unit for displaying an operation result of the operation unit 101, an operation status of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, and the like. 102 are arranged. A control unit 103 for controlling the operation of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is disposed on the back surface (bottom surface) side of the upper wall 16. Note that the operation unit 101 and the display unit 102 are electrically connected to the control unit 103.

  The opening / closing body 13 disposed at the closed position overlaps a part of the upper wall 16 so that the main body 13 a covers the insertion port 14, the operation unit 101, and the display unit 102, and the extended portion 13 b covers the discharge port 15. Thus, it overlaps with a part of the front wall 18. In addition, the upper wall 16 and the front wall 18 are provided with recesses 16a and 18a for receiving the main body portion 13a and the extending portion 13b disposed at the closed positions, respectively. When the opening / closing body 13 is disposed at the closed position, the opening / closing body 13 is accommodated in the recesses 16 a and 18 a, so that the outer surface is substantially flush with the outer surface of the housing portion 12 and is integrated with the housing portion 12. .

  The posture in which the bottom wall 17 of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed so as to face the placement surface (the posture shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) is placed horizontally, and the rear wall 19 is placed so as to face the placement surface. The posture (posture shown in FIG. 10) is called vertical placement. Since the casing 12 has a smaller area on the outer surface of the rear wall 19 than an area on the outer surface of the bottom wall 17, if the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed in a vertical orientation, the area of the placement surface is reduced. I'll do it. For this reason, it is possible to use the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 in a horizontal position when in use, and the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 in a vertical position when not in use.

  If the support legs 12a (see FIGS. 3, 5 and 10) are provided on the bottom wall 17 and the rear wall 19 which can be contact surfaces with the mounting surface in this way, the liquid at the time of mounting is provided. The attitude | position of the injection apparatus 11 can be stabilized. In addition, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes the casing 12 that can change the posture at the time of mounting and the opening / closing body 13 that can be integrated with the casing 12, so that the mobile device can be carried. It can be suitably used as a liquid ejecting apparatus of a type.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a transport mechanism 21 that transports the medium S inserted from the insertion port 14 toward the discharge port 15 and a medium support unit 22 that supports the transported medium S in the housing unit 12. And is housed.

  The transport mechanism 21 includes a transport roller 23 that transports the medium S from the insertion port 14 toward the medium support unit 22, and a discharge roller 24 that transports the medium S from the medium support unit 22 toward the discharge port 15. Further, the transport mechanism 21 includes a transport motor 25 that is a drive source, and a power transmission mechanism 26 that includes a gear train for transmitting the driving force of the transport motor 25 to the transport roller 23 and the discharge roller 24.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a liquid ejecting unit 31 that ejects liquid toward the medium S supported by the medium supporting unit 22, and a guide rail 32 that holds the liquid ejecting unit 31 and is installed in the housing unit 12. , And a carriage 33 that reciprocates along. The liquid ejecting unit 31 has a plurality of nozzles 34 that eject liquid as droplets.

  The liquid ejecting unit 31 ejects droplets from the nozzles 34 while reciprocating along the moving direction M intersecting the transport direction F of the medium S together with the carriage 33. The liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting unit 31 is supplied from, for example, a liquid container 104 (see FIG. 10) that is detachably attached to the carriage 33. In the present embodiment, the ejection direction J in which the nozzles 34 eject droplets is a direction that intersects both the transport direction F and the movement direction M. In addition, when the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed horizontally, the ejecting direction J is preferably vertically downward (gravity direction).

  In the movement region of the liquid ejecting unit 31, the first end E <b> 1 (right end in FIG. 3) side in the moving direction M is set as the home position of the liquid ejecting unit 31. Then, in the movement region, the liquid ejecting unit 31 moves in the forward direction in the moving direction M from the first end E1 toward the second end E2 (left end in FIG. 3), and the return path from the second end E2 toward the first end E1. Alternately move and move. In the present embodiment, the transport motor 25 is closer to the insertion port 14 than the medium support portion 22 in the transport direction F, and closer to the second end E2 than the first end E1 in the movement direction M. Be placed.

  A plurality of support protrusions 22 a that support the medium S are provided in the medium support portion 22 so as to be aligned in the movement direction M and the transport direction F. Further, the medium support portion 22 is provided with a sheet accommodating recess 22b on the first end E1 side in the movement direction M. A droplet receiving sheet 27 capable of absorbing liquid is accommodated in the sheet accommodating recess 22b.

  Between the sheet accommodating recess 22 b of the medium support portion 22 and the bottom wall 17, an absorbent material 28 that can absorb liquid is disposed. The absorbent 28 preferably has a larger liquid absorption capacity than the droplet receiving sheet 27. In addition, the medium support portion 22 is provided with a plurality of openings at positions corresponding to the inner bottom portion of the sheet receiving recess 22 b, and the droplet receiving sheet 27 hangs down through the openings so that the tip contacts the absorbent 28. A plurality of extending portions 27a are provided.

  The droplet receiving sheet 27 receives droplets protruding from the edge of the medium S when performing borderless printing in which printing is performed without margins up to the edge of the medium S having a small size, such as L-size photographic paper or a postcard. Then, the liquid received by the droplet receiving sheet 27 is transferred to the absorbing material 28 through the extending portion 27 a and absorbed by the absorbing material 28.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a maintenance mechanism 41 for performing maintenance on the liquid ejecting unit 31. In FIG. 4, in order to clearly show the configuration of the maintenance mechanism 41, the transport mechanism 21 and the guide rail 32 are not shown, and the medium support unit 22, the carriage 33, and the liquid ejecting unit 31 are illustrated by a two-dot chain line. Show. In FIG. 3, the maintenance mechanism 41 is not shown to clearly show the configuration of the transport mechanism 21.

  The maintenance mechanism 41 includes a cap 42 disposed at a position corresponding to the home position in the moving direction M, a suction mechanism 44 connected to the cap 42 via a suction tube 43, and a vent whose base end side is connected to the cap 42. A tube 45 and an air release valve 46 provided on the distal end side of the ventilation tube 45 are provided.

  The cap 42 is movable along the ejection direction J, and has a capping position (position shown in FIG. 7) that contacts the liquid ejection unit 31 at the home position and a retracted position that is closer to the bottom wall 17 than the capping position. Move between.

  When the cap 42 moves to the capping position where it comes into contact with the liquid ejecting unit 31, the cap 42 forms a closed space where the nozzle 34 is opened. Forming a closed space in which the nozzle 34 is opened by the cap 42 in this way is called “capping”. Note that when the cap 42 moves from the capping position to the retracted position, the capping is released. When the power is turned off without ejecting liquid, the liquid ejecting unit 31 moves to the home position and stands by in a capped state.

  When the atmosphere release valve 46 is displaced to the valve opening position where the tip of the ventilation tube 45 is opened, the closed space formed by the cap 42 is in a state communicating with the atmosphere. Further, when the air release valve 46 is displaced to the valve closing position where the tip of the ventilation tube 45 is closed, the closed space is sealed and the drying of the nozzle 34 is suppressed.

  The suction mechanism 44 is, for example, a suction pump including a tube pump or the like that generates suction force by rotating and moving an elastically deformable tube while a pressing member in an eccentric state is crushed. When the suction mechanism 44 is driven when the air release valve 46 is in the closed position, the closed space is depressurized and becomes negative pressure. Accordingly, suction cleaning is performed in which the liquid is discharged from the liquid ejecting unit 31 through the nozzle 34. In the case where the suction mechanism 44 is a tube pump, the closed space can be communicated with the atmosphere by releasing the crushing of the tube by the pressing member. The ventilation tube 45 may not be provided.

  The suction cleaning is performed as a maintenance operation for eliminating such ejection failure when, for example, the nozzle 34 is clogged or the like, causing liquid ejection failure. Therefore, the liquid discharged from the nozzle 34 by suction cleaning is treated as a waste liquid containing bubbles mixed in the liquid ejecting unit 31 and a solute component of the thickened liquid.

  After the suction cleaning is performed, the atmospheric release valve 46 is displaced to the open position to eliminate the negative pressure in the closed space, and then the cap 42 is moved relative to the direction away from the liquid ejecting unit 31 to release the capping. . Thereafter, the suction mechanism 44 is driven to perform empty suction for discharging the liquid remaining in the cap 42.

  As a maintenance operation for eliminating the ejection failure, the liquid ejecting unit 31 may perform flushing for ejecting droplets toward the cap 42 at the retracted position. After flushing, the suction mechanism 44 is driven to perform empty suction for discharging the liquid received by the cap 42.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a mounting portion 52 connected to the suction mechanism 44 via the discharge tube 51. The mounting portion 52 is a position that is sandwiched between the medium support portion 22 and the bottom wall 17 in the ejection direction J, and is disposed at a position closer to the second end E2 (the left end in FIG. 4) in the moving direction M than the absorbent material 28. Has been.

  A waste liquid container 81 that can store waste liquid is detachably mounted on the mounting portion 52. Then, the liquid (waste liquid) discharged from the liquid ejecting unit 31 to the cap 42 by suction cleaning or flushing is stored in a waste liquid container 81 mounted on the mounting unit 52 through the discharge tube 51 as the suction mechanism 44 is driven. Is done. In this embodiment, the cap 42, the absorbent 28, the mounting portion 52, and the waste liquid container 81 mounted on the mounting portion 52 are arranged in order in the movement direction M from the first end E1 toward the second end E2. Has been placed.

  The waste liquid container 81 of the present embodiment is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 by moving from the second end E2 side toward the first end E1 with respect to the mounting portion 52. Further, the waste liquid container 81 attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is detached (removed) from the attachment portion 52 by moving from the first end E1 side toward the second end E2. Therefore, the direction from the second end E2 toward the first end E1 (direction opposite to the movement direction M) is referred to as the mounting direction X of the waste liquid container 81, and the direction from the first end E1 toward the second end E2 (movement direction M). ) May be referred to as the direction of detachment of the waste liquid container 81. Furthermore, in the waste liquid container 81, one end portion (right end portion in FIG. 4) that is the front side in the mounting direction X (the side that is mounted on the mounting portion 52) is the front end portion, and the other end portion that is opposite to the one end portion (see FIG. In FIG. 4, the left end) is sometimes referred to as the rear end.

  In addition, a direction that intersects the mounting direction X of the waste liquid container 81 is referred to as a width direction Y, and a direction that intersects both the mounting direction X and the width direction Y is referred to as a thickness direction Z. Note that the width direction Y of the present embodiment is a direction orthogonal to the mounting direction X, and coincides with the transport direction F when the waste liquid container 81 is mounted on the mounting unit 52. Further, the thickness direction Z of the present embodiment is a direction orthogonal to both the mounting direction X and the width direction Y, and is a direction that coincides with the injection direction J in a state where the waste liquid container 81 is mounted on the mounting portion 52. is there.

  On the bottom wall 17 of the housing part 12, a waste liquid container housing part 48 capable of housing the waste liquid container 81 is recessed so as to open in the ejection direction J (bottom surface side). The length of the waste liquid container accommodating portion 48 in the mounting direction X is longer than the length of the waste liquid container 81 in the mounting direction X.

  The waste liquid container accommodating portion 48 is provided with a movement guide portion 49 that guides the waste liquid container 81 that is attached to and detached from the attachment portion 52 so as to extend in the attachment direction X. Further, on both end sides in the width direction Y of the waste liquid container 81, guide projections 81a and 81b that project with the movement guide unit 49 when mounted on the mounting unit 52 are provided.

  The guide protrusions 81a and 81b are different in position in the thickness direction Z (see FIG. 11). The guide protrusion 81a engages with the movement guide part 49 from the bottom side, while the guide protrusion 81b moves. Engage with the guide portion 49 from the top side. That is, when the waste liquid container 81 is mounted in the mounting part 52 and moved in the mounting direction X in the waste liquid container storage part 48, the guide protrusions 81a and 81b are engaged with the movement guide part 49. The movement of the waste liquid container 81 in the injection direction J is suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom wall 17 of the housing unit 12 has a mode in which a mounting port 17 a for mounting the waste liquid container 81 on the mounting part 52 of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 communicates with the waste liquid container housing part 48. Is provided. An opening / closing lid 47 having a pair of locking claws 47a is attached to the mounting opening 17a so as to be opened and closed by rotation.

  The opening / closing lid 47 is provided with a locking protrusion 47b for restricting the movement of the waste liquid container 81 attached to the attachment part 52 in the attaching / detaching direction. Further, a movement restricting portion 82 that can be engaged with the locking protrusion 47 b is provided at the rear end of the waste liquid container 81.

  After the waste liquid container 81 is accommodated in the waste liquid container accommodating part 48 from the attachment port 17a, the waste liquid container 81 is attached to the attachment part 52 when the waste liquid container 81 is moved toward the attachment part 52 in the attachment direction X. The

  After mounting the waste liquid container 81 on the mounting portion 52 as described above, when the opening / closing lid 47 is rotated to lock the locking claw 47a to the mounting port 17a, the locking protrusion 47b and the movement restricting portion 82 are brought into contact. By engaging, the movement of the waste liquid container 81 in the detaching direction is restricted.

  The waste liquid container 81 is recessed with a finger hooking portion 83 on which a finger or the like can be hung when the waste liquid container 81 is removed from the mounting portion 52. When the waste liquid container 81 is removed from the mounting portion 52, after opening the opening / closing lid 47 and releasing the engagement between the locking projection 47b and the movement restricting portion 82, the waste liquid is received by hooking a finger on the finger hook 83. The container 81 is moved in the attaching / detaching direction. Then, the waste liquid container 81 is taken out from the waste liquid container body 48 through the mounting port 17a. By attaching / detaching the waste liquid container 81 in this manner, the waste liquid container 81 is replaced when the waste liquid storage amount in the waste liquid container 81 exceeds a specified capacity.

Next, the configuration of the cap 42 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 6, the cap 42 includes a cap member 63 in which a first connection protrusion 61 to which the suction tube 43 is connected and a second connection protrusion 62 to which the ventilation tube 45 is connected. Have. In the present embodiment, the first connection protrusion 61 and the second connection protrusion 62 are arranged so as to be aligned in the movement direction M, and the second connection protrusion 62 is at the home position than the first connection protrusion 61. It is arranged at a close position.

  The cap member 63 has a bottom portion 64 that extends in the transport direction F and the movement direction M, and a side wall portion 65 that intersects the bottom portion 64 and extends in the injection direction J. The bottom portion 64 of the cap member 63 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view in which the transport direction F is the longitudinal direction and the moving direction M is the short direction. Of the side wall 65, the upstream side in the transport direction F is the first side wall 65a, the downstream side in the transport direction F is the second side wall 65b, and the first end side in the movement direction M (right side in FIG. 7). Is the third side wall 65c, and the second end side (left side in FIG. 7) in the moving direction M is the fourth side wall 65d, the side walls 65c and 65d are longer than the side walls 65a and 65b. And the 1st connection protrusion 61 and the 2nd connection protrusion 62 are protrudingly provided by the 2nd side wall 65b so that it may protrude in the conveyance direction F. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom part 64 and the side wall part 65 of the cap member 63 form a liquid storage part 66 capable of storing a liquid. An annular lip 67 that is elastically deformable is attached to the tip of the side wall 65 of the cap member 63. When the cap 42 forms a closed space, the lip portion 67 is in close contact with the liquid ejecting portion 31 while being elastically deformed, thereby increasing the degree of sealing of the closed space.

  The cap member 63 has a discharge hole 68 formed so as to penetrate the first connection protrusion 61 and the second side wall 65b. That is, the cap member 63 has a discharge hole 68 that communicates with the suction tube 43.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a vent flow path forming portion 65 e is provided so as to protrude from the liquid storage portion 66 at a position corresponding to the second connection protrusion 62 of the second side wall 65 b. The cap member 63 includes a vent hole 69 formed so as to penetrate the second connection protrusion 62, the second side wall 65b, and the vent flow path forming portion 65e.

  A groove 71 that communicates with the discharge hole 68 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the bottom 64 is recessed in the bottom 64 of the cap member 63. If the end connected to the discharge hole 68 of the groove 71 is a downstream end, the upstream end of the groove 71 has a substantially circular shape in plan view, and the longitudinal direction (conveying direction F) and the short direction (moving direction) of the bottom 64. It is located near the center in M). In addition, the air hole 69 opens at a position closer to the discharge hole 68 than the upstream end of the substantially circular shape of the groove 71 in the liquid storage portion 66 and away from the bottom portion 64.

  A plurality of (two in this embodiment) support shafts 72 project from the bottom portion 64 of the cap member 63 along the longitudinal direction (conveyance direction F). In the present embodiment, the upstream end of the groove 71 having a circular shape in plan view is disposed between the two support shafts 72 in the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion 64. Further, the groove 71 is bent so as to avoid the support shaft 72.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a flexible sheet-like member 73 is superimposed on the bottom portion 64 so as to cover the groove 71 in the liquid storage portion 66 of the cap 42.
As shown in FIG. 8, a suction hole 73 a is formed in the sheet-like member 73 at a position overlapping the upstream end of the groove 71. In addition, the sheet-like member 73 is formed with a through hole 73 b through which the support shaft 72 can be inserted in the liquid storage portion 66. Further, the sheet-like member 73 is formed with a notch 73c at a position corresponding to the ventilation flow path forming portion 65e.

  Liquid absorbers 74 and 75 capable of absorbing liquid are accommodated in the liquid storage portion 66 in a state where the sheet-like member 73 is interposed between the liquid storage portion 66 and the bottom portion 64. The liquid absorbers 74 and 75 are formed with through holes 74b and 75b through which the support shaft 72 can be inserted in the liquid reservoir 66, respectively. Further, the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 are formed with notches 74c and 75c at positions corresponding to the ventilation flow path forming portion 65e, respectively.

  In the present embodiment, of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75, the liquid absorber 74 arranged on the sheet-like member 73 side is made of a porous material, and the liquid absorber 75 arranged on the lip portion 67 side is made of a nonwoven fabric. . The large number of holes formed inside the liquid absorber 74, which is a porous material, are continuous holes that communicate with each other, and preferably have a high affinity for the liquid stored in the liquid storage part 66.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid absorber 74 is made of an elastic body having a higher compression elastic modulus than the liquid absorber 75 and the cap member 63. In the present embodiment, two types of liquid absorbers 74 and 75 of different materials are accommodated in the liquid storage section 66, but any one type of liquid absorber may be accommodated. Further, as the liquid absorber, a material different from that exemplified in the present embodiment can be adopted.

  Further, the cap 42 preferably includes a pressing member 76 that presses the sheet-like member 73 through the liquid absorbers 74 and 75. The pressing member 76 can be formed in a net shape, for example, with metal so that the outer surface of the liquid absorber 75 is uniformly exposed while the outer surface that is the surface on the lip portion 67 side of the liquid absorber 75 is uniformly pressed.

  The pressing member 76 has an insertion hole 76 b through which the tip of the support shaft 72 can be inserted. Then, the pressing member 76 is fixed to the cap member 63 by crushing the tip of the support shaft 72 inserted through the insertion hole 76b with heat or the like to form a hemispherical shape as shown in FIG.

  It is preferable that the pressing member 76 is held in a state where the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 are pressed and compressed and deformed in the liquid storage portion 66. In the present embodiment, the pressing of the pressing member 76 compresses and deforms the liquid absorber 74 that is easier to compress and deform (softer) than the liquid absorber 75 at a higher compressibility than the liquid absorber 75.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the liquid level height of the liquid that can be absorbed by the capillary force of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 is Ha, the extending direction of the discharge hole 68 (in this embodiment, the transport direction that is the longitudinal direction of the bottom 64) It is preferable that Ha + Lc ≧ Lb, where Lb is the length of the bottom 64 in F) and Lc is the distance between the discharge hole 68 and the suction hole 73a in the extending direction. When the suction hole 73a is disposed so as to overlap the upstream end portion of the groove 71, the distance Lc between the discharge hole 68 and the suction hole 73a substantially coincides with the length of the groove 71 in the extending direction.

  For example, as a foamed body obtained by foaming the liquid absorber 74 by finely dispersing gas in a synthetic resin such as urethane or polyvinyl alcohol, the density is 0.023 to 0.099 g / cc, and the diameter of the pores (bubbles) Is about 200 to 300 micrometers, the ink is sucked up by about 15 to 25 mm by the capillary force of the continuous holes communicating with each other.

  Further, when the density of the liquid absorber 75 made of nonwoven fabric is 0.065 to 0.175 g / cc and the gap between fibers is about 70 micrometers, the ink is sucked up by about 20 mm by the capillary force of the gap. In addition, it can be said that the capability of holding the liquid of the liquid absorber is high, so that the value of the liquid level height Ha of the liquid which can be absorbed by capillary force is large.

  In the present embodiment, as the liquid absorber 74, urethane foam having a density of about 0.023 g / cc and a hole diameter of about 300 micrometers is employed. As a result, the liquid absorber 74 can be absorbed by capillary force. The surface height Ha is about 15 mm. Further, as the liquid absorber 75, a non-woven fabric made of synthetic fiber having a density of about 0.175 g / cc and a gap between fibers of about 70 micrometers is adopted. As a result, the liquid absorber 75 can absorb liquid that can be absorbed by capillary force. The liquid level height Ha is about 23 mm.

Next, the operation of the cap 42 will be described.
Since the cap member 63 constituting the cap 42 is formed with the discharge hole 68 so as to penetrate the side wall portion 65, the first connection protrusion 61 for connecting the suction tube 43 is formed on the side (the length of the cap member 63 is long). Direction). Therefore, the cap 42 can be reduced in size (thinner) in the injection direction J, compared to the case where the first connection protrusion protrudes from the bottom 64 toward the injection direction J.

  Further, the second connection protrusions 62 that form the air holes 69 are provided on the second side wall 65b in the same direction as the first connection protrusions 61, whereby the first connection protrusions 61 and the second connection protrusions 62 are formed. The cap 42 can be made smaller than the case where the projections are provided in different directions.

  In addition, it is preferable to reduce the area of the mounting surface required when the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed vertically as shown in FIG. In that regard, by thinning the cap 42 (downsizing in the ejection direction J), the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 can be thinned and the area required for vertical installation can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the groove 71 recessed in the bottom portion 64 and the sheet-like member 73 form a flow path that communicates with the discharge hole 68. Therefore, when the suction mechanism 44 is driven, The liquid reservoir 66 is sucked through the formed suction holes 73 a and the discharge holes 68.

  At this time, by forming the flow path by covering the groove 71 with the thin sheet-like member 73, the cap 42 and the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 can be made thinner than when the groove 71 is covered with a plate material or the like. Become. Furthermore, if the sheet-like member 73 covering the groove 71 is thinned, the sheet-like member 73 is easily bent when the suction mechanism 44 is driven, so that the bottom portion 64 (the bottom surface forming the liquid storage portion 66) and the sheet-like member 73 It is possible to efficiently suck the liquid reservoir 66 without any gap.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, since the liquid absorber 74 having a high compression elastic modulus is disposed in a state of being compressed and deformed at a position in contact with the sheet-like member 73, the sheet-like member 73 is caused by the elastic restoring force of the liquid absorber 74. Is more strongly pressed against the bottom 64.

  Here, when suction cleaning is performed in the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, the liquid discharged from the nozzle 34 may remain as droplets attached to the liquid ejecting unit 31. The liquid absorber 75 on the side of the lip portion 67 has a function of removing droplets from the liquid ejecting unit 31 by touching and absorbing the droplets attached to the liquid ejecting unit 31.

  For this reason, the liquid absorber 75 needs to be disposed at a position close to the liquid ejecting unit 31 when the cap 42 forms a closed space. However, when the liquid absorber 75 absorbs the liquid and expands, The liquid surface (meniscus) formed in the nozzle 34 may be disturbed by contact. Therefore, it is preferable that the liquid absorber 75 positioned on the lip portion 67 side is less deformed due to liquid absorption or the like.

  On the other hand, if the liquid absorber 74 having a large elastic deformation rate is arranged on the sheet-like member 73 side, and the liquid absorber 75 having a small deformation rate is arranged on the lip portion 67 side, the sheet-like member is formed by the liquid absorber 74. It is possible to suppress the contact of the liquid absorber 75 to the nozzle 34 while pressing 73 against the bottom 64. Even when only the liquid absorber 75 that is not easily deformed is accommodated in the liquid reservoir 66, the sheet-like member 73 can be pressed against the bottom 64 by pressing the liquid absorber 75 with the pressing member 76. is there.

  Furthermore, since the bottom portion 64 of the cap member 63 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and the discharge hole 68 is provided in the second side wall 65b on the short side, the liquid reservoir 66 is directly sucked from the discharge hole 68. The suction force hardly reaches the first side wall 65a side. In that respect, in the cap member 63, although the discharge hole 68 is provided in the side wall portion 65, the discharge hole 68 communicates with the suction hole 73 a disposed near the center of the bottom portion 64 through the groove 71. Therefore, when the suction mechanism 44 is driven, the liquid absorbed by the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 is sucked from the vicinity of the center of the bottom portion 64.

  By the way, when the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed vertically as shown in FIG. 10, the cap 42 has the second side wall 65 b, the discharge hole 68, and the vent hole 69 arranged vertically above the liquid storage part 66, and The first connection protrusion 61 and the second connection protrusion 62 are in a vertically oriented posture that protrudes vertically upward from the second side wall 65b. If the liquid holding power of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 is small, it is difficult to suck the liquid positioned vertically below the suction hole 73a when the cap 42 is in the vertical orientation.

  In this regard, when the condition of Ha + Lc ≧ Lb is satisfied, that is, when Ha ≧ Lb−Lc, the first side wall is also generated by the capillary force of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 even when the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed vertically. The liquid on the 65a side is sucked up to the suction hole 73a. That is, the liquid vertically below the suction hole 73 a can be sucked up by the capillary force of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75, and the liquid can be discharged from the liquid storage portion 66 of the cap 42 which is oriented vertically by driving the suction mechanism 44.

  Even when the mounting surface of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is inclined, the posture of the cap 42 may be inclined and the discharge hole 68 may be positioned vertically above the suction hole 73a. Therefore, even when the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is not placed vertically, it is preferable if the condition of Ha + Lc ≧ Lb is satisfied, because the liquid can be discharged from the inclined cap 42.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid absorber 74 has a smaller Ha value than the liquid absorber 75, and the liquid absorber 74 is disposed at a position in contact with the sheet-like member 73, so that Ha is 15 mm. To do. Further, when the suction hole 73a is arranged at the center in the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion 64, Lc has a value substantially equal to 1 / 2Lb. Therefore, even if the length Lb in the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion 64 is increased to about 30 mm, the liquid in the liquid storage portion 66 in the vertical direction can be sucked while satisfying the condition of Ha + Lc ≧ Lb. If the position of the suction hole 73a in the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion 64 is closer to the first side wall 65a than the center, the condition of Ha + Lc ≧ Lb is satisfied even if the length Lb in the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion 64 is longer than 30 mm. Can do.

  Further, when the power is turned off, capping may be performed with the liquid remaining in the liquid storage portion 66 in order to suppress drying of the nozzle 34. Therefore, if the vent hole 69 is positioned vertically downward in the liquid storage portion 66, there is a possibility that the liquid flows into the vent hole 69 and becomes clogged or the liquid leaks. In that respect, by opening the vent hole 69 on the second side wall 65b side and at a position away from the bottom 64, liquid can flow into the vent hole 69 regardless of the vertical or horizontal orientation. It becomes possible to suppress.

  Here, if capping is canceled in a state where the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed vertically, the liquid in the liquid storage unit 66 may leak and the inside of the housing unit 12 may be contaminated. In order to reduce such a risk, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a detection unit 77 that detects the posture of the housing unit 12, and the detection unit 77 detects that the posture of the housing unit 12 is set vertically. It is preferable to limit the release of capping. In addition, predetermined operations such as liquid ejection operation (printing, flushing, etc.), maintenance operation of the nozzle 34, replacement of the liquid container 104, and the like that may cause the inside of the casing 12 to become dirty due to liquid leakage. It is preferable to limit.

  Further, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a medium sensor (not shown) that detects that the medium S has been inserted into the insertion port 14, and when the medium sensor detects the medium S, the posture of the housing unit 12 is set vertically. It is preferable to stop feeding the medium S when the detection unit 77 detects that the medium S has been formed. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the conveyance defect of the medium S can be reduced. When the detection unit 77 detects that the posture of the housing unit 12 is vertically placed when the medium sensor detects the medium S, the motor torque of the transport motor 25 that is a drive source is increased. Thus, the feeding of the medium S may be suppressed.

  If an optical detection sensor (for example, an optical sensor “RPI-1035” manufactured by ROHM Co., Ltd.) is used as the detection unit 77, the detection unit 77 can be disposed at any position in the housing unit 12. Especially, it is preferable that the position which arrange | positions the detection part 77 is on the member to which the vibration source which generate | occur | produces a moderate vibration is attached.

  For example, the detection unit 77 of the present embodiment is fixed to the suction mechanism 44 in the housing unit 12. When the suction mechanism 44 is driven, moderate vibration is applied to the detection unit 77. For this reason, when a detection unit 77 that uses a weight that rolls due to gravity is used, detection failure due to sticking after long-term storage is suppressed by a method such as detecting after driving the suction mechanism 44 before detection. Is possible.

  Further, by adopting a method in which detection is not performed while the suction mechanism 44 is driven but detection is performed at the timing when the suction mechanism 44 stops driving, it is possible to suppress erroneous detection due to vibration of the vibration source during normal detection. It becomes. Here, it is preferable to reduce the vibration frequency of the vibration source to 20 Hz or less, which is lower than the audible frequency, because noise due to vibration can be reduced.

  The detection unit 77 detects the inclination in the longitudinal direction of the cap member 63, and performs the above-described predetermined operation when the inclination angle in the longitudinal direction of the cap member 63 with respect to the horizontal exceeds a predetermined threshold (for example, 20 degrees). It is preferable to limit. In addition, the threshold value of the inclination angle for limiting the operation can be arbitrarily changed according to the height of the side wall 65 (length in the ejection direction J), the liquid holding force of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75, and the like.

  In addition, even when the liquid ejecting operation (printing, flushing, etc.) is performed without capping, the liquid ejecting operation and the medium S feeding operation are stopped or transported even when the tilt angle exceeds a predetermined threshold. It is preferable to increase the motor torque of the motor 25. In particular, when the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a storage battery and can be operated with the power of the storage battery, an operation button or the like is accidentally pressed while being carried, and unintentional release of capping or liquid discharge There is a risk of injection. Therefore, when the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a storage battery, it is particularly preferable to limit the operation by detecting the tilt angle.

Next, the configuration of the mounting portion 52 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the attachment portion 52 is provided with a connection recess 53 that opens in the attachment / detachment direction (the direction opposite to the attachment direction X) and the thickness direction Z. In addition, a protruding portion 54 that protrudes in the attachment / detachment direction and a cylindrical discharge portion 55 that discharges the waste liquid are provided in the connection recess 53 so as to be aligned in the width direction Y. A connection hole 56 communicating with the discharge tube 51 is formed in the discharge portion 55.

  A board connecting portion 57 electrically connected to the control portion 103 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the protruding portion 54. The board connecting portion 57 has a movable contact portion 57a that can be elastically displaced according to the contact pressure. The movable contact portion 57a protrudes in the thickness direction Z from the protruding portion 54 when receiving no external force, and is elastically displaced in a direction approaching the protruding portion 54 by receiving the external force.

  The protrusion 54 has a pair of engaging protrusions 58 provided so as to protrude along the width direction Y. The pair of engaging protrusions 58 are arranged at positions sandwiching the board connecting portion 57 in the width direction Y. The board connecting portion 57 protrudes in the detaching direction from the engaging protrusion 58, and the engaging protrusion 58 protrudes in the thickness direction Z from the board connecting portion 57.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, the engaging protrusion 58 extends in the mounting direction X and the width direction Y and extends in the mounting direction X and the thickness direction Z. A recess having an engagement surface 58b intersecting with the engagement surfaces 58a and 58c is provided. The engagement surface 58a faces the thickness direction Z, while the engagement surface 58c faces the direction opposite to the thickness direction Z. Further, the front end surface 58d of the engaging protrusion 58 that intersects with the engaging surfaces 58a, 58b, and 58c extends in the width direction Y and the thickness direction Z. And the center of the connection hole 56 is located on the plane (the virtual surface shown with a dashed-dotted line in FIG.11 (b)) including the engagement surface 58c.

Next, the configuration of the waste liquid container 81 will be described in detail.
FIG. 12 shows an exploded perspective view of the waste liquid container 81, and FIGS. 13 to 18 show the appearance of the waste liquid container 81. FIG.

  In this embodiment, when the length in the mounting direction X of the waste liquid container 81 is L1, the length in the width direction Y is L2, and the length (thickness) in the thickness direction Z is L3, L1> L2> L3. is there. That is, the waste liquid container 81 has a thin outer shape in which the mounting direction X is the longitudinal direction and the length in the thickness direction Z is short. Therefore, the waste liquid container 81 is suitably attached to the thin liquid ejecting apparatus 11.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the waste liquid container 81 includes an absorber 84 that can absorb waste liquid, a bottomed box-shaped storage member 86 in which a storage recess 85 that can store the absorber 84 is formed, and a storage recess 85. And a reinforcing member 88 arranged between the absorber 84 and the sheet-like member 73. The reinforcing member 88 is a member having higher rigidity than the film member 87.

  The housing member 86 includes a bottom wall portion 86a that forms the inner bottom surface of the housing recess 85, a pair of side wall portions 86b and 86c that extend in the mounting direction X and the thickness direction Z and intersect the bottom wall portion 86a, and a wall portion 86a. 86b, 86c, a front wall portion 86d and a rear wall portion 86e. The wall portions 86 a, 86 b, 86 c, 86 d, and 86 e form an accommodation recess 85, and the accommodation recess 85 and the film member 87 surround and form an accommodation portion 89 that can accommodate waste liquid. The film member 87 is formed with an air communication hole 87a for allowing the accommodating portion 89 to communicate with the air. Note that the number and positions of the air communication holes 87a can be arbitrarily changed.

  The housing member 86 has a convex portion 91 projecting from the housing portion 89 in the mounting direction X at one end portion (front end portion) in the mounting direction X. Both end portions in the width direction Y of the convex portion 91 are arranged on the inner side in the width direction Y with respect to the side wall portions 86 b and 86 c that form both end portions in the width direction Y of the housing portion 89. Further, the other end portion (rear end portion) in the mounting direction X of the housing member 86 is formed with a notch portion 81c in which one corner portion in the width direction Y is notched.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the waste liquid container 81 is mounted on the mounting portion 52 and the open / close lid 47 is closed, the pair of locking claws 47 a provided on the open / close lid 47 are formed on the storage member 86 with the convex portion 91. The cutout portion 81c is housed in a gap formed by providing the cutout portion 81c. In order to accommodate the storage of the locking claws 47a, the front end portion of the storage member 86 is cut out at a corner portion that becomes a connection portion between the side wall portion 86c and the convex portion 91.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 to 18, the guide protrusions 81 a and 81 b protrude from the side wall portions 86 b and 86 c of the housing member 86 so as to protrude toward the outside in the width direction Y. In the thickness direction Z, the guide protrusion 81b is disposed at a position closer to the film member 87 than the guide protrusion 81a. Further, the guide protrusion 81a is disposed in a position closer to the convex portion 91 than the guide protrusion 81b in the mounting direction X.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the convex portion 91, a connection concave portion 92 that opens in a direction opposite to the thickness direction Z and the mounting direction X and a waste liquid introduction portion 93 that extends in the mounting direction X are arranged in the width direction Y. It is provided as follows. The waste liquid introducing portion 93 has an end portion in the attachment / detachment direction communicating with the housing portion 89, and an end portion in the mounting direction opened to the tip surface of the convex portion 91. The waste liquid introducing portion 93 has an insertion port 93a that opens in the mounting direction X.

  The insertion port 93 a of the waste liquid introduction part 93 is covered with a film 94. The film 94 has a cross-shaped cut 94a. A part of the wall surface of the waste liquid introducing portion 93 is formed by the film member 87.

  The convex portion 91 includes a first wall portion 91a extending from the bottom wall portion 86a, a second wall portion 91b that intersects the first wall portion 91a and forms a part of the wall surface of the waste liquid introducing portion 93, and a first wall portion 91b. A third wall 91c disposed at a position facing the second wall 91b across the first wall 91a, and a fourth wall 91d forming a part of the wall surface of the waste liquid introducing portion 93 (see FIG. 20). And have. The walls 91a, 91b, 91c and the front wall 86d form a connection recess 92.

  A circuit board 100 having a connection terminal 95 is attached to the first wall portion 91 a so as to be positioned in the connection recess 92. The circuit board 100 includes a storage element that stores information such as the amount of waste liquid stored in the storage unit 89.

  A pair of guide portions 96 (96F, 96S) are provided in the connection recess 92 so as to sandwich the connection terminal 95 in the width direction Y. Of the pair of guide portions 96F and 96S, one guide portion 96F is projected from the second wall portion 91b so as to protrude toward the inside of the connection recess 92, and the other guide portion 96S is connected to the connection recess 92. It protrudes from the third wall 91c so as to protrude inward. That is, at one end portion (front end portion) of the housing member 86, the guide portion 96 </ b> F is disposed between the connection terminal 95 and the waste liquid introduction portion 93 in the width direction Y.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the pair of guide portions 96 (96F, 96S) has guide surfaces 96a extending in the mounting direction X and the width direction Y. The guide surface 96a faces in a direction opposite to the connection terminal 95 (thickness direction Z). The center of the opening of the waste liquid introduction portion 93 (the center of the insertion port 93a and the cut 94a) is located on a plane including two guide surfaces 96a (a virtual plane indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 17).

  In addition, a pair of regulating protrusions 97 that protrude in the mounting direction X from the front wall portion 86 d are provided on the inner flange side of the connection recess 92 from the connection terminal 95. As shown in FIG. 12, the restriction protrusion 97 is located between the guide portion 96 and the front wall portion 86 d in the mounting direction X.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the housing member 86 has a plurality of projecting portions 86 f and 86 g that project into the housing portion 89. In the present embodiment, the protrusion 86f has a cross shape when viewed from the front and protrudes from the bottom wall part 86a, and the protrusion 86g has a plate shape and protrudes from the side walls 86b and 86c. The lengths of the protrusions 86f and 86g in the thickness direction Z are shorter than the side walls 86b and 86c, and the ends of the protrusions 86f and 86g in the thickness direction Z are in contact with the bottom wall part 86a.

  The absorber 84 has a plate shape whose length in the thickness direction Z is slightly shorter than the protrusions 86f and 86g, and has insertion parts 84a and 84b into which the protrusions 86f and 86g can be inserted, respectively. When the absorber 84 is housed in the housing recess 85, the protrusions 86f and 86g are inserted into the insertion portions 84a and 84b, respectively, so that the absorber 84 moves along the mounting direction X and the width direction Y in the housing portion 89. It is suppressed.

  Further, a notch portion 84c corresponding to the notch portion 81c and a notch recess portion 84d corresponding to the finger hook portion 83 are formed at the rear end portion of the absorber 84. Furthermore, an extension portion 84 e that is accommodated in the rear end portion of the waste liquid introduction portion 93 is formed at the front end portion of the absorber 84. The extending portion 84e is not disposed near the insertion port 93a of the waste liquid introducing portion 93, and a gap is provided between the insertion port 93a and the extending portion 84e in the waste liquid introducing portion 93.

  The reinforcing member 88 is engaged with the main body portion 88 f that covers the surface of the absorber 84 on the film member 87 side, the first locking portion 88 a that is locked to the front end portion of the absorber 84, and the rear end portion of the absorber 84. A pair of second locking portions 88b to be stopped. When the reinforcing member 88 is housed in the housing portion 89, the first locking portion 88 a engages with the front end portion of the absorber 84 and the second locking portion 88 b engages with the rear end portion of the absorber 84. By doing so, the movement along the mounting direction X in the accommodating portion 89 is suppressed.

  The reinforcing member 88 is preferably made of a sheet-like resin material, but may be formed in a plate shape or a net shape using, for example, a metal material. When the reinforcing member 88 is in the form of a sheet or plate made of a resin material or a metal material, the first locking portion 88a and the second locking portion 88b have the front end portion and the rear end portion of the reinforcing member 88 in the thickness direction Z. Can be formed integrally with the main body portion 88f.

  Further, a notch 88 c corresponding to the notch 81 c and a first notch recess 88 d corresponding to the finger hook 83 are formed at the rear end of the reinforcing member 88. Furthermore, a second notch recess 88e is formed at a position corresponding to the inner bottom portion of the first notch recess 88d at the rear end portion of the reinforcing member 88. The second notch recess 88e is located between the air communication hole 87a of the film member 87 and the absorber 84, and communicates the air communication hole 87a with the accommodating portion 89. Therefore, when the reinforcing member 88 is formed in a net shape, the reinforcing member 88 does not need to be provided with the second notch recess 88e.

  As shown in FIG. 19, when the reinforcing member 88 is housed in the housing portion 89, the main body portion 88 f is disposed between the protrusions 86 f and 86 g provided on the housing member 86 and the film member 87. Therefore, when the waste liquid container 81 is disposed so that the thickness direction Z is the direction of gravity, the reinforcing member 88 is supported by the protrusions 86f and 86g.

  When the reinforcing member 88 is made of a highly rigid material and the lengths of the first locking portion 88a and the second locking portion 88b in the thickness direction Z are longer than the absorber 84, the first The main body portion 88f can be supported by the locking portion 88a and the second locking portion 88b. Therefore, in this case, the protrusions 86f and 86g may not be provided on the housing member 86.

  As shown in FIG. 20, the connection recess 92 of the waste liquid container 81 opens in the mounting direction X, and allows the protrusion 54 to be inserted when mounted on the mounting part 52. It is formed at one end (front end) in the mounting direction X. On the other hand, the connection concave portion 53 of the mounting portion 52 is open toward the attachment / detachment direction in such a manner that the convex portion 91 provided at one end of the waste liquid container 81 can be inserted.

FIG. 21 shows a waste liquid container 81 attached to the attachment portion 52.
Next, the operation of the mounting portion 52 and the waste liquid container 81 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 20, when the waste liquid container 81 is moved toward the mounting part 52 in the mounting direction X in order to mount the waste liquid container 81 on the mounting part 52, the waste liquid is placed in the connection recess 53 of the mounting part 52. The protrusion 91 of the container 81 is inserted, and the protrusion 54 is inserted into the connection recess 92 of the waste liquid container 81.

  At this time, the pair of guide portions 96 provided in the connection recess 92 guides the protruding portion 54, whereby the position of the connection terminal 95 is aligned with the substrate connection portion 57 and the waste liquid is discharged with respect to the discharge portion 55. The position of the introduction part 93 is adjusted.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 22, a guide portion 96 is inserted into a recess formed by the engagement surfaces 58 a, 58 b, and 58 c of the engagement protrusion 58 provided on the protrusion 54, and the guide portion 96 is guided. The convex guide part 96 moves in the mounting direction X along the concave engagement surfaces 58a, 58b, and 58c in such a manner that the surface 96a faces the engagement surface 58c. That is, the guide portion 96 is restrained from moving in the direction opposite to the thickness direction Z by the engagement surface 58a, is restrained from moving in the thickness direction Z by the engagement surface 58c, and is further moved in the width direction by the engagement surface 58b. It moves straight in the mounting direction X with the movement along Y suppressed.

  Here, since the pair of guide portions 96 are provided so as to sandwich the connection terminal 95 in the width direction Y, the pair of guide portions 96 guide the protrusion 54 with respect to the substrate connection portion 57. The position of the connection terminal 95 is adjusted. In addition, since one guide portion 96F is disposed between the connection terminal 95 and the waste liquid introduction portion 93 in the width direction Y, the guide portion 96F guides the protruding portion 54 to the discharge portion 55. The position of the waste liquid introducing portion 93 is adjusted. Thus, the pair of guide portions 96 aligns the connection terminal 95 with the substrate connection portion 57 and aligns the waste liquid introduction portion 93 with respect to the discharge portion 55.

  When the restricting protrusion 97 of the waste liquid container 81 abuts on the front end surface 58d of the engaging protrusion 58, the movement of the waste liquid container 81 in the mounting direction X is restricted, and the waste liquid container 81 is moved to the mounting part 52. Installation is complete. The position of the waste liquid container 81 at this time is referred to as a mounting position.

  As described above, the front end surface 58d of the restricting protrusion 97 and the engaging protrusion 58 functions as a positioning portion that stops the waste liquid container 81 that moves in the mounting direction X at the mounting position. The movement of the waste liquid container 81 in the mounting direction X can be restricted by causing the protrusion 54 to abut against the front wall 86d without providing the restriction protrusion 97. The positioning accuracy is higher when the area where the waste liquid container 81 and the projecting portion 54 come into contact with each other is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the connection terminal 95 includes an area AR (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 23) between one guide portion 96 </ b> F and the other guide portion 96 </ b> S constituting the pair of guide portions 96. It is preferable to arrange so as to face each other. In this way, the position of the connection terminal 95 is more accurately aligned with the board connection portion 57 than when the area AR and the connection terminal 95 are separated from each other in the mounting direction X.

  As shown in FIG. 22, when the waste liquid container 81 is in the mounting position, the movable contact portion 57a of the substrate connection portion 57 contacts the connection terminal 95 with a predetermined contact pressure and is elastically displaced, and the connection terminal 95 is connected to the substrate. It will be in the state electrically connected with the part 57. FIG. As a result, the circuit board 100 and the control unit 103 are electrically connected to each other, and information regarding the amount of waste liquid accommodated can be transmitted between the circuit board 100 and the control unit 103.

  When the waste liquid container 81 is in the mounting position, the guide surfaces 96a provided on the pair of guide portions 96 are projected by the elastic restoring force of the movable contact portion 57a that is elastically displaced by being pressed by the connection terminals 95. Engages with an engagement surface 58c provided on the surface. Therefore, even if the connection terminal 95 tries to move away from the board connection portion 57 by the elastic restoring force of the movable contact portion 57a, the movement of the connection terminal 95 is caused by the guide surface 96a being locked to the engagement surface 58c. Is suppressed. As a result, the state where the connection terminal 95 and the movable contact portion 57a are in contact with each other at a predetermined contact pressure is maintained.

  Further, since the connection terminal 95 is arranged in a plane so as to be parallel to a plane including a pair of guide surfaces 96a (a virtual plane indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 22), a plurality of connection terminals 95 project in the thickness direction. The contact pressure with the movable contact portion 57a becomes equal.

  Further, the center of the connection hole 56 is located on a plane including two engagement surfaces 58c (a virtual surface indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 22), while the center of the opening of the waste liquid introducing portion 93 has two guide surfaces 96a. It lies on a plane that includes it (a virtual plane indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 22). Therefore, when the waste liquid container 81 moves to the mounting position, the engaging surface 58c and the guide surface 96a facing each other come into contact with each other by the elastic restoring force of the movable contact portion 57a, so that the center position of the connection hole 56 and the waste liquid are reduced. The center position of the introduction part 93 is arranged on the same plane. Thereby, since the center position of the connection hole 56 and the center position of the waste liquid introduction part 93 can be aligned in the thickness direction Z, the position of the waste liquid introduction part 93 and the discharge part 55 can be adjusted more accurately, and the discharge part 55 can be It can be inserted into the waste liquid introducing portion 93.

  Then, with the movement of the waste liquid container 81 to the mounting position, the discharge part 55 is inserted into the waste liquid introduction part 93 through the cut 94a and the insertion port 93a, and the discharge part 55 and the waste liquid introduction part 93 are connected. become. As a result, the waste liquid discharged from the discharge unit 55 can be introduced into the waste liquid container 81.

  The discharge part 55 is arranged in a gap formed between the insertion port 93a and the extension part 84e in the waste liquid introduction part 93. And since the accommodating part 89 is connected with air | atmosphere through the air | atmosphere communicating hole 87a, when waste liquid is introduce | transduced in the accommodating part 89 through the discharge part 55, the gas equivalent to the capacity | capacitance of the introduce | transduced waste liquid will be in the atmosphere communicating hole 87a. It is discharged out of the accommodating portion 89 through the through hole.

  Here, in the waste liquid container accommodating portion 48, the direction away from the circuit board 100 from the position corresponding to the air communication hole 87 a provided in the waste liquid container 81 on the wall portion facing the film member 87 of the waste liquid container 81. A recess (not shown) serving as a gas flow path may be formed. Thereby, the waste liquid discharged from the discharge part 55 is smoothly accommodated in the accommodating part 89, the waste liquid accommodated in the accommodating part 89 is absorbed by the absorber 84, and the evaporation of the waste liquid accommodated in the accommodating part 89 is evaporated. Promoted.

  Further, if an absorber capable of absorbing liquid is disposed in the above-described recess, even if the liquid stored in the waste liquid container 81 leaks from the atmosphere communication hole 87a, the leaked liquid is absorbed by the absorber. Can absorb the leaked liquid on the circuit board 100.

  If the distance between the waste liquid introduction part 93 and the air communication hole 87a is long in the inflow direction of the waste liquid to the storage part 89, the flow of fluid (gas and liquid) from the waste liquid introduction part 93 toward the air communication hole 87a. Therefore, the gas and the liquid diffuse smoothly in the inflow direction in the accommodating portion 89.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in a state where the waste liquid introduction part 93 is attached to the attachment part 52, the waste liquid introduction part 93 is moved from the absorbent material 28 side that is the first end E <b> 1 side in the moving direction M to the second end E <b> 2. Waste liquid is introduced. Further, in a state where the waste liquid introduction part 93 is attached to the attachment part 52, the air communication hole 87 a is disposed on the second end E <b> 2 side farther from the absorbent material 28 than the waste liquid introduction part 93. That is, in this embodiment, since the waste liquid introduction part 93 and the air communication hole 87a are located at a position separated in the waste liquid inflow direction (movement direction M), the waste liquid can be smoothly discharged in the longitudinal direction (movement direction M) of the absorber 84. Can be diffused.

  Information on the amount of waste liquid introduced into the waste liquid container 81 from the discharge unit 55 is transmitted from the control unit 103 to the circuit board 100 and stored in a storage element included in the circuit board 100. In addition, the control unit 103 reads the waste liquid storage amount stored in the storage element included in the circuit board 100 at a predetermined timing, and displays the fact on the display unit 102 when the waste liquid storage amount reaches a predetermined value. For example, the user is prompted to replace the waste liquid container 81.

  Here, when the user removes the waste liquid container 81 containing the waste liquid from the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, if the user grasps and presses the film member 87, the absorber 84 is compressed and deformed via the film member 87. The waste liquid absorbed in the absorber 84 may ooze out and leak out from the waste liquid introduction portion 93.

  In that respect, in the waste liquid container 81 of the present embodiment, the reinforcing member 88 is disposed between the protrusions 86 f and 86 g and the film member 87. Therefore, even when the film member 87 is pressed, the reinforcing member 88 and the protrusions 86f and 86g receive the pressing force, thereby suppressing the compression deformation of the absorber 84. Thereby, the leakage of the waste liquid from the waste liquid container 81 is suppressed.

  Further, since the waste liquid introduction unit 93 and the connection terminal 95 are arranged in the width direction Y, the waste liquid container 81 is disposed in the state in which the waste liquid container 81 is arranged or placed so that the thickness direction Z is the gravitational direction. Even if the waste liquid leaks from the introduction portion 93, the leaked waste liquid is difficult to adhere to the connection terminal 95. Therefore, when the waste liquid container 81 is removed from the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 during use, and the waste liquid container 81 during use is attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 again, the waste liquid adheres to the connection terminal 95. Occurrence of poor contact between the connection terminal 95 and the board connection portion 57 is suppressed.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since a flow path communicating with the discharge hole 68 is formed by the sheet-like member 73 stacked on the bottom portion 64 and the groove 71 recessed in the bottom portion 64, the sheet-like member is driven when the suction mechanism 44 is driven. The inside of the liquid storage portion 66 is sucked through the suction hole 73 a formed in 73. That is, since the suction hole 73a of the sheet-like member 73 is formed at a position overlapping with a part of the groove 71, the suction of the groove 71 formed in the bottom part 64 even when the discharge hole 68 is provided in the side wall part 65. The liquid reservoir 66 can be sucked from the position overlapping with the hole 73a. Therefore, in the cap member 63 in which the bottom portion 64 and the side wall portion 65 form the liquid storage portion 66, the liquid in the liquid storage portion 66 can be efficiently discharged from the discharge hole 68 provided in the side wall portion 65.

  (2) When the suction mechanism 44 is driven and the space formed by the groove 71 recessed in the bottom portion 64 and the sheet-like member 73 is sucked, the sheet-like member 73 is deflected and displaced, and the bottom portion 64. Close contact with. As a result, there is no gap between the sheet-like member 73 and the bottom portion 64, and the liquid reservoir 66 can be efficiently sucked through the suction hole 73a.

  (3) Since the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 absorb the liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting unit 31, leakage of the liquid from the liquid storage unit 66 can be suppressed. Further, by storing the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 in the liquid storage portion 66 with the sheet-like member 73 interposed between the bottom portion 64, the sheet-like member 73 does not come out of the liquid storage portion 66. Can be.

  (4) The movement of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 and the sheet-like member 73 can be restricted by the pressing member 76 and the sheet-like member 73 can be pressed against the bottom 64. As a result, there is no gap between the sheet-like member 73 and the bottom portion 64, and the liquid reservoir 66 can be efficiently sucked through the suction hole 73a.

  (5) By compressing and deforming the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 by the pressing member 76, the sheet-like member 73 can be pressed against the bottom 64 by the elastic restoring force of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75. As a result, there is no gap between the sheet-like member 73 and the bottom portion 64, and the liquid reservoir 66 can be efficiently sucked through the suction hole 73a.

  (6) The value (Ha + Lc) obtained by adding the liquid level height Ha of the liquid that can be sucked up by the capillary force of the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 and the distance Lc between the discharge hole 68 and the suction hole 73a is the extension of the discharge hole 68. It is larger than the length Lb of the bottom 64 in the installation direction. Therefore, even when the posture of the cap member 63 changes and the discharge hole 68 is arranged vertically above the groove 71, the liquid in the liquid storage portion 66 can be sucked up to the discharge hole 68.

  (7) Since the air hole 69 opens at a position away from the bottom part 64 in the liquid storage part 66, the inflow of liquid into the air hole 69 can be suppressed. Further, when the cap member 63 is inclined so that the discharge hole 68 is positioned vertically above the suction hole 73a, if the vent hole 69 is located closer to the discharge hole 68 than the suction hole 73a, the through hole 68 is passed. Inflow of liquid into the pores 69 can be suppressed.

  (8) When the waste liquid container 81 is moved in the mounting direction X and mounted on the mounting part 52, the protrusion 54 is inserted into the connection concave part 92 of the waste liquid container 81 so that the waste liquid container 81 is attached to the connection concave part 92. The positions of the connection terminal 95 and the board connection portion 57 attached to the protrusion 54 are roughly matched. Subsequently, in the connection recess 92, the protruding portion 54 is guided by the pair of guide portions 96, so that the position of the connection terminal 95 is accurately aligned with the substrate connection portion 57. Further, since one of the pair of guide portions 96 is disposed between the connection terminal 95 and the waste liquid introduction portion 93 in the width direction Y, when the position of the connection terminal 95 is aligned, the waste liquid introduction portion 93 The position can be adjusted. Therefore, the waste liquid container 81 can be mounted on the mounting portion 52 while being aligned with the waste liquid discharge portion 55 and the substrate connection portion 57 provided in the mounting portion 52.

  (9) The distance between the waste liquid introduction part 93 and the guide part 96 is shortened by projecting one guide part 96F on the second wall part 91b forming the waste liquid introduction part 93 and the connection concave part 92. Thereby, the position of the waste liquid introduction part 93 can be accurately adjusted by the guide part 96.

  (10) Since the center of the opening of the waste liquid introduction part 93 is located on a plane including the guide surfaces 96a of the pair of guide parts 96, the guide part 96a guides the protruding part 54 provided in the mounting part 52 by guiding In the thickness direction Z that intersects both the mounting direction X and the width direction Y, the position of the waste liquid introducing portion 93 can be aligned.

  (11) Since at least a part of the connection terminal 95 is arranged to face the area AR between the guide part 96F and the guide part 96S, the area AR and the connection terminal 95 are separated in the mounting direction X. The position of the connection terminal 95 can be more accurately aligned with the board connection portion 57 than in the case.

  (12) When the waste liquid container 81 is mounted on the mounting portion 52, the guide portion 96 and the protruding portion 54 are engaged by the elastic restoring force of the movable contact portion 57a pressed by the connection terminal 95, so that the movable contact is achieved. It is possible to maintain a state in which the portion 57a is in contact with the connection terminal 95 with a predetermined contact pressure. Thereby, even when the waste liquid container 81 is slightly moved due to vibration or the like, the connection terminal 95 and the substrate connection portion 57 can be maintained in an electrically connected state.

  (13) Since both end portions in the width direction Y of the convex portion 91 are arranged on the inner side in the width direction Y than both end portions in the width direction Y of the accommodating portion 89, the connection concave portion 92 and the waste liquid introducing portion 93 are arranged in the width direction Y Compared with the case where it arrange | positions at the edge part of this, the unnecessary collision with respect to the other member etc. of the connection recessed part 92 and the waste liquid introduction part 93 can be suppressed.

  (14) By covering the opening of the housing recess 85 formed in the housing member 86 with the film member 87, the depth direction of the housing recess 85 (in the case of covering the opening of the housing recess 85 with a plate-like member ( It becomes easy to realize miniaturization in the thickness direction Z). Further, by arranging the reinforcing member 88 between the absorber 84 and the film member 87, the absorber 84 is deformed when the absorber 84 accommodated in the accommodating recess 85 is pressed through the film member 87. Since it is suppressed, the leakage of the liquid absorbed by the absorber 84 can be suppressed.

  (15) By inserting the protrusions 86f and 86g provided on the housing member 86 into the insertion portions 84a and 84b formed on the absorber 84, the movement of the absorber 84 in the housing recess 85 can be suppressed. .

  (16) By disposing the reinforcing member 88 between the protrusions 86f and 86g and the film member 87, the movement of the reinforcing member 88 pressed via the film member 87 can be suppressed by the protrusions 86f and 86g. it can. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation in which the reinforcing member 88 moves to press the absorber 84 and the waste liquid absorbed by the absorber 84 oozes out and leaks.

  (17) By making the reinforcing member 88 into a sheet shape, a large space for housing the absorber 84 in the housing recess 85 can be secured. Further, since the resin material is easy to mold, it is suitable for forming the sheet-like reinforcing member 88.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment like the modification shown below.
In the case where the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 does not include the atmosphere release valve 46 and the ventilation tube 45, the ventilation hole 69 and the second connection protrusion 62 may not be provided in the cap member 63.

  In the cap 42, the suction hole 73 a provided in the sheet-like member 73 can be disposed at any position as long as it overlaps the groove 71. For example, a plurality of suction holes 73 a may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the groove 71. Further, the upstream end side of the groove 71 may be branched into a plurality of portions, and the suction holes 73a may be arranged at positions overlapping with the plurality of branched ends.

In the cap 42, the sheet-like member 73 does not necessarily have a size that covers the entire bottom portion 64, and may be any shape and size that covers at least the groove 71.
In the cap 42, the sheet-like member 73 may be bonded to the bottom portion 64. In this case, the cap 42 may not include the liquid absorbers 74 and 75 and the pressing member 76, and the sheet-like member 73 may not have flexibility.

  -The engaging protrusion 58 provided in the mounting part 52 may not be provided with a recess, and the convex engaging protrusion 58 and the convex guide part 96 may be engaged with each other. Or the guide part 96 which the waste liquid container 81 has may be formed in a concave shape, and the convex engagement protrusion 58 may be inserted into the concave guide part 96.

The waste liquid container 81 may not include the convex portion 91 or the notch portion 81c.
-In the waste liquid container 81, the film member 87 which covers the opening part of the accommodation recessed part 85 which the accommodation member 86 has may be changed into a plate member. And when covering the opening part of the accommodation recessed part 85 with a plate member, the waste liquid container 81 does not need to be provided with the reinforcement member 88. FIG.

  In the waste liquid container 81, the guide part 96F may be provided on a wall part different from the second wall part 91b that forms the waste liquid introduction part 93 and the connection concave part 92. Further, the pair of guide portions 96F and 96S may be provided so as to protrude outward from the convex portion 91 in the width direction Y. For example, in the waste liquid container 81, the guide part 96F may be provided on the fourth wall part 91d forming the waste liquid introduction part 93 so as to protrude outward in the width direction Y. In this case, the guide portion 96S may be provided on the third wall portion 91c so as to protrude outward in the width direction Y.

  In the waste liquid container 81, the pair of guide portions 96F and 96S are provided to protrude outward in the width direction Y on the second wall portion 91b and the fourth wall portion 91d that respectively form the waste liquid introduction portion 93. May be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the structure of the projection 54 and the guide 96 for aligning the position of the waste liquid container 81 with respect to the mounting part 52 attaches the liquid container 104 to the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 (such as the carriage 33). It is also possible to employ this method for aligning the position.

  The liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting unit is not limited to ink, and may be, for example, a liquid material in which functional material particles are dispersed or mixed in the liquid. For example, recording is performed by ejecting a liquid material in which a material such as an electrode material or a color material (pixel material) used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, and a surface emitting display is dispersed or dissolved. It may be configured.

  The medium is not limited to paper, and may be a plastic film, a thin plate, or the like, or may be a fabric used in a printing apparatus.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Liquid injection apparatus, 31 ... Liquid injection part, 34 ... Nozzle, 44 ... Suction mechanism, 63 ... Cap member, 64 ... Bottom part, 65 ... Side wall part, 66 ... Liquid storage part, 68 ... Discharge hole, 69 ... Vent hole , 71 ... groove, 73 ... sheet-like member, 73a ... suction hole, 74, 75 ... liquid absorber, 76 ... pressing member, Ha ... liquid level height, Lb ... length, Lc ... distance.

Claims (7)

A liquid ejecting section having a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid;
A cap member having a side wall portion in which a discharge hole is formed, and a bottom portion in which a groove communicating with the discharge hole is provided, and the side wall portion and the bottom portion form a liquid storage portion capable of storing liquid. When,
A suction mechanism for sucking the fluid in the liquid reservoir through the discharge hole;
A sheet-like member that is superimposed on the bottom so as to cover the groove in the liquid storage part, and in which a suction hole is formed at a position overlapping with a part of the groove;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet-like member has flexibility. It has a liquid absorber that can absorb liquid,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid absorber is accommodated in the liquid storage unit in a state where the sheet-like member is interposed between the liquid absorber and the bottom. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a pressing member that presses the sheet-like member through the liquid absorber. The liquid absorber is made of an elastic body having a higher compression elastic modulus than the cap member,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressing member holds the liquid absorber in a state of being pressed and compressed and deformed in the liquid storage portion. The liquid absorber is made of a porous material,
The liquid level height of the liquid that can be absorbed by the capillary force of the liquid absorber is Ha,
The length of the bottom in the extending direction of the discharge hole is Lb, and when the distance between the discharge hole and the suction hole in the extending direction is Lc, Ha + Lc ≧ Lb. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of the above. The said cap member is provided with the vent hole which opens in the position close | similar to the said discharge hole rather than the said suction hole in the said liquid storage part, and the position away from the said bottom part. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of the above.