JP4968361B2 - Waste liquid recovery method, liquid ejecting apparatus and cartridge set - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste liquid recovery method, a liquid ejecting apparatus, and a cartridge set.

  As a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a liquid ejecting head to a target, an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) is known. A maintenance mechanism is usually provided in a non-printing area in the printer. This maintenance mechanism performs suction cleaning or the like for sucking ink, bubbles, or the like thickened from the nozzles in order to prevent nozzle clogging or the like of the recording head as a liquid ejecting head.

  Waste ink sucked from the recording head by the maintenance mechanism is sent to a waste ink tank provided in the printer. Alternatively, there is a case where waste ink is sent to an ink cartridge including an ink storage unit that stores unused ink and a waste ink storage unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, when the cartridge is replaced, the waste ink storage unit can also be replaced at the same time. Therefore, there is an advantage that the waste liquid storage space can be reduced rather than providing the waste ink tank in the apparatus.

JP 2003-118144 A

  However, each cartridge has the same volume of the waste liquid storage portion despite the difference in the replacement time due to the difference in consumption of various inks. Accordingly, there is a possibility that a cartridge having an early replacement time may be replaced with a low waste ink filling rate in the waste ink storage unit. Conversely, cartridges with a late replacement time have a long mounting period, and therefore tend to collect a large amount of waste ink. For this reason, for the purpose of preventing leakage of waste ink, the capacity of the waste ink storage unit is set in accordance with the amount of waste ink collected by the cartridge whose replacement time is late. For this reason, the waste ink storage part and the cartridge tend to increase in size.

  On the other hand, it has also been proposed to change the configuration of the waste ink introduction path from the maintenance mechanism to each cartridge, or to provide a waste ink control mechanism such as a valve so that a large amount of waste ink is sent to the cartridge with a quick replacement time. Yes. However, in these cases, the waste ink introduction mechanism and the waste ink control mechanism are complicated, which is not preferable for downsizing the apparatus. In addition, when the cartridges whose replacement time is early are different depending on the individual difference of the apparatus and the usage situation, the waste ink introduction mechanism having a cartridge layout limitation cannot cope.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a waste liquid recovery method, a liquid ejecting apparatus, and a cartridge set that can reduce the size of the apparatus or the cartridge.

  The present invention relates to a waste liquid recovery method for a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid and a maintenance mechanism that sucks the liquid in the liquid ejecting head, and stores a plurality of liquids to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head. The cartridge is provided with a waste liquid storage part for storing the waste liquid discharged from the maintenance mechanism, an introduction part for introducing the waste liquid into the waste liquid storage part, and an open hole for discharging the gas in the waste liquid storage part to the outside. Of each of the cartridges, the waste liquid is provided by reducing the flow resistance of the cartridge-side flow path from the introduction unit to the open hole, which is provided in the cartridge with a large amount of liquid consumption. The amount of waste liquid introduced into the reservoir is made larger than that of the other cartridges.

  According to this, the cartridge is provided with a cartridge-side flow path including an introduction part, a waste liquid storage part, and an open hole. Further, the cartridge side flow path provided in the cartridge with a large amount of liquid consumption is formed so that the flow path resistance is smaller than that of other cartridges. Therefore, the waste liquid discharged from the maintenance mechanism is easily introduced into the cartridge having a small flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path, and as a result, the waste liquid filling rate of the cartridge is increased. That is, it is possible to replace a waste liquid storage unit having a high waste liquid filling rate at the same time as replacing a cartridge with a large amount of liquid consumption and an early replacement time. That is, since a relatively large amount of waste liquid can be frequently discarded, the amount of waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage section of each cartridge is reduced, and the capacity of the waste liquid storage section can be reduced. Thereby, size reduction of a cartridge can be achieved. Further, the waste liquid filling rate of the cartridge can be varied with a simple configuration without providing a control valve for controlling the flow of the waste liquid. Furthermore, since the resistance of the flow path provided in the cartridge is made different, the waste liquid filling rate of each cartridge can be made different without changing the configuration and layout of each member on the liquid ejecting apparatus side.

  The present invention provides a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid and a maintenance mechanism that sucks the liquid in the liquid ejecting head, and the plurality of cartridges that store the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head include: From the introduction part for introducing the waste liquid to the open hole for discharging the gas in the waste liquid storage part to the outside through the waste liquid storage part, respectively, with a waste liquid storage part for storing the waste liquid discharged from the maintenance mechanism The channel resistances of the cartridge side channels are different from each other.

  According to this, the cartridge mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus is provided with a cartridge-side flow path including an introduction part, a waste liquid storage part, and an open hole. In addition, each cartridge side flow path is formed so that its flow path resistances are different from each other. Accordingly, the waste liquid from the maintenance mechanism is easily introduced into the cartridge having a small flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path, and the waste liquid filling rate is increased. Therefore, for example, if the flow resistance of the cartridge side flow path of a cartridge with a large amount of liquid consumption and an early replacement time is reduced, the waste liquid storage section having a high waste liquid filling rate can be replaced simultaneously with the replacement of the cartridge. That is, since a relatively large amount of waste liquid can be frequently discarded, the waste liquid can be recovered without leaking even if the capacity of each waste liquid storage unit is reduced. Accordingly, the waste liquid storage unit and the cartridge can be reduced in size. Further, the waste liquid filling rate of the cartridge can be varied with a simple configuration without providing a control valve for controlling the flow of the waste liquid. Furthermore, since the resistance of the flow path provided in the cartridge is made different, the waste liquid filling rate of each cartridge can be made different without changing the configuration and layout of each member on the liquid ejecting apparatus side.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, at least a part of the flow path cross-sectional area or flow path length of the cartridge side flow path provided in each cartridge is different from each other, and the flow path resistance of each cartridge side flow path is different. Let

  According to this, the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path is different because the flow path cross-sectional areas or flow path lengths of at least some of the cartridge side flow paths are different from each other. That is, when the channel cross-sectional area is large or the channel length is small, the channel resistance is small. For this reason, it is possible to easily change the flow path resistance of each cartridge side flow path by making the configuration of each cartridge substantially the same.

In this liquid ejecting apparatus, among the cartridge side channels, the channel cross-sectional areas or channel lengths from the introduction part to the waste liquid storage part are different from each other.
According to this, in each cartridge side channel, the channel resistance from the waste liquid introduction port to the waste liquid storage part is different from each other, so that the channel resistance is different. Accordingly, since the configuration of the flow path through which the waste liquid passes differs depending on the cartridge, the flow path resistance can be reliably varied.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the air-permeabilities of the air-permeable films provided in the cartridges and disposed so as to close the open holes are made different from each other, so that the flow resistances of the cartridge-side flow paths are different. Let

  According to this, the flow resistance of each cartridge side flow path is varied by varying the air flow rate (air permeability) per unit time of the air permeable film. For this reason, the flow path resistance can be easily changed without changing the size or configuration of the cartridge.

In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the air permeable areas of the air permeable films are different from each other.
According to this, the air permeability of each air permeable film is varied by varying the air permeable area of the air permeable film. That is, when the air permeable area of the air permeable film is large, the contact area with the gas in the waste liquid storage section is large, so the air permeability is large and the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path is small. For this reason, the flow path resistance can be easily changed without changing the size or configuration of the cartridge.

In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the thicknesses of the air permeable films are different from each other.
According to this, the air permeability of each air permeable film is made different by making the thickness of the air permeable film different. That is, when the thickness of the air permeable film is small, the air permeability is large and the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path is small. For this reason, the flow path resistance can be easily changed without changing the size or configuration of the cartridge.

In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the air permeable films are made of different materials, and the air permeability of the air permeable films is made different.
According to this, the air permeability of each air permeable film differs by making the material of the air permeable film different. That is, when the air permeable film is made of a material having a high air permeability, the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path is small. For this reason, the flow path resistance can be easily changed without changing the size or configuration of the cartridge.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the cartridge case is provided with an exhaust flow path communicating with the waste liquid storage section, and a plurality of air communication sections that can be opened to the atmosphere during use are formed in the middle of the exhaust flow path. The air communication portions were arranged so that the flow path lengths or flow path cross-sectional areas from the waste liquid storage portion to the air communication portions were different from each other.

  According to this, an exhaust passage communicating with the waste liquid storage part is provided in the case of the cartridge. In addition, a plurality of atmospheric communication portions that can be opened to the atmosphere during use are provided in the middle of the exhaust passage. Furthermore, each air communication part was arrange | positioned so that the flow path length or flow path cross-sectional area from a waste liquid storage part might each differ. That is, when the air communication part relatively close to the waste liquid storage part is opened to the atmosphere, the flow path length from the waste liquid storage part to the air communication part becomes small, so the flow resistance becomes small. In addition, when the air communication part that is relatively far from the waste liquid storage part is opened to the atmosphere, the flow path length from the waste liquid storage part to the air communication part increases, and thus the flow resistance increases. For this reason, for example, when the replacement time of the cartridge varies depending on the use status, individual differences of the apparatus, etc., the flow path resistance of the cartridge can be changed as appropriate.

  The present invention is a cartridge set including a plurality of cartridges each including a liquid storage unit that stores liquid and a waste liquid storage unit that stores waste liquid, and is formed in each cartridge according to the amount of liquid consumption of each cartridge. The flow path resistances of the cartridge side flow paths from the introduced part to the open hole for releasing the gas in the waste liquid storage part to the outside through the waste liquid storage part were formed to be different from each other.

  According to this, each cartridge having the liquid storage part and the waste liquid storage part has a different channel resistance of the cartridge side flow channel according to the amount of liquid consumption. For this reason, the waste liquid is easily introduced into the cartridge having a small flow path resistance, and the waste liquid filling rate of the cartridge is increased. That is, when a cartridge with a large amount of liquid consumption and an early replacement time is replaced, a waste liquid storage unit with a high waste liquid filling rate can be replaced at the same time. That is, since a relatively large amount of waste liquid can be frequently discarded, the amount of waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage section of each cartridge is reduced, and the capacity of the waste liquid storage section can be reduced. Thereby, size reduction of a cartridge can be achieved.

1 is a perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cleaning operation of the printer. Explanatory drawing explaining the flow of the ink and waste ink with respect to the cartridge. The perspective view of the cartridge. The exploded perspective view of the cartridge. The bottom view of the upper cover of the cartridge. Sectional drawing of the cartridge. The bottom view of the upper cover of the cartridge. The bottom view of the upper cover of the cartridge of the second embodiment. The bottom view of the upper cover of the cartridge. The bottom view of the upper cover of the cartridge of the third embodiment. The perspective view of the cartridge of 4th Embodiment.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 1 as a liquid ejecting apparatus, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the printer 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a cleaning operation of the printer 1, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the flow of the waste ink as an ink and a waste liquid.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes a cartridge holder 3 on the upper surface of a cover 2. First to fourth cartridges C1 to C4 are detachably mounted on the cartridge holder 3 respectively. The first to fourth cartridges C1 to C4 are arranged in a line in the cartridge holder 3 in order. Next to the cartridge holder 3, an elongated connection portion 5 is provided. When the first to fourth cartridges C1 to C4 are mounted on the cartridge holder 3, the first to fourth cartridges C1 to C4 are connected to a connecting portion (not shown) of the connecting portion 5.

  In addition, as shown by the broken line in the rightmost first cartridge C1 in FIG. 1, the first to fourth cartridges C1 to C4 include a first storage portion S1 as a liquid storage portion that stores various inks therein. ing. The first cartridge C1 stores black ink in the first storage portion S1, and the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 store various color inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively.

  The first to fourth cartridges C1 to C4 include a second storage portion S2 that can store a liquid, as indicated by a broken line inside the first storage portion S1. The second storage unit S2 stores waste ink discharged during cleaning performed by the printer 1 for the purpose of preventing printing defects. Note that when the first to fourth cartridges C1 to C4 are described without being distinguished from each other, they are simply described as the cartridge C. Further, the first to fourth cartridges C1 to C4 constitute a cartridge set.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each cartridge C is connected to each supply flow path 4 for communicating each cartridge C and the carriage 6. Each supply flow path 4 includes a flow path (not shown) formed in the connection portion 5 and a supply tube 7 (see FIG. 2) connected to the connection portion 5. The supply tube 7 is connected at one end to the connecting portion 5 and at the other end to the carriage 6 side, and has four supply channels 4 inside.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 6 is inserted and supported by a guide member 9 installed on a pair of frames 8 in the cover 2. The carriage 6 is drivingly connected to a carriage motor (none of which is shown) via a timing belt, and reciprocates in the main scanning direction (X-axis direction) along the guide member 9 by driving the carriage motor.

  A recording head 10 as a liquid ejecting head is disposed on the lower surface of the carriage 6. The recording head 10 includes a piezoelectric element (not shown), each nozzle N (see FIG. 3), and the like. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, four sub tanks 11 are mounted on the carriage 6, and each of these sub tanks 11 is supplied from each cartridge C via a supply flow path 4 (connection portion 5 and supply tube 7). The supplied ink is temporarily stored. Each sub tank 11 supplies ink to the recording head 10 in accordance with the amount of ink ejected from the recording head 10. Therefore, the recording head 10 moves in the main scanning direction while ejecting ink droplets onto the paper P (see FIG. 1) and the paper P is transported in the sub-scanning direction (Y-axis direction) by a paper feeding mechanism (not shown). Printing is performed by repeating alternately. In the printer 1, it is assumed that the ink having the largest ink consumption amount (liquid consumption amount) is the black ink in advance from statistics. For this reason, the replacement time of the first cartridge C1 is the earliest.

  Further, a maintenance mechanism 15 is disposed at the home position of the carriage 6 shown in FIG. 2 in the non-printing area that is the movement path of the carriage 6 and outside the transport path of the paper P. The maintenance mechanism 15 includes a square frame-shaped cap 16 shown in FIG. 3 in the case 15a. The cap 16 is reciprocated in the vertical direction between an operating position in contact with the lower surface of the recording head 10 shown in FIG. 3 and a retracted position separated from the recording head 10 by an elevating mechanism (not shown). A discharge port 17 is formed through the bottom wall of the cap 16, and a discharge flow path 18 such as a tube is connected to the discharge port 17. The discharge flow path 18 connects the cap 16 and the connecting portion 5, and a suction pump 19 is provided in the middle thereof.

  At the time of suction cleaning, the cap 16 is disposed at the operating position, and the suction pump 19 is driven in a state where the lower surface of the recording head 10 is sealed. Then, air and ink in the discharge flow path 18 and the cap 16 are sucked and discharged, and negative pressure is accumulated in the cap 16. Due to the negative pressure, thickened ink, dust, bubbles, and the like are discharged into the cap 16 from the nozzle N of the recording head 10 and its lower surface.

  The ink or the like discharged into the cap 16 is pressure-fed through a suction pump 19 to a waste ink flow path 20 communicated with the discharge flow path 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the waste ink flow path 20 is formed in the connection portion 5. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the waste ink flow path 20 is formed to branch in the direction of each cartridge C in the middle thereof. With this configuration, the waste ink that has flowed into the waste ink flow path 20 is distributed and stored in the second storage portion S2 of each cartridge C. The lengths of the channels from the inlet 20a of the waste ink channel 20 to the inlets of the cartridges C are equal to the channel lengths d1 and d2 communicating with the first and second cartridges C1 and C2, and the third and fourth cartridges. The channel lengths d3 and d4 communicating with C3 and C4 are longer than that (that is, d1 = d2 <d3 <d4).

  Next, each cartridge C will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 is a perspective view of the cartridge C, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge C, FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the upper cover of the cartridge C, and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cartridge C includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case CS, and the case CS includes a lower cover 25. The lower cover 25 is formed in a box shape whose upper side is open. The front wall portion 25a of the lower cover 25 is provided with a lead-out portion 26 and an introduction portion 27, and holes 28 and 29 are formed at substantially the center so as to penetrate the front wall portion 25a. The introduction portion 27 is provided above the lead-out portion 26 in the front wall portion 25a.

  The lower cover 25 accommodates the ink pack 30 shown in FIG. The ink pack 30 includes an ink bag 31 and an outlet 32. The ink bag 31 is formed of a film made of a flexible material. The take-out port 32 is configured such that one end protrudes from the ink bag 31 and the other end is inserted into the ink bag 31 and is fixed, and the ink in the ink bag 31 is led out to the outside. When the ink pack 30 is accommodated in the lower cover 25, the outlet 32 is engaged with the outlet 26 from the inside, and an ink needle (not shown) can be inserted into the outlet 32 through the hole 28 of the outlet 26. It arrange | positions as follows.

  An upper cover 33 constituting a case is fixed to the lower cover 25 that accommodates the ink pack 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the upper cover 33 includes a rectangular plate-shaped portion 34 and an inner frame portion 35 erected in a frame shape on the lower surface of the plate-shaped portion 34. The inner frame portion 35 includes a front wall portion 35a, a left wall portion 35b, a right wall portion 35c, and a back wall portion 35d.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a through hole 36 is formed at a position near the right wall portion 35c of the front wall portion 35a to communicate the inside and the outside of the front wall portion 35a. The through hole 36 is formed in a waste ink introduction portion 37 as an introduction portion provided so as to be continuous with the front wall portion 35 a of the inner frame portion 35. The waste ink introduction portion 37 is provided with a valve mechanism including a valve body 39, a valve seat 40, and a biasing spring 41 that biases the valve body 39 toward the valve seat 40. A waste liquid needle N <b> 2 (see FIG. 4) provided at the tip of the connection portion 5 is inserted into the insertion port of the waste ink introduction portion 37. When the waste liquid needle N2 is inserted, the valve body 39 separates from the valve seat 40 against the biasing force of the biasing spring 41. Thereby, the inner side and the outer side of the inner frame part 35 are communicated with each other through the through hole 36.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a substantially L-shaped partition portion 42 is erected on the plate-like portion 34 inside the inner frame portion 35. The partition part 42 is provided substantially parallel to the front wall part 35a and the left wall part 35b, and its rear end part is formed so as to expand with the back wall part 35d. Further, the front end portion of the partition portion 42 is formed continuously with the front wall portion 35 a so as to surround the through hole 36. As a result, the inside of the inner frame part 35 is partitioned by the partition part 42 into a flow path 44 and a waste ink storage part 45 as a waste liquid storage part. The flow path 44 is formed in a groove shape between the partition portion 42 and the front wall portion 35a and the left wall portion 35b. The flow passage 44 is bent at the front left corner of the upper cover 33 with the through hole 36 side as a starting end, and the left wall It extends along the part 35b. The waste ink reservoir 45 is a space provided between the partition 42 and the right wall 35c and the back wall 35d. The flow path 44 and the waste ink reservoir 45 are separated from the partition 42 and the back. It communicates with the wall portion 35d through an expanded portion 44a.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, an air communication hole 46 as an open hole is formed through the plate-like portion 34 at a position corresponding to the front right corner of the waste ink storage portion 45. As shown in FIG. 7, the air communication hole 46 is closed by attaching a rectangular air permeable film 47 to the lower surface of the plate-like portion 34. Further, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 7, only the edge 47 a of the air permeable film 47 is attached to the plate-like portion 34, and a gap is provided between the air-permeable film 47 and the plate-like portion 34. It is like that. The air permeable film 47 has liquid repellency and air permeability. For this reason, the air permeable film 47 allows the air (gas) in the waste ink storage unit 45 to pass therethrough but prevents liquid such as ink from passing therethrough. Further, since the air permeable film 47 repels ink, the ink hardly adheres.

6 is disposed in the waste ink reservoir 45 to which the air permeable film 47 is attached. The absorbent material 48 is cut to a length that does not overlap the air permeable film 47.
A film 49 shown in FIG. 6, which has a size capable of sealing the opening of the inner frame portion 35, is attached to the lower surface of the inner frame portion 35 of the upper cover 33 provided with the absorbent material 48. As shown in FIG. 8, when the inside of the inner frame portion 35 is sealed by the film 49, the waste ink storage portion 45 and the flow path 44 are sealed. As a result, a cartridge-side flow path R including the flow path 44, the waste ink storage portion 45, and the air communication hole 46 is formed, and the second storage portion S2 is provided in the upper cover 33. Further, the air communication hole 46 constitutes an exhaust passage R1.

  When the waste ink is introduced from the waste ink introduction unit 37, the waste ink is sent to the waste ink storage unit 45 through the flow path 44 and absorbed by the absorbent material 48. Further, the air contained in the waste ink passes through the air permeable film 47 and is pushed out through the air communication hole 46.

  When the upper cover 33 is fixed to the lower cover 25, the waste ink introducing portion 37 is fitted to the inner side surface of the introducing portion 27 of the lower cover 25. As a result, the waste liquid needle N2 can be inserted into the waste ink introducing portion 37 through the hole 29 of the introducing portion 27. Further, a first storage portion S1 is provided between the inner surface of the lower cover 25 and the film 49 of the upper cover 33, and the ink pack 30 is stored in the first storage portion S1.

  On the other hand, the flow path 44 of the cartridge C is formed so that the flow path resistance differs depending on the cartridge C. Specifically, the first cartridge C1 that stores black ink is formed so that the flow path cross-sectional area A1 of the flow path 44 becomes the largest, and the flow path cross-sectional areas of the second cartridge C2 to the fourth cartridge C4. A2 to A4 are formed to be smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area A1 of the first cartridge C1 (A1> A2 = A3 = A4).

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the partition portion 42 of the first cartridge C1 is disposed such that the width between the front wall portion 35a and the left wall portion 35b is the width W1. That is, the width of the flow path 44 of the first cartridge C1 is the width W1. As shown in FIG. 9, the flow paths 44 of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 are formed to have a width W2 that is smaller than the width W1. Further, the lengths of the flow paths 44 of the first cartridge C1 and the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 and the capacities of the respective waste ink storage portions 45 are equal.

  For this reason, the first cartridge C1 and the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 differ only in the widths W1 and W2 of the flow path 44 (that is, W1> W2), and the other configurations are the same. . Accordingly, the flow path resistance of the flow path 44 (cartridge side flow path R) of the first cartridge C1 containing black ink is the smallest, and the flow paths 44 of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 (cartridge side flow path R). The channel resistances of are equal.

  Next, the waste ink collection procedure of the printer 1 will be described. The printer 1 performs suction cleaning by the maintenance mechanism 15 at a predetermined timing. During suction cleaning, the suction pump 19 is driven with the cap 16 sealing the lower surface of the recording head 10 as described above. Then, ink, air, and the like are discharged from the nozzle N of the recording head 10 into the cap 16, and the discharged ink is sent to the waste ink flow path 20 provided in the connection portion 5 via the suction pump 19.

  The waste ink that flows in from the inlet 20a of the waste ink flow path 20 is distributed to the waste ink storage 45 of each cartridge C based on the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path R of each cartridge C. At this time, although the flow path lengths from the inlet 20a of the waste ink flow path 20 to the waste ink storage portions 45 of the first and second cartridges C1 and C2 are equal, the first cartridge C1 has a second flow path. Waste ink is introduced in preference to the cartridge C2. The third and fourth cartridges C3 and C4 are more than the first and second cartridges C1 and C2 based on the channel length from the inlet 20a to the waste ink introduction part 37 inlet and the channel resistance of the channel 44. A small amount of waste ink is stored.

  When this cleaning is performed a plurality of times, the filling rate of the waste ink in the waste ink storage unit 45 of the first cartridge C1 is larger than the filling rate of the waste ink storage unit 45 of the other second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4. Become. Further, as described above, since the first cartridge C1 has a large amount of ink consumption, the replacement time is early. Therefore, along with the replacement of the first cartridge C1, the waste ink storage unit 45 having a large filling rate is replaced relatively quickly. That is, since a relatively large amount of waste ink can be discarded frequently, even if the capacity of each cartridge C is relatively small, the waste ink can be stored without leaking. The waste ink filling rate (waste liquid filling rate) refers to the ratio of waste ink to the volume of the waste ink storage unit 45.

  Further, even when the first cartridge C1 whose replacement time is early is inevitably disposed at a position far from the inlet 20a of the waste ink flow path 20 (position of the fourth cartridge C4 in FIG. 4) in the layout of the printer 1, By making the channel resistance of the channel 44 in the first cartridge C1 smaller than that of the other cartridges C, the waste ink filling rate of the first cartridge C1 is increased.

According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the first embodiment, each cartridge C includes the first storage unit S1 that stores unused ink and the second storage unit S2 that stores waste ink. Each cartridge C is provided with a cartridge-side flow path R. The cartridge-side flow path R is connected to the waste ink storage section 45, the flow path 44 communicating from the waste ink introduction section 37 to the waste ink storage section 45, and the atmosphere. The communication hole 46 is used. Further, the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path R of the first cartridge C1 whose replacement time is early is made smaller than the flow path resistance of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4. For this reason, when the waste ink is sent from the maintenance mechanism 15, the waste ink is easily sent to the first cartridge C1, so that the waste ink filling rate of the first cartridge C1 can be increased. That is, since a relatively large amount of waste ink can be frequently discarded, even if the capacity of the waste ink storage 45 of each cartridge C is small, the waste ink can be collected without leaking. Therefore, the waste ink storage unit 45 and the cartridge C can be reduced in size. In addition, the waste ink filling rate of each cartridge C can be controlled with a simple configuration without providing a valve or the like. Furthermore, since the resistance of the flow path provided in the cartridge C is made different, the configuration of the supply flow path 4, the discharge flow path 18, the waste ink flow path 20 and the like provided on the printer 1 side and the layout of the cartridge C are not changed. The waste ink filling rate of each cartridge C can be made different.

  (2) In the first embodiment, the inner frame portion 35 and the partition portion 42 are erected on the upper cover 33 of the cartridge C. The flow path cross-sectional area of the waste ink flow path 44 including the inner frame portion 35 and the partition portion 42 is made different by changing the position of the partition portion 42. That is, the channel cross-sectional area A1 (width W1) of the channel 44 of the first cartridge C1 is increased, and the channel cross-sectional areas A2 to A4 (width W2) of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 are increased. The area was smaller than A1. For this reason, the configuration of each cartridge C can be the same except for the position of the partition portion 42, and the channel resistance of each channel 44 can be different.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The second embodiment has a configuration in which only the cartridge C of the first embodiment is changed. Therefore, detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the partition portion 42 of the first cartridge C1 is configured, and the first partition portion 42a provided in parallel to the front wall portion 35a has a length L1. Is formed. Moreover, the 2nd partition part 42b which comprises the partition part 42 similarly is provided in parallel with the left wall part 35b, and the length is L2. With this configuration, the flow path 44 communicating the waste ink introduction part 37 and the waste ink storage part 45 has a flow path length La of the length L1 of the first partition part 42a and the length of the second partition part 42b. It is almost equal to the length obtained by adding L2 (ie, La = L1 + L2).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the first partition portion 42a constituting the partition portion 42 of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 has the same length (length L1) as the first partition portion 42a of the first cartridge C1. )It has become. Further, the second partition portion 42b formed in parallel with the left wall portion 35b is formed to have a length L3 so as to be longer than the second partition portion 42b of the first cartridge C1 (that is, L3> L2). . For this reason, the expansion part 44a provided in the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 is smaller than the expansion part 44a of the first cartridge C1. For this reason, the flow path length Lb of the flow paths 44 of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 is larger than the flow path length La of the first cartridge C1 (that is, Lb> La).

  These first to fourth cartridges C <b> 1 to C <b> 4 have the same configuration except for the partition portion 42. For this reason, the flow path resistance of the flow path 44 of the first cartridge C1 is smaller than the flow path resistances of the flow paths 44 of the other second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4. Accordingly, the waste ink filling rate of the first cartridge C1 is larger than that of the other cartridges C.

Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the following effect can be obtained in addition to the effect described in (1) of the first embodiment.
(3) In the second embodiment, the inner frame portion 35 and the partition portion 42 are erected on the upper cover 33 of the cartridge C. And the length of the partition part 42 was changed with the cartridge C, and the flow path length of the flow path 44 comprised from the inner frame part 35, the partition part 42, etc. was varied. That is, the flow path length La of the first cartridge C1 is shortened, and the flow path length Lb of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 is made longer than the flow path length La. For this reason, the configuration of each cartridge C can be the same except for the position of the partition portion 42, and the channel resistance of each channel 44 can be different.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Since the third embodiment has a configuration in which only the cartridge C of the first embodiment is changed, detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the first cartridge C <b> 1, the air permeable film 47 that closes the air communication hole 46 has a length from the inner surface of the right wall portion 35 c to the partition portion 42. Further, as described above, only the edge 47 a of the air permeable film 47 is adhered to the plate-like portion 34. Accordingly, the air in the waste ink reservoir 45 passes through the portion other than the edge 47 a of the air permeable film 47, flows between the air permeable film 47 and the plate-like portion 34, and is discharged from the atmosphere communication hole 46. The In this air permeable film 47, the part through which air passes is a part other than the edge 47a, and the air permeable area is M1.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the air permeable film 47 of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 has a length that does not reach from the inner surface of the right wall portion 35c of the upper cover 33 to the partition portion 42 on the left wall portion 35b side. The air permeation area M2 is smaller than the air permeation area M1 of the air permeation film 47 of the first cartridge C1 (that is, M2 <M1). That is, a space provided between the air permeable film 47 of the first cartridge C1 and the plate-like portion 34 is large, and a relatively large amount of air can be passed therethrough, so that the air permeable film 47 of the first cartridge C1 is permeable. The air permeability is larger than the air permeability of the air permeable film 47 of the other cartridge C. The air permeability refers to the amount of gas per unit time that each air permeable film 47 permeates under the same conditions such as constant pressure and constant temperature.

  Therefore, since the first cartridge C1 easily discharges the air in the waste ink storage unit 45, the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path R is smaller than that of the other cartridges C. For this reason, the first cartridge C1 has a higher waste ink filling rate than the other cartridges C.

Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the following effect can be obtained in addition to the effect described in (1) of the first embodiment.
(4) In the third embodiment, the size of the air permeable film 47 that closes the air communication hole 46 is different for each cartridge C. That is, the air permeable area M1 of the air permeable film 47 provided in the first cartridge C1 is increased, and the air permeable area M2 of the air permeable film 47 provided in the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 is made larger than the air permeable area M1. Was also made smaller. For this reason, the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path R can be easily changed only by changing the size of the air permeable film 47 by making the configurations of the cartridges C substantially the same.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The fourth embodiment has a configuration in which only the cartridge C of the first embodiment is changed. Therefore, detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the cartridge C of the present embodiment includes a communication groove 50 on the upper surface of the upper cover 33 constituting the case, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment. The communication groove 50 is formed so as to open on the upper surface side, and extends from the atmosphere communication hole 46 so as to meander the upper surface of the upper cover 33. Further, the upper cover 33 is provided with first to third recesses 51 to 53 as open holes and atmospheric communication portions in the middle or at the end of the communication groove 50. The first recess 51 is provided in the middle of the communication groove 50 and is formed at a position where the flow path length r1 from the atmosphere communication hole 46 is the shortest. The second recess 52 is provided in the middle of the communication groove 50, and is disposed such that the flow path length r <b> 2 from the atmosphere communication hole 46 is larger than that of the first recess 51. The third recess 53 is provided at the end of the communication groove 50 and is formed at a position where the flow path length r3 from the atmosphere communication hole 46 is the longest (that is, r1 <r2 <r3).

  The atmosphere communication hole 46, the communication groove 50, and the first to third recesses 51 to 53 are sealed by sticking a sealing film 54 to the upper surface of the upper cover 33. Therefore, the air discharged from the air communication hole 46 is not released to the outside unless a hole is formed in the sealing film 54 to form an open hole communicating with the air communication hole 46. Further, from the atmosphere communication hole 46, the communication groove 50 and the first to third recesses 51 to 53 constitute an exhaust passage R1.

  When the cartridge C is mounted on the printer 1, an opening hole is formed in the sealing film 54 before use. For example, in the case of the cartridge C having an early replacement time, an open hole is formed immediately above the atmosphere communication hole 46 of the sealing film 54. In the case of a cartridge whose replacement time is late, an open hole is formed immediately above the third recess 53. That is, according to the replacement time of the cartridge C, an opening hole is formed in the sealing film 54 at a position corresponding to any one of the air communication hole 46 and the first to third recesses 51 to 53, The flow path resistances of the exhaust flow path R1 (cartridge side flow path R) are made different.

  When waste ink is introduced into the cartridge C, the air contained in the waste ink passes through the air communication hole 46 through the air permeable film 47 (see FIG. 7). For example, when an open hole is provided at the position of the third recess 53, the air discharged from the atmosphere communication hole 46 passes through the communication groove 50 and is released to the outside from the open hole.

Therefore, according to the fourth embodiment, in addition to the effect described in (1) of the first embodiment, the following effect can be obtained.
(5) In the fourth embodiment, the communication groove 50 communicating with the atmosphere communication hole 46 is formed in the upper cover 33, and the first to third recesses 51 to 53 are formed in the middle of the communication groove 50. In addition, the air communication hole 46, the communication groove 50, and the first to third recesses 51 to 53 were sealed by attaching a sealing film 54. When the cartridge C is used, an open hole is formed at the position of the air communication hole 46 or the first to third recesses 51 to 53 according to the replacement timing of the cartridge C. Therefore, by changing the position of the open hole, the length of the exhaust passage R1 from the atmosphere communication hole 46 to the open hole can be made different. Further, by providing the first to third recesses 51 to 53 in advance, the position suitable for forming the open hole can be known, so that the flow path resistance can be easily varied. Furthermore, even when the amount of ink that is consumed is different depending on the model of the printer 1 and the usage status, the cartridge C having a high waste ink filling rate can be changed as appropriate.

  (6) In the fourth embodiment, each cartridge C that contains various inks has the same configuration, and an open hole is formed during use, so that the channel resistance of the cartridge side channel R of each cartridge C is varied. . Therefore, since it is not necessary to make the configuration of each cartridge C different, the number of parts can be reduced.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the fifth embodiment has a configuration in which only the cartridge C of the first embodiment is changed. Therefore, detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

The cartridge C of the present embodiment is formed such that the thickness or material of the air permeable film 47 differs depending on the cartridge C.
For example, the air permeable film 47 of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 is formed thicker than the air permeable film 47 of the first cartridge C1. For this reason, the air permeability of the air permeable film 47 of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 is smaller than the air permeability of the air permeable film 47 of the first cartridge C1.

  Alternatively, the air permeable film 47 of the first cartridge C1 and the air permeable film 47 of the second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 are different from each other. For example, when the air permeable film 47 is formed of a porous material, the air permeable film 47 itself can be obtained by increasing the number of micropores or enlarging the micropores in the air permeable film 47 of the first cartridge C1. The air permeability is increased. Thus, since the air permeability of each air permeable film 47 provided in the middle of the cartridge side flow path R is different from each other, the flow resistance of the cartridge side flow path R of the first cartridge C1 is the second to fourth cartridges. It is smaller than the channel resistance of C2 to C4.

Therefore, according to the fifth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described in (1) of the first embodiment.
(7) In the fifth embodiment, the thickness or material of the air permeable film 47 that closes the atmosphere communication hole 46 is different depending on the cartridge C. That is, the thickness or material of the air permeable film 47 provided in the first cartridge C1 is changed so that the air permeability of the air permeable film 47 is increased. For this reason, the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path R can be easily changed only by changing the thickness or material of the air permeable film 47 by making the configuration of each cartridge C substantially the same.

In addition, you may change each said embodiment as follows.
In each of the above embodiments, four cartridges C are mounted on the printer 1, but a plurality other than four may be used.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the capacities of the waste ink storage portions 45 of the cartridges C may be different from each other. For example, when the consumption amount of the black ink is the largest and the waste ink storage portion 45 of the black ink cartridge C is larger than the capacity of the other waste ink storage portion 45, the waste ink is filled at the time of replacement of the black ink cartridge C. The flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path R may be changed so that the rate becomes a predetermined value or more.

  In each of the above embodiments, the flow path resistance of the first cartridge C1 containing black ink is the smallest, and the flow path resistances of the other second to fourth cartridges C2 to C4 are increased. In addition, the flow path resistance of the cartridges C other than the first cartridge C1 among the cartridges C may be minimized. Further, among each cartridge C, the flow path resistance of the plurality of cartridges C may be minimized. Further, all the cartridges C may be formed so as to have different flow path resistances. In short, it is only necessary to reduce the flow path resistance of the cartridge C that has a large amount of ink consumption (early replacement time).

  In each of the above embodiments, the waste ink flow path 20 is provided in the connection portion 5, but is not limited to this configuration, and may be a tube or the like. Further, the position of each cartridge C is not limited to the arrangement order as shown in FIG.

In each of the above embodiments, the flow path 44 may not be provided in an L shape. For example, it may be formed in a substantially U shape or a straight line not provided with a bent portion.
In each of the above embodiments, the flow path resistance of each flow path 44 may be varied by changing the shape of the inner frame portion 35 or the shape of the partition portion 42. For example, the flow path 44 of the first cartridge C1 may be formed linearly and the flow paths 44 of the other cartridges C may be bent. Alternatively, the channel cross-sectional area of the channel 44 is formed so as to continuously decrease as it goes downstream, or a member that prevents the flow of fluid is disposed in the middle of the channel 44 to increase the channel resistance. May be.

  In the fourth embodiment, the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path R may be varied by varying the flow path cross-sectional area of the exhaust flow path R1 from the atmosphere communication hole 46 to the open hole. Further, a plurality of communication grooves 50 may be formed instead of one. In this case, a plurality of communication grooves 50 are formed in the upper cover 33 so as to communicate with the atmosphere communication hole 46. Each communication groove 50 is formed such that its length and cross-sectional area are different from each other. When the cartridge C is used, an open hole corresponding to any one of the communication grooves 50 is formed, and the communication groove 50 is opened to the atmosphere. In this way, the flow path resistances of the cartridge side flow paths R of the respective cartridges C can be made different from each other according to the flow path resistance of the communication groove 50 opened to the atmosphere.

  In each of the above embodiments, the printer 1 that ejects ink has been described as the liquid ejecting apparatus, but other liquid ejecting apparatuses may be used. For example, printing apparatuses including fax machines, copiers, etc., liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject liquids such as electrode materials and coloring materials used in the production of liquid crystal displays, EL displays, and surface-emitting displays, and bio-organic materials used in biochip manufacturing It may be a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid or a sample ejecting apparatus as a precision pipette. Also, the liquid is not limited to ink, and may be applied to other liquids.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer as a liquid ejecting apparatus, 10 ... Recording head as a liquid ejecting head, 15 ... Maintenance mechanism, 27 ... Introduction part, 37 ... Waste ink introduction part which comprises introduction part, 45 ... Waste ink as waste liquid storage part Reservoir, 46 ... atmospheric communication hole as open hole, 47 ... air permeable film, 51 to 53 ... first hole to third concave part as open hole and air communication part, C ... cartridges constituting cartridge set, C1 C4... First to fourth cartridges as cartridges and cartridge sets, CS... Case, R... Cartridge side channel, R1 .. exhaust channel, S1.

Claims (8)

In a waste liquid recovery method for a liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising: a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid; and a maintenance mechanism that sucks the liquid in the liquid ejecting head.
A plurality of cartridges that store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head, a waste liquid storage unit that stores waste liquid discharged from the maintenance mechanism, and a waste liquid introduction unit that is connected to a waste liquid flow path of the maintenance mechanism and introduces waste liquid. A cartridge-side waste liquid passage that communicates with the waste liquid introduction section and introduces the waste liquid into the waste liquid storage section, and an exhaust passage that discharges the gas in the waste liquid storage section to the outside via the air communication hole ,
Among the cartridges, the cartridge side waste liquid flow path, the waste liquid storage section, and the flow path resistance of the cartridge side flow path constituted by the exhaust flow path provided in the cartridge with a large amount of liquid consumption are reduced. A waste liquid recovery method characterized in that the amount of waste liquid introduced into the waste liquid reservoir is larger than that of the other cartridges. In a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid and a maintenance mechanism that sucks the liquid in the liquid ejecting head.
The plurality of cartridges for storing the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head include a waste liquid storage unit for storing the waste liquid discharged from the maintenance mechanism, and a waste liquid introduction unit for connecting the waste liquid flow path of the maintenance mechanism and introducing the waste liquid. A cartridge-side waste liquid passage that communicates with the waste liquid introduction section and introduces the waste liquid into the waste liquid storage section, and an exhaust passage that discharges the gas in the waste liquid storage section to the outside through the air communication hole. ,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein flow resistances of the cartridge side flow paths configured by the cartridge side waste liquid flow path, the waste liquid storage unit, and the exhaust flow path are different from each other. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2,
The flow path resistance of each cartridge side flow path is made different by changing the cross sectional area or flow length of at least a part of the cartridge side flow paths provided in each cartridge. Liquid ejecting device. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein among the cartridge side channels , the cartridge side waste liquid channels have different channel cross-sectional areas or channel lengths.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2,
  The liquid jet, wherein the cartridge-side flow path resistance of each cartridge-side flow path is made different depending on whether or not a bent portion is provided in the cartridge-side waste liquid flow path provided in each cartridge. apparatus.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein among the cartridge side channels, the exhaust channel has different channel cross-sectional areas or channel lengths. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6 ,
In the case of the cartridge is provided with the exhaust passage communicating with the waste liquid chamber section,
In the middle of the exhaust flow path, a plurality of atmospheric communication portions that can be opened to the atmosphere at the time of use are formed,
The atmospheric communication portions are arranged so that the flow path lengths or flow channel cross-sectional areas from the waste liquid storage portions to the atmospheric communication portions are different from each other , and the plurality of atmospheric communication portions are sealed, and the plurality of atmospheric communication portions are sealed. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a sealing film in which an open hole can be formed at a position corresponding to an air communication portion . A liquid storage section for storing liquid, a waste liquid storage section for storing waste liquid, a waste liquid introduction section for introducing waste liquid, a cartridge side waste liquid flow path for introducing waste liquid into the waste liquid storage section in communication with the waste liquid introduction section, A cartridge set comprising a plurality of cartridges each provided with an exhaust flow path for discharging the gas in the waste liquid storage part to the outside through the air communication hole ,
The flow resistance of the cartridge side flow path formed by the cartridge side waste liquid flow path, the waste liquid storage section, and the exhaust flow path formed in each cartridge is different according to the amount of liquid consumption of each cartridge. A cartridge set characterized in that it is formed.

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