JP7322595B2 - Waste liquid container, liquid injection device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waste liquid container for containing waste liquid, and a liquid ejecting apparatus provided with the waste liquid container.

2. Description of the Related Art For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200000 discloses an inkjet recording apparatus, which is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid, from a print head, which is an example of a liquid ejecting portion, to perform printing. 2. Description of the Related Art In an inkjet recording apparatus, discharged waste liquid is stored in a waste liquid tank, which is an example of a waste liquid container, in order to maintain nozzle performance.

The waste liquid tank has a sealed structure, and is provided with a waste liquid introduction port, which is an example of an introduction port, at one end in the longitudinal direction. The waste liquid tank is replaced by introducing waste liquid from a needle, which is an example of a discharge pipe inserted into the waste liquid introduction port, and extracting the needle from the needle. At the other end in the longitudinal direction, an air communication port, which is an example of a communication port for opening the interior of the waste liquid tank to the atmosphere, is provided.

JP 2013-60026 A

If a gripping portion to be gripped by an operator is provided at the other end of the waste liquid tank, the waste liquid is likely to adhere to the gripping portion when the waste liquid leaks from the air communication port. However, if the gripping portion is provided at one end away from the air communication port, the waste liquid tends to adhere to the gripping portion when the waste liquid leaks from the waste liquid introduction port. If waste liquid adheres to the grip, there is a risk of soiling the operator's hands when the grip is held by the operator.

A waste liquid container for solving the above-described problems is a waste liquid container having a storage chamber for containing waste liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting device in a state of being attached to the liquid ejecting device, the waste liquid being introduced. An inlet is provided, and a first wall forming the outer shell of the waste liquid container, and a grip portion are provided. A wall, a third wall that connects the first wall and the second wall and constitutes the outer shell, and a communication port that allows the inside of the housing chamber to communicate with the outside are provided, and the first wall and the second wall are provided. a fourth wall that connects the second wall and is positioned opposite to the third wall across the housing chamber and that constitutes the outer shell; A body-side connection terminal is provided, connects between the first wall and the second wall, constitutes the outer shell, and is locked to the locking portion of the liquid ejecting device in the mounted state. a sixth wall which is provided with an engaging portion, connects the first wall and the second wall, is positioned opposite to the fifth wall across the storage chamber, and forms the outer shell; The holding part is provided at a position closer to the third wall than the fourth wall.

1 is a plan view showing the inside of an embodiment of a liquid ejecting device; FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the mounting portion and the waste liquid container in the mounting posture; FIG. 3 is a side view of the waste liquid container in a mounted state; 4-4 line arrow sectional view in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the waste liquid container in the mounting posture; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the waste liquid container in the mounted posture; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the waste liquid container in the mounting posture; FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the waste liquid container in a storage posture;

An embodiment of a waste liquid container and a liquid ejecting apparatus including the waste liquid container will be described below with reference to the drawings. A liquid ejecting apparatus is, for example, an inkjet printer that ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper for printing. The waste liquid container is a container that contains the waste liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting device.

In the drawing, the direction of gravity is indicated by the Z-axis, and the directions along the horizontal plane are indicated by the X-axis and the Y-axis, assuming that the liquid ejecting device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. In the following description, the direction parallel to the X axis is also called the width direction X, the direction parallel to the Y axis is also called the depth direction Y, and the direction parallel to the Z axis is also called the mounting direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a housing 12 and a containing portion 14 containing a liquid container 13 capable of containing liquid. The containing portion 14 may contain a plurality of liquid containers 13 arranged in the width direction X. As shown in FIG. The liquid container 13 of this embodiment is a tank having an injection port 15 into which liquid can be injected. The liquid container 13 may be a replaceable cartridge.

The liquid ejecting device 11 includes a liquid ejecting section 17 that ejects liquid. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a carriage 18 that reciprocates the liquid ejecting portion 17 along the X axis, a guide shaft 19 that guides the movement of the carriage 18, a support table 21 that supports the medium 20, and a liquid container 13. A supply channel 22 that supplies the liquid to the liquid ejector 17 may be provided. A part of the supply channel 22 may be formed by, for example, an elastically deformable tube.

The liquid ejector 17 has a plurality of nozzles 24 . The liquid ejecting unit 17 ejects the liquid from the nozzles 24 onto the medium 20 supported by the support base 21 for printing. The printed medium 20 is conveyed by a conveying unit (not shown) and discharged out of the housing 12 through a discharge port 25 formed in the front surface of the housing 12 .

The liquid ejecting device 11 may include a maintenance device 27 that maintains the liquid ejecting section 17 . The maintenance device 27 includes a cap 28 capable of collecting the liquid discharged from the nozzle 24 of the liquid ejector 17 as waste liquid, a discharge channel 29 whose upstream end is connected to the cap 28 , and a and a suction mechanism 30 arranged. The maintenance device 27 includes a wiping member 31 capable of wiping the liquid ejecting portion 17 , a slider 32 holding the cap 28 , and a support member 33 supporting the wiping member 31 and the slider 32 .

The slider 32 has an engaging protrusion 35 protruding upward. The upper end of the engaging protrusion 35 is located above the cap 28 . The engaging protrusion 35 can be engaged with the carriage 18 . The slider 32 is provided movably relative to the support member 33 . The slider 32 located at the lower position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1 is pushed by the carriage 18 engaged with the engaging protrusion 35 and moves obliquely upward to reach the capping position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG.

The cap 28 positioned at the capping position contacts the liquid ejecting portion 17 and forms a closed space surrounding the nozzle 24 with the liquid ejecting portion 17 to cap the liquid ejecting portion 17 . The maintenance device 27 drives the suction mechanism 30 with the cap 28 capping the liquid ejector 17 , thereby performing suction cleaning of sucking the inside of the liquid ejector 17 through the discharge channel 29 and the cap 28 . Suction cleaning is maintenance for discharging air bubbles, foreign matter, etc. in the liquid ejecting section 17 from the nozzle 24 together with the liquid.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a waste liquid container 42 that stores waste liquid discharged during maintenance of the liquid ejecting portion 17, and a mounting portion 43 to which the waste liquid container 42 is detachably mounted. The liquid ejecting device 11 may include a cover 44 that covers the mounting portion 43 . The cover 44 rotates about a shaft 45 provided at the rear end in the depth direction Y, and is shown in a closed position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. and an open position.

The mounting portion 43 may have a pair of rails 43a extending in the mounting direction Z, a positioning recess 43b, and an identification recess 43c. The waste liquid container 42 includes a pair of ribs 42a guided by the rails 43a when attached to the attachment portion 43, a positioning protrusion 42b engaged with the positioning recess 43b, and an identification protrusion engaging the identification recess 43c. 42c and .

The liquid ejecting device 11 includes a control section 47 that controls various operations performed by the liquid ejecting device 11 . The control unit 47 is composed of, for example, a processing circuit including a computer and memory, and controls the liquid ejecting unit 17, the maintenance device 27, etc. according to a program stored in the memory.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a discharge pipe 49 provided at the bottom end of the mounting portion 43 , a holder 50 holding the discharge pipe 49 , and a liquid discharger electrically connected to a control portion 47 . and an injector-side connection terminal 51 . The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a positioning pin 52 and a regulating pin 53 projecting upward from the holder 50 where the opening of the mounting portion 43 is located, and a locking portion engaging with the waste liquid container 42 mounted on the mounting portion 43 . 54 and .

The liquid ejection device side connection terminal 51, the positioning pin 52, the discharge pipe 49, the regulation pin 53, and the locking portion 54 are arranged in this order in the depth direction Y. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the discharge pipe 49 is positioned between the positioning pin 52 and the regulating pin 53 in the depth direction Y. As shown in FIG. The distance between the liquid ejection device side connection terminal 51 and the positioning pin 52 in the depth direction Y is shorter than the distance between the positioning pin 52 and the discharge pipe 49 . A downstream end of the discharge channel 29 is connected to the discharge pipe 49 . That is, the discharge pipe 49 is connected to the cap 28 via the discharge channel 29 .

The waste liquid container 42 has a grip portion 56 . With the cover 44 positioned at the open position, the waste liquid container 42 is inserted into the mounting portion 43 from above in the mounting posture A in which the grip portion 56 faces upward, and is moved in the mounting direction Z from top to bottom. It is mounted on the mounting portion 43 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , when the waste liquid container 42 is attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 , the engaging portion 54 is engaged with the engaged portion 91 and is pulled out of the mounting portion 43 of the waste liquid container 42 . movement in the extraction direction. The locking portion 54 is composed of, for example, a plate spring.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the waste liquid storage body 42 includes a storage chamber 60 formed by closing the first recess 58 with the first film 59 and a second recess 61 closed by the second film 62 . and a waste liquid flow path 63 formed by peeling off. The waste liquid storage body 42 may include an absorber 64 capable of absorbing the waste liquid stored in the storage chamber 60 and a protective plate 65 that protects the second film 62 . The accommodation chamber 60 may accommodate a plurality of absorbent bodies 64 in a stacked state.

The waste liquid channel 63 is a channel that guides the waste liquid introduced from the discharge pipe 49 to the storage chamber 60 . The discharge pipe 49 discharges the waste liquid sent through the discharge channel 29 into the waste liquid container 42 in the installed state. The accommodation chamber 60 accommodates the waste liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting device 11 through the waste liquid flow path 63 in the mounted state.

The waste liquid container 42 includes an introduction port 67 into which the discharge pipe 49 is inserted to introduce the waste liquid, and a discharge port 68 that opens to the storage chamber 60 . The waste liquid channel 63 is a channel that connects the outlet 68 and the inlet 67 . A discharge port 68 at the downstream end of the waste liquid channel 63 discharges the waste liquid introduced from the inlet 67 at the upstream end of the waste liquid channel 63 into the storage chamber 60 . The discharge port 68 may be located below the upper end 28a of the cap 28 shown in FIG. 3 in the attached state. The discharge port 68 may be located below the upstream end of the discharge channel 29 connected to the cap 28 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the waste liquid container 42 has a first wall 71 to a sixth wall 76 forming the outer shell of the waste liquid container 42. As shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, part of the first film 59 constitutes the fourth wall 74 . In the mounting posture A, the first wall 71 is the bottom wall and the second wall 72 is the top wall. A third wall 73 to a sixth wall 76 connect between the first wall 71 and the second wall 72, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8, the waste liquid container 42 detached from the mounting portion 43 may be stored in the storage attitude B in which the third wall 73 serves as the bottom wall. The discharge port 68 may open above the bottom surface 60 a of the storage chamber 60 in the storage posture B.

The waste liquid container 42 includes a cylindrical seal member 78 that forms the introduction port 67 , a movably provided valve body 79 , a pressing member 80 that presses the valve body 79 against the seal member 78 , and a second member that covers the introduction port 67 . 3 films 81 and . When the waste liquid container 42 is attached to the attachment portion 43 , the discharge pipe 49 breaks the third film 81 to enter the inlet 67 and press the valve body 79 to communicate with the waste liquid channel 63 .

The waste liquid flow path 63 has a first introducing portion 63a to a fourth introducing portion 63d.
The first introduction portion 63 a is a portion that continues to the introduction port 67 . The first introduction portion 63 a accommodates the seal member 78 , the valve body 79 and the pressing member 80 .

The second introduction portion 63b connects the first introduction portion 63a and the third introduction portion 63c. The second introduction portion 63b extends downward from the introduction port 67 from the first introduction portion 63a in the storage position B. As shown in FIG.
The third introduction portion 63c connects the second introduction portion 63b and the fourth introduction portion 63d. In the storage position B, the third introduction portion 63 c extends from the second introduction portion 63 b along the third wall 73 toward the second wall 72 away from the first wall 71 .

The fourth introduction portion 63 d connects the third introduction portion 63 c and the discharge port 68 . In other words, the outlet 68 is provided in the fourth introduction portion 63d. In the storage posture B, the fourth introduction portion 63d extends upward from the third introduction portion 63c.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the first wall 71 is provided with an introduction port 67 , a positioning hole 83 and a regulation hole 84 . The positioning hole 83 of this embodiment is a round hole, and the regulation hole 84 is an elongated hole. In the mounting posture A, the introduction port 67 may be provided at a central position in the depth direction Y and closer to the third wall 73 than to the fourth wall 74 . The distance between the third wall 73 and the introduction port 67 in the width direction X may be shorter than the distance between the introduction port 67 and the fourth wall 74 .

The positioning hole 83 may be provided at a position closer to the fifth wall 75 than the sixth wall 76 in the first wall 71 . The positioning hole 83 may be located between the introduction port 67 and the fifth wall 75 in the depth direction Y. In the depth direction Y, the distance between the positioning hole 83 and the fifth wall 75 may be shorter than the distance between the inlet 67 and the positioning hole 83 . The regulation hole 84 may be provided at a position closer to the sixth wall 76 than the introduction port 67 in the first wall 71 . In the depth direction Y, the distance between the regulation hole 84 and the sixth wall 76 may be shorter than the distance between the introduction port 67 and the regulation hole 84 .

The positioning pin 52 is inserted into the positioning hole 83 in the mounted state. A regulation pin 53 is inserted into the regulation hole 84 to regulate rotation of the waste liquid container 42 around the positioning pin 52 in the attached state. That is, the waste liquid container 42 in the attached state is positioned by the positioning pin 52 , and the inclination about the positioning pin 52 is restricted by the regulation pin 53 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the second wall 72 is positioned opposite to the first wall 71 with the housing chamber 60 interposed therebetween. In the mounting posture A, the second wall 72, the accommodation chamber 60, and the first wall 71 are aligned in the mounting direction Z. As shown in FIG. A grip portion 56 is provided on the second wall 72 . The grip portion 56 is provided at a position closer to the third wall 73 than the fourth wall 74 is. In other words, in the mounting posture A, the distance between the third wall 73 and the grip portion 56 in the width direction X is shorter than the distance between the fourth wall 74 and the grip portion 56 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the third wall 73 may be provided with a positioning protrusion 42b. A part of the third wall 73 may be composed of the second film 62 or the protective plate 65 .
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the fourth wall 74 is positioned opposite to the third wall 73 with the housing chamber 60 interposed therebetween. The fourth wall 74 is a portion of the first film 59 inside the opening of the first recess 58 . In the mounting posture A, the third wall 73, the accommodation chamber 60, and the fourth wall 74 are arranged in the width direction X. As shown in FIG. The fourth wall 74 is provided with a communication port 86 that allows the interior of the housing chamber 60 to communicate with the outside. The communication port 86 may be provided at a position closer to the second wall 72 than the first wall 71 . In the mounting posture A, the distance between the second wall 72 and the communication port 86 in the mounting direction Z may be shorter than the distance between the first wall 71 and the communication port 86 . In the mounted state, the communication port 86 may be positioned above the discharge port 68 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the communication port 86 of this embodiment is a circular hole formed in the flexible first film 59 . The waste liquid storage body 42 includes a columnar pedestal 87 provided across the storage chamber 60 from the third wall 73 to the fourth wall 74 and a columnar projection 88 provided at the tip of the pedestal 87 . may have.

The diameter of the communication port 86 is larger than the diameter of the projection 88 and smaller than the diameter of the pedestal 87 . The protrusion 88 is located inside the communication port 86 and restricts movement of the communication port 86 in the depth direction Y and the mounting direction Z. As shown in FIG. A gap through which air can pass is provided between the projection 88 and the communication port 86 .

The tip of the base 87 is positioned in the width direction X at the same position as the opening of the first recess 58 to which the first film 59 is attached, or outside the first recess 58 . In other words, in the mounting position A, the distance in the width direction X from the inner surface of the third wall 73 to the tip of the pedestal 87 is greater than or equal to the distance in the width direction X from the inner surface of the third wall 73 to the opening of the first recess 58. be. In the mounting posture A, the distance in the width direction X from the inner surface of the third wall 73 to the tip of the projection 88 is longer than the distance in the width direction X from the inner surface of the third wall 73 to the tip of the base 87 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the fifth wall 75 includes one rib 42a, an identification convex portion 42c, container-side connection terminals 90 that can come into contact with the liquid ejector-side connection terminals 51 in the mounted state, may be provided. The rib 42a is provided on the fifth wall 75 along the mounting direction Z. As shown in FIG. The rib 42a is adjacent to the identification convex portion 42c and the container-side connection terminal 90 in the width direction X, respectively.

The container-side connection terminal 90 may be provided at a position closer to the first wall 71 than the second wall 72 . In the mounting posture A, the distance between the container-side connection terminal 90 and the first wall 71 in the mounting direction Z may be shorter than the distance between the container-side connection terminal 90 and the second wall 72 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the container-side connection terminal 90 is provided at the center position of the fifth wall 75 in the width direction X. As shown in FIG. The size of the width direction X of the 1st wall 71 and the 5th wall 75 is substantially the same. Therefore, the distance in the width direction X between the container-side connection terminal 90 and the fourth wall 74 may be shorter than the distance in the width direction X between the inlet 67 provided in the first wall 71 and the fourth wall 74 . In other words, in the storage posture B in which the third wall 73 serves as the bottom wall, the container-side connection terminals 90 may be positioned above the center of the introduction port 67 . The container-side connection terminal 90 is, for example, a thin IC chip. The container-side connection terminal 90 may have a storage unit that stores information about the waste liquid container 42 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the sixth wall 76 is positioned opposite to the fifth wall 75 with the housing chamber 60 interposed therebetween. In the mounting posture A, the fifth wall 75, the housing chamber 60, and the sixth wall 76 are arranged in the depth direction Y. As shown in FIG. The sixth wall 76 is provided with one rib 42a and an engaged portion 91 that is engaged with the engaging portion 54 of the liquid ejecting device 11 in the mounted state. The rib 42a is provided on the sixth wall 76 along the mounting direction Z. As shown in FIG.

The operation of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the waste liquid container 42 is mounted on the mounting portion 43, the ribs 42a are engaged with the rails 43a, and the waste liquid container 42 is guided in the mounting direction Z. As shown in FIG. The positioning pin 52 and the regulating pin 53 are longer than the discharge pipe 49 . Therefore, the discharge pipe 49 is inserted into the introduction port 67 while the waste liquid container 42 is positioned by the positioning pin 52 and the regulation pin 53 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , when the discharge pipe 49 inserted into the inlet 67 pushes the valve body 79 , the valve body 79 is separated from the seal member 78 . As a result, the waste liquid sent through the discharge channel 29 is introduced from the introduction port 67 and is discharged from the discharge port 68 to the storage chamber 60 via the waste liquid channel 63 .

When the empty waste liquid container 42 is attached to the attachment portion 43 , the periphery of the communication port 86 of the fourth wall 74 is in contact with the tip of the pedestal 87 . That is, the communication port 86 is closed by the pedestal 87 . When the waste liquid is discharged into the storage chamber 60, the pressure inside the storage chamber 60 acting on the inner surface of the fourth wall 74 increases. The fourth wall 74 bends and deforms in a direction away from the third wall 73 when the pressure acting on the inner surface becomes greater than the atmospheric pressure acting on the outer surface. As a result, the periphery of the communication port 86 is separated from the pedestal 87, and the communication port 86 allows the inside of the storage chamber 60 to communicate with the outside. When the air in the storage chamber 60 is discharged from the communication port 86 and the pressure in the storage chamber 60 decreases, the fourth wall 74 contacts the pedestal 87 .

Effects of the present embodiment will be described.
(1) The grip portion 56 is provided on the second wall 72 at a position closer to the third wall 73 than to the fourth wall 74 . The second wall 72 is located opposite to the first wall 71 with the introduction port 67 across the storage chamber 60 . A communication port 86 is provided in the fourth wall 74 . That is, since the grasping portion 56 is provided at a position away from the introduction port 67 and the communication port 86, even if waste liquid leaking from the introduction port 67 or the communication port 86 adheres to the waste liquid, the waste liquid adheres to the grasping portion 56. It is possible to reduce the risk of the waste liquid adhering to the hands of the operator when the operator holds the grip portion 56 of the waste liquid container 42 .

(2) The communication port 86 is provided in the fourth wall 74 at a position closer to the second wall 72 than to the first wall 71 . The container-side connection terminal 90 is provided on the fifth wall 75 at a position closer to the first wall 71 than to the second wall 72 . Therefore, the container-side connection terminal 90 is provided at a position away from the communication port 86 , and the risk of the waste liquid leaking from the communication port 86 adhering to the container-side connection terminal 90 can be reduced.

(3) When the waste liquid container 42 removed from the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed in the storage posture B with the third wall 73 as the bottom wall, the container-side connection terminal 90 is positioned above the center of the introduction port 67. To position. Therefore, compared with the case where the container-side connection terminal 90 is positioned below the center of the introduction port 67, the risk of the waste liquid leaking from the introduction port 67 adhering to the container-side connection terminal 90 can be reduced.

(4) The first wall 71 is provided with a positioning hole 83 and a regulation hole 84 . Therefore, the waste liquid container 42 is attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 while being positioned by the positioning pin 52 inserted into the positioning hole 83 and the regulation pin 53 inserted into the regulation hole 84 . Therefore, by positioning the introduction port 67 provided in the waste liquid container 42 with respect to the liquid ejection device 11 , the risk of liquid leaking from the introduction port 67 can be reduced. Positioning the container-side connection terminal 90 provided in the waste liquid container 42 with respect to the liquid-ejector-side connection terminal 51 provided in the liquid ejector 11 reduces the risk of malfunction due to poor electrical connection. can.

(5) When the waste liquid container 42 removed from the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed in a posture with the third wall 73 as the bottom wall, the second introduction portion 63b and the fourth introduction portion 63d of the waste liquid flow path 63 are , extending upward from the third introduction portion 63c. The waste liquid stored in the storage chamber 60 is absorbed by the absorber 64 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the waste liquid introduced from the introduction port 67 or the waste liquid contained in the storage chamber 60 flows backward through the waste liquid flow path 63 and leaks from the introduction port 67 .

(6) Waste liquid introduced into the storage chamber 60 through the discharge port 68 tends to accumulate below the discharge port 68 . In this regard, in the mounting posture A in which the first wall 71 provided with the introduction port 67 is the bottom wall, the communication port 86 is positioned above the discharge port 68, so that the waste liquid discharged from the discharge port 68 into the storage chamber 60 is discharged. The risk of leakage from the communication port 86 can be reduced.

(7) The waste liquid container 42 is attached to the attachment portion 43 by inserting it downward into the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 and is pulled upward from the attachment portion 43 . Therefore, it can be suitably adopted as a configuration for attaching and detaching the liquid container 13 to and from the attachment portion 43 .

(8) The discharge port 68 of the waste liquid container 42 attached to the attachment portion 43 is positioned below the upper end 28 a of the cap 28 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the waste liquid introduced from the introduction port 67 and staying in the waste liquid flow path 63 flows back toward the cap 28 .

(9) The grip portion 56 is provided on the second wall 72 at a position closer to the third wall 73 than to the fourth wall 74 . Therefore, the distance between the gripping portion 56 and the fourth wall 74 can be longer in the mounting posture A than when the gripping portion 56 is provided at the center of the second wall 72 in the width direction X. Therefore, the operator can easily grip the grip portion 56 from the fourth wall 74 side.

(10) Since the fourth wall 74 is composed of the first film 59 that is flexible and deformable, the communication port 86 can be opened and closed according to the pressure inside the housing chamber 60 . However, if a force is applied to the fourth wall 74 having low rigidity or the periphery of the fourth wall 74, the waste liquid container 42 may be deformed. In this regard, the grip portion 56 is provided at a position closer to the third wall 73 than the fourth wall 74 on the second wall 72 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of deformation of the waste liquid container 42 attached to and detached from the mounting portion 43 by gripping the grip portion 56 .

(11) The waste liquid container 42 has a positioning convex portion 42b provided on the third wall 73 of the third wall 73 and the fourth wall 74 aligned in the width direction X in the mounting posture A, and the depth direction Y in the mounting posture A. and an identification convex portion 42c provided on the fifth wall 75 of the fifth wall 75 and the sixth wall 76 arranged side by side. The mounting portion 43 includes a positioning recess 43b that engages with the positioning protrusion 42b and an identification recess 43c that engages with the identification protrusion 42c. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the waste liquid container 42 gripped by the grip portion 56 is attached to the attachment portion 43 in an incorrect posture.

(12) The waste liquid container 42 in the mounted state is positioned with respect to the mounting portion 43 by engaging the positioning concave portion 43b and the positioning convex portion 42b and inserting the positioning pin 52 into the positioning hole 83 . Therefore, the waste liquid container 42 can be positioned with respect to the mounting portion 43 with higher accuracy than when one of the positioning convex portion 42b and the positioning hole 83 is provided. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of connection failure between the introduction port 67 and the discharge pipe 49 and connection failure between the liquid ejection device side connection terminal 51 and the container side connection terminal 90 .

This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
- In the mounted state, the discharge port 68 may be positioned at the same position as the upper end 28a of the cap 28 in the mounting direction Z, or may be positioned above the upper end 28a of the cap 28 .

The liquid ejecting device 11 may perform flushing, in which liquid is ejected from the nozzle 24 as waste liquid, or pressurized cleaning, in which pressurized liquid is ejected from the nozzle 24 as waste liquid, as maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit 17 . The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may have the cap 28 receive the waste liquid generated during flushing or pressure cleaning, or may include a receiving portion for receiving the waste liquid separately from the cap 28 . The discharge channel 29 may be connected to the receptacle.

- In the mounting posture A, the communication port 86 may be positioned at the same position as the discharge port 68 in the mounting direction Z, or may be positioned below the discharge port 68 .
- The mounting direction Z does not have to match the direction of gravity. For example, the mounting direction Z may be horizontal. After the waste liquid container 42 is horizontally inserted into the mounting portion 43 in the storage posture B and mounted, the posture may be changed to the mounting posture A together with the holder 50 .

- The discharge port 68 may be provided in the first introduction portion 63a. In this case, the waste liquid flow path 63 may be configured without the second introduction portion 63b to the fourth introduction portion 63d. The discharge port 68 may be provided in the second introduction portion 63b or may be provided in the third introduction portion 63c.

In the mounting position A, the introduction port 67 may be provided at the center of the first wall 71 in the width direction X, or may be provided at a position closer to the fourth wall 74 than the third wall 73 . In the waste liquid container 42 in the storage posture B, the container-side connection terminal 90 may be positioned at the same position as the introduction port 67 in the direction of gravity, or may be positioned below the introduction port 67 .

The container-side connection terminal 90 may be positioned at the center of the fifth wall 75 in the mounting direction Z, or may be provided at a position closer to the second wall 72 than the first wall 71 .
The communication port 86 may be positioned at the center of the fourth wall 74 in the mounting direction Z, or may be provided at a position closer to the first wall 71 than the second wall 72 . The waste liquid container 42 may include an exhaust flow path that connects an exhaust port provided at a position closer to the second wall 72 than the first wall 71 in the storage chamber 60 and the communication port 86 .

If the maximum collection amount of waste liquid collected in the storage chamber 60 is set so that the waste liquid does not reach the communication port 86 in the mounting posture A, the absorber 64 may be omitted.
- The liquid ejecting device 11 may be a liquid ejecting device that ejects or ejects a liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected in the form of minute droplets from the liquid ejecting apparatus includes granular, tear-like, and thread-like trailing liquids. The liquid referred to here may be any material as long as it can be ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, the liquid may be in a state when the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a high or low viscosity liquid, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, It is intended to include fluids such as metal melts. The term "liquid" includes not only a liquid as one state of a substance, but also a solution, dispersion, or mixture of particles of a functional material made of a solid substance such as a pigment or metal particles dissolved in a solvent. Typical examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiments. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks, oil-based inks, gel inks, hot-melt inks, and various other liquid compositions. Specific examples of the liquid ejecting apparatus include, for example, liquid crystal displays, electroluminescence displays, surface emitting displays, and liquids containing dispersed or dissolved materials such as electrode materials and coloring materials used in the manufacture of color filters. I have a device. The liquid injection device may be a device that injects a bioorganic substance used for biochip production, a device that is used as a precision pipette and injects a liquid that serves as a sample, a printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. A liquid injection device is a device that injects lubricating oil with pinpoint precision to precision machines such as watches and cameras, and a transparent resin such as an ultraviolet curable resin for forming micro hemispherical lenses and optical lenses used in optical communication devices, etc. It may be a device that jets a liquid onto a substrate. The liquid injection device may be a device that injects an etchant such as acid or alkali to etch a substrate or the like.

The technical ideas and effects obtained from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below.
(A) The waste liquid container is a waste liquid container having a storage chamber for containing the waste liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting device in an attached state attached to the liquid ejecting device, and an introduction port into which the waste liquid is introduced. A first wall forming the outer shell of the waste liquid container, and a second wall forming the outer shell of the waste liquid container, provided with a grip portion, located opposite to the first wall across the storage chamber. , a third wall that connects the first wall and the second wall and constitutes the outer shell; and a fourth wall located opposite to the third wall with the housing chamber interposed therebetween and forming the outer shell; A terminal is provided, a fifth wall connects the first wall and the second wall and constitutes the outer shell, and a locked portion is locked to the locking portion of the liquid injection device in the mounted state. A sixth wall connecting the first wall and the second wall and located opposite to the fifth wall across the storage chamber and forming the outer shell, The grip portion is provided at a position closer to the third wall than the fourth wall.

According to this configuration, the grip portion is provided on the second wall at a position closer to the third wall than to the fourth wall. The second wall is positioned opposite to the first wall provided with the introduction port across the accommodation chamber. A communication port is provided in the fourth wall. That is, since the gripping portion is provided at a position away from the introduction port and the communication port, even when waste liquid leaking from the introduction port or the communication port adheres to the gripping portion, the possibility of the waste liquid adhering to the gripping portion is reduced, and the operation is facilitated. It is possible to reduce the risk of the waste liquid adhering to the operator's hand when the operator holds the grip of the waste liquid container.

(B) In the waste liquid container, the communication port is provided at a position closer to the second wall than the first wall, and the container-side connection terminal is provided at a position closer to the first wall than the second wall. may have been

According to this configuration, the communication port is provided in the fourth wall at a position closer to the second wall than to the first wall. The container-side connection terminal is provided on the fifth wall at a position closer to the first wall than to the second wall. Therefore, the container-side connection terminal is provided at a position away from the communication port, and the possibility that waste liquid leaking from the communication port adheres to the container-side connection terminal can be reduced.

(C) In the waste liquid container, the third wall may be the bottom wall, and the container-side connection terminal may be positioned above the center of the introduction port.
According to this configuration, when the waste liquid container that has been removed from the liquid ejecting apparatus is placed in an attitude with the third wall as the bottom wall, the container-side connection terminal is positioned above the center of the introduction port. Therefore, compared with the case where the container-side connection terminal is positioned below the center of the introduction port, for example, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the waste liquid leaking from the introduction port adheres to the container-side connection terminal.

(D) in the waste liquid container, a positioning hole is provided in the first wall at a position closer to the fifth wall than the sixth wall, into which a positioning pin included in the liquid ejecting device is inserted in the mounted state; At a position closer to the sixth wall than the introduction port in the first wall is provided a regulation hole into which a regulation pin is inserted to regulate rotation of the waste liquid container around the positioning pin in the mounted state. good too.

According to this configuration, the first wall is provided with the positioning hole and the regulation hole. Therefore, the waste liquid container is attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus while being positioned by the positioning pin inserted into the positioning hole and the regulation pin inserted into the regulation hole. Therefore, by positioning the introduction port provided in the waste liquid container with respect to the liquid ejecting device, it is possible to reduce the risk of the liquid leaking from the introduction port. Positioning the container-side connection terminals provided in the waste liquid container with respect to the liquid-ejector-side connection terminals provided in the liquid ejection device can reduce the possibility of malfunction due to poor electrical connection.

(E) The waste liquid storage body has a second introduction part extending downward from the introduction port from the first introduction part following the introduction port in the attitude that the third wall serves as the bottom wall, and a third introduction portion extending toward the second wall along the third wall; a fourth introduction portion extending upward from the third introduction portion; A waste liquid flow path having an upwardly opening outlet, and an absorber capable of absorbing the waste liquid stored in the storage chamber may be provided.

According to this configuration, when the waste liquid container removed from the liquid ejecting apparatus is placed in an attitude with the third wall as the bottom wall, the second introduction portion and the fourth introduction portion of the waste liquid flow path are aligned with the third wall. It extends upward from the lead-in portion. The waste liquid stored in the storage chamber is absorbed by the absorber. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the waste liquid introduced from the introduction port or the waste liquid contained in the storage chamber flows back through the waste liquid channel and leaks from the introduction port.

(F) In the waste liquid container, the communication port may be located above the discharge port in a posture in which the first wall serves as a bottom wall.
Waste liquid introduced into the storage chamber through the outlet tends to accumulate below the outlet. In this regard, according to this configuration, when the first wall provided with the introduction port is used as the bottom wall, the communication port is positioned above the discharge port. It is possible to reduce the risk of leakage from.

(G) The liquid ejecting apparatus includes the waste liquid container configured as described above, a liquid ejecting portion for ejecting liquid, a mounting portion to which the waste liquid container is detachably mounted, and the waste liquid container mounted in the mounting portion. a drain tube for draining the waste liquid into the body. With this configuration, the same effects as those of the waste liquid container can be obtained.

(H) In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the waste liquid container may be inserted into the mounting portion from above in such a posture that the first wall is the bottom wall and the second wall is the top wall.
According to this configuration, the waste liquid container is attached to the attachment portion by being inserted downward from above the liquid ejecting device, and is pulled upward from the attachment portion. Therefore, it can be suitably adopted as a configuration in which the liquid container is attached to and detached from the attachment portion.

(I) In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the waste liquid container has a discharge port for discharging the waste liquid introduced from the introduction port into the storage chamber, and the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion. WHEREIN: The said communication port may be located above the said discharge port. With this configuration, the same effects as those of the waste liquid container can be obtained.

(J) In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the waste liquid storage body includes a waste liquid flow path connecting the introduction port and a discharge port for discharging the waste liquid introduced from the introduction port into the storage chamber, and is provided with a cap capable of collecting the liquid discharged from the nozzle of the liquid ejecting part as the waste liquid, the cap being connected to the discharge pipe, and in the mounted state, the discharge port being the cap may be located below the upper end of the

According to this configuration, the discharge port of the waste liquid container attached to the attachment portion is positioned below the upper end of the cap. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the waste liquid that has been introduced from the inlet port and has accumulated in the waste liquid flow path will flow back toward the cap.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Liquid injection apparatus, 12... Housing, 13... Liquid container, 14... Storage part, 15... Injection port, 17... Liquid injection part, 18... Carriage, 19... Guide shaft, 20... Medium, 21... Support stand , 22... supply channel, 24... nozzle, 25... outlet, 27... maintenance device, 28... cap, 28a... upper end, 29... discharge channel, 30... suction mechanism, 31... wiping member, 32... slider, 33 Support member 35 Engagement projection 42 Waste liquid container 42a Rib 42b Positioning projection 42c Identification projection 43 Mounting portion 43a Rail 43b Positioning recess 43c Identification Recess 44 Cover 45 Shaft 47 Control portion 49 Discharge pipe 50 Holder 51 Liquid injection device side connection terminal 52 Positioning pin 53 Regulating pin 54 Locking portion 56 Grasping portion 58 First concave portion 59 First film 60 Storage chamber 60 a Bottom surface 61 Second concave portion 62 Second film 63 Waste liquid flow path 63 a First introduction portion 63b... Second introduction part 63c... Third introduction part 63d... Fourth introduction part 64... Absorber 65... Protective plate 67... Inlet 68... Discharge port 71... First wall 72... Third 2 walls 73...third wall 74...fourth wall 75...fifth wall 76...sixth wall 78...sealing member 79...valve element 80...pressing member 81...third film 83... Positioning hole 84 Regulation hole 86 Communication port 87 Pedestal 88 Protrusion 90 Container side connection terminal 91 Locked portion A Mounting posture B Storage posture X Width direction Y... depth direction, Z... mounting direction.

Claims (9)

A waste liquid container having a storage chamber for containing waste liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting device in an attached state attached to the liquid ejecting device,
a first wall provided with an inlet through which the waste liquid is introduced and forming an outer shell of the waste liquid container;
a second wall provided with a grip portion, positioned opposite to the first wall across the storage chamber, and constituting the outer shell;
a third wall that connects the first wall and the second wall and constitutes the outer shell;
A communication port is provided to connect the inside of the storage chamber with the outside, connects the first wall and the second wall, and is located opposite to the third wall with the storage chamber interposed therebetween, so as to connect the outer shell. a fourth wall to constitute;
a fifth wall that is provided with container-side connection terminals that can come into contact with the liquid ejection device-side connection terminals in the mounted state, connects the first wall and the second wall, and constitutes the outer shell;
A locked portion that is locked by the locking portion of the liquid ejecting device in the mounted state is provided, and connects the first wall and the second wall and the fifth wall with the housing chamber interposed therebetween. A sixth wall located opposite to and constituting the outer shell;
In a posture in which the third wall serves as a bottom wall, a second introduction portion extending downward from the first introduction portion following the introduction port and the third introduction portion extending downward from the introduction port along the third wall from the second introduction portion a waste liquid flow path having a third introduction portion extending toward two walls, a fourth introduction portion extending upward from the third introduction portion, and a discharge port opening at the tip of the fourth introduction portion;
an absorber capable of absorbing the waste liquid stored in the storage chamber;
with
A waste liquid container, wherein the holding part is provided at a position closer to the third wall than the fourth wall. The communication port is provided at a position closer to the second wall than the first wall,
2. A waste liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said container-side connection terminal is provided at a position closer to said first wall than said second wall. 3. The waste liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the container-side connection terminal is positioned above the center of the introduction port in a posture where the third wall serves as the bottom wall. A positioning hole into which a positioning pin included in the liquid ejecting device is inserted in the mounted state is provided at a position of the first wall closer to the fifth wall than the sixth wall,
A regulation hole is provided in the first wall at a position closer to the sixth wall than the introduction port, into which a regulation pin is inserted to regulate rotation of the waste liquid container about the positioning pin in the mounted state. The waste liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by: 2. A waste liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein said communication port is located above said discharge port in a posture in which said first wall serves as a bottom wall. a waste liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ;
a liquid injection unit for injecting liquid;
a mounting portion to which the waste liquid container is detachably mounted;
a discharge pipe for discharging the waste liquid into the waste liquid container attached to the attachment part;
A liquid ejecting device comprising: 7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the waste liquid container is inserted into the mounting portion from above in such a posture that the first wall is the bottom wall and the second wall is the top wall. The waste liquid container has a discharge port for discharging the waste liquid introduced from the introduction port into the storage chamber,
8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein in the mounting state in which the waste liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, the communication port is positioned above the discharge port. The waste liquid container has a waste liquid flow path that connects the introduction port with a discharge port that discharges the waste liquid introduced from the introduction port into the storage chamber,
The liquid ejecting device includes a cap capable of collecting the liquid discharged from the nozzle of the liquid ejecting part as the waste liquid,
The cap is connected to the discharge tube,
9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8 , wherein in the mounted state, the discharge port is positioned below the upper end of the cap.