JP7655346B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device equipped with a waste liquid storage section that stores ink sucked from a recording head.

Inkjet recording devices are known that record images on a sheet by ejecting ink from the nozzles of a recording head. In order to remove foreign matter from the nozzles of the recording head, some inkjet recording devices are equipped with a maintenance unit that uses a pump to suck out foreign matter from the nozzles of the recording head and stores the sucked out foreign matter in a waste liquid tank (Patent Document 1).

In the recording device described in Patent Document 1, an ink cartridge mounting section for mounting an ink cartridge is located on one side of the paper feed cassette in the carriage movement direction (hereinafter referred to as the "left-right direction"), and a waste liquid tank is located on the other side of the paper feed cassette in the left-right direction.

JP 2015-112844 A

It is considered that users who use large-capacity ink cartridges or large-capacity ink tanks use inkjet recording devices frequently, and when the inkjet recording device is used frequently, the frequency of maintenance increases, and the amount of ink stored in the waste ink tank also increases.
Therefore, in an inkjet recording device with a large-capacity ink storage section such as an ink cartridge, the waste liquid storage section must also be large to match the size of the ink storage section. However, various components are arranged inside the inkjet recording device. Therefore, in order to prevent the inkjet recording device from becoming larger, the ink storage section must be arranged in a space-efficient manner and in a position that does not interfere with other components.

In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if the ink cartridge mounting section is enlarged outward in the left-right direction where there are no other parts in order to prevent interference with other parts, the waste liquid tank will also be enlarged outward in the left-right direction accordingly. Therefore, in addition to the increase in size due to the ink cartridge mounting section, the inkjet recording device will also become larger due to the waste liquid tank.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an inkjet recording device that is prevented from becoming too large in the left-right direction.

(1) The inkjet recording device according to the present invention comprises a carriage that moves in a first direction, a recording head mounted on the carriage and ejecting ink from nozzles, an ink storage section connected to the recording head so as to be able to supply ink, an ink receiving section that receives ink discharged from the recording head, and a first waste liquid storage section connected to the ink receiving section so that ink can flow. The ink storage section is located in a position that does not overlap the carriage in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the up-down direction, and at least a portion of the ink storage section is located outside the movement range of the carriage in the first direction. The first waste liquid storage section is located in a position that overlaps with the ink storage section in the first direction, and is located outside the movement range of the carriage.

According to the above configuration, the first waste liquid storage section is disposed in a position where the presence of the ink storage section does not affect the size of the device in the first direction. Therefore, the first waste liquid storage section is disposed in a space-efficient manner without interfering with other components. As a result, the size of the device in the first direction is suppressed.

(2) Preferably, the inkjet recording device further includes a feed tray that is located below the recording head and supports a sheet. The first waste liquid storage section is located so as to overlap the feed tray in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the first waste liquid storage section is located above the upper end of the feed tray.

With the above configuration, the height of the first waste liquid storage section is above the top end of the feed tray, so more waste liquid is stored in the first waste liquid storage section.

(3) Preferably, the inkjet recording device further includes a housing, and the first waste liquid storage section is detachable from the housing.

The above configuration makes it possible to replace the first waste liquid storage section. In addition, the first waste liquid storage section is positioned in a space-efficient manner so that it is easy to attach and detach and does not interfere with other components when attached or detached.

(4) Preferably, the housing has a guide portion that guides the first waste liquid storage portion so that the first waste liquid storage portion can move in a direction intersecting the first direction.

With the above configuration, the first waste liquid storage section can be easily moved while avoiding obstacles.

(5) Preferably, the inkjet recording device further includes a second waste liquid storage section connected to the ink receiving section and the first waste liquid storage section so that ink can flow therethrough, and the second waste liquid storage section is located in a position that overlaps with the movement range of the carriage in the first direction and is located between the ink storage section and the carriage in the second direction.

According to the above configuration, since a second waste liquid storage section is provided in addition to the first waste liquid storage section, more waste liquid can be stored.

(6) Preferably, the first waste liquid storage section has a first holder that holds ink, and the second waste liquid storage section has a second holder that holds ink, and the first holder and the second holder are in contact.

According to the above configuration, the ink held in the second holder in the second waste liquid storage section moves from the second holder to the first holder through the contact portion between the first holder and the second holder. In addition, the ink moves more reliably from the second waste liquid storage section to the first waste liquid storage section.

(7) Preferably, the first holder and the second holder are in contact with each other in the vertical direction with the first holder positioned below and the second holder positioned above.

The above configuration allows ink to easily move from the second holder to the first holder.

(8) Preferably, the second waste liquid storage section is fixed to the housing.

With the above configuration, the ink receiving section is connected to the second waste liquid storage section, simplifying the configuration of the first waste liquid storage section.

(9) Preferably, the inkjet recording device further includes a wiper that can come into contact with the recording head, and the first waste liquid storage section is located upstream of the wiper in the direction in which the recording head moves in contact with the wiper.

According to the above configuration, the ink remaining on the recording head surface is wiped by the wiper and then scattered from the wiper. When the ink is scattered from the wiper, the first waste liquid storage section receives the scattered ink.

(10) Preferably, the first waste liquid storage section has a holder that holds ink and a storage housing in which the holder is housed, and the storage housing has an opening disposed on the side where the wiper is located.

With the above configuration, ink scattered from the wiper is held by the first holder.

(11) The inkjet recording device according to the present invention includes a recording head extending in a third direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in which a sheet is conveyed and ejecting ink from nozzles toward the sheet, an ink storage section connected to the recording head so as to be able to supply ink, an ink receiving section which receives ink discharged from the recording head, and a first waste liquid storage section connected to the ink receiving section so as to be able to circulate ink. The ink storage section is located in a position that does not overlap the recording head in a fourth direction perpendicular to the third direction and the up-down direction, and at least a portion of the ink storage section is located outside the recording head in the third direction. The first waste liquid storage section is located in a position that overlaps the ink storage section in the third direction, and is located outside the recording head.

According to the present invention, the first waste liquid storage section is positioned in a position that does not affect the size increase in the left-right direction, so the size increase in the left-right direction of the device is suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction device 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the printer unit 14. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the maintenance mechanism 70. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the printer unit 14, with the carriage 67 located at the maintenance position and the movable waste ink tank 110 located at the mounting position. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the printer unit 14, with the carriage 67 located at the maintenance position and the movable waste ink tank 110 located at the mounting position. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the printer unit 14, with the carriage 67 positioned at the center in the left-right direction 9 and the movable waste ink tank 110 positioned at the non-mounted position. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the fixed waste ink tank 80 and the movable waste ink tank 110 as viewed from the upper left, with the movable waste ink tank 110 positioned in the attached position. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the fixed waste ink tank 80 and the movable waste ink tank 110 as viewed from the upper right, with the movable waste ink tank 110 positioned in the attached position. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the AA section of FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the fixed waste ink tank 80 taken along the line BB in FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the movable waste ink tank 110 taken along the line BB in FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the fixed waste ink tank 80 and the lower cover 30 taken along the line CC in FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the movable waste ink tank 110 and the guide portions 131 and 132 taken along the line DD in FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 8, showing a state in which the movable waste ink tank 110 is located at the mounting position. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the printer unit 14 in the modified example.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. In addition, in the following description, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the multifunction device 10 is installed so that it can be used (the state shown in FIG. 1), the front-rear direction 8 (an example of the second direction and fourth direction) is defined with the surface in which the opening 22 is provided as the front, and the left-right direction 9 (an example of the first direction and third direction) is defined when viewing the multifunction device 10 from the front.

[Overall configuration of multifunction device 10]
The multifunction device 10 (an example of an inkjet recording device) has various functions such as a print function and a scan function. As shown in Fig. 1, the multifunction device 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, with a printer housing 11 (an example of a housing) and a scanner housing 12 stacked above the printer housing 11. In addition, an operation panel 13 equipped with various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display unit is provided on the front surface of the multifunction device 10.

The printer housing 11 forms the outer wall of the printer unit 14, which records an image on recording paper 19 (see FIG. 2, an example of a sheet). As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 14 records an image on recording paper 19 transported from a feed tray 20, and discharges the recording paper 19 with the image recorded onto a discharge tray 21. The feed tray 20 and the discharge tray 21 are detachable from the printer housing 11 through an opening 22 (see FIG. 1) formed on the front surface of the printer housing 11. The scanner housing 12 (see FIG. 1) forms the outer wall of an image reading unit having a flatbed scanner. A detailed configuration of the image reading unit is omitted in this embodiment.

[Printer unit 14]
2, the feed roller 25 is located above the feed tray 20. The feed arm 26 supports the feed roller 25 so that it can rotate freely. The feed roller 25 moves in the up-down direction 7 according to the thickness of the stack of recording papers 19 supported by the feed tray 20, and the feed arm 26 rotates in conjunction with the movement of the feed roller 25. The feed roller 25 rotates by the rotation of a motor (not shown) transmitted by a drive transmission mechanism 27 such as a gear train. The feed roller 25 rotates while contacting the recording papers 19 on the feed tray 20, whereby the uppermost recording paper 19 among the stacked recording papers 19 is fed to the transport path 23.

The transport path 23 extends from the rear end of the feed tray 20 upward and toward the front of the printer unit 14, and extends in a substantially straight line toward the discharge tray 21 along the front-rear direction 8. The transport path 23 is located approximately in the center of the printer housing 11 (see FIG. 1) in the left-right direction 9. The transport path 23 is provided with a pair of transport rollers 54 and a pair of discharge rollers 55. The pair of transport rollers 54 and the pair of discharge rollers 55 sandwich the recording paper 19 in the transport path 23 and transport it in the transport direction 15. The recording paper 19 fed from the feed tray 20 is transported by at least one of the pair of transport rollers 54 and the pair of discharge rollers 55, and makes a U-turn from the bottom to the top along the transport path 23, reaches below the recording unit 24, and is discharged to the discharge tray 21 after an image is recorded by the recording unit 24.

The recording unit 24 records an image by an inkjet method. The recording unit 24 has a recording head 65 and a carriage 67. The carriage 67 is located above the transport path 23. The carriage 67 moves along the guide rails 43, 44 (see Figures 4 to 6) extending along the left-right direction 9 by the drive of a motor (not shown) transmitted by a belt drive mechanism (not shown). The recording head 65 is mounted on the carriage 67. A platen 66 is located below the recording head 65. The platen 66 extends over the area in which the carriage 67 moves (in other words, the entire area of the transport path 23 in the left-right direction 9), and supports the recording paper 19 transported along the transport path 23 from below. The recording head 65 faces the platen 66. When the carriage 67 moves in the left-right direction 9, the recording head 65 selectively ejects ink onto the recording paper 19 supported by the platen 66, thereby recording an image on the recording paper 19.

3, a plurality of nozzles 69 are opened on the bottom surface of the recording head 65. The nozzles 69 are arranged in a row along the transport direction 15 (see FIG. 2).
The nozzles 69 are arranged in four rows corresponding to the ink colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, for example.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the printer housing 11 has a lower cover 30 that mainly constitutes part of the front surface and the bottom surface of the multifunction device 10. The printer housing 11 is formed by assembling an upper cover 29 (see Figure 13), which mainly constitutes the side and rear surfaces of the multifunction device 10, above the lower cover 30.

The lower cover 30 has a lower wall 31 that forms the lower surface, and a right wall 32 and a left wall 33 that define a space 34 in which the feed tray 20 is accommodated. The right wall 32 and the left wall 33 each protrude upward from the lower wall 31 and extend parallel to each other along the front-rear direction 8.
A space 34 in the center of the lower wall 31 in the left-right direction 9 is defined in the front-rear direction 8 by the right wall 32 and the left wall 33. A space 35 is formed in the lower cover 30 above the lower wall 31 and to the right of the right wall 32. The space 35 accommodates a maintenance mechanism 70 (see FIG. 6), an ink refill case 61, a fixed waste ink tank 80 (an example of a second waste liquid storage section), and a movable waste ink tank 110 (an example of a first waste liquid storage section).

[Ink refill case 61]
As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the printer unit 14 includes an ink refill case 61. The ink refill case 61 is located at the front of the space 35. The ink refill case 61 is box-shaped with an opening on the front. A plurality of ink cartridges 62 (see Fig. 2, an example of an ink storage unit) that store ink of each color to be supplied to the recording head 65 are attached to the ink refill case 61. A plurality of tubes 63 corresponding to the ink colors extend from the ink refill case 61 to the recording head 65 in which each ink cartridge 62 is attached, and ink is supplied from the ink cartridges 62 to the recording head 65 through the tubes 63. The ink cartridges are inserted into and removed from the ink refill case 61 from the front of the multifunction device 10 through the opening 48 of the lower cover 30.

The ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 are located forward of the carriage 67 in the space 35 of the lower cover 30. In other words, the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 are located in positions that do not overlap with the carriage 67 in the front-rear direction 8, i.e., in different positions. In addition, the right ends of the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 are located to the right of the right end of the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9, i.e., to the right of the right ends of the guide rails 43, 44. In other words, at least a portion of the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 is positioned outside the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9.

[Maintenance mechanism 70]
As shown in FIG. 6, the maintenance mechanism 70 is located in the space 35 below the movement path of the recording head 65 and to the right of the right end of the platen 66. When the carriage 67 is located at the right end of the movement range in the left-right direction 9, the maintenance mechanism 70 is located below the carriage 67. As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance mechanism 70 sucks ink from each nozzle 69 of the recording head 65 and causes the sucked ink to flow into a fixed waste ink tank 80. Hereinafter, the ink discharged from each nozzle 69 by the maintenance mechanism 70 is referred to as "waste ink." In FIG. 3, the fixed waste ink tank 80 is illustrated in a schematic manner to show that the maintenance mechanism 70 and the fixed waste ink tank 80 are connected by tubes 76 and 77, but does not show the positional relationship between the fixed waste ink tank 80 and other components.

3, the maintenance mechanism 70 has a movable part 71, a cam mechanism 72 that moves the movable part 71 in the up-down direction 7, tubes 76, 77, and a pump 73. The movable part 71 has caps 74, 75 (an example of an ink receiving part) made of a rubber material. When the carriage 67 is located at a maintenance position above the movable part 71, the caps 74, 75 face the lower surface of the recording head 65 in the up-down direction 7. The cam mechanism 72 is operated by a driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown) to move the movable part 71 in the up-down direction 7. When the movable part 71 moves upward, the caps 74, 75 come into contact with the lower surface of the recording head 65.
At this time, the cap 74 covers the row of nozzles 69 that eject black ink, and the cap 75 covers the rows of cyan, magenta, and yellow nozzles 69. One ends of tubes 76 and 77 are connected to the caps 74 and 75, respectively. The tubes 76 and 77 are flexible resin tubes.

The pump 73 is, for example, a rotary tube pump that operates by transmitting driving force from a motor (not shown). The pump 73 is connected to the sealed space between the underside of the recording head 65 and the caps 74, 75 through the tubes 76, 77. When the pump 73 is driven with the caps 74, 75 covering the nozzles 69, negative pressure is created inside the caps 74, 75, and ink discharged from each nozzle 69 is received by the caps 74, 75. The waste ink received by the caps 74, 75 flows into the fixed waste ink tank 80 through the tubes 76, 77 by the operation of the pump 73. The internal space of the tube 76 is a flow path through which the atmosphere flows, and the internal space of the tube 77 is a flow path through which the waste ink flows.

[Wiper 45]
6, the maintenance mechanism 70 includes a wiper 45. The wiper 45 is located at the same position as the nozzles 69 (see FIG. 3) of the recording head 65 in the front-rear direction 8, and is located within the movement range of the nozzles 69 in the left-right direction 9 to the left of the caps 74, 75. The wiper 45 extends in the up-down direction 7 and is long in the front-rear direction 8. The wiper 45 is made of, for example, rubber.

The wiper 45 can move in the vertical direction 7. When the carriage 67 is in the maintenance position shown in Figures 4 and 5, the upper end of the wiper 45 is located at a position overlapping the nozzle 69 in the vertical direction 7. Then, as the carriage 67 moves to the left, the upper end of the wiper 45 wipes the nozzle 69. In the process of the carriage 67 moving to the left from the maintenance position, the wiper 45 wipes the nozzle 69 with its upper end bent to the left relative to its base end. Therefore, after the carriage 67 passes above the wiper 45, the upper end of the wiper 45 moves to the right as the bend returns. As a result, the ink attached to the wiper 45 scatters to the right. The ink scattered to the right is received by the ink holder 113 through the opening 119 of the movable waste ink tank 110 described later. The configuration of the movable waste ink tank 110 will be described later.

[Fixed waste ink tank 80]
As shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 6, the fixed waste ink tank 80 is located at the center of the space 35 of the lower cover 30 in the front-rear direction 8. The fixed waste ink tank 80 is located in front of the carriage 67 and behind the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62. The left end of the fixed waste ink tank 80 is located at a position overlapping with the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9, that is, to the left of the right ends of the guide rails 43 and 44. The right end of the fixed waste ink tank 80 is located to the right of the right end of the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9, that is, to the right of the right ends of the guide rails 43 and 44. The maintenance mechanism 70 is located behind the fixed waste ink tank 80. Tubes 76 and 77 of the maintenance mechanism 70 extend forward and are connected to the fixed waste ink tank 80.

The fixed waste ink tank 80 is fixed to the bottom cover 30. As shown in Fig. 12, the fixed waste ink tank 80 is fixed to the bottom cover 30 by screws 57, for example.
Specifically, the lower cover 30 has a plurality of through holes 58 penetrating in the up-down direction 7 at positions within the region in which the fixed waste ink tank 80 is disposed in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. The fixed waste ink tank 80 also has a screw hole 59 with a female screw formed therein recessed upward from the lower surface of the lower wall 85A at a position corresponding to the through hole 58 in the lower wall 85A. The fixed waste ink tank 80 is fixed to the lower cover 30 by inserting a screw 57 into the screw hole 59 through the through hole 58 from below the lower wall 31 of the lower cover 30 and tightening it. The fixed waste ink tank 80 may be fixed to the lower cover 30 by a method other than fixing with a screw. For example, the lower wall 31 of the lower cover 30 and the fixed waste ink tank 80 may be provided with engaging parts that can be engaged with each other, and the fixed waste ink tank 80 may be fixed to the lower cover 30 by engaging these engaging parts with each other. The lower cover 30 and the fixed waste ink tank 80 may also be formed integrally.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the fixed waste ink tank 80 has a fixed waste ink tank case 81 (an example of a storage housing) and an ink holder 83 (an example of a second holder).

As shown in Figures 7 to 10, the fixed waste ink tank case 81 is a hollow box-like shape and has an opening 86 at the top. The opening 86 is L-shaped in a plan view and is defined by the upper end of the fixed waste ink tank case 81.

The fixed waste ink tank case 81 is composed of a left part 87 that extends in the left-right direction 9 and has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape that is thin in the front-rear direction 8, and a right part 88 that extends in the front-rear direction 8 and is continuous with the right end of the left part 87 and has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape that is thin in the left-right direction 9. The internal space of the left part 87 extends in the up-down direction 7 and is continuous with the internal space of the right part 88 at the right end of the upper part. The internal space of the right part 88 extends in the front-rear direction 8 and is continuous with the internal space of the left part 87 at the left end of the front part. The lower end of the internal space of the left part 87 is located below the lower end of the internal space of the right part 88. The rear end of the internal space of the right part 88 is located rearward of the rear end of the internal space of the left part 87.

Specifically, the internal space of the left section 87 is defined by the left half of the front wall 91, the left wall 92, the rear wall 93, the front middle wall 94, and the bottom wall 85A.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the left half of the front wall 91 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 constitutes the front end of the left section 87. The left half of the front wall 91 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9.

The rear wall 93 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 constitutes the rear end of the left section 87. Although not shown, the rear wall 93 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9.

As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the left wall 92 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 constitutes the left end of the left portion 87. The left wall 92 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the front middle wall 94 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 constitutes the right end of the left portion 87. The front middle wall 94 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends along the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. The upper end of the front middle wall 94 is located lower than the upper end of the left half of the front wall 91 and the upper end of the rear wall 93. As a result, the internal space of the left portion 87 is connected to the internal space of the right portion 88 at the upper part of the right end of the left portion 87.

The lower wall 85A that forms the lower end of the left portion 87 is part of the lower wall 85 and has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends along the front-to-rear direction 8 and the left-to-right direction 9.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the interior space of the right portion 88 is defined by the rear middle wall 95, the right half of the front wall 91, the rear wall 97, the right wall 98, and the bottom wall 85B.

The rear middle wall 95 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 constitutes the left end of the right portion 88. The rear middle wall 95 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

The rear wall 97 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 constitutes the rear end of the right section 88. The rear wall 97 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the right half of the front wall 91 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 forms the front end of the right section 88. There is a gap in the front-rear direction 8 between the center of the front wall 91 in the left-right direction 9 and the front end of the rear middle wall 95. This allows the internal space of the right section 88 to communicate with the internal space of the left section 87.

As shown in FIG. 8, the right wall 98 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 constitutes the right end of the right portion 88. The right wall 98 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

9 and 10, the lower wall 85B that constitutes the lower end of the right portion 88 is part of the lower wall 85 and has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends along the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. The lower wall 85B is located at the same position as the upper end of the front middle wall 94 in the up-down direction 7.

In addition, an opening 100 is formed behind the lower wall 85B, and is defined by the rear end of the lower wall 85B, the front surface of the rear wall 97, the right surface of the rear middle wall 95, and the left surface of the right wall 98.

As shown in Figures 7 to 10, an ink holder 83 is provided in the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank case 81. The ink holder 83 is made of a fibrous material such as a felt molded product. Waste ink that flows into the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 is absorbed and held by the ink holder 83, which is made of a fibrous material.

The ink holder 83 is made up of multiple roughly rectangular parallelepiped sections (five sections in this embodiment) and is arranged to fill the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank case 81.

10 , the ink holder 83 has a protruding portion 107 that protrudes downward from the bottom surface at the rear end of a portion located in the internal space of the right portion 88. The protruding portion 107 has a thin, flat rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the left-right direction 9. The protruding portion 107 protrudes from the opening 100 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 to the outside of the fixed waste ink tank case 81.
That is, the lower end 107 B of the protruding portion 107 extends downward beyond the bottom wall 85 B of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 and is exposed to the outside of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 .

As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the fixed waste ink tank case 81 is provided with port portions 101, 102 to which tubes 76, 77 are respectively connected. The port portions 101, 102 are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction 7. The lower port portion 102 has a cylindrical shape that protrudes leftward from the left wall 92. The internal space of the port portion 102 penetrates the left wall 92. The internal space of the port portion 102 communicates with the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 and the outside. The tube 77 is connected to the port portion 102.

When waste ink flows into the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank 80 through the tube 77 and the port portion 102, the waste ink first fills the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank 80 downwards through the port portion 102 in the left portion 87 while being held and absorbed by the ink holder 83. The waste ink then travels through the ink holder 83, passes above the port portion 102 in the left portion 87, and reaches the ink holder 83 filled in the right portion 88. The waste ink then travels through the ink holder 83 to the rear of the internal space of the right portion 88, and then reaches the protruding portion 107 of the ink holder 83, and travels downwards.

As shown in FIG. 7, a downwardly recessed recess 105 is formed on the left surface of the left wall 92. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the left wall 92 branches at a central portion 92A in the up-down direction 7 into an outer wall 92B that extends straight upward from the central portion 92A, and an inner wall 92C that bends to the right and then extends upward. The recess 105 is defined by the outer wall 92B, the inner wall 92C, the front wall 91, and the rear wall 93.

The upper port portion 101 has a cylindrical shape that protrudes leftward from the outer wall 92B of the left wall 92, and the internal space of the port portion 101 penetrates the outer wall 92B. The internal space of the port portion 101 communicates with the internal space of the recess 105 and the outside. A tube 76 is connected to the port portion 101.

[Movable waste ink tank 110]
4 and 5, when the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounted position, the movable waste ink tank 110 is located rearward of the center in the front-rear direction 8 in the space 35 of the lower cover 30. The movable waste ink tank 110 is located rearward of the ink refill case 61, the ink cartridge 62, and the fixed waste ink tank 80. The movable waste ink tank 110 is located to the right of the right end of the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9, that is, to the right of the right ends of the guide rails 43 and 44, and is located in a position overlapping with the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 in the left-right direction 9. That is, the movable waste ink tank 110 is located outside the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9. In other words, the movable waste ink tank 110 is disposed in an area that overlaps with the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 in the left-right direction 9 and also overlaps with the carriage 67 in the front-rear direction 8. The movable waste ink tank 110 is located at a position overlapping with the feed tray 20 in the vertical direction 7 .

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the movable waste ink tank 110 has a movable waste ink tank case 111 and an ink holder 113 (an example of a first holder).

The movable waste ink tank case 111 is a hollow box-shaped case with an opening 117 at the top. The outer shape of the movable waste ink tank case 111 is a generally rectangular parallelepiped that extends in the front-rear direction 8 and is thin and flat in the left-right direction 9. The opening 117 is defined by the upper end of the movable waste ink tank case 111. The movable waste ink tank case 111 has a front wall 141, a rear wall 142, a left wall 143, a right wall 144, and a bottom wall 116 (see FIG. 11), and the ink holder 113 is filled in the internal space surrounded by these walls. The upper end of the rear wall 142, the upper end of the left wall 143 that is at the same position as the upper end of the rear wall 142 in the vertical direction 7, and the upper end of the right wall 144 constitute the upper end 115 of the movable waste ink tank 110, and the upper end 115 is located above the upper end of the feed tray 20.

As shown in FIG. 11, the lower part of the front end of the movable waste ink tank case 111 protrudes forward from the upper part of the front end. When the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounting position, the lower part of the front end of the movable waste ink tank case 111 is located below the bottom wall 85B of the right part 88 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 of the fixed waste ink tank 80.

The right wall 144 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape extending in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 .
Although not shown, a lower portion of the front end of the right wall 144 protrudes forward beyond an upper portion 144B (see FIG. 8) of the front end of the right wall 144.

As shown in FIG. 11, the left wall 143 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape extending in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. A lower portion 143A at the front end of the left wall 143 protrudes forward from an upper portion 143B at the front end of the left wall 143.

As shown in FIG. 7, the left wall 143 has a recess 145 formed in the center in the front-to-rear direction 8, with the upper end recessed downward, and an opening 119 penetrating in the left-to-right direction 9 is formed by the recess 145. As a result, when the wiper 45 wipes the nozzles 69 of the recording head 65 and ink adhering to the wiper 45 is scattered to the right, the scattered ink droplets adhere to the ink holder 113. The ink droplets are then held by the ink holder 113.

The left wall 143 and the right wall 144 have the same shape except for the recess 145, and are located at the same position in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

As shown in FIG. 11, the front wall 141 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape extending in the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9. The front wall 141 is supported by a lower portion 143A of the front end of the left wall 143 and a lower portion (not shown) of the front end of the right wall 144. The upper end of the front wall 141 is located lower than the upper end of the lower portion 143A of the front end of the left wall 143.

The rear wall 142 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9 .
The rear wall 142 spans between the rear end of the left wall 143 and the rear end of the right wall 144 (see FIG. 8 ).

The internal space of the movable waste ink tank case 111 is partitioned by a front wall 141, a rear wall 142, a left wall 143, a right wall 144, and a bottom wall 116.

As shown in FIG. 11, the movable waste ink tank case 111 is formed with two ribs 118 that protrude upward from the upper surface of the bottom wall 116 and extend along the left-right direction 9. The length of each rib 118 in the up-down direction 7 is approximately one-third of the length of the movable waste ink tank case 111 in the up-down direction 7. The left and right ends of each rib 118 are continuous with the right surface of the left wall 143 and the left surface of the right wall 144, respectively. Each rib 118, the front wall 141, and the rear wall 142 are positioned with a gap in between in the front-to-rear direction 8.

As shown in Figures 7, 8 and 11, an ink holder 113 is provided in the internal space of the movable waste ink tank case 111. The ink holder 113 is made of a fibrous material such as a felt molded product. Waste ink that flows into the internal space of the movable waste ink tank case 111 is absorbed and held by the ink holder 113 made of a fibrous material.

The ink holder 113 is generally rectangular and is made up of multiple parts (two parts in this embodiment) as shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 11, the ink holder 113 has a protrusion 121 at its front end that protrudes forward from the center in the vertical direction 7 downward. The protrusion 121 has a peak 122 that protrudes upward from the top surface 121A at the front end of the top surface 121A of the protrusion 121. A front inclined surface 123 is formed at the top of the front surface of the protrusion 121, which is inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 so as to rise upward as it approaches the rear. The upper end of the front inclined surface 123 is the front surface of the peak 122. The front inclined surface 123 is gradually inclined as it approaches the rear.

On the upper surface 121A of the protrusion 121, rearward of the peak 122, an abutment surface 124 is formed that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 so as to slope upward as it extends rearward. The abutment surface 124 slopes at a steeper angle as it extends rearward.

[Guide portions 131, 132]
As shown in Fig. 13, the lower cover 30 and the upper cover 29 each have a pair of guide portions 131, 132. The guide portion 131 is located behind the center in the front-rear direction 8 in the space 35 of the lower cover 30 (see Figs. 4 to 6), and below the movable waste ink tank 110 in the attached position. The guide portion 131 protrudes upward from the upper surface 31A of the lower wall 31 of the lower cover 30 and extends in the front-rear direction 8. The pair of guide portions 131 are located parallel to each other with a gap therebetween in the left-right direction 9. The gap between the mutually opposing inner surfaces 131A of the pair of guide portions 131 corresponds to the length of the movable waste ink tank 110 in the left-right direction 9. The cross section of the guide portion 131 in the left-right direction 9 is rectangular.

The pair of guide portions 132 protrude downward from the lower surface 29A of the upper cover 29 above the pair of guide portions 131. The pair of guide portions 132 have the same shape as the pair of guide portions 131, and are disposed at the same positions as the pair of guide portions 131 in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. The distance between the opposing inner surfaces 132A of the pair of guide portions 132 corresponds to the length of the movable waste ink tank 110 in the left-right direction 9.

When the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounted position, the lower ends of the left surface of the left wall 143 and the right surface of the right wall 144 abut against the inner surface 131A of the guide portion 131, and the upper ends of the left surface of the left wall 143 and the right surface of the right wall 144 abut against the inner surface 132A of the guide portion 132. The lower ends of the left surface of the left wall 143 and the right surface of the right wall 144 slide against the inner surface 131A of the guide portion 131, and the upper ends of the left surface of the left wall 143 and the right surface of the right wall 144 slide against the inner surface 132A of the guide portion 132, so that the movable waste ink tank 110 can move in the front-rear direction 8 with the mounted position as the front end.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the fixed waste ink tank 80, the rear middle wall 95 is located slightly to the right of the front middle wall 94.

Also, as shown in FIG. 8, in the fixed waste ink tank 80, the upper portion 98A above the center of the right wall 98 in the vertical direction 7 is located to the left of the lower portion 98B below the center of the right wall 98 in the vertical direction 7. As a result, a horizontal portion 98C that extends along the front-to-back direction 8 and the left-to-right direction 9 is formed in the center of the right wall 98 in the vertical direction 7. The lower end of the right wall 98 has an extension portion 98D that extends rearward.

As shown in FIG. 8, the length between the right surface of the left wall 143 and the left surface of the right wall 144 corresponds to the length between the left surface of the rear middle wall 95 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 of the fixed waste ink tank 80 and the right surface of the upper part 98A of the right wall 98. In addition, the length between the left surface of the left wall 143 and the right surface of the right wall 144 corresponds to the length between the right surface of the front middle wall 94 of the fixed waste ink tank case 81 of the fixed waste ink tank 80 (see FIG. 9) and the left surface of the lower part 98B of the right wall 98.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, when the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounting position, the front end of the right part 88 of the fixed waste ink tank 80 is located between the left wall 143 and the right wall 144 of the movable waste ink tank 110. Also, in this state, the lower end of the front end of the movable waste ink tank 110 is located between the lower part 98B of the right wall 98 of the fixed waste ink tank 80 and the front middle wall 94. In this state, the front end of the left wall 143 of the movable waste ink tank 110 abuts against the rear surface of the rear wall 93 of the left part 87 of the fixed waste ink tank 80, and the front end of the right wall 144 of the movable waste ink tank 110 abuts against the rear end of the horizontal part 98C of the right wall 98 of the fixed waste ink tank 80. This restricts the movable waste ink tank 110 from moving forward from the mounting position.

When the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounting position, an engagement portion (not shown) of the movable waste ink tank 110 and an engagement portion (not shown) of the bottom cover 30 engage with each other. This prevents the movable waste ink tank 110 from moving backwards unintentionally when the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounting position. The engagement portion may be provided so that the movable waste ink tank 110 and the fixed waste ink tank 80 engage with each other. The movable waste ink tank 110 may be fixed to the printer housing 11 with screws.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounting position, waste ink flows into the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank 80 through the port portion 102. In the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank 80, the waste ink first fills downward from the port portion 102 in the left portion 87 while being held and absorbed by the ink holder 83. The waste ink then travels through the ink holder 83 to the upper side from the port portion 102 in the left portion 87, and reaches the ink holder 83 filled in the internal space of the right portion 88 of the fixed waste ink tank 80. The waste ink then travels through the ink holder 83 to the rear of the internal space of the right portion 88, reaches the protruding portion 107, and descends to the lower end of the protruding portion 107. The waste ink then travels through the contact surface 124 to the ink holder 113 of the movable waste ink tank 110, where it is held and absorbed. The waste ink then travels from the front to the rear of the ink holder 113 inside the movable waste ink tank 110. As a result, the waste ink is absorbed and held by the ink holder 113 of the movable waste ink tank 110.

When the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the non-attached position shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 107 on the ink holder 83 of the fixed waste ink tank 80 extends downward, as shown in FIG. 10. In this state, the upper surface 121A of the protrusion 121 on the ink holder 113 of the movable waste ink tank 110 is located above the lower end 107B of the rear surface 107A of the protrusion 107 on the ink holder 83 of the fixed waste ink tank 80.

Therefore, when the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounting position, the protrusion 107 elastically deforms, and the lower part of the protrusion 107 from the center in the vertical direction 7 curves forward. The rear surface 107A of the protrusion 107 abuts against the inclination of the abutment surface 124. In other words, the protrusion 107 of the ink holder 83 abuts against the abutment surface 124 of the ink holder 113 in the vertical direction 7. At this time, the protrusion 107 is positioned at the top, and the abutment surface 124 is positioned at the bottom.

[Attachment and detachment of movable waste ink tank 110]
5 and 6, the printer housing 11 has an opening 47 at the right end of the rear end, which penetrates in the front-rear direction 8. When the movable waste ink tank 110 is in the mounted position, the opening 47 is closed by a rear wall 142 of the movable waste ink tank 110.

The movable waste ink tank 110 is replaceable. When attaching or detaching the movable waste ink tank 110, the user pulls the movable waste ink tank 110, which is located in the mounting position, backward through the opening 47 of the printer housing 11. When attaching the movable waste ink tank 110, the user pushes the movable waste ink tank 110 through the opening 47 of the printer housing 11 toward the mounting position.

[Effects of this embodiment]
As described above, the movable waste ink tank 110 is disposed at a position where the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 do not affect the increase in size of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9. Therefore, the movable waste ink tank 110 is disposed space-efficiently without interfering with other components. As a result, the increase in size of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9 is suppressed. Furthermore, the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9 is set according to the width of the maximum size of recording paper on which an image can be recorded. For example, when the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 are enlarged in the left-right direction 9, the movable waste ink tank 110 can be enlarged in the left-right direction 9 to match the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62, as long as the width of the maximum size of recording paper on which an image can be recorded does not change.

In addition, if the ink refill case 61 and ink cartridge 62 are positioned above the feed tray 20, there is a risk that ink may leak into the feed tray 20 or adhere to the electronic board of the multifunction device 10. However, because the ink refill case 61 and ink cartridge 62 are positioned in the space 35 located to the right of the feed tray 20, such risks are suppressed.

The height of the movable waste ink tank 110 is above the top end of the feed tray 20, so a large amount of waste ink can be stored in the movable waste ink tank 110.

The movable waste ink tank 110 is detachable from the printer housing 11, making it possible to replace the movable waste ink tank 110. In addition, the movable waste ink tank 110 is arranged in a space-efficient position that is easy to attach and detach and does not interfere with other components when attaching or detaching.

The printer housing 11 has guide parts 131, 132 that guide the movable waste ink tank 110 so that it can move in the forward and backward directions 8, allowing the movable waste ink tank 110 to be easily moved while avoiding obstacles.

In addition to the movable waste ink tank 110, a fixed waste ink tank 80 is provided, allowing more waste ink to be stored.

The movable waste ink tank 110 has an ink holder 113, and the fixed waste ink tank 80 has an ink holder 83. The ink holder 113 and the ink holder 83 are in contact with each other in the up-down direction 7 with the ink holder 83 located at the top and the ink holder 113 located at the bottom. Therefore, the ink held in the ink holder 83 in the fixed waste ink tank 80 moves easily from the ink holder 83 to the ink holder 113 through the rear surface 107A of the protrusion 107 and the contact surface 124 of the ink holder 113. In addition, the ink moves more reliably from the fixed waste ink tank 80 to the movable waste ink tank 110. This prevents the ink from leaking out of the movable waste ink tank 110.

The tubes 76 and 77 are connected to the fixed waste ink tank 80 that is fixed to the printer housing 11, simplifying the configuration of the movable waste ink tank 110.

The movable waste ink tank 110 is located upstream of the wiper 45 in the direction in which the recording head 65 moves in contact with the wiper 45. The movable waste ink tank case 111 has an opening 119 arranged on the side where the wiper 45 is located. Therefore, when ink is scattered from the wiper 45, the ink holder 113 of the movable waste ink tank 110 receives the scattered ink.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, the recording head 65 is mounted on the carriage 67, and the carriage 67 moves in the left-right direction 9. Instead of this configuration, as shown in Fig. 15, a recording head 150 having a length in the left-right direction 9 that is longer than the width of the recording paper 19 in the left-right direction 9 may be used. In this configuration, the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 are located in positions that do not overlap with the recording head 150 in the front-rear direction 8, and a portion of the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 are located to the right of the recording head 150. The movable waste ink tank 110 is located in a position that overlaps with the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 in the left-right direction 9, and is located to the right of the recording head 150.

In the above-described embodiment, an ink cartridge 62 was used as an example of an ink storage section, and the multifunction device 10 was provided with an ink refill case 61 into which the ink cartridge 62 can be attached. However, instead of the ink refill case 61, an ink tank with a hollow interior that can be refilled with ink may be provided at the position of the ink refill case 61 in the lower cover 30.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 are arranged only in the space 35 on the right side of the lower cover 30, but the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 may be arranged separately in both the space to the left of the left wall 33 of the lower cover 30 and in the space 35. In this configuration, the movable waste ink tank 110 may also be arranged both to the right of the right end of the guide rails 43, 44 and to the left of the left end of the guide rails 43, 44.

Also, a configuration may be adopted in which the fixed waste ink tank 80 is not mounted on the multifunction device 10. In this configuration, the movable waste ink tank 110 is positioned in the mounting position, and the tubes 76 and 77 are directly connected to the movable waste ink tank 110.

The direction in which the movable waste ink tank 110 can be attached and detached does not have to be the front-to-back direction 8, but can be any direction that intersects with the left-to-right direction 9. Furthermore, the movable waste ink tank 110 does not have to be detachable from the printer housing 11, and instead of the movable waste ink tank 110, a waste ink tank fixed to the printer housing 11 may be used.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the fixed waste ink tank 80 was located between the carriage 67 and the ink refill case 61 and the ink cartridge 62 in the front-rear direction 8 and in a position overlapping with the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9, but it may be located in a different position. For example, the fixed waste ink tank 80 may be located outside the movement range of the carriage 67 in the left-right direction 9 and in a position overlapping with the movable waste ink tank 110 in the up-down direction 7.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the ink holder 83 of the fixed waste ink tank 80 comes into contact with the ink holder 113 of the movable waste ink tank 110, thereby transmitting waste ink from the fixed waste ink tank 80 to the movable waste ink tank 110. However, it is not necessarily required that both the fixed waste ink tank 80 and the movable waste ink tank 110 are provided with ink holders. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which no ink holder is provided in either or both of the fixed waste ink tank 80 and the movable waste ink tank 110, and ink is stored in the internal space of the fixed waste ink tank 80 or the movable waste ink tank 110.

7... Vertical direction 8... Second direction, fourth direction (back and forth direction)
9...First direction, third direction (left and right direction)
10... Multifunction device (inkjet recording device)
11... Printer housing (housing)
19... Recording paper (sheet)
20: Feed tray 45: Wiper 61: Ink refill case 62: Ink cartridge (ink storage section)
65: recording head 67: carriage 69: nozzle 74, 75: cap (ink receiving portion)
80: Fixed waste ink tank (second waste liquid storage section)
83: Ink holder (second holder)
110: Movable waste ink tank (first waste liquid storage section)
111: Movable waste ink tank case (storage housing)
113...ink holder (first holder)
119: Opening 131, 132: Guide portion 150: Recording head

Claims (11)

A housing and
A carriage that moves left and right;
a recording head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject ink from nozzles;
an ink storage section having a plurality of ink storage chambers arranged side by side in the left-right direction, the ink storage section being connected to the recording head so as to be able to supply ink;
a first waste liquid storage section capable of storing ink discharged from the recording head,
a rear end of the ink storage portion is located in front of a front end of the carriage, and a lower end of the ink storage portion is located below the recording head;
a front end of the first waste liquid storage section is located between a rear end of the ink storage section and a rear end of the carriage, and a rear end of the first waste liquid storage section is located behind the front end of the carriage,
the left end of the first waste liquid storage section is located to the left of the right end of the ink storage section, and the right end of the first waste liquid storage section is located to the right of the left end of the ink storage section,
an upper end of the first waste liquid storage section is located above a lower end of the ink storage section, and a lower end of the first waste liquid storage section is located below an upper end of the ink storage section and the recording head;
The housing has an opening at a rear end thereof penetrating in a front-rear direction,
the first waste liquid storage section is detachable from the housing along a front-rear direction through the opening,
In the inkjet recording apparatus, a front end of the first waste liquid storage section is located forward of the carriage . A housing and
A carriage that moves left and right;
a recording head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject ink from nozzles;
an ink storage section having a plurality of ink storage chambers arranged side by side in the left-right direction, the ink storage section being connected to the recording head so as to be able to supply ink;
a first waste liquid storage section capable of storing ink discharged from the recording head;
a guide rail extending along the left-right direction and guiding the carriage so as to be movable in the left-right direction;
a rear end of the ink storage portion is located in front of a front end of the carriage, and a lower end of the ink storage portion is located below the recording head;
a front end of the first waste liquid storage section is located between a rear end of the ink storage section and a rear end of the carriage, and a rear end of the first waste liquid storage section is located behind the front end of the carriage,
the left end of the first waste liquid storage section is located to the left of the right end of the ink storage section, and the right end of the first waste liquid storage section is located to the right of the left end of the ink storage section,
an upper end of the first waste liquid storage section is located above a lower end of the ink storage section, and a lower end of the first waste liquid storage section is located below an upper end of the ink storage section and the recording head;
The housing has an opening at a rear end thereof penetrating in a front-rear direction,
the first waste liquid storage section is detachable from the housing along a front-rear direction through the opening,
The first waste liquid storage section is located outward of the guide rail in the left-right direction of the ink jet recording apparatus. A housing and
A carriage that moves left and right;
a recording head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject ink from nozzles;
an ink storage section having a plurality of ink storage chambers arranged side by side in the left-right direction, the ink storage section being connected to the recording head so as to be able to supply ink;
a first waste liquid storage section capable of storing ink discharged from the recording head;
a second waste liquid storage section connected to the recording head and the first waste liquid storage section so that ink can flow therethrough ;
a rear end of the ink storage portion is located in front of a front end of the carriage, and a lower end of the ink storage portion is located below the recording head;
a front end of the first waste liquid storage section is located between a rear end of the ink storage section and a rear end of the carriage, and a rear end of the first waste liquid storage section is located behind the front end of the carriage,
the left end of the first waste liquid storage section is located to the left of the right end of the ink storage section, and the right end of the first waste liquid storage section is located to the right of the left end of the ink storage section,
an upper end of the first waste liquid storage section is located above a lower end of the ink storage section, and a lower end of the first waste liquid storage section is located below an upper end of the ink storage section and the recording head;
The housing has an opening at a rear end thereof penetrating in a front-rear direction,
the first waste liquid storage section is detachable from the housing along a front-rear direction through the opening,
The second waste liquid storage section is located at a position overlapping a moving range of the carriage in the left-right direction, and is located between the ink storage section and the carriage in the front-rear direction. The first waste liquid storage section has a first holder that holds ink,
The second waste liquid storage section has a second holder that holds ink,
4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first holder and the second holder are in contact with each other. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first holder and the second holder are in contact with each other in the vertical direction with the first holder positioned below and the second holder positioned above. 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the second waste liquid storage section is fixed to the housing. A housing and
A carriage that moves left and right;
a recording head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject ink from nozzles;
an ink storage section having a plurality of ink storage chambers arranged side by side in the left-right direction, the ink storage section being connected to the recording head so as to be able to supply ink;
a first waste liquid storage section capable of storing ink discharged from the recording head;
a wiper capable of contacting the recording head,
a rear end of the ink storage portion is located in front of a front end of the carriage, and a lower end of the ink storage portion is located below the recording head;
a front end of the first waste liquid storage section is located between a rear end of the ink storage section and a rear end of the carriage, and a rear end of the first waste liquid storage section is located behind the front end of the carriage,
the left end of the first waste liquid storage section is located to the left of the right end of the ink storage section, and the right end of the first waste liquid storage section is located to the right of the left end of the ink storage section,
an upper end of the first waste liquid storage section is located above a lower end of the ink storage section, and a lower end of the first waste liquid storage section is located below an upper end of the ink storage section and the recording head;
The housing has an opening at a rear end thereof penetrating in a front-rear direction,
the first waste liquid storage section is detachable from the housing along a front-rear direction through the opening,
The first waste liquid storage section is located upstream of the wiper in a direction in which the recording head moves in contact with the wiper. The first waste liquid storage section has a holder that holds ink and a storage housing in which the holder is housed,
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the storage housing has an opening disposed on a side where the wiper is located. The recording head further includes a feed tray for supporting a sheet, the feed tray being located below the recording head.
9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the first waste liquid storage section is located below an upper end of the feed tray, and an upper end of the first waste liquid storage section is located above an upper end of the feed tray. 10. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has a guide portion that guides the first waste liquid storage portion so that the first waste liquid storage portion is movable in the front-rear direction. 11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink storage section is an ink tank having a hollow interior so that the ink can be refilled.

Images