Liquid discharge device, waste liquid recovery unit and waste liquid recovery method

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge device in which an absorption member can be easily replaced, and further, in which surrounding parts and so on can be prevented from becoming dirty with a waste liquid leaked from a part separated from the absorption member at the time of replacement, a waste liquid recovery unit and a waste liquid recovery method.SOLUTION: A recording device 11 comprises a first absorption member (expansion absorption member 90 and so on) that absorbs a liquid, which is discarded from a discharge head to an outside of an end of a medium supported by a supporter, as a waste liquid. The recording device 11 has: a second absorption member (waste liquid absorption member 50A) that absorbs the waste liquid sent from a cap; a storage part (waste liquid box 50B) that holds the second absorption member; and a delivery part 141 that performs liquid delivery between the first absorption member and the second absorption member. In the state that the storage part is inserted into a device body 12, the delivery part 141 is inclined downward from the first absorption member toward the second absorption member, and inclination of the delivery part 141, when the storage is removed from the device body 12, differs from the inserted state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 29

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device including a transport section that transports a medium, a support section that supports the medium, and an ejection head that records on the medium supported by the support section, a waste liquid recovery unit, and a waste liquid recovery method. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid ejection device equipped with an ejection head that ejects liquid such as ink onto a medium. This type of liquid ejection device is provided with a maintenance device that forcibly discharges liquid such as ink from the nozzles of the ejection head. The liquid ejection device is provided with a waste liquid absorber that collects waste liquid such as ink discharged from the ejection head by the maintenance device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-119136 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the liquid ejection device described in Patent Document 1, although a means for replacing the waste liquid absorber is shown, when the tube is separated from the device body (bottom frame) when replacing the waste liquid absorber, waste liquid may leak from the tip of the tube. That is, when replacing an absorbing member such as the waste liquid absorber, there is a problem that waste liquid leaking from the separated part may contaminate surrounding parts, etc. Even if the tube is configured to be fixed to the device body, when the waste liquid absorber is removed from the device body, there is a possibility that waste liquid may leak from the transfer flow path (not limited to the tube) on the device body side that has been transferring waste liquid to the waste liquid absorber until then. In this case, there is also a similar problem that the leaked waste liquid may contaminate surrounding parts, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A liquid ejection device that solves the above problem comprises an ejection head that ejects liquid onto a recording material, a support section that is arranged opposite the ejection head and supports the recording material from below, a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid that is discarded from the ejection head to the outside of the end of the recording material supported by the support section as waste liquid, a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, and a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member, wherein when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbing member toward the second absorbing member, and the inclination of the transfer section when the storage section is removed from the device main body is different from the inserted state.

[0006] The waste liquid recovery unit that solves the above problem is a waste liquid recovery unit that is detachably inserted into a main body of a liquid ejection device that includes a support section that supports a recording material, an ejection head that ejects liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of the end of the recording material supported by the support section, and a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, and the waste liquid recovery unit includes a second absorbing member that absorbs the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section, a storage section that holds the second absorbing member, and a transfer section for transferring liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member, and when the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected so as to be able to absorb waste liquid from the waste liquid receiving section, and the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, and when the storage section is removed from the device body, the second absorbent member is released from the connection capable of absorbing waste liquid from the waste liquid receiving section, and the inclination of the transfer section is different from the state when the storage section is inserted into the device body.

[0007] The waste liquid recovery method for solving the above problem is a waste liquid recovery method for recovering the waste liquid in a liquid ejection device including a support section for supporting a recording material, an ejection head for ejecting liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member for absorbing liquid discharged from the ejection head onto the outside of an end of the recording material supported by the support section, a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from a waste liquid receiving section for receiving the liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, a storage section for holding the second absorbing member, and a transfer section for transferring liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member. The storage section is provided detachably with respect to the device body, and when the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to a waste liquid flow path so as to absorb waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section, and the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, and when the storage section is removed from the device body, the second absorbent member is disconnected from the waste liquid flow path of the waste liquid receiving section, and the transfer section is changed to an inclination different from the downward inclination when the storage section is inserted into the device body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the recording device in which the feed tray is set. [Figure 4] 4 is a rear perspective view showing the recording apparatus in a state where the waste liquid box cover is further opened from the state shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the recording apparatus with the waste liquid recovery unit removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the recording apparatus with the housing removed. [Figure 7] 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing the recording device taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing the recording device taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 6. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a recording device with an upper part including a recording system removed. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a rear cross-sectional view showing the waste liquid recovery unit and the delivery mechanism. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the blocking mechanism that does not block the transfer of waste liquid by the transfer mechanism. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the blocking mechanism blocking the transfer of waste liquid by the transfer mechanism. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a part of the recording apparatus with a waste liquid recovery system visible. [Figure 16] 16 is a front cross-sectional view showing a part of the throw-away absorbing member taken along line 16-16 in FIG. 6. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a portion of the maintenance device and the waste liquid recovery unit. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a connection portion between the waste liquid recovery unit and the apparatus main body side, to which the waste liquid recovery unit is detachably attached. [Figure 19] 19 is a side cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a connection portion between the waste liquid recovery unit and the connection portion, taken along the line 19-19 in FIG. 17. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view showing a mechanism for biasing the waste liquid recovery unit in a pushing direction. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a part of a printing apparatus in a second embodiment, in which a waste liquid recovery system is visible. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the recording device with the upper part including the recording system removed. [Diagram 23] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording device from the rear with the upper part including the recording system removed. [Figure 24] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the delivery section in a connected state. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the delivery section in a non-connected state. [Figure 26] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a second delivery mechanism and a waste liquid recovery unit. [Figure 27] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a second delivery mechanism and a waste liquid recovery unit. [Figure 28] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a second delivery mechanism and a waste liquid recovery unit. [Figure 29] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a second delivery mechanism and a waste liquid recovery unit. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing a delivery section and a liquid waste recovery unit in a third embodiment. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing a delivery section and a liquid waste recovery unit in a fourth embodiment. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a recording apparatus in a state in which a waste liquid recovery unit is removed in a fifth embodiment. [Diagram 33] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a recording apparatus according to a sixth embodiment. [Diagram 34] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the recording apparatus with the waste liquid box removed. [Diagram 35] FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view showing a recording apparatus with a waste liquid recovery unit removed according to a seventh embodiment. [Diagram 36] FIG. 23 is a partial perspective view showing a drainage unit having a fan according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a waste liquid unit including an expansion absorption member according to a ninth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a recording device 11, which is an example of a liquid ejection device, will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, the recording device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, and three mutually orthogonal virtual axes are designated as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The X-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the scanning direction of the ejection head 25 described later, and the Y-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the transport direction of the medium during recording. The Z-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the vertical direction Z. Both directions parallel to the X-axis indicate the direction in which the recording unit 23 including the ejection head 25 is scanned back and forth. Therefore, the direction in which the recording unit 23 is scanned is also called the "scanning direction X". Also, one direction parallel to the Y-axis indicates the transport direction of the medium M at the recording position where the ejection head 25 records on the medium M. Therefore, the transport direction of the medium M at the recording position is also called the "transport direction Y". In addition, in the Y-axis, the surface side of the recording device 11 on which the display unit 14 described later is arranged is called the front, and the opposite side to the front is called the rear. Furthermore, the transport path along which the medium M is transported is not necessarily parallel to the Y axis throughout its entirety, and the transport direction changes depending on the position of the medium M on the transport path.

[0010] <Recording device configuration> The recording device 11 shown in FIG. 1 is a serial recording type inkjet printer. As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 11 includes a device body 12 and a cover 13 provided on the upper part of the device body 12 in an openable and closable manner. The device body 12 includes a housing 12A that houses various mechanisms related to recording. The recording device 11 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The recording device 11 in this example is a multifunction device that includes an image reading device 30 (scanner) on the upper part of the device body 12. The cover 13 is opened and closed when a document is set on the image reading device 30. When the cover 13 is opened, a document table 31 (see FIG. 7) having a glass plate on which a document is set on the image reading device 30 is exposed.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 11 has a display unit 14 on the front side. The display unit 14 is, for example, a touch panel, and constitutes a part of an interface function operated by a user to give instructions to the recording device 11. The display unit 14 is, for example, a touch panel, and has an operation function operated when giving various instructions to the recording device 11, and a display function for displaying various menus and the operating status of the recording device 11. The display unit 14 is attached to the device body 12 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the width direction X (left-right direction). In addition, a power button 15 is provided on the front side of the device body 12. The recording device 11 may have a display unit 14 without a touch panel function and a switch-type operation unit.

[0012] Furthermore, one or more (six in this embodiment) liquid supply sources 17 are provided on the front right side of the device body 12. The liquid supply sources 17 are formed, for example, of ink tanks or ink cartridges. Each liquid supply source 17 has one or more (six in this embodiment) corresponding transparent window portions 18. The window portions 18 are made of transparent or translucent resin, and the user can visually check the liquid level of the liquid contained in the liquid supply source 17 from outside through the window portions 18. In other words, the window portions 18 form a liquid remaining amount display portion that displays the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid supply source 17.

[0013] Further, a cassette cover 19 is provided on the front of the recording device 11 in an openable and closable manner. The cassette cover 19 is opened and closed by rotating around its lower end. A cassette 20 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) is removably inserted into the device body 12 inside the cassette cover 19, which is in the closed position shown in FIG. 1. The cassette 20 contains a plurality of sheets of media M. A first feeding section 41 (see FIG. 8) that feeds the medium M from the cassette 20 is provided within the device body 12. The medium M corresponds to an example of a recording material.

[0014] 1 and 2, a feed cover 21 is provided on the rear of the upper surface of the recording device 11 in an openable and closable manner. The feed cover 21 is opened and closed by rotating about its rear end. A feed tray 22 stored in a storage position is disposed on the rear of the device body 12. The feed tray 22 is disposed in a usage position in which it takes a backward inclined posture as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 by being pulled upward from the storage position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 12 houses a recording unit 23 for recording on a medium M fed from a cassette 20 or a feed tray 22 (see FIG. 3). The recording unit 23 is, for example, a serial recording type. The serial recording type recording unit 23 includes a carriage 24 that can reciprocate in a scanning direction X, and an ejection head 25 held under the carriage 24. That is, the recording apparatus 11 includes the ejection head 25 that ejects liquid onto the medium M. The surface of the ejection head 25 that faces the medium M transported along the transport path is a nozzle surface (see FIG. 6) on which a plurality of nozzles (not shown) are opened. The liquid supply source 17 and the recording unit 23 are connected via a liquid supply tube (not shown), and liquid is supplied from the liquid supply source 17 to the ejection head 25 via the liquid supply tube.

[0016] 1, the recording device 11 includes a support section 26 that is disposed opposite the ejection head 25 and supports the medium M from below. The support section 26 is an elongated member that extends in the width direction X over an area that faces the movement path of the ejection head 25. The support section 26 supports the medium M transported by a transport section 40 (see FIG. 6). During the process of moving in the scanning direction X, the ejection head 25 records on the medium M by ejecting liquid such as ink onto a portion of the medium M that is supported by the support section 26.

[0017] The ejection head 25 ejects liquid such as ink from multiple nozzles toward the medium M while moving in the scanning direction X together with the carriage 24. A recording operation in which the ejection head 25 performs one pass of recording while the carriage 24 moves once, and a transport operation in which the medium M is transported to the next recording position are alternately repeated, thereby recording characters or images on the medium M. The recording unit 23 may be of a line recording type. The recording unit 23 of the line recording type includes an ejection head 25 made of a line head having multiple nozzles capable of ejecting liquid simultaneously over the entire width of the maximum width of the medium. Liquid is ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 25 made of a line head onto the medium M transported at a constant speed, with the entire width of the medium M as the ejection target, thereby realizing high-speed recording of images, etc.

[0018] The recording device 11 has a borderless recording function that records on the entire surface without leaving any margins at the edges of the medium M. In the borderless recording mode, the ejection head 25 moves in the scanning direction X, and ejects extra liquid even in areas that deviate from the side edges of the medium M to the outside. As a result, no margins are formed on the side edges of the medium M, even if the medium M is misaligned within the allowable range in the width direction X due to skew or the like.

[0019] The support section 26 is provided with a waste absorbing member 70 as an example of a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid that is discarded from the nozzles by the ejection head 25 to the outside of the side edge of the medium M in the borderless recording mode. The waste absorbing member 70 is provided in a state that covers the portions of the surface of the support section 26 that correspond to the side edges of at least a plurality of types of media M of specified sizes that can be transported.

[0020] 1 also includes a control unit 100 that performs various controls. The control unit 100 controls the carriage 24 and the ejection head 25, transport control of the medium M, display control of the display unit 14, and voltage control of a power supply unit 75 (see FIG. 6) described later.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, a support guide member 27 is disposed on the rear surface of the recording device 11 below the feed tray 22 in the storage position in a state in which it can slide vertically. The support guide member 27 is disposed in the center of the rear surface of the recording device 11. A waste liquid box cover 28 is rotatably provided at a position immediately to the left of the lower part of the support guide member 27. The waste liquid box cover 28 can be opened and closed by rotating left and right about its left end. A power cable 33A for supplying power and a communication cable 33B for communicating with a communication device such as a host computer (not shown) are electrically connected to one end of the rear surface of the recording device 11 in the width direction X.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the support guide member 27 is disposed in a vertical position constituting a part of the rear part of the device main body 12, and both sides of the upper end in the width direction are engaged with both sides of the main support member 22A in the width direction. With the feed cover 21 open, the support guide member 27 is provided so as to be slidable in the vertical direction Z. With the feed cover 21 open, the feed tray 22 and the support guide member 27 are configured so as to be able to be pulled upward by the user. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a state in which the support guide member 27 slides upward and the feed tray 22 is pulled out in a state in which it is tilted backward. When the feed tray 22 is pulled out upward, the support guide member 27 slides upward and the feed tray 22 is placed in an oblique position in which it is tilted backward at a predetermined angle. In this way, the feed tray 22 is deployed in an oblique position in which the medium M can be placed when the medium M is fed from the rear side.

[0023] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the feed tray 22 is configured as a multi-stage sliding type. The feed tray 22 is configured by slidably connecting a main support member 22A and a sub-support member 22B. In Figs. 3 and 4, the sub-support member 22B is slid upward relative to the main support member 22A, and the feed tray 22 is in a state of use in which it is extended long in a backward tilted position. The sub-support member 22B is extended upward relative to the main support member 22A for use. The user sets one or more media M on the feed tray 22 in the backward tilted position. The second feed section 42 (see Fig. 6) feeds the media M set on the feed tray 22 into the device body 12 one by one from the lower side.

[0024] Furthermore, by pulling the support guide member 27 upward, a part of the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is exposed at the lower part of the rear surface of the apparatus main body 12. In other words, when the support guide member 27 is slid upward, an opening 12C appears at the lower part of the apparatus main body 12, and the rear frame part 12B and the rear surface of the waste liquid recovery unit 50, which were previously covered by the support guide member 27, are exposed. However, one end part of the rear surface of the waste liquid recovery unit 50 in the width direction X is covered by the waste liquid box cover 28 which is in the closed position.

[0025] 4 shows the waste liquid box cover 28 in an open state where it has been rotated to the open position. The waste liquid box cover 28 can be rotated by releasing the screws 28A that secure it to the device body 12. When the waste liquid box cover 28 is rotated to the open position, the waste liquid recovery unit 50 can be removed. When the user removes the waste liquid recovery unit 50 for replacement, maintenance, or the like, the waste liquid recovery unit is in the removable state shown in FIG. 4, with its rear surface completely exposed.

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a state in which the waste liquid recovery unit 50 has been removed. The waste liquid recovery unit 50 in the state shown in FIG. 4 is slid toward the upstream of the conveying direction Y and pulled out, whereby the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is removed from the device body 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the waste liquid recovery unit 50 has a waste liquid absorbing member 50A as an example of a second absorbing member, and a waste liquid box 50B as an example of a storage section for holding the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. The waste liquid recovery unit 50 is detachable from the device body 12. Therefore, even if the user is not a serviceman, the waste liquid recovery unit 50 can be replaced by the user himself. The waste liquid box 50B is configured as a long box type with an open upper portion when inserted into the device body 12. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A stored in the waste liquid box 50B is in a state in which the upper portion is exposed.

[0027] 5, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A includes a first waste liquid collecting section 51 that is disposed near one end of the width direction X and extends in the conveying direction Y, and a second waste liquid collecting section 52 that is connected to an upstream end of the first waste liquid collecting section 51 in the conveying direction Y and extends in the width direction X. The first waste liquid collecting section 51 and the second waste liquid collecting section 52 are connected at their respective ends so as to be perpendicular to each other, and are L-shaped in plan view. When the L-shaped waste liquid collecting unit 50 is inserted into the device main body 12, the first waste liquid collecting section 51 is located below the maintenance device 60 (see FIG. 7), and the second waste liquid collecting section 52 is located below the second feeding section 42.

[0028] The first waste liquid recovery section 51 includes a first waste liquid box section 53 in the form of a long box with an open top, and a first waste liquid absorbing member 54 in the form of a long rectangular plate housed in the first waste liquid box section 53. The second waste liquid recovery section 52 includes a second waste liquid box section 55 in the form of a long box with an open top, and a second waste liquid absorbing member 56 in the form of a long rectangular plate housed in the second waste liquid box section 55.

[0029] In other words, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A includes a first waste liquid absorbing member 54 in the form of a long rectangular plate extending in the conveying direction Y, and a long second waste liquid absorbing member 56 connected to the upstream end of the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 in the conveying direction Y and extending in the width direction X. The waste liquid box 50B includes a first waste liquid box section 53 that houses the first waste liquid absorbing member 54, and a second waste liquid box section 55 that houses the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. The first waste liquid box section 53 and the second waste liquid box section 55 are connected at a connection section 50C in a state in which the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 are in contact with each other so that waste liquid can move between them. A mark 50D is provided on one end of the back of the waste liquid box 50B to indicate that the waste liquid box 50B is removable to the user.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 6, the recording unit 23 includes a first feed unit 41 (see Fig. 8) for transporting the medium M, and a second feed unit 42. The first feed unit 41 feeds the media M contained in the cassette 20 one by one in order from the top. An opening 12D capable of housing the cassette 20 is formed in the front of the device main body 12. The user can attach and detach the cassette 20 by sliding it from the opening 12D along the wall surface.

[0031] The second feeding unit 42 includes a pair of guide parts 22C that are operated by a user to position the medium M set in the feeding tray 22 in the width direction X, and a moving mechanism 22D that enables the pair of guide parts 22C to move in the width direction X in cooperation with each other. The second feeding unit 42 includes a feeding roller 45. The medium M set in the feeding tray 22 is fed to a recording area of ​​the recording unit 23 by rotation of the feeding roller 45.

[0032] The recording device 11 also includes a pair of transport rollers 48 that transports the medium M fed from the first feed section 41 or the second feed section 42 in the transport direction Y. The support section 26 is disposed downstream of the pair of transport rollers 48 in the transport direction Y. The discharge roller pair 49 is disposed on the opposite side of the pair of transport rollers 48 across the support section 26 in the transport direction Y. The discharge roller pair 49 nips and transports a portion of the medium M on which recording by the recording section 23 has been completed, for example, downstream of the pair of transport rollers 48 in the transport direction Y. The medium M transported from the pair of discharge rollers 49 in the transport direction Y is discharged onto the stacker 46. As shown in FIG. 8, the stacker 46 is disposed overlapping the waste absorbing member 70 in the stored state, and although not shown, when discharging the medium M, it moves in the Y direction by manual operation by the user or automatic operation by a power source not shown to enter an extended state. By arranging in this manner, it is possible to keep the size of the recording device 11 in the depth direction small when the stacker 46 is stored.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, the recording unit 23 moves back and forth in the width direction X between a home position HP located at the right end of the device body 12 in FIG. 6 and an anti-home position AH located at the left end of the device body 12.

[0034] The liquid supply source 17 shown in FIG. 6 is provided with an openable and closable cap cover 38 on its upper portion. The liquid supply source 17 in this example is a tank that contains liquid. When the user sees through the window portion 18 (see FIG. 1) that the liquid supply source 17 is low on liquid, the user opens the cap cover 38 to expose the inlet 17A (see FIG. 7) of the liquid supply source 17. The user then injects liquid from a liquid bottle into the inlet 17A of the liquid supply source 17. Note that the liquid supply source 17 is not limited to a liquid refill tank in which the user refills the liquid from a liquid bottle, but may also be a liquid pack (e.g., an ink pack) or a liquid cartridge (e.g., an ink cartridge) in which liquid is contained. Furthermore, the liquid supply source 17 is not limited to an off-carriage type provided in the device main body 12, but may also be an on-carriage type mounted on the carriage 24.

[0035] Liquid is supplied to the recording unit from a liquid supply source 17 through a liquid supply tube 39 (see FIG. 8). The recording unit records on the medium M that is transported by a transport unit 40 and supported by a support unit .

[0036] In FIG. 6, the recording unit 23 performs recording on the medium M by alternately performing a recording operation in which the ejection head 25 ejects liquid toward the medium M supported by the support unit 26 to perform one scan while moving back and forth in the scanning direction X, and a transport operation in which the medium M is transported to the next recording position by a pair of rollers 48, 49.

[0037] The recording device 11 has a borderless recording mode that allows borderless recording on the entire surface of the medium M. When the user selects the borderless recording mode when setting the recording conditions, the recording unit 23 discharges liquid from the discharge head 25 to a recording area that extends beyond the side ends of the medium M in the width direction X. That is, in the recording device 11 shown in FIG. 6, liquid is also discharged from the discharge head 25 to the outside from the side ends of the medium M in the width direction X supported by the support unit 26. This makes it possible to prevent a margin from being generated at the end of the medium M in the width direction X even if the conveying position of the medium M in the width direction X varies within the allowable range due to skew or the like. The amount of liquid discharged beyond the side ends of the medium M is set to a predetermined length within the range of, for example, 1 to 5 mm.

[0038] 6, the recording device 11 has a throw-away absorbing member 70 as an example of a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discarded from the ejection head 25 to the outside of the medium M supported by the support portion 26. The support portion 26 has a plurality of ribs 26A that support the medium M and protrude upward at intervals in the width direction X. The surface of the support portion 26 other than the ribs 26A is partially covered by the throw-away absorbing member 70. The throw-away absorbing member 70 absorbs the liquid discarded to the outside of the medium M as waste liquid.

[0039] A maintenance device 60 is disposed below the recording unit 23 when the recording unit 23 is at the home position HP. The maintenance device 60 performs maintenance on the ejection head 25 of the recording unit 23. The maintenance device 60 includes a cap 61 that caps the ejection head 25 when the carriage 24 is at the home position HP, and a wiper 62 that wipes the nozzle surface of the ejection head 25. Capping the ejection head 25 with the cap 61 suppresses thickening and drying of liquid such as ink in the nozzles of the ejection head 25. If the liquid in the nozzles thickens, if there are air bubbles in the liquid in the nozzles, or if the nozzles are blocked by foreign matter such as paper powder, ejection failure occurs in which the nozzles become clogged and the liquid cannot be ejected normally from the nozzles.

[0040] The maintenance device 60 cleans the nozzles of the ejection head 25 to eliminate or prevent this type of ejection failure. During cleaning, the maintenance device 60 forcibly discharges liquid from the ejection head 25 into the cap 61. The maintenance device 60 includes a suction pump 63 that communicates with the cap 61. The maintenance device 60 drives the suction pump 63 in a capping state in which the cap 61 contacts the nozzle surface of the ejection head 25 while surrounding the nozzles. When the suction pump 63 is driven, the liquid is forcibly discharged from the nozzles by negative pressure introduced into the closed space between the nozzle surface of the ejection head 25 and the cap 61. By forcibly discharging the liquid such as ink containing foreign matter such as thickened liquid, air bubbles, and paper powder from the nozzles, ejection failure of the nozzles is prevented or eliminated. During cleaning, the cap 61 is held in a capping state in which it contacts the nozzle surface of the ejection head 25 by the biasing force of a spring 61A (see FIG. 11).

[0041] Furthermore, the recording unit 23 moves to a home position HP periodically or irregularly during recording, and performs idling (also called "flushing") in which droplets are discharged from all nozzles toward the cap 61, thereby preventing discharge defects during recording. The liquid (waste liquid) discharged from the nozzles into the cap 61 by cleaning and idling is sent from the cap 61 through a waste liquid tube 64 to the waste liquid recovery unit 50 by driving the suction pump 63. In detail, the waste liquid sent from the cap 61 through the waste liquid tube 64 by driving the suction pump 63 is discharged to a first waste liquid recovery unit 51 located below the maintenance device 60 in the waste liquid recovery unit 50.

[0042] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below the maintenance device 60 and the liquid supply source 17. The maintenance device 60 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A have portions where they are at the same position in the front-rear and left-right directions, and overlap in the vertical direction Z at those portions. In other words, the maintenance device 60 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A partially overlap in the vertical direction Z. In this manner, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below the maintenance device 60. This allows the waste liquid absorbing member 50A to absorb liquid such as ink that is splashed by the maintenance device 60.

[0043] 6, there is at least a portion where the waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the liquid supply source 17 are at the same position in the front-rear and left-right directions, and at least a portion of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the liquid supply source 17 overlap in the vertical direction Z. In other words, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the liquid supply source 17 at least partially overlap in the vertical direction Z. In this manner, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below the liquid supply source 17. As a result, even if a user accidentally spills liquid such as ink when refilling the liquid supply source 17 with liquid from the inlet 17A, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A located below can absorb the liquid.

[0044] Furthermore, since the upper part of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A contained in the waste liquid box 50B is open, the ink or other liquid from the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is dried promptly, and the amount of waste liquid that can be absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is increased.

[0045] When liquid is discarded from the ejection head 25 during borderless recording or the like and absorbed in the waste liquid absorbing member 70, once a certain amount of waste liquid accumulates, it flows from the waste liquid absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid box 50B by capillary action and gravity. The waste liquid absorbing member 70 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are connected in a state that allows the transfer of waste liquid. The mechanism for transferring this waste liquid will be described in detail later.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6, a power supply unit 75 that converts a predetermined voltage supplied from the power cable 33A into a predetermined voltage that can be used by the recording device 11 is disposed at one end of the rear end of the recording device 11 in the width direction X. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the power supply unit 75 are disposed opposite each other with the waste absorbing member 70 in between. In other words, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the power supply unit 75 are disposed at both sides of the waste absorbing member 70 in the width direction X. The first waste liquid absorbing member 54 and the power supply unit 75 that constitute the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are disposed separately in the storage space (storage space) on both sides of the transport area FA, which is the area where the medium M is transported. The support part 26 is disposed in the transport area FA in the plan view of FIG. 6. The power supply unit 75 and the replaceable waste liquid recovery unit 50 are components that occupy a large amount of storage space in the device main body 12, so disposing them separately in the storage space on both sides across the transport area FA can optimize the component layout of the entire recording device 11.

[0047] 7 includes an image reading device 30 (scanner) on the top of the device body 12. The image reading device 30 includes a document table 31 having a glass plate on which a document is set, and a reading mechanism 32 having a movable image sensor (not shown) that reads the document set on the document table 31.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 7, a main frame 35 is provided in the device body 12 to extend in the width direction X. The main frame 35 has a guide rail 35A for guiding the carriage 24. The carriage 24 reciprocates in the scanning direction X by being guided by the guide rail 35A. A moving mechanism 34 for moving the carriage 24 in the scanning direction X is provided between the main frame 35 and the carriage 24. The moving mechanism 34 is, for example, of a belt drive type, and includes a carriage motor 36 which is a drive source for the carriage 24, and an endless timing belt 34A stretched along the scanning direction X. The carriage 24 is fixed to a part of the timing belt 34A. The carriage motor 36 is driven forward and backward, so that the carriage 24 reciprocates in the scanning direction X via the timing belt 34A.

[0049] The main frame 35 is also provided with a linear encoder 37 for detecting the position of the recording unit 23 in the scanning direction X. The linear encoder 37 includes a linear scale extending along the scanning direction X, and a sensor (not shown) attached to the carriage 24. The sensor detects light that has passed through light-transmitting sections formed at a constant pitch on the linear scale, and outputs a pulse signal including a number of pulses proportional to the amount of movement of the carriage 24. The control unit 100 (see FIG. 1) includes a counter (not shown) that counts the number of pulse edges of the pulse signal input from the linear encoder 37, and obtains the position of the carriage 24 in the scanning direction X, i.e., the carriage position, from the count value of the counter.

[0050] 8, the recording device 11 includes a cassette 20 that accommodates a medium M below the ejection head 25, and a first feeding section 41 that feeds the medium M accommodated in the cassette 20 one sheet at a time toward the recording position of the ejection head 25. A waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below the first feeding section 41 so as to partially overlap the first feeding section 41. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 8, a second waste liquid absorbing member 56 of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below the first feeding section 41 so as to overlap the first feeding section 41.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 8, the first feeding section 41 is disposed above the medium M housed in the cassette 20. The first feeding section 41 includes a pickup roller 44 as a feeding roller for feeding the medium M. The first feeding section 41 includes a drive shaft 44A rotated by power from a feeding motor (not shown), a pickup roller 44, and a power transmission mechanism including a train (gear train) of multiple gears 44B interposed between the drive shaft 44A and the pickup roller 44. A separation plate 12E is disposed at a position slightly upstream of the leading end of the upstream side of the conveying direction Y of the cassette 20. The separation plate 12E separates the top medium M from the following medium M by abutting against the leading end of the medium M sent out from the cassette 20 by the pickup roller 44. That is, the separation plate 12E separates the medium M into one sheet to prevent double feeding. The separation plate 12E constitutes a part of the first feeding section 41. After being separated into a single sheet, the medium M has its conveying direction changed by the reversing roller 47 and is conveyed toward the recording position of the ejection head 25. As shown in Fig. 8, the separation plate 12E constituting the first feeding section 41 partially overlaps with the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 of the waste liquid box 50B in the vertical direction Z. In this manner, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A overlaps below the first feeding section 41.

[0052] By positioning the replaceable waste liquid recovery unit 50 in an overlapping state below the separation plate 12E of the first feeding section 41, it is possible to reduce the depth size of the recording device 11 compared to a configuration in which the waste liquid absorption member 50A is positioned in a different location, assuming that the capacity of the absorption member is the same.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 8, the recording device 11 has a second feeding section 42 including a feeding tray 22 as an example of a placement section on which the medium M is placed, a feeding roller 45 that feeds the medium M placed on the feeding tray 22 toward the recording position of the discharge head 25, and a hopper 22E that presses the medium M set on the feeding tray 22 against the feeding roller 45. The medium M pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the feeding roller 45 by the hopper 22E is fed toward the recording position of the discharge head 25 one sheet at a time while being nipped between the rotating feeding roller 45 and the retard roller 45A. At this time, the medium M does not pass through the reversing roller 47. A liquid supply tube 39 that supplies liquid from the liquid supply source 17 to the recording section 23 is disposed at a position diagonally above the discharge roller pair 49. The liquid supply tubes 39 are arranged in the width direction X in a state where a plurality of tubes are bundled together to form a tube bundle 39B, and are connected to the carriage 24 in a state allowing the carriage 24 to move in the scanning direction X.

[0054] The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is arranged so as to overlap below the second feeding section 42. More specifically, the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is arranged so as to overlap below the upper end of the hopper 22E of the second feeding section 42. This reduces the size of the recording device 11 in the depth direction. In addition, in the storage state of the feed tray 22 shown in FIG. 8, the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 may be arranged so as to overlap below the upper end of the moving mechanism 22D including the pair of guide parts 22C (see FIG. 6) constituting the feed tray 22. This configuration also reduces the size of the recording device 11 in the depth direction.

[0055] The recording device 11 shown in FIG. 8 has a double-sided recording function capable of recording on both the first and second sides of the medium M. The recording device 11 has a reversing roller 47 as an example of a reversing unit that reverses the medium M, which has been switched back and conveyed upstream of the discharge head 25 in the conveying direction Y after the first side has been recorded by the discharge head 25, so that the second side of the medium M can face the discharge head 25. A plurality of driven rollers 47A are provided along the outer circumferential surface of the reversing roller 47. As described above, the reversing roller 47 is also used to curve and reverse the medium M along the conveying path when sending the medium M from the first feeding unit 41 to the recording unit 23. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is arranged below the reversing roller 47 in a state of partial overlap. More specifically, the second waste liquid absorbing member 56, which extends in the width direction X at the rear end of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A, is arranged below the reversing roller 47 in a state of partial overlap. By partially overlapping the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 and the reversing roller 47 in the vertical direction Z, it is possible to reduce the size of the recording device 11 in the depth direction.

[0056] 9 is a perspective view of the inside of the recording device 11 as seen from the rear. As shown in FIG. 9, the waste liquid tube 64 extending from the maintenance device 60 is disposed so as to extend along the outer side surface of the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 inserted into the device body 12, and a coupling part 66 fixed to the tip of the tube 64 is coupled to a coupled part 57 provided at the front end of the waste liquid box 50B. As a result, the liquid (waste liquid) received by the cap 61 is discharged to the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 through the waste liquid tube 64 by driving the suction pump 63. In this way, the waste liquid received by the cap 61 is absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing member 50A through the waste liquid tube 64.

[0057] 9, a memory element 58 (substrate) is fixed to the front end of the waste liquid box 50B. When the waste liquid box 50B is inserted into the device body 12, the memory element 58 is electrically connected to the device body 12. In addition, a scattering prevention wall 59 is formed near the coupled portion 57 at the front end of the waste liquid box 50B.

[0058] 9, the throwaway absorbing member 70, which receives liquid such as ink that is thrown away outside the side edges of the medium M during borderless recording, has one end on the home position HP side in the width direction X adjacent to the maintenance device 60 with a small gap therebetween. The throwaway absorbing member 70 is configured to be able to transfer waste liquid such as waste ink from the throwaway absorbing member 70 toward the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is positioned lower than the throwaway absorbing member 70 in the vertical direction Z. For this reason, the waste liquid can be transferred from the throwaway absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A by utilizing gravity.

[0059] In this embodiment, a delivery mechanism 80 is disposed between the throw-away absorbing member 70 and the maintenance device 60 as an example of a delivery section that delivers waste liquid, as shown in Fig. 10. The delivery mechanism 80 delivers waste liquid from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A by utilizing gravity and capillary action. Therefore, the delivery mechanism 80 can deliver waste liquid from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A without using a driving source such as a pump. Since the waste liquid on the throw-away absorbing member 70 side flows to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A side, replacement of the throw-away absorbing member 70 is not necessary.

[0060] 10 and 11 show the structure of a transfer mechanism 80 that transfers waste liquid from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. The transfer mechanism 80 includes a first connecting absorbing member 81 and a second connecting absorbing member 82 connected at one end of the first connecting absorbing member 81. The first connecting absorbing member 81 is connected to one end of the throw-away absorbing member 70 on the maintenance device 60 side. The other end of the first connecting absorbing member 81 opposite to the one end of the throw-away absorbing member 70 side is connected to the upper end of the second connecting absorbing member 82 arranged in a posture extending in the vertical direction Z. The first connecting absorbing member 81 is held in a posture close to horizontal by being held by a holding portion 81A. The holding portion 81A may be inclined downward toward the transfer mechanism 80 side, which makes it easier for the waste liquid to move to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A side. The second connecting absorbing member 82 is held in a posture close to vertical by being supported by the holding portion 82A.

[0061] The lower end of the second connecting absorbing member 82 faces the waste liquid guide portion 83 across a space. The waste liquid guide portion 83 has a slope 83A that receives the waste liquid dripping from the lower end of the second connecting absorbing member 82 and guides the received waste liquid to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. The slope 83A is a surface that slopes in a direction that decreases in height from a position facing the lower end of the second connecting absorbing member 82 toward the outside in the width direction X (the left side in FIG. 11). Thus, in this embodiment, the waste liquid from the discarding absorbing member 70 side is delivered to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A side by running down the slope 83A via the connecting absorbing members 81, 82. In addition, the lower end of the second connecting absorption member 82 faces the waste liquid guide portion 83 across a space, and further, the waste liquid guide portion 83 and the waste liquid absorption member 50A are arranged to overlap in the width direction X, so that even when the recording device 11 is positioned at an angle, movement of waste liquid from the waste liquid absorption member 50A to the throw-away absorption member 70 can be prevented, and leakage of waste liquid from the throw-away absorption member 70 can be suppressed.

[0062] 12, the recording device 11 includes a blocking mechanism 85 as an example of a blocking section that can temporarily block the transfer of liquid between the disposal absorption member 70 and the waste liquid absorption member 50A. Therefore, even if the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is removed from the device body 12 for replacement, the waste liquid transferred via the transfer mechanism 80 is prevented from leaking at the point separated from the transfer mechanism 80.

[0063] 12, the maintenance device 60 includes a drive mechanism 63A that receives power from a conveyance motor (not shown). The drive mechanism 63A includes a group of gears and a group of cams that drive the maintenance device 60. As each gear of the drive mechanism 63A rotates, components such as the suction pump 63, cap 61, wiper 62, carriage lock member 65, and a valve mechanism (not shown) are each driven.

[0064] The cutoff mechanism 85 shown in FIG. 12 is driven by the power of the maintenance device 60. The drive mechanism 63A has a drive shaft 63B that outputs power to the cutoff mechanism 85. The cutoff mechanism 85 includes an intermittent gear 86 fixed to the tip of the drive shaft 63B of the drive mechanism 63A, and a slide gear 87 that can intermittently mesh with the intermittent gear 86. In a normal state other than when the waste liquid box 50B is attached or detached, the slide gear 87 is disposed in a retreated position retreated to the rear as shown in FIG. 12, and the second connecting absorption member 82 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are in a state in which the waste liquid can be transferred. That is, in a normal state, the cutoff mechanism 85 is switched to a state in which the waste liquid can be transferred from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the transfer mechanism 80.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 13, the intermittent gear 86 has an intermittent portion 86A in a part of its circumference. When the intermittent gear 86 rotates in the counterclockwise direction CCW in FIG. 13 by the power from the drive shaft 63B, and the intermittent portion 86A of the intermittent gear 86 and the fitting portion 87A of the slide gear 87 are fitted, the slide gear 87 moves to the front blocking position shown in FIG. 14. The slide gear 87 in the blocking position temporarily blocks the transfer of waste liquid from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. As shown in FIG. 13, the slide gear 87 has a storage portion 87B, and a certain amount of waste liquid can be stored in the recess 87C of the storage portion 87B. When the slide gear 87 is in the blocking position, the storage portion 87B is located between the second connecting absorbing member 82 and the waste liquid guide portion 83, and the waste liquid dripping or flowing down from the lower end of the second connecting absorbing member 82 is stored in the storage portion 87B. The capacity of the storage section 87B is set to a value that will not overflow even if the waste liquid delivered from the disposal absorption member 70 is stored therein during the time estimated to be required for replacing the waste liquid box 50B. In addition, the waste liquid stored in the storage section 87B can be removed by an absorbent material (not shown) or the like while in a state in which it is ready for delivery, thereby making it possible to store the waste liquid again.

[0066] With this configuration, when replacing the waste liquid recovery unit 50, it is possible to prevent the waste liquid from dripping downward from the second connecting absorbing member 82 and contaminating the inside of the device body 12 with the waste liquid. In addition, since the shutoff operation of the shutoff mechanism 85 is performed using the power of the existing drive source that drives the maintenance device 60, the cost of parts can also be reduced.

[0067] It is desirable that the shutoff operation of the shutoff mechanism 85 be performed in conjunction with various operations of the maintenance device 60 when replacing the waste liquid recovery unit 50. In addition, instead of the slide gear type, the shutoff mechanism 85 may be a shutoff mechanism that uses a tube suction type in which the delivery mechanism 80 delivers waste liquid by the suction force of a tube, and that shuts off the delivery of waste liquid by choking the tube using a choke mechanism.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 15, the recording device 11 includes a main board 76 on which a control unit 100 for controlling the ejection head 25 is mounted as an electronic component. The main board 76 is disposed in the left storage space, as is the power supply unit 75, among the storage spaces on both sides of the transport area FA in the width direction X in the device body 12. Meanwhile, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is inserted into the bottom of the storage space on the right side. The throw-away absorbing member 70 is disposed below the transport area FA together with the support portion 26. Therefore, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the main board 76 are disposed opposite each other with the throw-away absorbing member 70 in between. In other words, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the main board 76 are disposed opposite each other in the width direction X with the transport area FA in between, in which the throw-away absorbing member 70 is disposed. In this way, the main board 76 is disposed at a relatively long distance from the waste liquid absorbing member 50A, which corresponds to the width dimension of the throw-away absorbing member 70, which is slightly longer than the width dimension of the transport area FA. Therefore, even if waste liquid leaks from the waste liquid recovery unit 50, the possibility of the waste liquid coming into contact with the main board 76 is extremely low. Note that the control unit 100 that controls the ejection head 25 may be provided in the carriage 24, and in this case, the electronic component may be something other than the control unit 100.

[0069] 15, the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed at the right end of the recording device 11, which is the side where the maintenance device 60 (see FIG. 6) is disposed, and a coupled part 57 that is coupled to a coupling part 66 that serves as a waste liquid discharge port from the maintenance device 60 is disposed on the front side of the recording device 11. The waste liquid recovery unit 50 is attached and detached from the rear side of the recording device 11.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 15, in the device main body 12, an expanding absorption member 90 is disposed behind the throwaway absorption member 70, which is upstream of the transport direction Y. In the example shown in FIG. 15, two expanding absorption members 90 are disposed, a first expanding absorption member 90A and a second expanding absorption member 90B. The first expanding absorption member 90A and the second expanding absorption member 90B are disposed in line in the width direction X behind the throwaway absorption member 70. The throwaway absorption member 70 and the two expanding absorption members 90 are connected via two connecting absorption members 91 in a state in which waste liquid can flow. That is, the throwaway absorption member 70 is connected to the first expanding absorption member 90A via one connecting absorption member 91, and is connected to the second expanding absorption member 90B via the other connecting absorption member 91. By providing the expanding absorption member 90, the capacity of waste liquid that the absorption member can absorb per recording device is increased.

[0071] 15, the recording device 11 includes a throw-away absorption member 70 and an expanding absorption member 90 connected to enable liquid delivery. The throw-away absorption member 70 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are disposed opposite each other with the expanding absorption member 90 in between, at a position different from the delivery mechanism 80. More specifically, the throw-away absorption member 70 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 constituting the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are disposed opposite each other with the expanding absorption member 90 in between, at a position different from the delivery mechanism 80. This increases the amount of waste liquid that can be absorbed by each recording device, and reduces the frequency with which the waste liquid recovery unit 50 needs to be replaced.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 16, the throw-away absorbing member 70 has a storage section 71, a lower layer absorbing member 72 stored in the storage section 71, and a surface layer absorbing member 73 that partially covers the area of ​​the support section 26 other than the multiple ribs 26A. The surface layer absorbing member 73 forms a surface layer of the throw-away absorbing member 70. The liquid that is thrown out from the nozzle of the ejection head 25 to the outside of the medium M lands on the surface layer absorbing member 73. Therefore, the liquid that is thrown out from the ejection head 25 is first absorbed by the surface layer absorbing member 73. The base section 26C of the support section 26 that supports the ribs 26A has gaps at multiple locations. The surface layer absorbing member 73 has multiple connecting portions 73A that extend obliquely downward. The multiple connecting portions 73A extend obliquely downward through gaps at multiple locations of the base section 26C.

[0073] The connecting portion 73A extending obliquely downward from the surface absorbent member 73 contacts the lower absorbent member 72 forming the lower layer of the disposable absorbent member 70. At least the lower absorbent member 72 of the disposable absorbent member 70 is supported on the bottom surface 71A of the storage section 71. The lower ends of the multiple connecting portions 73A are pressed against the upper surface of the lower absorbent member 72. Therefore, the liquid discarded from the discharge head 25 to the disposable absorbent member 70 is first absorbed by the surface absorbent member 73, and then permeates from the surface absorbent member 73 into the lower absorbent member 72 via the connecting portion 73A. This permeation of the liquid via the connecting portion 73A is performed by the action of capillary action and gravity.

[0074] The bottom surface 71A of the storage section 71 that supports the throwaway absorbing member 70 is inclined downward toward the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. The gradient of this inclination may be such that the liquid flows in the direction toward the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. Therefore, the waste liquid that moves from the surface absorbing member 73 to the lower absorbing member 72 and accumulates in the lower absorbing member 72 flows along the bottom surface 71A in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 16 along an inclined path that inclines downward toward the waste liquid absorbing member 50A side. That is, the waste liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the throwaway absorbing member 70 flows toward the transfer mechanism 80 along the inclination of the bottom surface 71A. Then, the waste liquid that flows along the bottom of the throwaway absorbing member 70 and reaches the transfer mechanism 80 flows to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the connecting absorbing members 81, 82 and the inclined surface 83A.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 16, the transport roller pair 48 includes a drive roller 48A and a plurality of driven rollers 48B. The driven roller 48B is biased by a coil spring 102 in a direction approaching the drive roller 48A. The recording device 11 includes a plurality of pressing members 101 that press the medium M downward toward the support unit 26 during transport. The tips of the pressing members 101 are positioned in opposition to the recessed areas 26B between the ribs 26A in the width direction X. The pressing members 101 are supported so as to be rotatable about a pivot point (not shown) and are biased in the gravity direction -Z by a spring (not shown). The pressing members 101 press the surface of the medium M at positions between the ribs 26A in the width direction X, forming a wavy shape on the medium M that undulates in the width direction X. This wavy shape imparts tension extending in the transport direction Y to the medium M, suppressing curling of the leading and trailing ends of the medium M during recording.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 17, the waste liquid box 50B that contains the waste liquid absorbing member 50A includes a needle-shaped connecting part 66 connected to the tip of the waste liquid tube 64 that is connected to the maintenance device 60, and a connectable part 57. The connecting part 66 is fixed to the tip of the waste liquid tube 64 via a clamp member 67. The waste liquid box 50B has a scattering prevention wall 59 above the tip on the same side as the connectable part 57. Waste liquid is transported from the suction pump 63 of the maintenance device 60 through the waste liquid tube 64 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A in the waste liquid box 50B. In addition, a connection terminal 69 supported by a connection frame 68 is disposed near the connecting part 66 on the device body 12 side. In addition, a memory element 58 that is connected to the connection terminal 69 is provided at a corner of the tip of the waste liquid box 50B.

[0077] Figure 18 shows the state in which the waste liquid box 50B has been pulled out slightly, with the connection between the waste liquid box 50B and the needle-shaped coupling part 66, as well as the electrical connection between the connection terminal 69 on the side of the device main body 12 and the memory element 58 provided at the corner of the tip of the waste liquid box 50B, being disconnected.

[0078] When the connection terminal 69 and the memory element 58 are disconnected, air bubbles of waste liquid such as waste ink may remain at the tip of the needle-shaped connecting part 66 that is connected in a puncturing state to the connected part of the waste liquid box 50B. If the air bubbles burst, they may contaminate the inside of the recording device 11. Therefore, by providing a scattering prevention wall 59 above the tip of the waste liquid box 50B, contamination due to the bursting of air bubbles is prevented.

[0079] 19, the scattering prevention wall 59 has a portion at the same position as the waste liquid absorbing member 50A in the transport direction Y (depth direction) and overlaps with the waste liquid absorbing member 50A in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, the scattering prevention wall 59 also has the function of preventing the waste liquid absorbing member 50A from coming off upward.

[0080] 19, the needle-shaped connecting portion 66 is connected to the connected portion 57 with a part of its tip end inserted into the waste liquid box 50B through the rubber seal 57A. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is configured by stacking a plurality of (e.g., three) first waste liquid absorbing members 54 in the vertical direction Z, with the tip 54B of the uppermost one of these plurality of members extending close to the connected portion 57 and the tips of the other two members being located farther away from the connected portion 57 than the uppermost one. Due to the stepped shape of the tips of these plurality of first waste liquid absorbing members 54, a space 54A is formed inside the end of the waste liquid box 50B on the connected portion 57 side.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 19, the tip 66A of the needle-shaped connecting portion 66 connected to the connected portion 57 is in partial contact with the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. That is, the tip 66A of the needle-shaped connecting portion 66 connected to the connected portion 57 of the waste liquid box 50B is in contact with a part of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A to such an extent that it does not block the waste liquid flow path 66B of the connecting portion 66. In detail, the corner of one tip 54B located at the top of the multiple first waste liquid absorbing members 54 constituting the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is in contact with the tip 66A of the connecting portion 66 in the connected state. Since the aforementioned space portion 54A is formed, the tip 66A of the connecting portion 66 is in contact with the tip 54B of the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 in a state of almost point contact. This suppresses the generation of bubbles in the waste liquid when attaching and detaching the waste liquid box 50B. If the tip 66A of the connecting portion 66 is in contact with the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 while blocking the waste liquid flow path 66B, air bubbles may be generated by the waste liquid present between the tip 66A of the connecting portion 66 and the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 in the process of separating them when the waste liquid box 50B is removed. If these air bubbles burst, the waste liquid will scatter and contaminate the inside of the recording device 11. In contrast, in this embodiment, the tip 66A of the connecting portion 66 only partially contacts the waste liquid absorbing member 50A and does not come into contact in a state in which the waste liquid flow path 66B is blocked. Therefore, air bubbles are unlikely to be generated in the process of separating the tip 66A of the connecting portion 66 and the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 when the waste liquid box 50B is removed. Therefore, contamination of the inside of the recording device 11 due to the bursting of air bubbles when the waste liquid box 50B is attached or detached is suppressed.

[0082] As shown in Fig. 20, a leaf spring 28B as an example of a biasing member that biases the waste liquid box 50B in the insertion direction when the waste liquid box cover 28 is closed is provided between the waste liquid box 50B inserted in the apparatus main body 12 and the waste liquid box cover 28 as an example of a cover that covers the waste liquid box 50B. That is, the leaf spring 28B is provided on the waste liquid box cover 28, and biases the waste liquid box 50B toward the front of the recording apparatus 11, that is, in the transport direction Y. With this structure, the waste liquid box cover 28 will rotate and remain open unless the screw 28A of the waste liquid box cover 28 shown in Fig. 5 is fastened, so that the user can easily recognize that the waste liquid box 50B has not been pushed in sufficiently and is only half-inserted.

[0083] 20, a leaf spring 28B is used, but a torsion spring or a compression spring may be used. If it is detected that the connection terminal 69 and the memory element 58 are not connected during half-insertion, the liquid suction operation of the maintenance device 60 may be prohibited and an error notification of the half-insertion state may be given on the display unit 14 or the display unit of the host device. Furthermore, a sensor may be provided to detect the movement of the waste liquid box 50B or the waste liquid box cover 28, and when the half-insertion state of the waste liquid box 50B is detected, the liquid suction operation of the maintenance device 60 may be prohibited and an error notification of the half-insertion state may be given on the display unit 14 or the display unit of the host device.

[0084] <Electrical configuration of the recording device> Next, the electrical configuration of the recording device 11 will be described. The recording device 11 is communicably connected to a host device (not shown). The control unit 100 performs recording control based on recording data received from the host device. The host device is, for example, any one of a personal computer, a portable information terminal (PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)), a tablet PC, a smartphone, a mobile phone, etc.

[0085] The control unit 100 performs various controls including recording control for the recording device 11. The control unit 100 has one or more processors that operate according to a computer program (software). The processor includes a CPU and memories such as RAM and ROM, and the memories store program codes or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The control unit 100 is not limited to one that performs software processing. For example, the control unit 100 may have a dedicated hardware circuit (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit: ASIC) that performs hardware processing for at least a part of the processes that the control unit itself executes.

[0086] The control unit 100 is electrically connected to the discharge head 25, the feed motor, the transport motor, the carriage motor 36, etc. as an output system. The control unit 100 controls the discharge head 25, the feed motor, the transport motor, the carriage motor 36, etc. In addition, the control unit 100 is electrically connected to the medium detector, the linear encoder 37, the rotary encoder, etc. as an input system.

[0087] The control unit 100 controls the first feeding unit 41 or the second feeding unit 42 to feed the medium M from the cassette 20 or the feeding tray 22. The control unit 100 also controls the driving of the conveying motor to control the conveying of the medium M by the roller pairs 48, 49. The control unit 100 acquires the conveying position of the medium M by counting the pulse edges of a pulse signal input from a rotary encoder using a counter (not shown) with the position of the medium M detected by the medium detector as the origin, for example.

[0088] The control unit 100 determines the position when the carriage 24 reaches the home position HP as the origin, and counts the number of pulse edges of the detection signal input from the linear encoder 37 using a counter (not shown) to acquire the carriage position, which is the position in the scanning direction X with respect to the origin position of the carriage 24. The control unit 100 controls the speed and position of the carriage 24 by controlling the carriage motor 36 based on the carriage position count value. Furthermore, the control unit 100 controls the ejection timing at which liquid is ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 25 based on the recording data. As a result, the ejection head 25 records an image based on the recording data on the medium M.

[0089] When double-sided recording is instructed, the control unit 100 first drives the transport motor to rotate in the forward direction to drive the roller pair 48, 49 in the forward direction to transport the medium M in the transport direction Y when recording on the first side of the medium M. During this transport, the recording unit 23 records an image or the like on the first side of the medium M. When recording on the first side of the medium M is completed, the control unit 100 drives the transport motor in the reverse direction to drive the roller pair 48, 49 in the reverse direction to transport the medium M in the direction toward the upstream of the transport direction Y. The medium M transported in the reverse direction is reversed by the reversing roller 47 so that the second side opposite to the first side becomes the recording side to be recorded on, and the reversed medium M is fed again in the transport direction Y.

[0090] The control unit 100 measures or calculates the amount of liquid ejected and discharged from the ejection head 25 based on the recorded data and maintenance information, and updates the current amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid recovery unit 50 by adding the measured or calculated amount of liquid to the value of the amount of waste liquid read from the memory element 58. The control unit 100 updates the latest amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid recovery unit 50 by writing it to the memory element 58 periodically or irregularly. When the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid recovery unit 50 reaches the upper limit, the control unit 100 notifies the user by displaying a message on the display unit 14 or the display unit of the host device that it is time to replace the unit and recommends that it be replaced, and recommends that the user replace the waste liquid recovery unit 50.

[0091] Next, the operation of the recording device 11 will be described. When the user selects the borderless recording mode and gives an instruction to start recording, the medium M is fed from the cassette 20 or the medium M placed on the feed tray 22 is fed. The fed medium M is transported to the recording area by the rotation of the roller pairs 48, 49. While the recording unit 23 is moving in the scanning direction X, a recording operation in which the ejection head 25 ejects liquid toward the medium M to perform one scanning worth of recording, and a transport operation in which the roller pairs 48, 49 transport the medium M to the next recording position are alternately performed to record on the medium M.

[0092] For example, in the borderless recording mode, the ejection head 25 moving in the scanning direction X together with the recording unit 23 ejects liquid also to an area extending outside the side edge of the medium M in the width direction X. At this time, the liquid ejected from the ejection head 25 outside the side edge of the medium M in the width direction X is discarded into the throw-away absorbing member 70 covering a part of the surface of the support unit 26. The discarded liquid is absorbed as waste liquid into the throw-away absorbing member 70 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6. More specifically, the discarded liquid is absorbed into the surface absorbing member 73 arranged on the surface side of the throw-away absorbing member 70. In this way, during recording, the liquid discarded from the ejection head 25 is absorbed into the throw-away absorbing member 70 as waste liquid, and the waste liquid gradually accumulates in the throw-away absorbing member 70.

[0093] During recording, the recording unit 23 periodically moves to the home position HP and performs idling (flushing) in which liquid is discharged from all the nozzles of the discharge head 25 toward the cap 61. Idling prevents the nozzles of the discharge head 25 from clogging during recording. The liquid (waste liquid) that has accumulated in the cap 61 due to idling is collected in the waste liquid box 50B through the waste liquid tube 64 by driving the suction pump 63. The waste liquid sent through the waste liquid tube 64 is collected in the waste liquid box 50B via the connection between the connection part 66 and the connected part 57, and is absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing member 50A held in the waste liquid box 50B.

[0094] Furthermore, when it is time for cleaning, the maintenance device 60 performs cleaning to forcibly discharge liquid from the nozzles of the ejection head 25. Cleaning prevents or eliminates clogging of the nozzles of the ejection head 25. More specifically, the recording unit 23 is in a capping state in which the cap 61 contacts the nozzle face of the ejection head 25 at the home position HP. In this capping state, the suction pump 63 is driven to create a negative pressure in the closed space surrounded by the nozzle face and the cap 61. As a result, the liquid is forcibly discharged from the nozzles of the ejection head 25. The discharged liquid is received by the cap 61, and is collected from the cap 61 through the waste liquid tube 64 into the waste liquid collection unit 50 by the negative pressure of the suction pump 63.

[0095] The coupling part 66 fixed to the tip of the waste liquid tube 64 is in a state of coupling with the coupled part 57 of the waste liquid box 50B. The waste liquid sent through the waste liquid tube 64 is collected in the waste liquid box 50B. The waste liquid collected in the waste liquid box 50B is absorbed by the first waste liquid absorbing member 54. In addition, the waste liquid absorbed by the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 is transferred to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 by capillary action or the like.

[0096] On the other hand, the liquid discarded in the throw-away absorbing member 70 accumulates in the throw-away absorbing member 70 as waste liquid. The waste liquid accumulated in the throw-away absorbing member 70 moves in the direction shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 16 due to the slight gradient of the bottom surface 71A. The waste liquid that has moved to the end of the throw-away absorbing member 70 flows to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A through the transfer mechanism 80 by capillary action, gravity, and the like. Since the transfer mechanism 80 is in the non-blocking position (retracted position) shown in FIG. 12, the waste liquid that has flowed through the connecting absorbing members 81 and 82 drips or flows down from the lower end of the second connecting absorbing member 82, and further flows down the slope 83A of the waste liquid guide portion 83, thereby reaching the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. The waste liquid that has reached the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing member 50A.

[0097] In this way, when the amount of waste liquid absorbed by the throw-away absorbing member 70 exceeds a certain level, it flows from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the delivery mechanism 80. Therefore, the throw-away absorbing member 70 is always maintained in a state in which it can absorb waste liquid without overflowing. The waste liquid absorbed by the throw-away absorbing member 70 flows by gravity via the delivery mechanism 80 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A, which is located lower than the throw-away absorbing member 70.

[0098] Furthermore, if the amount of waste liquid flowing from the sacrificial absorption member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the delivery mechanism 80 is small compared to the amount of waste liquid discarded into the sacrificial absorption member 70, a small amount of waste liquid will accumulate in the sacrificial absorption member 70. In this case, the waste liquid accumulated in the sacrificial absorption member 70 temporarily flows to the expanding absorption member 90 (90A, 90B) via the connecting absorption member 91. This reduces the frequency of excess waste liquid accumulating in the sacrificial absorption member 70, even if only temporarily. After that, even if recording on the medium M is completed and liquid is no longer discarded into the sacrificial absorption member 70, the delivery of waste liquid via the delivery mechanism 80 continues, so the amount of waste liquid accumulating in the sacrificial absorption member 70 gradually decreases. Then, the waste liquid that temporarily flowed to the expanding absorbent member 90 returns to the throwaway absorbent member 70 via the connecting absorbent member 91, and if the amount of waste liquid accumulated in the throwaway absorbent member 70 is excessive due to the returned waste liquid, the waste liquid continues to flow from the throwaway absorbent member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the delivery mechanism 80. In this way, even if the amount of liquid discarded per unit time to the throwaway absorbent member 70 is large, the throwaway absorbent member 70 is maintained in a state capable of absorbing liquid.

[0099] In the recording apparatus 11, when the waste liquid recovery unit 50 becomes full of waste liquid discharged by recording, idling, cleaning, and the like, the user replaces the waste liquid recovery unit 50 with a new waste liquid recovery unit 50.

[0100] The amount of waste liquid collected by the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is managed by the control unit 100. When the amount of waste liquid exceeds an upper limit, the control unit 100 displays a message on the display unit 14 or the display unit of the host computer, indicating that it is time to replace the waste liquid recovery unit 50. When the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid recovery unit 50 exceeds an upper limit, the control unit 100 displays a message on the display unit 14 or the display unit of the host device, indicating that it is time to replace the waste liquid recovery unit 50. Upon seeing this message, the user notifies the recording device 11 that the waste liquid recovery unit 50 needs to be replaced by operating the touch panel of the display unit 14 or the input unit of the host device.

[0101] When the control unit 100 receives an instruction to replace the waste liquid recovery unit 50, the control unit 100 drives the transport motor to move the slide gear 87 from the retracted position to the blocking position. When the slide gear 87 is placed in the blocking position, the transfer path of the waste liquid via the transfer mechanism 80 is blocked.

[0102] 3, the user slides the feed tray 22 and the support guide member 27 upward to expose a part of the waste liquid recovery unit 50 from the opening 12C at the bottom of the rear surface of the apparatus main body 12. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the user removes the screw 28A to open the waste liquid box cover 28 from the closed position to the open position.

[0103] The user then pulls out the waste liquid recovery unit 50 to the upstream side in the transport direction Y to remove it from the apparatus body 12. Thereafter, the user pushes in a new waste liquid recovery unit 50 while sliding it from the opening 12C in the transport direction Y (pushing direction). This pushing causes the coupling part 66 to be coupled to the coupled part 57 of the waste liquid box 50B. In this way, the waste liquid box 50B is connected to the waste liquid tube 64. At this time, the connection terminal 69 is also electrically connected to the memory element 58.

[0104] In the memory element 58, an updated value of the amount of waste liquid recovered in the waste liquid recovery unit 50 managed by the control unit 100 is written. The control unit 100 measures the amount of liquid collected in the waste liquid recovery unit 50, such as the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzles of the ejection head 25 during idle ejection and the amount of liquid discharged from the nozzles during cleaning. The measured amount of liquid is written to a memory element 58 provided in the waste liquid box 50B at a predetermined timing. Therefore, even if the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is replaced, the control unit 100 can obtain the amount of waste liquid collected in the waste liquid recovery unit 50 by reading the data stored in the memory element 58.

[0105] According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The recording device 11, which is an example of a liquid ejection device, includes an ejection head 25 that ejects liquid onto a medium M, which is an example of a recording medium, a support section 26 that faces the ejection head 25 and supports the medium M from below, and a waste absorbing member 70, which is an example of a first absorbing member that absorbs the liquid that is ejected from the ejection head 25 to the outside of the end of the medium M supported by the support section 26 as waste liquid. The recording device 11 further includes a cap 61, which is an example of a waste liquid receiving section that receives the liquid discharged from the ejection head 25 as waste liquid, a waste liquid absorbing member 50A, which is an example of a second absorbing member that absorbs the waste liquid sent from the cap 61, and a waste liquid box 50B, which is an example of a storage section that holds the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. The waste absorbing member 70 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are connected so that waste liquid can be transferred from the waste absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A.

[0106] Therefore, the liquid (waste liquid) discharged from the discharge head 25 to the outside of the end of the medium M supported by the support portion 26 is absorbed by the throw-away absorbing member 70. The waste liquid absorbed by the throw-away absorbing member 70 is transferred from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. When replacing, it is sufficient to replace the waste liquid box 50B that holds the waste liquid absorbing member 50A, which is a part of the throw-away absorbing member 70 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. Therefore, the replacement work of the absorbing member is easy, and the recording device 11 or the hands of the operator can be prevented from being soiled by the waste liquid absorbed in the absorbing member during replacement. Therefore, the replacement work of the absorbing member is easy, and the hands of the operator can be prevented from being soiled by the waste liquid of the absorbing member during replacement. In addition, since a general user can replace the waste liquid absorbing member 50A by himself, not just a serviceman, the usability of the recording device is improved.

[0107] (2) The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is positioned lower than the throw-away absorbing member 70. Therefore, the liquid can be transferred from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A by utilizing gravity. For example, even if the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is replaced, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a large amount of waste liquid remains in the throw-away absorbing member 70 and is not collected. In addition, a pump and its drive unit for transferring the liquid are not required, and even if a pump or the like is provided, it can be a small one. Therefore, the liquid can be efficiently transferred from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A.

[0108] (3) The recording device 11 has a delivery mechanism 80 as an example of a delivery section that delivers liquid between the throw-away absorbing member 70 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. Therefore, even if the throw-away absorbing member 70 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are separated from each other, the waste liquid can be delivered through the delivery mechanism 80. For example, the shape or position of the waste liquid box 50B is such that it is easy to attach and detach from the device body 12, so that the shape or position of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A may be such that it is difficult to contact the throw-away absorbing member 70. In this case, if it becomes difficult to deliver the liquid, it is necessary to replace the throw-away absorbing member and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A separately. In this case, if only the waste liquid box 50B that holds the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is replaced, a large amount of liquid will remain in the throw-away absorbing member 70. In contrast, according to the present embodiment having the delivery mechanism 80, even if the waste liquid box 50B is shaped to be easily attached and detached to the apparatus body 12, or is located at a position that makes it easy to attach and detach, the liquid can be delivered from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the delivery mechanism 80. Therefore, even if the waste liquid box 50B is replaced, it is easy to avoid a situation in which a large amount of liquid remains in the throw-away absorbing member 70. In other words, it is sufficient to replace the waste liquid box 50B that holds the waste liquid absorbing member 50A.

[0109] (4) The recording device 11 may include a blocking mechanism 85 capable of temporarily blocking the transfer of liquid by the delivery mechanism 80 between the sacrificial absorption member 70 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. Therefore, when replacing the waste liquid box 50B, the transfer of liquid by the delivery mechanism 80 from the sacrificial absorption member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A can be temporarily blocked by the blocking mechanism 85. Therefore, even if the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is separated from the sacrificial absorption member 70, the waste liquid transferred from the sacrificial absorption member 70 leaks into the device body 12, and the inside of the recording device 11 can be prevented from being contaminated by the waste liquid.

[0110] (5) The cutoff mechanism 85 is driven by the power of the maintenance device 60, and temporarily cuts off the transfer of liquid. Therefore, since the cutoff mechanism 85 is driven by the power of the maintenance device 60, the user does not need to manually switch the cutoff mechanism 85 between cutoff and connection. For example, the user can switch the cutoff mechanism 85 between cutoff and connection using the power of the maintenance device 60 by operating an operation switch.

[0111] (6) The delivery mechanism 80 is configured to be able to deliver liquid when the waste liquid box 50B is inserted into the device body 12. Therefore, when the waste liquid box 50B is inserted into the device body 12, the delivery mechanism 80 can deliver liquid between the throw-away absorbing member 70 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. This improves the waste liquid absorption efficiency of the entire absorbing member.

[0112] (7) The main board 76 on which electronic components are mounted and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are disposed opposite each other with the sacrificial absorbing member 70 in between. That is, the main board 76 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are disposed opposite each other in the width direction X with the transport area FA in which the sacrificial absorbing member 70 is located in between. The main board 76 and the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are disposed at positions separated by a distance equivalent to the width dimension of the sacrificial absorbing member 70. Therefore, even if waste liquid leaks from the waste liquid absorbing member 50A, it is unlikely that the leaked waste liquid will cross the transport area FA and reach the main board 76 and come into contact with it. For example, it is possible to prevent the waste liquid leaked from the waste liquid absorbing member 50A from coming into contact with the main board 76 and causing an electrical failure. Although the throw-away absorbing member 70 is positioned closer to the main board 76 than the waste liquid absorbing member 50A, the amount of liquid that it absorbs is less than that of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A, so that even if waste liquid leaks from the throw-away absorbing member 70, the waste liquid is unlikely to come into contact with the main board 76.

[0113] (8) The recording device 11 includes an expanding absorption member 90 connected to the throw-away absorption member 70 so that liquid can be transferred therebetween. The throw-away absorption member 70 and the waste liquid absorption member 50A are disposed opposite each other, sandwiching the expanding absorption member 90, at a position different from the transfer mechanism 80. This increases the overall waste liquid absorption capacity of the absorption members per recording device, thereby reducing the frequency of replacing the waste liquid absorption member 50A. In addition, the portion of the space between the throw-away absorption member 70 and the waste liquid absorption member 50A that is not occupied by the transfer mechanism 80 is utilized, making it easy to ensure a relatively large volume for the expanding absorption member.

[0114] (9) The recording device 11 includes a liquid supply source 17 that supplies liquid to the ejection head 25, and a maintenance device 60 that forcibly discharges the liquid from the ejection head 25 into a cap 61. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below the maintenance device 60 or the liquid supply source 17. Therefore, the waste liquid that falls downward from the maintenance device 60 when cleaning the ejection head 25, or the waste liquid that falls when replacing the liquid supply source 17 or refilling the liquid supply source 17 with liquid, can be absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. This makes it possible to suppress contamination of the waste liquid in the recording device 11.

[0115] (10) The waste liquid absorbing member 50A has a function of absorbing liquid scattered from the maintenance device 60 or the liquid supply source 17. Therefore, the liquid scattered from the maintenance device 60 or the liquid supply source 17 can be absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. This makes it possible to suppress contamination of the recording device 11 with waste liquid.

[0116] (11) The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below and partially overlaps the first feeding unit 41, which feeds the media M contained in the cassette 20 located below the ejection head 25 one sheet at a time toward the recording position of the ejection head 25. This allows the size of the recording device 11 to be reduced.

[0117] (12) The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below and overlaps the second feeding unit 42, which feeds the medium M placed on the feeding tray 22, which is an example of a mounting unit, toward the recording position of the ejection head 25. This allows the size of the recording device 11 to be reduced.

[0118] (13) The recording device 11 includes a reversing roller 47, which is an example of a reversing section, that switches back and transports the medium M, whose first side has been recorded by the discharge head 25, upstream of the discharge head 25 in the transport direction Y, and reverses the medium M so that the second side, which is the side opposite to the first side, can face the discharge head 25. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A is disposed below the reversing roller 47 so as to partially overlap it. This allows the size of the recording device 11 to be reduced.

[0119] (14) The recording device 11 includes a power supply unit 75 that supplies power to the ejection head 25. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the power supply unit 75 are disposed facing each other with the waste absorbing member 70 in between. The waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the power supply unit 75 are components that occupy a large amount of storage space inside the recording device 11, so by disposing the waste liquid absorbing member 50A and the power supply unit 75 separately on either side of the waste absorbing member 70 inside the recording device 11, the component layout of the entire recording device 11 can be optimized. This allows the recording device 11 to be made more compact.

[0120] (15) The bottom surface 71A of the storage section 71 that holds the disposable absorbing member 70 is inclined downward toward the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. Therefore, the inclination of the bottom surface 71A of the storage section 71 makes it easier for the waste liquid absorbed by the disposable absorbing member 70 to flow toward the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the bottom surface of the storage section is horizontal, it is easier to transfer the waste liquid from the disposable absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A.

[0121] (16) Waste liquid box 50B has coupling part 57 that can be coupled to coupling part 66 that is connected to the tip of tube 64 that is connected to maintenance device 60, and anti-scattering wall 59 provided above the tip on the same side as coupling part 57. Therefore, even if bubbles of waste liquid generated at the tip of coupling part 66 burst when waste liquid box 50B is attached or detached, anti-scattering wall 59 can prevent the burst waste liquid from scattering.

[0122] (17) In the waste liquid box 50B, the tip of the connecting portion 66 connected to the connected portion 57 is in partial contact with the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. Therefore, when the waste liquid box is attached or detached, the tip of the connecting portion has the effect of suppressing the generation of air bubbles in the waste liquid.

[0123] (18) The recording device 11 may include a waste liquid box cover 28 that covers the waste liquid box 50B inserted into the device body 12, and a leaf spring 28B that is an example of a biasing member that is provided between the waste liquid box 50B and the waste liquid box cover 28 and biases the waste liquid box 50B in the insertion direction when the waste liquid box cover 28 is closed. This makes it possible to prevent the waste liquid box from being partially inserted when it is being attached or detached.

[0124] (19) The waste liquid recovery unit 50, which is detachably inserted into the device body 12 of the recording device 11 having the support portion 26, the discharge head 25, the throw-away absorbing member 70, and the cap 61, includes a waste liquid absorbing member 50A that absorbs the waste liquid sent from the cap 61, and a waste liquid box 50B that holds the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. When the waste liquid box 50B is inserted into the device body 12, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is connected to be able to absorb the waste liquid from the cap 61, and is connected to the throw-away absorbing member 70 to be able to deliver the waste liquid from the throw-away absorbing member 70. On the other hand, when the waste liquid box 50B is removed from the device body 12, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is released from the connection that allows it to absorb the waste liquid from the cap 61, and is disconnected from the throw-away absorbing member 70 in a state in which the path of the waste liquid delivered from the throw-away absorbing member 70 is blocked. Thus, according to the waste liquid recovery unit 50, the effect (1) of the recording device 11 can be obtained in the same manner.

[0125] (20) The waste liquid recovery method is a method for recovering waste liquid in a recording device 11 including a support portion 26, a discharge head 25, a waste absorbing member 70 that absorbs liquid discharged outside the edge of a medium M, and a waste liquid absorbing member 50A that absorbs waste liquid sent from a cap 61 that receives liquid discharged from the discharge head 25 as waste liquid. A waste liquid box 50B is detachably provided in the device body 12. The waste liquid recovery method includes the steps of: when the waste liquid box 50B is inserted into the device body 12, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is connected to the waste liquid flow path so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid sent from the cap 61, and is connected to the sacrificial absorbing member 70 so as to be able to deliver the waste liquid from the sacrificial absorbing member 70; and when the waste liquid box 50B is removed from the device body 12, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is released from the waste liquid flow path of the cap 61, and is cut off from the sacrificial absorbing member 70 in a state in which delivery of the waste liquid from the sacrificial absorbing member 70 is blocked. According to this waste liquid recovery method, an effect similar to the effect (1) of the recording device 11 described above can be obtained.

[0126] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 21 to Fig. 29. Configurations common to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted, and only different configurations will be described. The same applies to the third and subsequent embodiments.

[0127] 21 to 23, the recording device 11 includes a discarding absorbing member 70 and an expanding absorbing member 90 as an example of a first absorbing member that absorbs, as waste liquid, liquid discarded from the ejection head 25 (see FIG. 1 for both) to the outside of the end of the medium M supported by the support part 26. The recording device 11 also includes a waste liquid absorbing member 50A as an example of a second absorbing member that absorbs waste liquid sent from a cap 61 that receives the liquid discharged from the ejection head 25 as waste liquid.

[0128] As shown in FIGS. 21 to 23, the throw-away absorbing member 70 is connected to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the expanding absorbing member 90 at a location different from the delivery mechanism 80 so as to be able to deliver liquid thereto.

[0129] 21 to 23, the recording device 11 includes a first delivery mechanism 80 that delivers liquid from the throw-away absorption member 70 to the first waste liquid absorbing member 54, and a second delivery mechanism 140 that delivers liquid from the throw-away absorption member 70 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 via the expansion absorption member 90. The first delivery mechanism 80 corresponds to the delivery mechanism 80 of the first embodiment.

[0130] The second delivery mechanism 140 connects the expanding absorbent member 90 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 so as to be able to deliver waste liquid from the expanding absorbent member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. The second delivery mechanism 140 has a delivery section 141 which delivers liquid between the expanding absorbent member 90 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0131] As a result, a first waste liquid path is formed that transfers waste liquid from the throw-away absorption member 70 to the first waste liquid absorption member 54 via the first delivery mechanism 80, and a second waste liquid path is formed that transfers waste liquid from the expanded absorption member 90, which is the expanded version of the throw-away absorption member 70, to the second waste liquid absorption member 56 via the second delivery mechanism 140. The first waste liquid absorption member 54 and the second waste liquid absorption member 56 are connected via the connection portion 50C to enable the movement of waste liquid. Therefore, the first waste liquid path and the second waste liquid path starting from the throw-away absorption member 70 are connected at the connection portion 50C to form a circularly closed waste liquid path.

[0132] For example, when an excessive amount of liquid is discharged from the discharge head 25 to the waste liquid absorbing member 70 during recording, the waste liquid can be discharged from the waste liquid absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A through two paths, the first waste liquid path and the second waste liquid path. This allows the liquid to be smoothly discharged from the waste liquid absorbing member 70, and makes it difficult for excess liquid to accumulate in the waste liquid absorbing member 70. In this embodiment, the expanding absorbent member 90 constitutes an example of a first absorbent member. Also, the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 corresponds to an example of a second absorbent member.

[0133] 23 illustrates the first waste liquid collecting section 51 and the second waste liquid collecting section 52 separately, the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 may be connected to each other so that liquid can be moved between them via an opening (not shown) formed on the side surface of the second waste liquid box section 55 and the connecting section 50C. Note that the first waste liquid collecting section 51 and the second waste liquid collecting section 52 may be configured to be separated without the connecting section 50C. In other words, the first waste liquid collecting section 51 and the second waste liquid collecting section 52 may be configured to be inserted separately into the device body 12.

[0134] As shown in Fig. 23, the second waste liquid collecting section 52 of this embodiment has a greater height dimension than the second waste liquid collecting section 52 of the first embodiment. The upper end of the second waste liquid collecting section 52 may be positioned slightly higher than the upper surface of the expanding absorbent member 90. The transferring section 141 of the second delivery mechanism 140 is provided on the expanding absorbent member 90 side. When the waste liquid collecting unit 50 is moved in the insertion direction AD to be inserted into the device body 12, the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 is connected to the transferring section 141. When the waste liquid collecting unit 50 is moved in the removal direction -AD, which is the direction opposite to the insertion direction AD, to be removed from the device body 12, the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 is removed from the transferring section 141.

[0135] When the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is inserted into the apparatus body 12, the delivery section 141 is inclined downward in a direction in which liquid flows from the expanding absorbent member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. In other words, since the delivery section 141 is inclined downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal, the waste liquid from the expanding absorbent member 90 flows over the delivery section 141 and is discharged to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. In this manner, in this embodiment, by inclining the delivery section 141 downward, the waste liquid from the expanding absorbent member 90 is moved to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 by utilizing gravity.

[0136] Incidentally, when the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is removed from the apparatus main body 12, if the delivery section 141 remains tilted in the same direction as when the waste liquid recovery unit 50 was inserted, the following problem may occur. That is, if the delivery section 141 remains tilted in the same direction as when the waste liquid recovery unit 50 was inserted, the waste liquid that has flowed from the expanding absorption member 90 over the delivery section 141 may drip into the housing of the recording device 11 or onto the installation surface, such as the desk or shelf on which the recording device 11 is installed. In this case, the inside of the housing or the installation surface is contaminated with the waste liquid.

[0137] Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 26 to 29, the recording device 11 of this embodiment may be provided with a blocking mechanism 160 that can temporarily block the transfer of liquid through the transfer section 141 between the expansion absorption member 90 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0138] <Shut-off mechanism configuration> Next, the configuration of the blocking mechanism 160 will be described with reference to FIGS. The cutoff mechanism 160, which temporarily cuts off the transfer of waste liquid, is a mechanism that switches one or both of the direction of inclination and the gradient of the inclination of the transfer section 141. The cutoff mechanism 160 is driven by the action of a cam mechanism 150 (see FIG. 24) that engages with the transfer section 141, and a spring 145 (see FIG. 25) as an example of a biasing member that biases the transfer section 141. The cutoff mechanism 160 switches between a movement of the waste liquid recovery unit 50 by the user in the insertion direction AD (first movement) and a movement of the waste liquid recovery unit 50 by the user in the removal direction -AD (second movement) into a tilting operation in a rotation direction corresponding to the insertion / removal of the transfer section 141 via the cam mechanism 150.

[0139] The user inserts and removes the waste liquid recovery unit 50 by gripping the second waste liquid box 55, which is an example of a storage section. The first waste liquid recovery section 51 and the second waste liquid recovery section 52 may be configured separately so as to be insertable separately, and in this case as well, the user inserts and removes the second waste liquid recovery section 52 by gripping the second waste liquid box 55.

[0140] When the user inserts the waste liquid recovery unit 50 into the device body 12, the blocking mechanism 160 makes the delivery section 141 inclined downward. On the other hand, when the user removes the waste liquid recovery unit 50 from the device body 12, the blocking mechanism 160 does not necessarily have to make the delivery section 141 inclined upward. The inclination of the delivery section 141 at the time of removal may be a downward inclination with a smaller gradient than the downward inclination at the time of insertion, or it may be horizontal, or it may be an upward inclination that rises from the expanding absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0141] For example, when removing the second waste liquid box 55, simply by switching the downward inclination of the transfer section 141 to a smaller inclination than when it is inserted, dripping of waste liquid from the tip of the transfer section 141 can be suppressed.

[0142] Furthermore, when the second waste liquid box 55 is removed, if the gradient of the inclination of the delivery section 141 is made horizontal with an inclination angle of 0°, the flow of the waste liquid on the delivery section 141 due to its own weight stops. In other words, by switching the delivery section 141 to a horizontal position, the flow of the waste liquid from the expanding absorption member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 on the delivery section 141 stops.

[0143] Furthermore, if the transfer section 141 can be switched to an upward inclination in the opposite direction to the downward inclination at the time of insertion when the second waste liquid box section 55 is removed, the direction in which the waste liquid flows on the transfer section 141 can be changed to the opposite direction to that at the time of insertion. Therefore, a flow of waste liquid is generated in the transfer section 141 in the direction returning toward the expanding absorption member 90. In this way, the configuration in which the transfer section 141 is switched to an upward inclination at the time of removal of the second waste liquid box section 55 can effectively suppress the dripping of waste liquid from the tip of the transfer section 141 after removal. For this reason, among the options for switching the inclination direction and the gradient of the inclination of the transfer section 141 at the time of removal of the second waste liquid box section 55, an example in which the most effective "upward inclination" is used is shown in Figures 26 to 29. Note that a downward inclination with a small gradient or a horizontal gradient has the effect of reducing the rotation area of ​​the transfer section 141, so an appropriate one may be selected depending on the presence or absence of arrangement space around the waste liquid recovery unit 50.

[0144] 26 to 29 changes the inclination of the transfer section 141 from a downward inclination from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 (see FIG. 26) to an upward inclination from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 (see FIG. 29). When the transfer section 141 is in an upward inclination position when the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is removed, dripping of waste liquid from the tip of the transfer section 141 is suppressed. In this embodiment, the cutoff mechanism 160 corresponds to an example of a cutoff section.

[0145] The blocking mechanism 160 shown in Fig. 26 is a mechanism for switching the delivery section 141 between a downward incline and an upward incline. When the second waste liquid box section 55 is inserted into the device body 12, the delivery section 141 is in a first position, which is a downward incline position from the expanding absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. Also, as shown in Figs. 25 and 29, when the second waste liquid box section 55 is removed from the device body 12, the delivery section 141 is in a second position, which is an upward incline position from the expanding absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0146] 26 to 29 is a mechanism for switching the inclination of the transfer section 141 between a downward inclination and an upward inclination in response to the insertion / removal of the second waste liquid box section 55. To this end, the cutoff mechanism 160 includes a rotation shaft 144 (see FIG. 25) that rotatably supports the transfer section 141, and a switching mechanism for switching the inclination of the transfer section 141 in response to the insertion / removal of the second waste liquid box section 55. This switching mechanism includes a spring 145 (see FIG. 25) as an example of a biasing member that biases the delivery portion 141 in a first rotation direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 26) in which the delivery portion 141 assumes an upwardly inclined posture, and a cam mechanism 150 that engages with the delivery portion 141 during the insertion process of the second waste liquid box portion 55 to rotate the delivery portion 141 in a second rotation direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 26), which is a direction opposite to the first rotation direction, against the biasing force of the spring 145. The cam mechanism 150 rotates the delivery portion 141 in the second rotation direction against the biasing force of the spring 145, thereby switching the delivery portion 141 from the upwardly inclined posture to the downwardly inclined posture.

[0147] Next, the cam mechanism 150 and the biasing structure of the delivery portion 141 will be described in detail. <Cam mechanism> First, the detailed structure of the cam mechanism 150 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0148] As shown in FIG. 24, the second waste liquid box section 55 has an opening 55A into which the transfer section 141 is inserted, on a surface facing the insertion direction AD. The dimension of the opening 55A in the width direction X is slightly longer than the dimension of the portion of the transfer section 141 inserted into the opening 55A in the width direction X. The cam mechanism 150 includes a pair of cam parts 151 protruding in the insertion direction AD at a position near the opening 55A of the second waste liquid box section 55, and a cam follower surface 142A formed by the upper surface of the tip portion in the removal direction -AD of a pair of side parts 142S that the holding section 142 has on both sides in the width direction X. The pair of cam parts 151 have cam surfaces 151A in portions that face the side parts 142S on both sides of the holding section 142 during the process in which the holding section 142 is inserted into the opening 55A. The cam surface 151A is formed on an inclined surface that is inclined in a direction that is located upward as it moves downstream in the insertion direction AD. A cam follower surface 142A is formed on the side portion 142S at a position facing the cam surface 151A. Note that the cam surface 151A and the cam follower surface 142A do not have to be a pair, and there may be only one.

[0149] During the insertion process in which the second waste liquid box 55 moves in the insertion direction AD, the cam surfaces 151A of the pair of cam portions 151 engage with the pair of cam follower surfaces 142A of the holding portion 142, and the upstream end (tip) of the holding portion 142 in the insertion direction AD is pushed downward. This causes the delivery portion 141 to assume a first position, which is a downwardly inclined position from the expansion absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0150] During the extraction process in which the second waste liquid box portion 55 moves in the extraction direction -AD, the pair of cam portions 151 move away from the holding portion 142 in the extraction direction -AD, and the delivery portion 141 rotates in the first rotation direction while the cam follower surface 142A is displaced upward along the cam surface 151A by the biasing force of the spring 145 (see FIG. 25). This rotation in the first rotation direction causes the delivery portion 141 to assume a second position in which it is inclined upward from the expansion absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0151] <Pressing structure of the delivery section> Next, the biasing structure of the delivery portion 141 will be described with reference to FIGS. 25, the blocking mechanism 160 includes a rotation shaft 144 that rotatably supports the holding portion 142, and a spring 145 that biases the holding portion 142 in a first rotation direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 26). The blocking mechanism 160 also includes a restriction portion 94 (stopper) (see FIG. 26) that restricts further rotation of the holding portion 142 at an end position in the rotation direction biased by the biasing force of the spring 145.

[0152] The holding part 142 is supported so as to be rotatable within a predetermined angle range around the pivot shaft 144. The holding part 142 has a length that can bridge the expanding absorbent member 90 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 so as to allow the waste liquid to flow when the second waste liquid box part 55 is completely inserted into the device body 12. The support part 92 that supports the expanding absorbent member 90 has a recess 92A at a position corresponding to the downstream end (base end) of the transfer part 141 in the insertion direction AD. The transfer part 141 is connected to the expanding absorbent member 90 so as to be able to transfer liquid from the expanding absorbent member 90 by disposing its base end in the recess 92A. The holding part 142 has a shape in which the cross section cut in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction is a concave shape. The holding part 142 has a bottom part and a pair of side parts 142S that extend upward on both sides of the bottom part in the width direction X. The holding part 142 holds the absorbing member 143 on its inner bottom surface 142B.

[0153] The axial direction of the rotation shaft 144 is oriented in a direction intersecting (e.g., perpendicular to) the insertion direction AD. In the example of Fig. 25 and Fig. 26, the axial direction of the rotation shaft 144 is oriented in a direction intersecting (e.g., perpendicular to) both the insertion direction AD and the vertical direction Z. The rotation shaft 144 supports the holding part 142 rotatably.

[0154] The delivery section 141 is biased in a direction from a downward inclination, which is an inclination posture when the second waste liquid box section 55 is inserted, to an upward inclination, which is an inclination posture when the second waste liquid box section 55 is removed. That is, the delivery section 141 is biased in a first rotation direction by a biasing member. This biasing member may be a spring 145 shown in Figs. 25 and 26, etc. The spring 145 may be a compression spring shown in Fig. 25. A support member 93 is located below the delivery section 141, and extends horizontally in the removal direction -AD from a support section 92 that supports the expansion absorption member 90. The spring 145 is interposed between the holding section 142 and the support member 93. Therefore, the delivery section 141 is biased by the spring 145 in a first rotation direction from a downward inclination to an upward inclination. Here, the first rotation direction is a rotation direction in which the delivery portion 141 moves from a first position (see FIG. 26) in which the delivery portion 141 is inclined downward from the expansion absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 to a second position (see FIGS. 28 and 29) in which the delivery portion 141 is inclined upward from the expansion absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. Note that the spring 145, which is an example of a biasing member, may be a torsion coil spring assembled around the pivot shaft 144 so as to be able to bias the delivery portion 141 in the first rotation direction.

[0155] As shown in FIG. 25, the delivery section 141 includes a holding section 142 and an absorbing member 143 held by the holding section 142. A groove 142C is formed on an inner bottom surface 142B of the holding section 142. The groove 142C extends along the longitudinal direction of the holding section 142. The longitudinal direction of the holding section 142 is the direction in which the waste liquid to be delivered flows. More specifically, the groove 142C extends along the longitudinal direction of the holding section 142 in a path passing through the width center of the inner bottom surface 142B of the holding section 142. The groove 142C is one of the flow paths for the waste liquid to be delivered. The delivery section 141 delivers the waste liquid by the flow of the waste liquid through the groove 142C and the penetration of the waste liquid by the capillary phenomenon of the absorbing member 143. Alternatively, groove 142C may be formed as a very thin flow path, and waste liquid may be transferred along groove 142C by permeation due to capillary action.

[0156] 26, the delivery part 141 at least partially overlaps with the second waste liquid box part 55 in the insertion direction AD in a state in which the second waste liquid box part 55 is inserted into the apparatus body 12. That is, in the inserted state shown in Fig. 26, there is an overlap area OL in which the delivery part 141 and the second waste liquid box part 55 overlap in the insertion direction AD.

[0157] <Operation of the Second Embodiment> Next, the operation of the recording device 11 of the second embodiment will be described. 26, when the second waste liquid box 55 is inserted into the device body 12, the delivery section 141 engages with the cam section 151 to assume a first position that is a downwardly inclined position that descends from the expanding absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. This is because the tip of the delivery section 141 is pressed downward by the cam section 151. The downward inclination of the delivery section 141 causes the waste liquid to flow from the expanding absorption member toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0158] As shown in Fig. 27, when the second waste liquid box portion 55 is removed in the removal direction -AD from the inserted state, the delivery portion 141 rotates in the first rotation direction (counterclockwise in Fig. 27) due to the biasing force of the spring 145 in the first rotation direction. In Fig. 27, the delivery portion 141 is in the middle of rotating and is in a horizontal position. As the removal progresses, the tip of the delivery portion 141 is displaced upward as the cam follower surface 142A is guided along the cam surface 151A. In this way, the delivery portion 141 rotates in the first rotation direction due to the biasing force of the spring 145.

[0159] 28, when the second waste liquid box portion 55 moves further from the inserted state in the removal direction -AD, the base end of the delivery portion 141 comes into contact with the regulating portion 94 (stopper), thereby restricting further rotation in the first rotation direction. Also, the tip end of the delivery portion 141 comes off the cam portion 151. The delivery portion 141 takes a second position with an upward incline that rises from the expansion absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. The delivery portion 141 is biased in the first rotation direction by the biasing force of the spring 145, and since the base end comes into contact with the regulating portion 94, the delivery portion 141 is maintained in the second position.

[0160] 29, when the second waste liquid box section 55 is completely removed from the inserted state, the transfer section 141 is held in the second position inclined upward. In other words, this second position is a downward inclination from the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 toward the expanding absorbent member 90. The waste liquid on the transfer section 141 flows in a direction returning to the expanding absorbent member 90. As a result, the waste liquid is prevented from dripping from the tip of the transfer section 141. Therefore, even if the second waste liquid box section 55 in the inserted state is removed from the device body 12, the waste liquid is prevented from dripping from the tip of the transfer section 141. As a result, it is possible to prevent the inside of the device body 12 or the installation surface from being contaminated with the waste liquid.

[0161] When a new waste liquid recovery unit 50 is inserted, the second delivery mechanism 140 causes the delivery part 141 to rotate in the second rotation direction in the reverse order to that of removal. That is, when the user moves the second waste liquid box part 55 shown in Fig. 29 in the insertion direction AD, the cam part 151 engages with the tip part of the delivery part 141 (Fig. 28). Furthermore, when the second waste liquid box part 55 is moved in the insertion direction AD, the cam follower surface 142A of the delivery part 141 is guided by the cam surface 151A, so that the delivery part 141 rotates in the second rotation direction against the biasing force of the spring 145 (Fig. 27).

[0162] 26, when the insertion of the second waste liquid box 55 into the apparatus body 12 is completed, the delivery section 141 is inclined downward from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56, and the tip of the delivery section 141 is inserted into the space 55B in the second waste liquid box 55. As a result, the delivery section 141 is in a state where the position in the insertion direction AD partially overlaps with the second waste liquid box 55. Thereby, the waste liquid that has flowed from the expanding absorbent member 90 over the delivery section 141 is reliably delivered to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 in the second waste liquid box 55 without leaking outside the second waste liquid box 55.

[0163] According to the second embodiment described above in detail, in addition to the effects (1) to (20) of the first embodiment, the following effects are obtained. (21) The delivery section 141 is inclined downward from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 when the second waste liquid box section 55 is inserted into the device body 12. Therefore, when the second waste liquid box section 55 is inserted into the device body 12, liquid can be delivered from the expanding absorbent member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. In particular, in this embodiment, when the second waste liquid box section 55 is inserted into the device body 12, the delivery section 141 is inclined downward from the expanding absorbent member 90 (an example of a first absorbing member) toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 (an example of a second absorbing member). The inclination of the delivery section 141 when the second waste liquid box section 55 is removed from the device body 12 is different from the inserted state. Therefore, the replacement work of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is easy, and the surrounding parts, etc. can be prevented from being soiled by the waste liquid leaked from the part separated from the waste liquid absorbing member 50A during replacement.

[0164] (22) The inclination of the delivery section 141 when the second waste liquid box section 55 is removed from the device body 12 is either a downward inclination that is smaller than the downward inclination from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 when the second waste liquid box section 55 is inserted into the device body 12, is horizontal, or is an upward inclination from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. Thus, when the second waste liquid box section 55 is inserted into the device body 12, liquid can be delivered from the expanding absorbent member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56, and when the second waste liquid box section 55 is removed from the device body 12, dripping of liquid from the delivery section 141 can be suppressed.

[0165] (23) A blocking mechanism 160 is provided as an example of a blocking section that can temporarily block the transfer of liquid by the transfer section 141 between the expanding absorbent member 90 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. Therefore, when replacing the second waste liquid box section 55 that holds the second waste liquid absorbing member 56, if the blocking mechanism 160 temporarily blocks the transfer of liquid from the expanding absorbent member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56, even if the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 is separated from the expanding absorbent member 90, it is possible to prevent the inside of the device main body 12 from being contaminated by the liquid (waste liquid) transferred from the expanding absorbent member 90.

[0166] (24) The blocking mechanism 160 changes the inclination of the delivery section 141 from a downward inclination that descends from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 to an upward inclination that ascends from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. Thus, when the second waste liquid box section 55 is inserted into the device body 12, liquid can be delivered from the expanding absorbent member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56, and when the second waste liquid box section 55 is removed from the device body 12, dripping of liquid from the delivery section 141 can be effectively suppressed or prevented.

[0167] (25) When the second waste liquid box part 55 is inserted into the device body 12, the delivery part 141 at least partially overlaps with the second waste liquid box part 55 in the insertion direction AD. Therefore, when the second waste liquid box part 55 is inserted into the device body 12, it is possible to prevent the liquid from leaking out of the second waste liquid box part 55 when the liquid is delivered from the expanding absorbent member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0168] (26) The cam mechanism 150 is provided to engage with the delivery portion 141 and change the tilt direction of the delivery portion 141 during the process of inserting or removing the second waste liquid box portion 55. Therefore, during the process of inserting or removing the second waste liquid box portion 55, the tilt direction of the delivery portion 141 can be changed with a simple configuration without a drive source.

[0169] (27) The delivery portion 141 is biased in a direction from the inclination at the time of insertion of the second waste liquid box portion 55 to the inclination at the time of removal of the second waste liquid box portion 55. Therefore, when the second waste liquid box portion 55 is removed, the delivery portion 141 can be reliably changed to the inclination at the time of removal.

[0170] (28) The inner bottom surface 142B of the delivery portion 141 has a groove 142C. This allows the delivery portion 141 to smoothly deliver liquid. Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 30. The third embodiment is an example in which the configuration of the delivery section 141 in the second embodiment is changed. The configuration other than the delivery section 141 is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

[0171] 30, the holding portion 142 of the delivery section 141 may have a V-shaped cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 142. That is, the inner bottom surface of the holding portion 142 has a V-groove 142D having a V-shaped cross section. This V-groove 142D may be deeper toward the upstream side in the insertion direction AD, or the V-groove 142D may be formed midway along the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 142. Also, as shown in FIG. 30, the delivery section 141 does not need to include an absorbing member 143.

[0172] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 31. In this fourth embodiment, a second delivery mechanism is provided on the storage section side.

[0173] As shown in Fig. 31, the recording apparatus 11 includes a second delivery mechanism 170. A delivery section 171 is provided in the second waste liquid box section 55. The configuration other than the second delivery mechanism 170 is similar to that of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as those in the second embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0174] As shown in FIG. 31, in the waste liquid recovery unit 50, the transfer part 171 is fixed in a state of being inserted into the assembly hole 55C of the second waste liquid recovery part 52. The upstream end of the transfer part 171 in the insertion direction AD is inserted into the space 55B in the second waste liquid box part 55. The transfer part 171 is fixed to the second waste liquid recovery part 52 in a state where the transfer part 171 and the second waste liquid recovery part 52 are partially overlapped in the insertion direction AD. Therefore, even when the second waste liquid box part 55 is inserted into the device main body 12, the transfer part 171 at least partially overlaps the second waste liquid box part 55 in the insertion direction AD. Moreover, the transfer part 171 is inclined downward from the downstream side to the upstream side in the insertion direction AD. Therefore, in a state in which the second waste liquid box portion 55 is inserted into the apparatus body 12, the delivery portion 171 is inclined downward from the expansion absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56.

[0175] Further, a guide portion 95 that is inclined downward from the expanding absorbent member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 extends from the support portion 92 that supports the expanding absorbent member 90. The guide portion 95 and the delivery portion 171 partially overlap in the insertion direction AD. Therefore, when the second waste liquid box portion 55 is inserted into the device body 12, the liquid from the expanding absorbent member 90 drips from the guide portion 95 onto the delivery portion 171, and the dripped liquid flows over the delivery portion 171 and is delivered to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56. Further, during the process of inserting the second waste liquid box portion 55, the lower surface of the delivery portion 171 is guided by a plurality of ribs 93A extending upward from the support member 93. The tip surfaces of the plurality of ribs 93A are formed in an inclined shape that is located upward toward the downstream side in the insertion direction AD, thereby forming a guide surface. A recess is located below the tip of the guide part 95, and is recessed between one rib 93A of the support member 93 and the support part 92. When the second waste liquid box part 55 is in a state where it is detached from the apparatus body 12, the liquid dripping from the guide part 95 is contained in the recess on the support member 93.

[0176] The delivery section 171 may also have a holding section 172 having a concave cross section in the longitudinal direction, and an absorbing member 173 held by the holding section 172. An end 172A on the upstream side of the holding section 172 in the insertion direction AD is inserted into the space 55B in the second waste liquid box section 55. The absorbing member 173 has a function similar to that of the absorbing member 143 of the second embodiment. The holding section 172 may have a groove on its inner bottom surface similar to the groove 142C of the second embodiment. The holding section 172 may also have a V-groove having a V-shaped cross section as in the third embodiment. In this case, the absorbing member 173 may be eliminated.

[0177] Fifth embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 32. The same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted. Different components will be described in particular. The same applies to the third and subsequent embodiments.

[0178] 32, the recording device 11 of the fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the attachment and detachment direction of the waste liquid recovery unit 50. The waste liquid recovery unit 50 is configured to be attachable and detachable from the side of the recording device 11. In other words, the insertion direction of the waste liquid recovery unit 50 into the device body 12 is parallel to the width direction X.

[0179] As shown in FIG. 32, the waste liquid box cover 110 is removed from the right side surface of the recording device 11, and the waste liquid recovery unit 50 can move to the right side of the recording device 11. The waste liquid recovery unit 50 has a waste liquid absorbing member 112 as an example of a second absorbing member, and a waste liquid box 111 as an example of a storage section for holding the waste liquid absorbing member 112. The waste liquid recovery unit 50 is configured as one unit having substantially the same shape and size as the first waste liquid recovery section 51 in the first embodiment, and since the insertion direction is the width direction X, the coupled part 57, the memory element 58, and the scattering prevention wall 59 are located on the side of the tip side in the insertion direction. The coupled part 57 and the memory element 58 of the waste liquid box 111 are connected to and separated from each other by the movement of the waste liquid recovery unit 50 in the width direction X. The waste liquid box cover 110 and the waste liquid box 111 are separate parts, and each is independently detachable from the opening 12C of the device body 12. The waste liquid box cover 110 and the waste liquid box 111 may be configured as a removable integral part. With this configuration, the amount of pulling operation required by the user to remove the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is small, making it easy to replace the waste liquid recovery unit 50.

[0180] 32 may be configured as a first waste liquid recovery section 51, and may be configured integrally with a second waste liquid recovery section 52. However, since the amount of pull-out operation of the waste liquid recovery unit 50 increases, the length of the second waste liquid recovery section 52 in the width direction X may be shorter than that of the first embodiment. Also, the second waste liquid recovery section 52 may be provided separately and configured to be detachable from the rear side of the recording device 11.

[0181] Sixth embodiment Next, a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 33 and 34. The waste liquid recovery unit 50 may be configured to be detachable from the front side of the recording apparatus 11. As shown in Fig. 33, a waste liquid box cover 120 is provided on the front side of the recording apparatus 11. In the example of Fig. 33, the waste liquid box cover 120 is located below the liquid supply source 17 in the apparatus body 12. In other words, the waste liquid box cover 120 is located below the window portion 18 that indicates the amount of liquid in the liquid supply source 17.

[0182] As shown in FIG. 34, the waste liquid box cover 120 is provided rotatably, and the waste liquid recovery unit 50 can be moved so as to be pulled out from the front side of the recording device 11 to the front side. That is, the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is detachable from the front side of the device body 12. The waste liquid box 121 is inserted in the upstream direction of the transport direction Y. The waste liquid recovery unit 50 has a waste liquid absorbing member 122 as an example of a second absorbing member, and a waste liquid box 121 as an example of a storage section for holding the waste liquid absorbing member 122. The coupled portion 57 and the memory element 58 of the waste liquid box 121 are connected to and separated from the front side of the recording device 11 at a rear position in the device body 12 by reciprocating the waste liquid recovery unit 50 in the front-rear direction (depth direction). In this way, the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is detachable from the front side of the recording device 11, which makes it easy for a user to access the waste liquid recovery unit 50 when removing it.

[0183] In addition, since the display unit 14 having a touch panel function is located near the top of the waste liquid box cover 120, when operating instructions are displayed to the user on the display unit 14 during replacement of the waste liquid recovery unit 50, the operating instructions are close by and easy for the user to see, which is an advantage.

[0184] Seventh embodiment Next, the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 35. The seventh embodiment may be applied to a recording device 11 having a liquid supply source 17 mounted on the upper part of the carriage 24. As shown in FIG. 35, the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is configured to be detachable from the rear of the recording device 11, as in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 35, the liquid supply source 17 having an ink tank that can be replenished with liquid such as ink is mounted on the upper part of the carriage 24 that holds the recording unit 23. The liquid supply source 17 is individually provided with a cap cover 38 that covers the inlet. When the remaining amount in the window portion 18 becomes low, the user opens the cap cover 38 and inserts the nozzle-shaped supply part of the liquid bottle 125 into the inlet to replenish the liquid such as ink to the liquid supply source 17 such as an ink tank. When the replaceable waste liquid recovery unit 50 is inserted into the device main body 12, the waste liquid absorbing member 50A is located below the carriage 24 at the liquid refilling position when the user refills the liquid supply source 17 with liquid. The liquid replenishment position may be the home position HP, but may be a position other than the home position HP as long as the waste liquid absorbing member 50A can be disposed below the liquid replenishment position.

[0185] According to this configuration, even if waste liquid is accidentally spilled from the bottle onto the replaceable waste liquid recovery unit 50 below when refilling liquid supply source 17 with liquid such as ink above carriage 24, the spilled liquid is absorbed by waste liquid absorbing member 50A. In other words, if the user accidentally spills liquid during operations before or after refilling liquid, the liquid can be absorbed by carriage 24 and waste liquid absorbing member 50A of the replaceable waste liquid recovery unit 50 below liquid supply source 17. Therefore, a recording device 11 with higher reliability can be provided even when liquid is spilled during liquid refilling.

[0186] Eighth embodiment Next, an eighth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 36. As shown in FIG. 36, a fan unit 130 including a fan 131 may be provided above a replaceable waste liquid recovery unit 50. An air-cooled fan is disposed above a waste liquid absorbing member 50A held in a waste liquid box 50B. The fan 131 is driven by, for example, the power of a maintenance device 60. The fan 131 rotates by the power from the maintenance device 60 and sends air toward the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. Since the upper surface side of the waste liquid box 50B facing the fan 131 is open, the air sent downward from the fan 131 hits the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. The air hitting the waste liquid absorbing member 50A promotes drying of the waste liquid absorbed in the waste liquid absorbing member 50A. As a result, the apparent waste liquid capacity of the absorbing member is improved.

[0187] The drive timing of the fan 131 is synchronized with the drive of the maintenance device 60, but the fan 131 may be driven directly by the power of a transport motor instead of by the power from the maintenance device 60, or may be driven by the power of a feed motor or a dedicated power source. In this way, the drive timing of the fan 131 does not necessarily need to be synchronized with the drive of the maintenance device 60. Also, the power of the fan 131 may be generated by converting part of the operating force of a user's operation of inserting and removing the cassette 20, opening and closing the cover, etc., into the rotational force of the fan 131, without using the driving force of a motor.

[0188] Ninth embodiment Next, a ninth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 37. As shown in Fig. 37, a throw-away absorbing member 70 as an example of a first absorbing member, a delivery mechanism 80 as an example of a delivery section, a waste liquid absorbing member 50A as an example of a second absorbing member, and an expanding absorbing member 90 may form a ring-shaped path capable of delivering liquid.

[0189] The throw-away absorbing member 70 may be connected to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the expanding absorbing member 90 at a location different from the delivery mechanism 80 so as to be able to deliver liquid. In the example of FIG. 37, the recording device 11 includes a first delivery mechanism 80A that delivers liquid from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the first waste liquid absorbing member 54 of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A, and a second delivery mechanism 80B that delivers liquid from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the expanding absorbing member 90. The first delivery mechanism 80A corresponds to the delivery mechanism 80 of the first embodiment, and the second delivery mechanism 80B basically has the same configuration as the delivery mechanism 80. That is, the second delivery mechanism 80B includes a first connecting absorbing member 81, a second connecting absorbing member 82, and a waste liquid guide portion 83 (see also FIG. 10 and FIG. 11).

[0190] Furthermore, the second delivery mechanism 80B may also be provided with a cutoff mechanism 85. That is, a cutoff mechanism 85 that cuts off the waste liquid being transferred from the expanding absorption member 90 to the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A may be provided. The cutoff mechanism 85 is controlled by the control unit 100, and is driven to be able to cut off the waste liquid when the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is detached.

[0191] In the example of Fig. 37, a first path is formed in which waste liquid flows from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A (first waste liquid absorbing member 54) via the first delivery mechanism 80A, and a second path is formed in which waste liquid flows from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A (second waste liquid absorbing member 56) via the connecting absorbing member 91, the expanding absorbing member 90, and the second delivery mechanism 80B. The first waste liquid absorbing member 54 and the second waste liquid absorbing member 56 are connected to each other via the connecting portion 50C so that the waste liquid can be delivered. Therefore, in the configuration shown in Fig. 37, the delivery path of the waste liquid is formed as a loop-shaped (annular) path.

[0192] Therefore, the waste liquid in the throw-away absorbing member 70 is delivered to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the first delivery mechanism 80A, and the waste liquid delivered from the throw-away absorbing member 70 to the expanding absorbing member 90 is delivered to the waste liquid absorbing member 50A via the second delivery mechanism 80B. This alleviates the situation in which the waste liquid is unevenly distributed and accumulated in the throw-away absorbing member 70 and the expanding absorbing member 90, which are absorbing members other than the replaceable waste liquid absorbing member 50A, and improves the waste liquid absorption efficiency of the entire absorbing members per recording device.

[0193] 37, the first delivery mechanism 80A may be omitted, or a third delivery mechanism having the same configuration as the delivery mechanism 80 may be provided between the second expansion absorption member 90B and the second waste liquid absorption member 56. In this way, the throw-away absorption member 70 and the waste liquid absorption member 50A may be connected at one or more points via one or more delivery parts capable of delivering waste liquid. All of the delivery parts may be provided with a blocking part, or at least one of them may not have a blocking part.

[0194] The above embodiment can be modified to the following modified examples. Further modified examples can be appropriately combined with the above embodiment and the following modified examples, or further modified examples can be appropriately combined with each other.

[0195] The connection between the throwaway absorption member 70 and the waste liquid absorption member 50A is not limited to a connection by the delivery mechanism 80, and any connection that allows the delivery of liquid will suffice. The connection may be, for example, "contact" that allows the delivery of liquid by capillary action, or it may be connection if the liquid can be delivered by dripping even when the two are separated in a non-contact state. Furthermore, the connection may be an indirect connection via an intermediary such as a delivery member as an example of a delivery section other than the delivery mechanism 80, or a connection via a flow path such as a groove, recess, gutter, or tube.

[0196] In the first and seventh embodiments, the second waste liquid recovery section 52 may be eliminated. In each embodiment, the blocking mechanism 85 may be eliminated. Since the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is replaced while recording is stopped and the flow rate of the waste liquid transferred from the disposal absorption member 70 to the waste liquid absorption member 50A is often small, contamination of the waste liquid in the apparatus main body 12 can be suppressed if the time required for replacement is short and no waste liquid drips during that time.

[0197] The first and second absorbent members may be located at the same height. For example, the bottom surface of the container that holds the first absorbent member may be inclined, and the waste liquid from the first absorbent member may flow along the inclined surface by gravity to the second absorbent member.

[0198] The second absorbent member may be located higher than the first absorbent member. A pump may be used to pump the waste liquid from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member. The waste liquid may be transferred to an upper position by using a capillary phenomenon through a groove or a porous member.

[0199] The waste liquid recovery unit 50 does not need to include the waste liquid box 50B. For example, if the side and bottom surfaces of the waste liquid absorbing member 50A are subjected to a waterproofing treatment or other treatment capable of preventing leakage of the waste liquid, a storage section such as the waste liquid box 50B for holding the waste liquid absorbing member 50A may not be necessary.

[0200] When the direction in which the transfer section extends is the insertion direction AD, the transfer section is configured to engage with the cam mechanism and rotate due to relative movement with the cam in the insertion direction AD. However, when the transfer section is configured to extend in a direction intersecting the insertion direction AD, the transfer section may be configured to rotate by engaging with a cam mechanism that moves relatively in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the transfer section.

[0201] When the transfer section has a holding section, a groove may be formed in the inner bottom surface of the holding section. The spring 145, which is an example of the biasing member in the second and third embodiments, may be a tension spring that pulls the tip of the holding portion 142 so as to bias it in the first rotation direction.

[0202] The biasing member in the second and third embodiments is not limited to the spring 145 as long as it can bias the holding portion 142 in the first rotation direction. The biasing member may be rubber, synthetic resin having elasticity, sponge (porous member), or the like.

[0203] The delivery mechanism 140 in the second and third embodiments may be configured without a biasing member. For example, the delivery unit 141 may be biased in the first rotation direction by using gravity. For example, the weight of the base end side portion of the delivery unit 141 is made heavier than the weight of the tip side portion of the delivery unit 141 from the rotation fulcrum. In this case, for example, the arm length of the base end side portion of the delivery unit 141 is made longer than the arm length of the tip side portion of the delivery unit 141 from the rotation fulcrum, or a weight portion is provided on the base end side portion of the delivery unit 141 from the rotation fulcrum to make the base end side portion heavier than the tip side portion. With such a configuration, the delivery unit 141 can be biased in the first rotation direction even without a biasing member such as the spring 145.

[0204] In the fourth embodiment, the transfer section 171 may be supported rotatably instead of being fixed to the waste liquid recovery unit 50. More specifically, the transfer section extends in the insertion direction AD while being supported rotatably on the second waste liquid box section 55, which is an example of a storage section. This transfer section includes a rotation shaft, a biasing member, a regulating section, and a cam mechanism, similar to the second transfer mechanism 140 of the second embodiment. The difference from the second embodiment is that in the second transfer mechanism of this modification, the rotation shaft, the biasing member, and the regulating section are provided on the second waste liquid box section 55 side, and the cam mechanism is provided on the device main body 12 side. When the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is inserted into the device main body 12, the transfer section 141 takes a first position (see FIG. 24) in which it is inclined downward from the expansion absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorption member 56. When the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is removed from the apparatus body 12, the delivery section 141 of the second delivery mechanism 140 switches to a third position in which the delivery section 141 is inclined downward from the expanding absorption member 90 toward the second waste liquid absorption member 56 at a greater gradient than the first position. With this configuration, waste liquid is less likely to drip from the delivery section 141 of the second delivery mechanism 140 when the waste liquid recovery unit 50 is removed, and the amount by which the delivery section 141 extends in the insertion direction AD is reduced, making the waste liquid recovery unit 50 more compact.

[0205] In the second and third embodiments, the blocking mechanism 160 as an example of a blocking unit may be driven by the power of the maintenance device 60 that forcibly discharges liquid from the discharge head 25 to the cap 61 as an example of a waste liquid receiving unit. According to this configuration, when the storage unit is inserted into the device body 12, the transfer units 141, 171 are inclined downward from the first absorbing member toward the second absorbing member. Therefore, the downwardly inclined transfer units 141, 171 can transfer liquid from the first absorbing member toward the second absorbing member by its own weight. On the other hand, when the storage unit is removed from the device body 12, the transfer units 141, 171 are changed by the power of the maintenance device 60 from the downward inclination at the time of insertion to an inclination (including horizontal) different from this downward inclination. Therefore, even without a biasing member such as the spring 145, the transfer units 141, 171 can be changed by using the power of the maintenance device 60 from a downward inclination that allows liquid to be transferred to a position that allows liquid transfer to be blocked. Therefore, when the storage unit is removed from the device body, it is possible to prevent waste liquid from leaking from the separated portion on the device body side. Note that the recording device 11 may be provided with a detection unit such as a sensor that detects the removal of the storage unit from the device body 12, and the control unit 100 may be configured to drive the maintenance device 60 when it detects the removal (pulling out) of the storage unit based on a detection signal from the detection unit. Also, the control unit 100 may be configured to drive the maintenance device 60 when a user operates the operation unit to notify the removal of the storage unit before or after removing the storage unit.

[0206] In the second and third embodiments, when the storage unit is inserted into the device body 12, the transfer sections 141, 171 may be changed from the posture (including horizontal) at the time of removal (removal) to the downward inclination at the time of insertion by using the power of the maintenance device 60. In other words, when the storage unit is inserted into the device body 12, the transfer sections 141, 171 may be changed from the inclination at the time of removal to a downward inclination that descends from the first absorbing member toward the second absorbing member by using the power of the maintenance device. With this configuration, even without the cam mechanism 150, the transfer sections 141, 171 can be changed to a downward inclination when the storage unit is inserted into the device body 12 by using the power of the maintenance device. Note that the recording device 11 may be provided with a detection section such as a sensor that detects the insertion of the storage unit into the device body 12, and the control section 100 may be configured to drive the maintenance device 60 when it detects the insertion of the storage unit based on a detection signal from the detection section. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which, after the user has inserted the container, the control unit 100 drives the maintenance device 60 when the user operates the operation unit to notify the completion of the insertion.

[0207] Both of the above two modified examples may be adopted, and the driving of the cutoff mechanism 160 when removing the storage unit from the apparatus body 12 and the change of the transfer unit to a downward inclination when inserting the storage unit into the apparatus body 12 may both be performed by the power of the maintenance device 60. Here, the driving of the cutoff mechanism 160 refers to driving to change the transfer units 141, 171 from a downward inclination to an inclination different from the downward inclination (including horizontal). Note that the driving source of the maintenance device 60 is not limited to the transport motor which is the driving source of the transport unit 40, but may be a dedicated motor.

[0208] In the second and third embodiments, the inclination (posture) of the transfer section 141, 171 in a state where the container is removed from the device body 12 may be different from the downward inclination of the transfer section 141, 171 when the container is inserted into the device body 12. The inclination of the transfer section 141, 171 is not limited to a downward inclination with a smaller gradient than the downward inclination from the first absorbing member to the second absorbing member, a horizontal inclination, or an upward inclination from the first absorbing member to the second absorbing member. In other words, the inclination of the transfer section in the state where the container is removed is not limited to an inclination that can suppress the transfer of liquid from the first absorbing member to the second absorbing member compared to when the container is inserted. The inclination of the transfer section 141, 171 may be, for example, a downward inclination with a gradient larger than the downward inclination of the transfer section 141, 171 when the container is inserted. For example, a waste liquid receiving section that receives waste liquid leaking from the tip of the transfer section 141, 171 is provided in the device body 12. The transfer section may have a steeper downward inclination than the downward inclination during insertion, so that the tip of the transfer section can be moved from a position that is not directly above the waste liquid receiving section to a position that is directly above the waste liquid receiving section. With this configuration, when the container is removed, the waste liquid dripping from the tip of the transfer section 141, 171 is received by the waste liquid receiving section, so that it is possible to prevent the surrounding components from being soiled with the waste liquid.

[0209] The transfer section may be configured with a holding section and a tube, instead of the transfer section 141, 171 of the second and third embodiments. That is, the transfer flow path is configured with a tube, and the inclination of the holding section that supports the tube is changed. This allows the inclination of the tube to be changed between a downward inclination when the storage section is in the inserted state and a different inclination (including horizontal) from the inserted state when the storage section is in the removed state.

[0210] The insertion direction AD of the waste liquid box 50B, which is an example of a storage part, into the apparatus body 12 may be the width direction X. In this case, the first delivery mechanism 80 may be configured to have tiltable delivery parts 141, 171 similar to those in the second and third embodiments.

[0211] The recording device 11 is not limited to a serial printer in which the recording unit 23 moves back and forth in the scanning direction X, but may be a lateral type printer in which the recording unit 23 can move in two directions, the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. Furthermore, the recording device 11 may be a line printer equipped with a liquid ejection head capable of ejecting liquid simultaneously over the entire width of the medium from a large number of nozzles arranged at a constant nozzle pitch over the entire width of the maximum width of the medium.

[0212] The recording device 11 does not have to be a multifunction device equipped with a reading unit, but may be a printer that has only the recording function out of the three functions of recording, copying, and scanning. The medium M is not limited to paper, but may be a flexible plastic film, fabric, nonwoven fabric, or a laminate including multiple layers of synthetic resin and metal.

[0213] The recording device 11 is not limited to a recording device that prints on a medium such as paper, but may be a textile printing machine that prints on fabric. The liquid ejection device is not limited to the recording device 11 such as a printer for printing. For example, it may be a device that ejects a liquid body in which particles of a functional material are dispersed or mixed in a liquid, and manufactures an electric wiring pattern on a substrate, which is an example of a medium, or pixels of various types of displays such as liquid crystal, EL (electroluminescence), and surface emission. It may also be a liquid ejection device for three-dimensional modeling that ejects uncured resin liquid to form a three-dimensional object. Even these liquid ejection devices may be configured to include a first absorbing member that absorbs the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head without using a maintenance device, and a second absorbing member that absorbs the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head during maintenance via a maintenance device, and the second absorbing member may be detachable from the device body.

[0214] The technical concepts understood from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below together with their effects. (A) A liquid ejection device includes an ejection head that ejects liquid onto a recording material, a support section that is disposed opposite the ejection head and supports the recording material from below, a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of the end of the recording material supported by the support section as waste liquid, a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, a second absorbing member that absorbs waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section, a storage section that holds the second absorbing member, and a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member, and when the storage section is inserted into the device body, the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbing member toward the second absorbing member, and the inclination of the transfer section when the storage section is removed from the device body is different from the inserted state. The inclination that is different from the inserted state may include horizontal.

[0215] According to this configuration, the liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of the end of the recording material supported by the support section is absorbed as waste liquid by the first absorbing member. The waste liquid absorbed by the first absorbing member is transferred from the first absorbing member to the second absorbing member. It is sufficient to replace the container section that holds the second absorbing member, which is a part of the first and second absorbing members. This makes it easy to replace the absorbing member, and prevents the surrounding parts from being soiled by the waste liquid leaking from the part separated from the absorbing member during replacement.

[0216] The connection between the first and second absorbent members is sufficient as long as it is a connection that allows for the transfer of liquid, and may be "contact" that allows for the transfer of liquid by capillary action, or it may be a connection if the members are separated in a non-contacting state and can transfer liquid through droplets of liquid, and includes an indirect connection via an intermediary such as a transfer member or transfer mechanism, and a connection via a flow path such as a groove, recess, gutter, or tube through which the liquid flows.

[0217] (B) In the liquid ejection device, the second absorbent member may be located lower than the first absorbent member. According to this configuration, the liquid can be transferred by utilizing gravity through the transfer section that is inclined downward from the first absorbing member to the second absorbing member. Therefore, the liquid can be efficiently transferred from the first absorbing member to the second absorbing member. For example, even if the second absorbing member is replaced, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a large amount of waste liquid remains in the first absorbing member and is not collected. In addition, a pump and its drive unit for transferring the liquid are not required, and even if a pump or the like is provided, it can be a small one. Therefore, the liquid can be efficiently transferred from the waste absorbing member to the waste liquid absorbing member.

[0218] (C) In the above liquid ejection device, when the storage unit is removed from the device body, the inclination of the transfer section may be a downward inclination that is smaller than the downward inclination from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member when the storage unit is inserted into the device body, or may be horizontal, or may be an upward inclination from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member.

[0219] According to this configuration, when the storage section is inserted into the device body, liquid can be transferred from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member, and when the storage section is removed from the device body, liquid can be prevented from dripping from the transfer section.

[0220] (D) The liquid ejection device may further include a blocking section that is capable of temporarily blocking the transfer of liquid by the transfer section between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member. According to this configuration, when replacing the container that holds the second absorbent member, the transfer of liquid from the first absorbent member to the second liquid absorbent member can be temporarily blocked by the blocking section, so that even if the second absorbent member is separated from the first absorbent member, the inside of the device body can be prevented from being contaminated by the liquid (waste liquid) transferred from the first absorbent member.

[0221] (E) In the above liquid ejection device, the blocking section may change the inclination of the transfer section from a downward inclination that descends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member to an upward inclination that ascends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member.

[0222] According to this configuration, when the storage section is inserted into the device body, liquid can be transferred from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member, and when the storage section is removed from the device body, dripping of liquid from the transfer section can be effectively suppressed or prevented.

[0223] (F) In the liquid ejection device, the delivery section may at least partially overlap the container section in the insertion direction when the container section is inserted into the device body.

[0224] According to this configuration, when the container is inserted into the apparatus body, it is possible to prevent the liquid from leaking out of the container when the liquid is transferred from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member. (G) The liquid ejection device may further include a cam mechanism that engages with the transfer section to change the inclination direction of the transfer section during the process of inserting or removing the container section.

[0225] According to this configuration, the tilt direction of the transfer section can be changed with a simple configuration without a drive source during the process of inserting or removing the storage section. (H) In the liquid ejection device, the delivery section may be biased in a direction from an inclination at the time of insertion of the container section to an inclination at the time of removal of the container section.

[0226] According to this configuration, when the storage section is removed, the inclination of the delivery section can be reliably changed to the inclination for removal. (I) In the above liquid ejection device, the inner bottom surface of the delivery section may have a groove.

[0227] According to this configuration, the liquid can be smoothly delivered by the delivery section. (J) The liquid ejection device may further include a maintenance device that forcibly ejects liquid from the ejection head into the waste liquid receiving section, and the blocking section may be driven by the power of the maintenance device.

[0228] According to this configuration, since the breaker unit is driven using the power of the maintenance device, the user does not need to manually switch the breaker unit between break and connection. For example, the user can switch the breaker unit between break and connection using the power of the maintenance device by operating an operation switch.

[0229] (K) In the above liquid ejection device, a maintenance device may be provided which forcibly ejects liquid from the ejection head into the waste liquid receiving section, and when the storage section is inserted into the device body, the power of the maintenance device may be used to change the transfer section from the different inclined position when in the detached state to a downward inclination that descends from the first absorption member toward the second absorption member.

[0230] According to this configuration, even without providing a mechanism such as a cam mechanism, the transfer section can be changed to a downward incline by utilizing the power of the maintenance device when the storage section is inserted into the device body.

[0231] (L) In the above liquid ejection device, the first absorbing member includes a portion that absorbs liquid discarded from the ejection head as waste liquid, and an expandable absorbing member that is connected to the portion so as to be capable of transferring liquid therebetween; The transfer section may transfer liquid between the expansion absorbent member and the second absorbent member.

[0232] According to this configuration, the provision of the expanding absorbent member increases the waste liquid absorption capacity of the entire absorbent member per recording device, thereby reducing the frequency of replacing the second absorbent member. In addition, the delivery section delivers liquid between the expanding absorbent member and the second absorbent member, so that the liquid that is discarded from the ejection head and then delivered to the expanding absorbent member can be prevented from accumulating in the expanding absorbent member.

[0233] (M) In the liquid ejection device, the delivery section may be configured to be able to deliver liquid when the container section is inserted into the device body. According to this configuration, when the storage section is inserted into the device body, the transfer section can transfer liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member, thereby improving the efficiency of the entire absorbent member in absorbing waste liquid.

[0234] (N) The above liquid ejection device may further include a substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and the second absorbing member and the substrate may be disposed opposite each other with the first absorbing member interposed therebetween. With this configuration, even if liquid (waste liquid) such as ink leaks from the second absorbing member, the leaked waste liquid can be prevented from getting on the substrate. Note that, since the first absorbing member absorbs a smaller amount of liquid than the second absorbing member, it is preferable that the second absorbing member is positioned farther from the substrate than the first absorbing member.

[0235] (O) The above liquid ejection device may further include a liquid supply source that supplies liquid to the ejection head, and a maintenance device that forcibly discharges liquid from the ejection head into the waste liquid receiving section, and the second absorption member may be disposed below the maintenance device or the liquid supply source.

[0236] According to this configuration, the second absorbing member can absorb waste liquid that falls downward from the maintenance device when cleaning the ejection head, or when replacing the liquid supply source or refilling the liquid supply source with liquid, thereby preventing contamination of the liquid ejection device by waste liquid.

[0237] (P) The above liquid ejection device may further include a liquid supply source that supplies liquid to the ejection head, and a maintenance device that forcibly discharges liquid from the ejection head into the waste liquid receiving section, and the second absorbing member may have the function of absorbing liquid splashed from the maintenance device or the liquid supply source.

[0238] According to this configuration, the liquid scattered from the maintenance device or the liquid supply source can be absorbed by the second absorbing member, thereby making it possible to prevent contamination of the liquid ejection device with waste liquid. (Q) The above liquid ejection device may further include a cassette that stores the recording material at a position below the ejection head, and a first feeding section that feeds the recording material stored in the cassette one sheet at a time toward the recording position of the ejection head, and the second absorbing member may be positioned below and partially overlapping the first feeding section.

[0239] According to this configuration, the size of the liquid ejection device can be reduced. (R) In the above liquid ejection device, a second feeding section may be provided which feeds the recording material towards the recording position of the ejection head without passing through an inversion section, and the second absorbing member may be arranged overlapping below the second feeding section.

[0240] According to this configuration, the size of the liquid ejection device can be reduced. (S) The above liquid ejection device may further include an inversion section that switches back and transports the recording material, after recording on a first side has been completed by the ejection head, upstream of the ejection head in the transport direction, and inverts the recording material so that a second side, which is the side opposite to the first side, can face the ejection head, and the second absorbing member may be positioned below and partially overlapping the inversion section.

[0241] According to this configuration, the size of the liquid ejection device can be reduced. (T) The above liquid ejection device may further include a power supply unit that supplies power to the ejection head, and the second absorption member and the power supply unit may be disposed opposite each other with the first absorption member interposed therebetween.

[0242] With this configuration, since the second absorption member and the power supply unit are components that occupy a large amount of space inside the recording device, by disposing them separately on either side of the first absorption member inside the recording device, it is possible to optimize the component layout of the entire recording device, thereby realizing a compact recording device.

[0243] (U) In the above liquid discharge device, the bottom surface of the container that holds the first absorbent member may be inclined downward in a direction toward the second absorbent member. With this configuration, the slope of the bottom surface of the storage section makes it easier for the waste liquid absorbed in the first absorbent member to flow toward the second absorbent member, making it easier for the waste liquid to be transferred from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member compared to a configuration in which the bottom surface of the storage section is horizontal.

[0244] (V) In the above liquid ejection device, the storage section that stores the second absorbent member has a needle-shaped connecting portion connected to a tip end of a tube that is connected to a maintenance device and a connectable portion that can be connected to the needle-shaped connecting portion, and the storage section may have a splash prevention wall above the tip end on the same side as the connectable portion.

[0245] According to this configuration, even if bubbles of waste liquid generated at the tip of the needle-shaped joint burst when the waste liquid box is attached or detached, the scattering of the burst waste liquid can be prevented by the scattering prevention wall. (W) In the liquid discharge device, a tip of the connecting portion connected to the connected portion may be in partial contact with the second absorbent member.

[0246] According to this configuration, the generation of air bubbles in the waste liquid can be suppressed at the tip of the connecting portion when the waste liquid box is attached or detached. (X) The above liquid ejection device may further include a cover that covers the storage section inserted into the device body, and a biasing member that is provided between the storage section and the cover and biases the storage section in the insertion direction when the cover is closed.

[0247] According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the waste liquid box from being partially inserted when attaching or detaching it. (Y) A waste liquid recovery unit is a waste liquid recovery unit that is detachably inserted into a device body of a liquid ejection device that includes a support section that supports a recording material, an ejection head that ejects liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of an end of the recording material supported by the support section, and a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, and the waste liquid recovery unit includes a second absorbing member that absorbs the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section, a storage section that holds the second absorbing member, and the and a transfer section for transferring liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member, and when the container is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to be able to absorb waste liquid from the waste liquid receiving section, and the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, and when the container is removed from the device body, the second absorbent member is released from the connection capable of absorbing waste liquid from the waste liquid receiving section, and the inclination of the transfer section is different from the state when the container is inserted into the device body. The inclination different from the inserted state may include horizontal. With this configuration, the same effect as the liquid ejection device described above can be obtained.

[0248] (Z) A waste liquid recovery method for recovering waste liquid in a liquid ejection device including a support section for supporting a recording material, an ejection head for ejecting liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member for absorbing liquid discharged from the ejection head onto the outer side of an end of the recording material supported by the support section, a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from a waste liquid receiving section for receiving the liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, a storage section for holding the second absorbing member, and a transfer section for transferring liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member, a portion detachably provided on an apparatus body, and when the storage portion is inserted into the apparatus body, the second absorbent member is connected to a waste liquid flow path so as to be able to absorb waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion, and the transfer portion is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, and when the storage portion is removed from the apparatus body, the second absorbent member is disconnected from the waste liquid flow path of the waste liquid receiving portion, and the transfer portion is changed from the downward inclination in a state in which the storage portion is inserted into the apparatus body to an inclination different from the downward inclination. The inclination different from the inserted state may include horizontal. According to this method, the same action and effect as the liquid ejection device described above can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0249] 11...recording device as an example of a liquid ejection device, 12...device body, 13...cover, 14...display unit, 15...power button, 17...liquid supply source, 18...window unit, 19...cassette cover, 20...cassette, 21...feed cover, 22...feed tray, 22A...main support member, 22B...sub-support member, 23...recording unit, 24...carriage, 25...ejection head, 26...support unit, 27...support guide member, 28...waste liquid box cover, 28A...screw, 28B...leaf spring as an example of a biasing member, 30...image reading device (scanner), 34...movement mechanism, 35...main frame, 35A...guide rail, 34A...timing belt, 36...carriage motor, 37...linear encoder, 39...liquid supply tube bundle, 39A...liquid supply tube, 40...transport section, 41...first feeding section, 42...second feeding section, 44...pickup roller 44, 46...stacker, 48...pair of transport rollers, 49...pair of discharge rollers, 50...waste liquid recovery unit, 50A...waste liquid absorbing member as an example of a second absorbing member, 50B...waste liquid box as an example of a storage section, 50C...connection section, 51...first waste liquid recovery section, 52...second waste liquid recovery section, 53...first Storage section, 54...first waste liquid absorbing member, 55...second waste liquid box section, 55A...opening, 55B...space, 55C...mounting hole, 56...second waste liquid absorbing member constituting an example of the first absorbing member, 57...connected section, 59...scattering prevention wall, 60...maintenance device, 61...cap as an example of a liquid receiving section, 62...wiper, 63...suction pump, 64...waste liquid tube as an example of a tube, 65...carriage lock member, 66...connecting section, 66A...tip, 66B...waste liquid flow path, 70...disposal absorbing member as an example of the first absorbing member, 71...storage section, 71A...bottom surface, 72...lower layer absorption member, 73...surface layer absorbent member, 73A...connection portion, 75...power supply unit, 76...main board as an example of a board, 80...delivery mechanism (first delivery mechanism) as an example of a delivery portion, 80A...first delivery mechanism as an example of a delivery portion, 80B...second delivery mechanism as an example of a delivery portion, 81...first connecting and absorbing member, 81A...holding portion, 82...second connecting and absorbing member, 82A...holding portion, 83...waste liquid guide portion, 83A...inclined surface, 85...blocking mechanism as an example of a blocking portion, 87...slide gear, 90...expanding absorbing member constituting an example of a first absorbing member, 90A...first expanding absorbing member,90B...second expansion absorption member, 91...connection absorption member, 92...support portion, 92A...recess, 93...bottom plate portion, 93A...guide portion, 94...regulating portion, 95...guide portion, 100...control portion constituting an example of an electronic component, 111...waste liquid box as an example of a storage portion, 112...waste liquid absorption member as an example of a second absorption member, 121...waste liquid box as an example of a storage portion, 122...waste liquid absorption member as an example of a second absorption member, 130...fan unit, 131...fan, 140...delivery mechanism, 141...delivery portion, 142...holding portion, 142A...cam follower surface, 142B... inner bottom surface, 142C... groove, 142D... V groove, 142S... side portion, 143... absorbing member, 144... pivot shaft, 145... spring, 150... cam mechanism, 151... cam portion, 151A... cam surface, 160... blocking mechanism as an example of a blocking portion, 170... second delivery mechanism, 171... delivery portion, 172... holding portion, 173... absorbing member, OL... overlapping area, AD... insertion direction, -AD... removal direction, M... medium as an example of a recording member, HP... home position, AH... anti-home position, X... width direction X (scanning direction), Y... transport direction (depth direction), Z... vertical direction.

Claims

1. An ejection head that ejects liquid onto a recording material; a support portion that is provided opposite the ejection head and supports the recording material from below; a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of the end of the recording material supported by the support portion as waste liquid; a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid; a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion; A storage section for holding the second absorbent member; a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member; having A liquid ejection device characterized in that, when the storage unit is inserted into the device body, the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member, and the inclination of the transfer section when the storage unit is removed from the device body is different from the inserted state, and is either a downward inclination that is smaller than the downward inclination from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member when the storage unit is inserted into the device body, horizontal, or an upward inclination from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member.

2. An ejection head that ejects liquid onto a recording material; a support portion that is provided opposite the ejection head and supports the recording material from below; a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of the end of the recording material supported by the support portion as waste liquid; a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid; a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion; A storage section for holding the second absorbent member; a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member; a maintenance device that forcibly discharges liquid from the ejection head into the waste liquid receiving section; having When the storage unit is inserted into the device body, the delivery section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, and when the storage unit is removed from the device body, the inclination of the delivery section is different from that of the inserted state, A liquid ejection device characterized in that, when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, the power of the maintenance device is used to change the transfer section from the different inclined position when in a detached state to a downward inclination that descends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member.

3. An ejection head that ejects liquid onto a recording material; a support portion that is provided opposite the ejection head and supports the recording material from below; a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of the end of the recording material supported by the support portion as waste liquid; a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid; a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion; A storage section for holding the second absorbent member; a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member; a blocking portion capable of temporarily blocking the transfer of liquid through the transfer portion between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member, When the storage unit is inserted into the device body, the delivery section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, and when the storage unit is removed from the device body, the inclination of the delivery section is different from that of the inserted state, A liquid ejection device characterized in that the blocking section changes the inclination of the transfer section from a downward inclination that descends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member to an upward inclination that ascends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member.

4. a maintenance device for forcibly discharging liquid from the ejection head to the waste liquid receiving section, The liquid ejection device according to claim 3 , wherein the blocking portion is driven by using the power of the maintenance device.

5. An ejection head that ejects liquid onto a recording material; a support portion that is provided opposite the ejection head and supports the recording material from below; a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of the end of the recording material supported by the support portion as waste liquid; a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid; a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion; A storage section for holding the second absorbent member; a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member; A waste liquid receiving section for receiving waste liquid; having A liquid ejection device characterized in that, when the storage unit is inserted into the device body, the transfer section has a downward slope from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member, and the slope of the transfer section when the storage unit is removed from the device body is different from the inserted state, and is a downward slope that is greater than the downward slope from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member when the storage unit is inserted into the device body, and is an inclination such that the tip of the transfer section is located above the waste liquid receiving section.

6. 6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the second absorbing member is positioned lower than the first absorbing member.

7. A liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, the transfer section overlaps at least in part with the storage section in the insertion direction.

8. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a cam mechanism that engages with the transfer section to change the inclination direction of the transfer section during the insertion or removal process of the storage section.

9. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the delivery section is biased in a direction from an inclination of the container section when the container section is inserted to an inclination of the container section when the container section is removed.

10. 10. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the inner bottom surface of the delivery section has a groove.

11. the first absorbing member includes a portion that absorbs the liquid discarded from the ejection head as waste liquid, and an expanding absorbing member that is connected to the portion so as to be capable of transferring the liquid therebetween; 11. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the delivery section delivers the liquid between the expansion absorbent member and the second absorbent member.

12. 12. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the delivery section is configured to be able to deliver the liquid when the container section is inserted into the device body.

13. A substrate on which electronic components are mounted, 13. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the second absorbing member and the substrate are disposed opposite each other with the first absorbing member interposed therebetween.

14. a liquid supply source that supplies liquid to the ejection head; a maintenance device for forcibly discharging liquid from the ejection head to the waste liquid receiving section, 14. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the second absorbing member is disposed below the maintenance device or the liquid supply source.

15. a liquid supply source that supplies liquid to the ejection head; a maintenance device for forcibly discharging liquid from the ejection head to the waste liquid receiving section, 15. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the second absorbing member has a function of absorbing liquid scattered from the maintenance device or the liquid supply source.

16. a cassette that accommodates the recording material at a position below the ejection head; a first feeding section that feeds the recording material contained in the cassette one by one toward a recording position of the ejection head, The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the second absorbing member is disposed below the first feeding portion so as to partially overlap the first feeding portion.

17. a second feeding section that feeds the recording material toward a recording position of the ejection head without passing through a reversing section; The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the second absorbing member is disposed below the second feeding portion so as to overlap the second absorbing member.

18. a reversing unit that switches back and conveys the recording material, the first side of which has been recorded by the discharge head, to the upstream side of the discharge head in a conveying direction, and reverses the recording material so that a second side, which is a side opposite to the first side, can face the discharge head; 18. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the second absorbing member is disposed below the inverted portion so as to partially overlap the inverted portion.

19. a power supply unit for supplying power to the ejection head; 19. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the second absorbing member and the power supply unit are disposed opposite each other with the first absorbing member interposed therebetween.

20. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that a bottom surface of a container that holds the first absorbing member is inclined downward in a direction toward the second absorbing member.

21. The housing portion has a coupling portion that can be coupled to a coupling portion that is connected to a tip end portion of a tube that is connected to a maintenance device; 21. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, further comprising a splash prevention wall provided above the tip portion on the same side as the coupled portion.

22. The liquid ejection device according to claim 21 , wherein a tip of the connecting portion connected to the connected portion is in partial contact with the second absorbing member.

23. a cover for covering the storage unit, the cover being inserted into the device body; A liquid ejection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that it is provided with a biasing member provided between the storage portion and the cover, which biases the storage portion in an insertion direction when the cover is closed.

24. A waste liquid recovery unit is detachably inserted into a main body of a liquid ejection device, the waste liquid recovery unit being provided with a support section for supporting a recording material, an ejection head for ejecting liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member for absorbing liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of an end of the recording material supported by the support section, and a waste liquid receiving section for receiving liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, The waste liquid recovery unit includes: a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion; A storage section for holding the second absorbent member; a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member; Equipped with When the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to the waste liquid receiving section so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid, and the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, A waste liquid recovery unit characterized in that, when the storage section is removed from the device main body, the second absorbent member is released from the connection that allows it to absorb waste liquid from the waste liquid receiving section, and the inclination of the transfer section is different from the state when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, and is either a downward inclination that is smaller than the downward inclination from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, horizontal, or an upward inclination from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member.

25. A waste liquid recovery unit is detachably inserted into a main body of a liquid ejection device, the waste liquid recovery unit being provided with: a support section for supporting a recording material; an ejection head for ejecting liquid onto the recording material; a first absorbing member for absorbing liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of an end of the recording material supported by the support section; a waste liquid receiving section for receiving liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid; and a maintenance device for forcibly discharging liquid from the ejection head into the waste liquid receiving section, The waste liquid recovery unit includes: a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion; A storage section for holding the second absorbent member; a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member; Equipped with When the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to the waste liquid receiving section so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid, and the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, When the storage unit is removed from the device body, the second absorbent member is released from the connection capable of absorbing the waste liquid from the waste liquid receiving unit, and the inclination of the delivery unit is different from that of the storage unit when the storage unit is inserted into the device body. A waste liquid recovery unit characterized in that, when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, the power of the maintenance device is used to change the transfer section from the different inclined position when in the detached state to a downward inclination that descends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member.

26. A waste liquid recovery unit is detachably inserted into a main body of a liquid ejection device, the waste liquid recovery unit being provided with a support section for supporting a recording material, an ejection head for ejecting liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member for absorbing liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of an end of the recording material supported by the support section, and a waste liquid receiving section for receiving liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, The waste liquid recovery unit includes: a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion; A storage section for holding the second absorbent member; a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member; a blocking part capable of temporarily blocking the delivery of liquid by the delivery part; Equipped with When the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to the waste liquid receiving section so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid, and the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, When the storage unit is removed from the device body, the second absorbent member is released from the connection capable of absorbing the waste liquid from the waste liquid receiving unit, and the inclination of the delivery unit is different from that of the storage unit when the storage unit is inserted into the device body. A waste liquid recovery unit characterized in that the blocking section changes the inclination of the transfer section from a downward inclination that descends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member to an upward inclination that ascends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member.

27. A waste liquid recovery unit detachably attached to a main body of a liquid ejection device, the waste liquid recovery unit comprising: a support section for supporting a recording material; an ejection head for ejecting liquid onto the recording material; a first absorbing member for absorbing liquid discharged from the ejection head to the outside of an end of the recording material supported by the support section; a waste liquid receiving section for receiving liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid; and a waste liquid receiving section for receiving the waste liquid, The waste liquid recovery unit includes: a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving portion; A storage section for holding the second absorbent member; a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbent member and the second absorbent member; Equipped with When the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to the waste liquid receiving section so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid, and the transfer section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member, A waste liquid recovery unit characterized in that, when the storage section is removed from the device main body, the second absorbent member is released from the connection that allows it to absorb waste liquid from the waste liquid receiving section, and the inclination of the transfer section is different from the state when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, and is a downward inclination that is greater than the downward inclination from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, and is an inclination such that the tip of the transfer section is positioned above the waste liquid receiving section.

28. A waste liquid recovery method for recovering waste liquid in a liquid ejection device including a support section for supporting a recording material, an ejection head for ejecting liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member for absorbing liquid discharged from the ejection head onto an outer side of an end of the recording material supported by the support section, a second absorbing member for absorbing the waste liquid sent from a waste liquid receiving section for receiving liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, a container section for holding the second absorbing member, and a transfer section for transferring liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member, The storage unit is provided detachably with respect to the device body, When the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to a waste liquid flow path so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section, and the delivery section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member; a waste liquid recovery method characterized by including the step of: when the storage section is removed from the device main body, the second absorbent member is disconnected from the waste liquid flow path of the waste liquid receiving section, and the transfer section is changed from the downward inclination it had when the storage section was inserted into the device main body to a different inclination, either a downward inclination with a smaller gradient than the downward inclination, horizontal, or an upward inclination from the first absorbent member to the second absorbent member.

29. a liquid ejection device that includes a support section that supports a recording material, an ejection head that ejects liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discarded from the ejection head outside an end of the recording material supported by the support section, a second absorbing member that absorbs the waste liquid sent from a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, a container section that holds the second absorbing member, a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member, and a maintenance device that forcibly ejects liquid from the ejection head into the waste liquid receiving section, The storage unit is provided detachably with respect to the device body, When the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to a waste liquid flow path so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section, and the delivery section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member; when the storage unit is removed from the device body, the second absorbent member is disconnected from the waste liquid flow path of the waste liquid receiving unit, and the transfer unit is changed from a downward inclination in a state in which the storage unit is inserted into the device body to an inclination different from the downward inclination, A waste liquid recovery method characterized by including, when the storage section is inserted into the device main body, using the power of the maintenance device to change the transfer section from the different inclined position when it is in a detached state to a downward inclination that descends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member.

30. a liquid ejection device that includes a support section that supports a recording material, an ejection head that ejects liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head onto the outside of an end of the recording material supported by the support section, a second absorbing member that absorbs the waste liquid sent from a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, a storage section that holds the second absorbing member, a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member, and a blocking section that can temporarily block the transfer of liquid by the transfer section between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member, The storage unit is provided detachably with respect to the device body, When the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to a waste liquid flow path so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section, and the delivery section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member; When the storage unit is removed from the device body, the second absorbent member is disconnected from the waste liquid flow path of the waste liquid receiving unit, and the transfer unit is changed from a downward inclination in a state in which the storage unit is inserted into the device body to an inclination different from the downward inclination. A waste liquid recovery method characterized in that the blocking section changes the inclination of the transfer section from a downward inclination that descends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member to an upward inclination that ascends from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member.

31. a liquid ejection device that includes a support section that supports a recording material, an ejection head that ejects liquid onto the recording material, a first absorbing member that absorbs liquid discharged from the ejection head onto the outside of an end of the recording material supported by the support section, a second absorbing member that absorbs the waste liquid sent from a waste liquid receiving section that receives liquid discharged from the ejection head as waste liquid, a container section that holds the second absorbing member, a transfer section that transfers liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member, and a waste liquid receiving section that receives the waste liquid, The storage unit is provided detachably with respect to the device body, When the storage section is inserted into the device body, the second absorbent member is connected to a waste liquid flow path so as to be able to absorb the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section, and the delivery section is inclined downward from the first absorbent member toward the second absorbent member; a waste liquid recovery method characterized by including the steps of: when the storage section is removed from the device body, the second absorbent member is disconnected from the waste liquid flow path of the waste liquid receiving section, and the transfer section is changed from a downward inclination when the storage section is inserted into the device body to a downward inclination different from and greater than the downward inclination when the storage section is inserted into the device body, and the tip of the transfer section is positioned above the waste liquid receiving section.

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