Liquid jet device

Abstract

To provide a liquid jet device which enables improvement of workability during replacement of a waste liquid storage body while minimizing enlargement of the liquid jet device as much as possible.SOLUTION: A liquid jet device 11 includes: a transport part 42 which transports a medium in a transport direction Y1; a liquid jet head which jets a liquid to the medium; a carriage 51 supporting the liquid jet head; a liquid storage container which stores the liquid supplied to the liquid jet head; and a discharge part 43 which discharges the medium to which the liquid is jetted. Further, the liquid jet device 11 includes a holding part 73 which holds a waste liquid box 71 (one example of a waste liquid storage body) which can store the liquid discharged from the liquid jet head as a waste liquid. The holding part 73 is disposed at a position at the downstream side of the carriage 51 in the transport direction and above the discharge part 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid injection device including a liquid injection head that injects a liquid onto a medium, and a waste liquid container that stores the liquid discharged from the liquid injection head as waste liquid.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a multifunction machine (an example of a liquid injection device) including a recording unit having a liquid injection head. This multifunction machine includes a transport mechanism that transports a medium such as recording paper, and prints on the transported medium by discharging a liquid such as ink from the liquid injection head. The multifunction machine is provided with a waste liquid absorption member that absorbs the ink waste liquid discharged from the nozzles of the liquid injection head during maintenance work by a maintenance device behind the recording unit. That is, in this multifunction machine, the waste liquid absorption member is disposed on the back side inside the housing. Note that the waste liquid absorption member may be disposed as a waste liquid container housed in a container in order to prevent waste liquid leakage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in a liquid injection device such as the above-described multifunction machine, there is a problem that the workability of replacing the waste liquid container is poor in that the waste liquid container is disposed at the rear of the housing. For example, when the liquid injection device is installed with its back against a wall, it is necessary to change the orientation of the liquid injection device or move the liquid injection device in order to secure a work space for replacing the waste liquid container, and the workability during replacement of the waste liquid container is poor. Therefore, it is desired that the workability during replacement of the waste liquid container be good. On the other hand, there is also a desire to avoid increasing the size of the liquid injection device as much as possible.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The liquid injection device for solving the above problems includes a conveyance unit that conveys a medium in a conveyance direction, a liquid injection head that injects liquid onto the medium, a head support unit that supports the liquid injection head, a liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid injection head, a discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been injected, and a holding unit that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid injection head as waste liquid. The holding unit is disposed at a position downstream of the head support unit in the conveyance direction and above the discharge unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 7

Figure 8

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Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a liquid ejection device will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, assuming that the liquid ejection device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, three virtual axes orthogonal to each other are defined as the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. The X-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the scanning direction of a liquid ejection head described later, and the Y-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the conveyance direction of a medium during printing. Further, the Z-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the vertical direction Z1. One direction parallel to the Y-axis is the conveyance direction Y1 of the medium during printing. Note that, on the Y-axis, the surface of the housing 12 on the side where an operation panel described later is disposed is also referred to as the front surface, and the surface on the side opposite to the front surface is also referred to as the back surface.

[0008] The liquid ejection device 11 shown in FIG. 1 is a serial printing type inkjet printer. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 11 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 12 and an openable and closable cover 13 that covers an opening 12A at the upper part of the housing 12. The cover 13 is provided so as to be openable and closable about a rotation axis (not shown) located on the back side thereof between a closed state in which the opening 12A (see FIG. 2) of the housing 12 is covered and an open state in which the opening 12A of the housing 12 is opened. The liquid ejection device 11 is, for example, a multifunction machine, and includes a printing unit 20 that occupies most of the housing 12 and a reading unit 30 that is constituted by the upper end portion of the housing 12 and the cover 13.

[0009] In a recess 14 provided at the lower front portion of the housing 12, a cassette 21 for storing a recording medium M such as paper (hereinafter also simply referred to as "medium M") is detachably inserted. A plurality of media M are accommodated in the cassette 21. At the center of the front surface of each cassette 21, an operation portion 21A is provided for the user to hook a finger and perform attachment and detachment. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the cassettes 21 are provided in two rows arranged in the vertical direction Z1. The number of cassettes 21 may be one or a plurality of three or more.

[0010] At an upper position of the cassette 21 in the housing 12, a discharge port 15 through which the printed medium M is discharged is open. Between the discharge port 15 and the cassette 21, a telescopic multi-stage discharge tray 22 is provided. The discharge tray 22 is used in a state of being extended downstream in the conveyance direction Y1, and the printed medium M discharged from the discharge port 15 is loaded on the discharge tray 22. Further, an operation panel 24 is provided at an upper position of the discharge port 15 in the housing 12. The operation panel 24 includes an operation portion 25 composed of a plurality of switches operated when the user gives an instruction to the liquid ejection device 11, and a display portion 26 on which menus and various messages are displayed. The operation portion 25 includes a power switch 25A and selection switches and the like. Here, the display portion 26 may be configured by a touch panel, and in that case, the operation function of the display portion 26 may also serve as a part of the operation portion 25. In the drawing, one direction parallel to the X axis is defined as the first scanning direction X1, and the direction opposite to the first scanning direction X1 is defined as the second scanning direction X2.

[0011] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the cover 13 is constituted by the reading unit 30 in this example. The reading unit 30 includes a platen cover 31. An automatic document feeder 32 (Auto Document Feeder) having a document tray 33 on which a plurality of documents can be placed is equipped above the platen cover 31. The reading unit 30 has a sheet feeder type scanner function of feeding and reading the document D positioned in the width direction by the edge guide 33A one by one from the document tray 33, and a flatbed type scanner function of reading the document D placed on the platen exposed when the platen cover 31 is opened. The document D read one by one by the reading unit 30 with the sheet feeder type scanner function is stacked on the discharge tray 31A on the platen cover 31.

[0012] Such a multifunction device, the liquid injection device 11, in addition to the printing function of printing on the medium M by the inkjet method, has a scanner function of the reading unit 30 reading the document D, and a copy printing function of printing the image of the document D read by the reading unit 30 on the medium M.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid supply unit 27 is provided at one end of the front portion of the housing 12. A plurality of liquid storage containers 28 (see also FIG. 2) for storing liquids such as ink are stored in the liquid supply unit 27. The plurality of liquid storage containers 28 store inks of different colors such as black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, for example. The liquid stored in the liquid storage container 28 is used for the liquid injection device 11 to inject and print on the medium M. The liquid supply unit 27 has a plurality of window portions 27A on the front surface through which the liquid volume of each liquid storage container 28 can be visually recognized. The liquid storage container 28 is an ink tank, for example.

[0014] The liquid supply unit 27 has an openable lid 27B at the top. For example, when the user sees through the window 27A that the liquid level is low, the user opens the lid 27B and replenishes the liquid supply port of the liquid storage container 28 by injecting a liquid such as ink from, for example, an ink bottle (both not shown). Note that the liquid storage container 28 is not limited to an injection type into which liquid can be injected, and may be a replaceable ink cartridge or ink pack.

[0015] A carriage unit 50 that can reciprocate along the X-axis is provided in the housing 12. The carriage unit 50 includes a carriage 51 that is supported so as to be able to reciprocate along the X-axis, and a liquid injection head 52 that is mounted on the carriage 51 and injects liquid onto the medium M. The carriage 51 of the present embodiment constitutes an example of a head support portion that supports the liquid injection head 52. The carriage unit 50 is of a so-called off-carriage type that receives liquid supply from a liquid storage container 28 disposed at a position different from the carriage 51. Further, a waste liquid unit 70 is disposed in the housing 12 at a position corresponding to the back surface of the operation panel 24. The waste liquid unit 70 collects, as waste liquid, liquid such as ink that has been injected or discharged from the liquid injection head 52 for purposes other than printing. The waste liquid unit 70 includes a detachable waste liquid box 71 as an example of a waste liquid container. The liquid injection device 11 includes a control unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 that controls the printing unit 20 and the reading unit 30. In the present embodiment, the control unit 100 is disposed at an end position near the standby position of the carriage unit 50 shown in FIG. 1 in the direction along the X-axis within the housing 12, but may be disposed at an end position on the opposite side of the standby position.

[0016] FIGS. 2 and 3 show the liquid injection device 11 with the reading unit 30 opened. FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the liquid injection device 11 with the housing 12 removed. As shown in FIG. 2, when the reading unit 30 is opened, the carriage unit 50, the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50, the waste liquid unit 70, etc. are exposed. Further, the support base 16 is exposed at the bottom on the back side through the space of the scanning area SA. A long front member 23 extending along the X-axis is disposed at a position facing the back surface of the operation panel 24 inside the housing 12. The waste liquid unit 70 has a detachable waste liquid box 71. The waste liquid box 71 can store the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 52 as waste liquid. The waste liquid box 71 is mounted in a state where its upper end surface 71A is exposed from the opening 23A of the front member 23. The upper surface 23B of the front member 23 serves as a receiving surface for receiving the reading unit 30 when the cover 13 is closed.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the width central region inside the housing 12 is a conveyance region FA where the medium M supplied from the cassette 21 is conveyed. The liquid ejection device 11 includes a conveyance mechanism 40 that is responsible for feeding the medium M from the cassette 21, conveying the fed medium M in the conveyance direction Y1, and discharging the medium M after printing. The conveyance mechanism 40 includes a feeding unit 41 that feeds the medium M from the cassette 21 one by one at the rear of the liquid ejection device 11, a conveyance unit 42 that conveys the medium M in the conveyance direction Y1, and a discharging unit 43 that discharges the medium M after printing on which liquid has been ejected. The conveyance unit 42 conveys the medium M fed by the feeding unit 41 to a position upstream of the printing region PA facing the liquid ejection head 52 during scanning in the conveyance direction Y1. The discharging unit 43 discharges the medium M after printing at a position downstream of the printing region facing the liquid ejection head 52 during scanning in the conveyance direction Y1.

[0018] The feeding unit 41 includes a pickup roller 41A that feeds out the uppermost sheet of the media M stored in each cassette 21, and an intermediate roller 44 (both shown in FIG. 7) that inverts the fed media M by conveying it along the outer periphery. The feeding unit 41 conveys the media M fed rearward from the cassette 21 by the rotation of the pickup roller 41A along the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 44 and then conveys it in the conveying direction Y1. In the conveying area FA, the above-described support base 16 that supports the media M to be printed by the carriage unit 50 is arranged. The conveying unit 42 includes a pair of conveying rollers 45 that convey the media M in the conveying direction Y1 along the conveying path.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage unit 50 is supported so as to be movable along the X-axis by being guided by the first guide member 17 and the second guide member 18, respectively. The carriage unit 50 reciprocates in the scanning directions X1 and X2 along each guide member 17, 18.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, behind one end of the movement path of the carriage unit 50 in the liquid ejection device 11, a carriage motor 53 that is a drive source of the carriage unit 50 is disposed. The driving force of the carriage motor 53 is transmitted to the carriage unit 50 via an endless timing belt 54. The timing belt 54 is wound around a pair of pulleys (not shown) and stretched along the first guide member 17 so as to extend along the X-axis. One of the pulleys is connected to the output shaft of the carriage motor 53. When the carriage motor 53 is driven forward, the carriage unit 50 moves forward in the first scanning direction X1, and when the carriage motor 53 is driven in reverse, the carriage unit 50 moves backward in the second scanning direction X2. The carriage 51 is capable of reciprocating in the scanning directions X1 and X2 that intersect the conveying direction Y1.

[0021] In FIGS. 2 and 3, the carriage unit 50 is located at the home position HP (home position), which is a standby position for waiting during non-printing when no printing is performed on the medium M. As shown in FIG. 2, in this example, the end portion in the second scanning direction X2 when the carriage unit 50 is at the end portion on the opposite side of the arrangement position of the liquid supply unit 27 becomes the home position HP. The position of the end portion on the side opposite to the home position HP on the X-axis is the anti-home position AH of the carriage 51 (see also FIG. 7). When printing on the medium M, the carriage 51 reciprocates within the printable area corresponding to the width of the medium M within the movable range between the home position HP and the anti-home position AH.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the liquid storage container 28 can store the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head 52 (see FIG. 3) and is arranged at a position different from the carriage 51. In this example, the liquid storage container 28 for supplying liquid to the carriage unit 50 is arranged at the end portion on the anti-home position AH side opposite to the home position HP of the carriage unit 50. The liquid ejection device 11 is connected to the carriage 51 and includes a tube 61 through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 28 to the liquid ejection head 52 passes. The tube 61 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material having flexibility.

[0023] The liquid supply unit 27 has a mounting portion 29 having a supply pipe (not shown) into which the liquid storage container 28 is inserted. One end of the tube 61 connected to the mounting portion 29 is routed along the X-axis in the downstream area in the conveyance direction Y1 from the movement path of the carriage unit 50, and the other end is connected to the carriage unit 50. In this way, the plurality of liquid storage containers 28 and the carriage 51 are connected through the corresponding plurality of tubes 61. The plurality of tubes 61 are routed as a tube bundle 60 held in a state of being arranged in a row in the vertical direction Z1. Note that the mounting portion 29 may include a pump for supplying liquid from the liquid storage container 28 to the carriage unit 50.

[0024] Here, when the carriage unit 50 reciprocates, the direction from the home position HP to the anti-home position AH is defined as the first scanning direction X1, and the direction from the anti-home position AH to the home position HP is defined as the second scanning direction X2. The tube 61 forms a curved portion 62 that curves with a displacement in the second transport direction Y2, which is the direction toward the upstream of the transport direction Y1 of the medium M, after extending in the second scanning direction X2 from the mounting portion 29 where the liquid storage container 28 is mounted, and then folds back in the first scanning direction X1 and is connected to the carriage unit 50. The tube 61 extends along a predetermined path from the mounting portion 29, is then routed straight along the X-axis along the inner surface of the front portion of the housing 12, and then has a U-shaped curved portion 62 that curves and folds back with a displacement from the downstream side to the upstream side of the transport direction Y1 at a portion in the middle of its entire length. In this way, the tube 61 forms a curved portion 62 that curves horizontally with a displacement in the transport direction Y1.

[0025] The direction in which the liquid flows along the path of the tube 61 inside the tube 61 is defined as the liquid supply direction. The tube 61 has a first straight portion 61A whose upstream portion in the liquid supply direction extends substantially horizontally along the X-axis and a second straight portion 61B whose downstream portion in the liquid supply direction extends substantially horizontally along the X-axis with respect to the curved portion 62. The respective lengths of the first straight portion 61A and the second straight portion 61B change as the formation position of the curved portion 62 changes with the movement of the carriage unit 50. The plurality of tubes 61 constituting the tube bundle 60 are arranged in a row so as to overlap in the vertical direction Z1.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, the tube 61 has a fixed portion 61C that does not move even when the carriage 51 moves and a movable portion 61D that forms a curved portion 62 that moves with the movement of the carriage 51. The fixed portion 61C of the first straight portion 61A of the tube 61 that does not displace due to the movement of the carriage unit 50 is fixed to a holding member 72 that holds the waste liquid box 71. The holding member 72 has a holding portion 73 that holds the waste liquid box 71. The fixed portion 61C of the tube 61 is routed along a path passing between the holding portion 73 and the operation panel 24 along the X-axis.

[0027] The tube bundle 60 is supported by a support member 63 made of a flexible film or sheet, with a displaceable movable part 61D forming a downstream part in the liquid supply direction than the fixed part 61C in its longitudinal direction, so that sagging due to its own weight is suppressed. The support member 63 is attached so as to cover the surface on the side that becomes the outer peripheral surface of the curved part 62 in the movable part 61D. The support member 63 is attached via a plurality of attachment members 64 attached at intervals along the longitudinal direction with respect to the movable part 61D of the tube bundle 60.

[0028] In this embodiment, the other end of the tube 61 is connected to the front end that becomes the downstream end of the carriage unit 50 in the conveyance direction Y1. For this reason, the first straight part 61A of the tube 61 and the carriage unit 50 are positioned at a predetermined distance within a range of about 1.5 to 2 times the radius of curvature of the curved part 62 in the conveyance direction Y1. Thereby, a movement area TA is secured in the area downstream of the movement path of the carriage unit 50 in the conveyance direction Y1, where the curved part 62 can move along the X axis.

[0029] The carriage unit 50 shown in FIG. 4 prints an image or a document on the medium M by ejecting the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 28 through the tube 61 toward the medium M from the liquid ejection head 52 while reciprocating along the X axis. Specifically, in the process of the carriage unit 50 moving along the X axis, a recording operation in which the liquid ejection head 52 discharges the liquid to perform printing for one scan on the medium M and a conveyance operation in which the conveyance unit 42 and the discharge unit 43 convey the medium M to the next printing position are alternately repeated, so that printing is performed on the medium M. The printed medium M is discharged from the discharge port 15 by the discharge unit 43 and stacked on the discharge tray 22 (see FIG. 1).

[0030] Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the liquid ejection device 11 includes a maintenance device 81 that performs maintenance on the liquid ejection head 52 (see FIG. 6) at a maintenance position that is one end of the movement path of the carriage 51. The maintenance device 81 of this example uses the home position HP as the maintenance position. The maintenance device 81 is disposed directly below the carriage unit 50 when it is located at the home position HP. The maintenance device 81 cleans the nozzle 55 by forcibly discharging a liquid such as ink that has nothing to do with printing from the nozzle 55 of the liquid ejection head 52. In this embodiment, the arrangement position of the maintenance device 81 is set as the home position HP. However, it is not limited to the home position HP, and it may be at a position deviated from the home position HP, or at the anti-home position AH or a position deviated from the anti-home position AH.

[0031] In the nozzle 55 where no liquid is ejected during printing, the thickened ink in which the ink in the nozzle 55 has thickened causes nozzle clogging. In addition, foreign matters such as paper dust adhering to the nozzle opening surface 52A (see FIG. 6) of the liquid ejection head 52 may cause nozzle clogging. Further, if there are bubbles in the ink in the nozzle 55, the liquid ejection head 52 will cause liquid ejection errors. Therefore, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous cleaning, the maintenance device 81 is driven with respect to the liquid ejection head 52 in the state of being located at the home position HP to clean the nozzle 55. Further, in the liquid ejection device 11 provided with a nozzle defect inspection device (not shown), when a nozzle defect is detected, the maintenance device 81 cleans the nozzle 55. Clogging of the nozzles and the like is prevented or eliminated by cleaning.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, the holding portion 73 is located closer to one side opposite to the maintenance position in the moving direction of the carriage 51 within the housing 12. That is, the holding portion 73 is closer to one side opposite to the home position HP which is the maintenance position in the direction along the width of the housing 12. Further, the holding portion 73 holds the waste liquid box 71 in a state where it is exposed when the cover 13 is opened.

[0033] Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the liquid injection device 11 includes a gap adjustment mechanism 82 that changes the height position of the liquid injection head 52 with respect to the support base 16 to adjust the gap between the liquid injection head 52 and the medium M. The gap adjustment mechanism 82 adjusts the gap between the liquid injection head 52 and the support base 16 by moving the portion of the carriage 51 that supports the liquid injection head 52 along the Z-axis with respect to the portion supported by the guide member 18. When the gap adjustment mechanism 82 is driven, the gap between the liquid injection head 52 and the medium M is adjusted to an appropriate value according to the type of the medium M. Note that the gap adjustment mechanism 82 may be configured to adjust the gap between the liquid injection head 52 and the support base 16 by eccentrically rotating the shaft-shaped guide member 17.

[0034] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, as a part of the feeding unit 41, a feeding mechanism 87 for feeding the medium M from a plurality of stages of cassettes 21 is provided. The feeding mechanism 87 includes a feeding motor 88 that is a power source for driving the pickup roller 41A and a power transmission mechanism or the like that transmits the power to the pickup roller 41A. In the present embodiment, the holding unit 73 and the waste liquid box 71 are arranged at the front part of the housing 12, and the feeding mechanism 87 is arranged in the empty space formed at the rear in the housing 12.

[0035] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, an opening / closing maintenance cover 12B that is opened when performing an operation to eliminate jamming of the medium M generated in the feeding path of the feeding unit 41 and a manual feeding mechanism 89 for the user to manually feed the medium M are provided on the back surface portion of the housing 12.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the waste liquid unit 70 includes the aforementioned waste liquid box 71 that stores, as waste liquid, the liquid discharged or ejected from the liquid ejection head 52 and not used for printing. Here, the waste liquid includes the liquid ejected during flushing in which the liquid ejection head 52 ejects, from the nozzle 55, a liquid not related to printing in order to refresh the liquid in the nozzle 55, and the liquid forcibly discharged from the nozzle 55 (see FIG. 6) of the liquid ejection head 52 during cleaning. The waste liquid unit 70 includes the aforementioned holding portion 73 that holds the waste liquid box 71. The holding portion 73 is integrally formed as a part of the holding member 72.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, the holding portion 73 is disposed between the fixed portion 61C of the liquid supply tube 61 and the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1. Specifically, the holding portion 73 is disposed between the first straight portion 61A and the second straight portion 61B of the liquid supply tube 61 in the conveyance direction Y1 when the carriage unit 50 is at the anti-home position AH. The waste liquid box 71 held by the holding portion 73 is positioned closer to one side opposite to the maintenance position set at the home position HP in the moving direction of the carriage 51 within the housing 12. In other words, the waste liquid box 71 is disposed at a position opposite to the home position HP in the direction along the X-axis within the housing 12, that is, at a position closer to the anti-home position AH. Further, the holding portion 73 is positioned closer to one side on the same side as the side where the liquid storage container 28 is disposed in the moving direction of the carriage 51 within the housing 12. The holding portion 73 is positioned on the same side as the side where the liquid storage container 28 is located in the direction along the X-axis within the housing 12.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, when the carriage 51 is at the home position HP, the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 is located at the end portion shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 in the moving path of the carriage 51. When the carriage 51 is at the anti-home position AH, the curved portion 62 is located near the center shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 in the moving path of the carriage 51. That is, when the carriage 51 reciprocates between the home position HP and the anti-home position AH, the curved portion 62 moves between the end position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 and the center position shown by the two-dot chain line in the same figure. Inside the housing 12, the curved portion 62 moves within the range of the movement region TA in the space formed between the first straight portion 61A of the tube bundle 60 and the scanning region SA of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1. And the space portion other than the movement region TA in this space becomes a dead space DS not used for the movement of the curved portion 62.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, the holding member 72 has a rectangular box-shaped holding portion 73 with an open upper portion at a portion corresponding to the arrangement region of the waste liquid box 71. The holding portion 73 is located between the fixing portion 61C of the liquid supply tube 61 and the scanning region SA of the carriage unit 50 in the conveyance direction Y1. The holding portion 73 is arranged outside the movement region TA of the tube 61. Specifically, among the spaces between the portion where the fixing portion 61C of the tube 61 is located and the scanning region SA of the carriage 51, the space outside the movement region TA of the tube 61 becomes a dead space DS where no portion of the tube 61 is located during the movement of the carriage unit 50. In the present embodiment, this dead space DS is utilized to arrange the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 held by the holding portion 73.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, the maintenance device 81 includes a cap 83 at a position facing the liquid ejection head 52 when the carriage unit 50 is at the home position HP. The cap 83 is configured to be movable up and down along the Z axis. The cap 83 moves between a capping position where it contacts the nozzle opening surface 52A where the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52 open, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, to form a closed space between the nozzle opening surface 52A and the cap 83, and a retracted position where it is separated from the nozzle opening surface 52A of the liquid ejection head 52. The maintenance device 81 includes a suction pump 84 and an electric motor 85 that drives the suction pump 84. A waste liquid tube 86 extending with one end connected to the lower part of the cap 83 is routed through the housing 12 via the suction pump 84 along a predetermined path, and the other end thereof is connected to a supply mechanism 91 fixed to the holding part 73. The waste liquid box 71 held by the holding part 73 is connected to the waste liquid tube 86 via the supply mechanism 91.

[0041] In the capping state shown in FIG. 6, when the suction pump 84 is driven by the power of the electric motor 85, air is sucked and discharged from the space inside the cap 83, and the closed space between the cap 83 and the nozzle opening surface 52A becomes a negative pressure, so that the liquid is forcibly sucked and discharged from the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52. By cleaning to forcibly discharge the liquid from the nozzles 55, the thickened ink and bubbles inside the nozzles 55 are sucked and discharged into the cap 83 together with the ink. The liquid discharged into the cap is recovered as waste liquid from the maintenance device 81 through the waste liquid tube 86 and via the supply mechanism 91 into the waste liquid box 71.

[0042] Also, during printing, the carriage unit 50 periodically moves to the home position HP to eject droplets unrelated to printing from all the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52, thereby performing flushing to refresh the liquid inside the nozzles 55. When a predetermined amount or more of liquid accumulates in the cap 83 due to flushing, the suction pump 84 is driven to collect the waste liquid inside the cap 83 into the waste liquid box 71.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, the transport mechanism 40 includes a feeding unit 41 including a pickup roller 41A near the end on the side that feeds the medium M of the cassette 21. The transport mechanism 40 also includes an intermediate roller 44 that receives and transports the medium M fed from the feeding unit 41. The medium M transported via a part of the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 44 is received by the transport unit 42.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the transport unit 42 transports the medium M that is the target for the liquid ejection head 52 to eject liquid. The transport unit 42 transports the medium M at a position upstream of the scanning area of the liquid ejection head 52 in the transport direction Y1. The transport mechanism 40 includes a first transport path K1 that transports the medium M in the first transport direction Y1 during printing, and a second transport path K2 that transports the medium M after the printing on the first side is completed in the second transport direction Y2, which is the direction opposite to the first transport direction Y1, during double-sided printing. The transport mechanism 40 has a second transport path K2 that transports the printed medium M with liquid ejected below the first transport path K1 in the second transport direction Y2, which is the direction opposite to the transport direction Y1. The holding unit 73 is located downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 and above the second transport path K2.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the discharge unit 43 includes two roller pairs 46, 47 arranged at different positions in the transport direction Y1. Specifically, the discharge unit 43 has a first discharge roller pair 46 and a second discharge roller pair 47 arranged in order from upstream to downstream in the first transport direction Y1 along the first transport path K1. That is, the discharge unit 43 has a first discharge roller pair 46 arranged at a position downstream of the liquid ejection head 52 in the transport direction Y1, and a second discharge roller pair 47 arranged at a position downstream of the first discharge roller pair 46 in the transport direction Y1. The holding unit 73 is arranged at an upper position of one of the roller pairs 46, 47 located on the downstream side in the transport direction Y1.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8, the conveyance roller pair 45 is disposed at a position upstream of the scanning region of the liquid ejection head 52 in the conveyance direction Y1. The first discharge roller pair 46 and the second discharge roller pair 47 are disposed at positions downstream of the scanning region of the liquid ejection head 52 in the conveyance direction Y1. The second discharge roller pair 47 is located downstream of the first discharge roller pair 46 in the conveyance direction Y1. Each of the roller pairs 45 to 47 is driven by the power of one or a plurality of conveyance motors (not shown). The two discharge roller pairs 46 and 47 are driven together with the conveyance roller pair 45 to convey the medium M during printing and discharge the medium M that has finished printing. Also, at a position along the first conveyance path K1, one or more floating rollers 48 for guiding the medium M along the first conveyance path K1 are provided. The tube bundle 60 is routed with the curved portion 62 positioned above the second discharge roller pair 47.

[0047] Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the connection point between the first conveyance path K1 and the second conveyance path K2 is provided between the first discharge roller pair 46 and the second discharge roller pair 47. Specifically, the connection point between the first conveyance path K1 and the second conveyance path K2 is located slightly upstream of the nip position of the second discharge roller pair 47 in the first conveyance direction Y1. This connection point serves as the entrance of the medium M guided to the second conveyance path K2. When performing double-sided printing, the medium M printed on the first side is discharged partway in the first conveyance direction Y1 by the discharge roller pairs 46 and 47. When the rear end of the medium M passes the entrance of the second conveyance path K2, the rotation of the second discharge roller pair 47 is reversed, and the medium M is reversely conveyed in the second conveyance direction Y2, thereby performing switchback conveyance. As a result of the switchback conveyance, the medium M is guided to the second conveyance path K2 and conveyed in the second conveyance direction Y2 along the second conveyance path K2. At a position along the second conveyance path K2, a reversing roller pair 49 is provided. By the reversing roller pair 49, the medium M is conveyed upstream through the second conveyance path K2 and then reversed via the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 44 (see FIG. 7). Then, the reversed medium M is re-fed toward the printing position in a direction facing the liquid ejection head 52 with the second side, which is the side opposite to the printed first side, facing the liquid ejection head 52.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8, in the liquid ejection device 11 of the present embodiment, two pairs of a first discharge roller pair 46 and a second discharge roller pair 47 are arranged downstream of the liquid ejection head 52 in the conveyance direction Y1. For this reason, a wider space in the conveyance direction Y1 is secured in the downstream area of the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50 than in the configuration in which only one discharge roller pair is arranged. Then, this wide space is used as a routing space for the tube 61. The tube 61 is routed so that the curved portion 62 is located above the second discharge roller pair 47. The tip end portion, which is the downstream end portion of the tube 61 in the liquid supply direction, is connected to the downstream end portion of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1. The other end portions of the plurality of tubes 61 are connected to the carriage 51 and then communicate with the respective plurality of liquid storage bodies 56 mounted on the upper portion of the carriage 51. Then, the liquid sent through the plurality of tubes 61 is temporarily stored in the plurality of liquid storage bodies 56 and then supplied to the liquid ejection head 52 and ejected from the nozzles 55.

[0049] Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in the liquid ejection device 11 of the present embodiment, among the spaces located above the second discharge roller pair 47, the dead space DS (see FIG. 4) that is not used as the movement region TA of the curved portion 62 is used as the arrangement space for the holding portion 73. Then, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the holding portion 73 is located at a position downstream of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1 and above the discharge portion 43. In this example, the holding portion 73 is located above the second discharge roller pair 47. The holding portion 73 is arranged above the conveyance paths K1 and K2 (see FIG. 8) through which the conveyance mechanism 40 conveys the medium M (see FIG. 7) and downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1 (see FIG. 4). In this way, a waste liquid unit 70 including the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 is arranged above the second discharge roller pair 47. The holding portion 73 is housed in the housing 12 together with the liquid ejection head 52 and the like. Further, the holding portion 73 is arranged above the discharge port 15 formed in the housing 12 for discharging the medium M.

[0050] Here, as shown in FIG. 8, inside the housing 12, a first conveyance path R1 is formed by an intermediate roller 44, roller pairs 45 to 47, a medium guide member, etc. positioned along a first conveyance path K1. The path when the medium M is conveyed along the first conveyance path R1 is the first conveyance path K1. The first conveyance path R1 is a conveyance path in the range where the intermediate roller 44 and the roller pairs 45 to 47 are located, and a second discharge roller pair is positioned at the downstream end in the conveyance direction Y1 of the first conveyance path R1. Also, inside the housing 12, a second conveyance path R2 is formed by roller pairs 47, 49, a medium M guide member, etc. positioned along a second conveyance path K2. The path when the medium M is conveyed along the second conveyance path R2 is the second conveyance path K2. The second conveyance path R2 is a conveyance path in the range where the roller pairs 47, 49 are located, and a second discharge roller pair is positioned at the downstream end in the conveyance direction Y1 of the second conveyance path R2. And the first conveyance path R1 and the second conveyance path R2 are connected at the nip position of the second discharge roller pair. That the holding portion 73 is positioned above the second conveyance path K2 is synonymous with being positioned above the second conveyance path R2. The region where the holding portion 73 is positioned above the first conveyance path K1 is wider in the downstream area in the conveyance direction Y1 than the region where the holding portion 73 is positioned above the second conveyance path R2.

[0051] Next, referring to FIG. 4, the state of displacement of the tube 61 in the moving process of the carriage unit 50 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, as the carriage unit 50 moves in the first scanning direction X1 or the second scanning direction X2, the curved portion 62 moves in the same direction as the carriage unit 50 by an amount approximately half of the moving amount of the carriage unit 50.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, the carriage unit 50 waits at the home position HP which is one end of the moving path when not injecting liquid onto the medium M, and is closest to the curved portion 62 when at the home position HP. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the carriage unit 50 moves in the first scanning direction X1 away from the home position HP, and is farthest from the curved portion 62 when the carriage 51 is at the anti-home position AH shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure.

[0053] A waste liquid box 71 is disposed between a fixed portion 61C of the tube 61 and a scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50. In the process of the movement of the carriage unit 50, when the curved portion 62 is located at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4 when the carriage unit 50 is at the home position HP, or when the curved portion 62 is located near the center in width within the housing 12 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 when the carriage unit 50 is at the anti-home position AH, the curved portion 62 does not contact the holding portion 73.

[0054] Next, with reference to FIGS. to , the holding member 72 and the waste liquid box 71 will be described. As shown in FIGS.

[0054] and , the holding member 72 includes a bottom plate portion 74, a side plate portion 75 that stands vertically from the downstream end of the bottom plate portion 74 in the conveyance direction Y1, and the above-described box-shaped holding portion 73 that is disposed on a part of the bottom plate portion 74 with a predetermined gap from the side plate portion in the conveyance direction Y1. The holding portion 73 is disposed at a position shifted to one side in the direction along the X axis on the bottom plate portion 74. A holding space is formed between the holding portion 73 and the side plate portion 75, in which a plurality of tubes 61 constituting the tube bundle 60 are held in a vertical state in which they are arranged in the vertical direction Z1. Further, the surface of the side plate portion 75 on the side opposite to the holding portion 73 is an assembly surface on which the operation panel 24 is rotatably assembled.

[0055] Next, with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, 9, and 10, the height positional relationship between the holding member 72 and the waste liquid box 71 with respect to the tube bundle 60 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 9, and 10, the lower end of the holding portion 73 is located below the tube 61. That is, the bottom surface 73B, which is the lower end of the holding portion 73 that holds the waste liquid box 71, is located below the lower end of the tube bundle 60 in the vertical direction Z1. Further, the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holding portion 73 is exposed from the opening 23A of the front member 23 and is located at substantially the same height as the upper surface 23B. The upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 is located above the upper end of the tube bundle 60 in the vertical direction Z1. Also, the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 is located further above the upper end surface 50A of the carriage unit 50, which is located above the upper end of the tube bundle 60. Therefore, a longer height dimension of the waste liquid box 71 that can be accommodated in the housing 12 can be ensured.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holding portion 73 is a flat surface and is exposed substantially flush with the upper surface 23B of the front member 23. When the cover 13 of the reading unit 30 is closed, the upper surface 23B of the front member 23 serves as a receiving surface for receiving the bottom surface 30A of the reading unit 30. The bottom surface 30A of the reading unit 30 has a stepped portion 30B that is recessed upward at a portion corresponding to the exposed surface and the upper surface 23B of the waste liquid box 71 when the cover 13 is closed. By the height of the stepped portion 30B, a longer height dimension of the waste liquid box 71 that can be accommodated in the housing 12 can be ensured. This leads to an increase in the waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid box 71. Note that instead of the stepped portion 30B, a concave portion may be provided on the bottom surface 30A of the cover 13.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a supply mechanism 91 is attached to one end of the holding portion 73. The supply mechanism 91 includes a supply needle 92 as an example of a connection portion provided at the other end of the waste liquid tube 86 (see FIG. 11). The supply needle 92 is disposed at a height position spaced upward by a predetermined distance longer than the height dimension of the tube bundle 60 from the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 74. Thus, the holding portion 73 has the supply needle 92 provided at one end of the waste liquid tube 86 extending from the maintenance device 81. That is, the holding portion 73 has the supply needle 92 that connects the waste liquid box 71 to the waste liquid tube 86. Further, a first locking mechanism 93 is provided at one end portion on the same side as the supply mechanism 91 inside the holding portion 73.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the holding portion 73 includes a detaching and attaching mechanism 90 that detaches and attaches the waste liquid box 71 to and from the holding portion 73 so that the waste liquid box 71 can be connected to and detached from the supply needle 92 by sliding the waste liquid box 71 in the scanning directions X1 and X2, which are the moving directions of the carriage 51. A guide groove 76 is formed on the bottom surface of the holding portion 73 to engage with a guide portion (not shown) at the bottom of the waste liquid box 71 and guide the waste liquid box 71 to be slidable along the X-axis.

[0059] A plurality of pairs of ribs 77 are provided along the X-axis on both opposing surfaces of the holding portion 73 and the side plate portion 75. The fixing portions 61C of the plurality of tubes 61 are held by the holding member 72 in a path passing between the holding portion 73 and the side plate portion 75 by being clamped by the ribs 77 at a plurality of locations. Further, the tube bundle 60 is routed at a height slightly above the bottom plate portion 74. When the tube bundle 60 sags, the lower end of the tube bundle 60 contacts the bottom plate portion 74, thereby suppressing further sagging. The waste liquid tube 86 drawn out from the supply needle 92 constituting the supply mechanism 91 is routed along the tube 61 above the movable portion 61D of the tube bundle 60.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 10, the liquid injection device 11 has a partition portion 78 that separates a tube 61 for supplying liquid from a liquid storage container 28 and a waste liquid tube 86. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, on one end portion of the side plate portion 75, which is on the side opposite to the side where the holding portion 73 is located in the longitudinal direction of the holding member 72, a partition portion 78 that vertically partitions the tube bundle 60 and the waste liquid tube 86 protrudes. The partition portion 78 is located at approximately the same height as the supply needle 92 assembled to the holding portion 73. The waste liquid tube 86 is routed so as to rest on the partition portion 78, and thus is located above the tube bundle 60.

[0061] The waste liquid box 71 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and at one upper end thereof, a plate-shaped handle portion 71B extends parallel to the upper end surface 71A. The waste liquid box 71 has a supply port portion 95 as an example of a connected portion connected to the supply needle 92 on the holding portion 73 side. Specifically, a supply port portion 95 through which the supply needle 92 is punctured is provided on one end surface of the waste liquid box 71 on the side opposite to the handle portion 71B in the longitudinal direction. The waste liquid box 71 is connected to the waste liquid tube 86 when the supply needle 92 is punctured into the supply port portion 95. Therefore, the waste liquid sent to the waste liquid box 71 through the waste liquid tube 86 does not leak at the connection location. Further, a second locking mechanism 96 is provided at the lower part of the end surface of the waste liquid box 71. When the waste liquid box 71 is slid along the X-axis, the first locking mechanism 93 and the second locking mechanism 96 are locked, and thus the waste liquid box 71 is positionally restricted to the connection position where the supply needle 92 is punctured into the supply port portion 95. Therefore, the connection between the waste liquid box 71 and the supply needle 92 is not disengaged due to vibrations of the liquid injection device 11 or the like.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in this embodiment, the detaching mechanism 90 is composed of a first locking mechanism 93, a second locking mechanism 96, a guide groove 76, etc. The detaching mechanism 90 allows the user to remove the waste liquid box 71 by sliding it in the removal direction, which is the direction opposite to the side where the curved portion 62 is located in the moving direction of the carriage 51. When the user horizontally pulls the waste liquid box 71 in the removal direction, the locking between the first locking mechanism 93 and the second locking mechanism 96 is released, and the waste liquid box 71 is horizontally guided along the guide groove 76 until the supply needle 92 and the supply port 95 are disengaged.

[0063] In addition, a first terminal (not shown) is provided in the first locking mechanism 93, and a second terminal (not shown) is provided in the second locking mechanism 96. When the waste liquid box 71 is set in the holding portion 73 and the first locking mechanism 93 and the second locking mechanism 96 are locked, the first terminal and the second terminal are electrically connected. A memory element 97 is provided near the second locking mechanism 96 in the waste liquid box 71. The control unit 100 can access the memory element 97 to read and write data when the waste liquid box 71 is set in the holding portion 73. Data regarding the amount of waste liquid collected in the waste liquid box 71 is written in the memory element 97.

[0064] The control unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 incorporated in the liquid ejection device 11 controls the carriage motor 53, the liquid ejection head 52, the conveyance motor, and the like. The liquid ejection device 11 is communicably connected to a host device (not shown). The control unit 100 performs print control based on the print data received from the host device. Note that the host device is constituted by, for example, any one of a personal computer, a portable information terminal (PDA (Personal Digital Assistants)), a tablet PC, a smartphone, a mobile phone, and the like. The control unit 100 measures the amount of liquid ejected or discharged for maintenance purposes from the liquid ejection head 52 based on the print data, and adds the measured amount of liquid to the amount of liquid read from the storage element 97 to obtain the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid box 71. The control unit 100 updates by periodically or irregularly writing the latest amount of liquid in the waste liquid box 71 to the storage element 97. When the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid box 71 reaches the upper limit value, the control unit 100 notifies the user by causing a message indicating the replacement timing and prompting the replacement to be displayed on the display unit 26 or the display unit of the host device.

[0065] Next, the operation of the liquid ejection device 11 will be described. When the liquid ejection device 11 receives a print instruction, the feeding unit 41 is driven, and the medium M fed from the cassette 21 is conveyed in the conveyance direction Y1 in the conveyance area FA. Then, while the carriage unit 50 moves in the first scanning direction X1 or the second scanning direction X2, a printing operation of ejecting liquid from the liquid ejection head 52 toward the medium M to perform printing for one scan and a conveyance operation of conveying the medium M to the next printing position by the roller pair 45 to 47 are alternately performed, whereby printing on the medium M proceeds.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 4, as the carriage unit 50 moves in the first scanning direction X1 or the second scanning direction X2, the bent portion 62 of the tube 61 moves in the same direction as the carriage unit 50 by an amount approximately half of the moving amount of the carriage unit 50. Also, during printing, the carriage unit 50 periodically moves to the home position HP to perform flushing for discharging liquid unrelated to printing from all the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52, and refresh the liquid in the nozzles 55. Thus, each time flushing is performed, liquid is ejected from the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52 toward the cap 83. Each time flushing is performed a predetermined number of times, the suction pump 84 is driven by the power of the electric motor 85, and the waste liquid accumulated in the cap 83 is collected into the waste liquid box 71 through the waste liquid tube 86.

[0067] Also, when it is time for cleaning after a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous cleaning, as shown in FIG. 6, with the carriage unit 50 at the home position HP, the electric motor 85 is driven in a capping state where the cap 83 contacts the nozzle opening surface 52A of the liquid ejection head 52. Cleaning is performed by driving the suction pump 84 with the power of this electric motor 85. By driving the suction pump 84, the closed space surrounded by the nozzle opening surface 52A and the cap 83 becomes a negative pressure, and liquid is forcibly discharged from the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52. The discharged liquid is stored in the cap 83 and is collected into the waste liquid box 71 from the cap 83 through the waste liquid tube 86.

[0068] The waste liquid tube 86 and the waste liquid box 71 are connected by the supply needle 92 piercing the supply port portion 95, so the waste liquid sent to the waste liquid box 71 through the waste liquid tube 86 does not leak at the connection point. The waste liquid collected in the waste liquid box 71 is absorbed by the liquid absorption member 79.

[0069] The control unit 100 measures the amount of liquid collected in the waste liquid box 71, such as the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52 during flushing and the amount of liquid discharged from the nozzles 55 during cleaning. The measured amount of liquid is written into the storage element 97 of the waste liquid box 71 at a predetermined timing. Therefore, even if the waste liquid box 71 is replaced, the control unit 100 can grasp the amount of waste liquid collected in the waste liquid box 71 by reading the data stored in the storage element 97.

[0070] When the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid box 71 exceeds the upper limit value, the control unit 100 displays a message indicating that the waste liquid box 71 needs to be replaced on the display unit 26 of the operation panel 24 or the display unit of the host device. The user who sees the message replaces the waste liquid box 71.

[0071] First, the user opens the cover 13 of the reading unit 30. When the cover 13 is opened, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the waste liquid box 71 is exposed at the upper front part of the housing 12. When the user opens the cover 80 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13, the handle part 71B shown in FIG. 14 is exposed. Then, the user grips the handle part 71B and slides the waste liquid box 71 a predetermined distance in the first scanning direction X1, which is the removal direction indicated by the white arrow A in FIG. 14 (see FIG. 14). When the waste liquid box 71 slides, the locking between the first locking mechanism 93 and the second locking mechanism 96 is released, and the supply needle 92 is withdrawn from the supply port part 95. At this time, until the supply needle 92 is withdrawn from the supply port part 95, the waste liquid box 71 is guided by the guide groove 76 and slides horizontally. Therefore, there is no worry that an excessive load is applied to the supply needle 92 during this withdrawal process. At this time, the connection between the first terminal and the second terminal (not shown) is disconnected, and the electrical connection between the control unit 100 and the storage element 97 is cut off.

[0072] When the waste liquid box 71 finishes sliding a predetermined distance, its engagement with the guide groove 76 disengages. As a result, the waste liquid box 71 can move in a direction other than horizontal. The user lifts the handle portion 71B and tilts the waste liquid box 71 as shown in FIG. 15. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the user removes the waste liquid box 71 from the holding portion 73. In this way, after gripping the handle portion 71B of the waste liquid box 71 and sliding it horizontally, the user lifts the handle portion 71B upward to tilt the waste liquid box 71 and removes it from the holding portion 73.

[0073] Next, the user sets a new waste liquid box 71 in the holding portion 73 in the reverse procedure of the removal process described above. That is, with the end on the supply port portion 95 side of the waste liquid box 71 facing forward, the waste liquid box 71 is held in an inclined state with respect to the holding portion 73, and its bottom is engaged with the guide groove 76. Thereafter, the waste liquid box 71 is changed from the inclined posture to the horizontal posture, and in the horizontal posture, it is slid in the second scanning direction X2, which is the mounting direction indicated by the two-dot chain line arrow B in FIG. 14, and finally pushed in. During this pushing-in process, the supply needle 92 pierces the supply port portion 95, and the first locking mechanism 93 and the second locking mechanism 96 are locked. In this way, the waste liquid box 71 is connected to the waste liquid tube 86 via the supply needle 92 in a state where there is no liquid leakage.

[0074] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, inside the housing 12, in the conveyance direction Y1, in the region outside the movement region TA where the curved portion 62 of the tube bundle 60 moves along the X axis among the spaces formed between the fixing portion 61C of the tube bundle 60 and the scanning region SA of the carriage unit 50, a dead space DS that is not used for the movement of the curved portion 62 is formed. In this example, the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid unit 70 held by the holding portion 73 are arranged in this dead space DS. For this reason, in the entire movement range in which the carriage unit 50 moves along the X axis between the home position HP and the anti-home position AH, the curved portion 62 does not contact the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid unit 70. That is, no matter what position the carriage unit 50 is at on its movement path, the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 does not contact the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71.

[0075] Also, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the upper end of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holding portion 73 is located above the tube bundle 60, and the lower end of the waste liquid box 71 is located below the tube bundle 60. Further, the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holding portion 73 is located higher than the upper end surface 50A of the carriage unit 50. Therefore, a longer height dimension of the waste liquid box 71 that can be accommodated in the housing 12 can be ensured. This leads to an increase in the waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid box 71.

[0076] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, when the cover 13 of the reading unit 30 is closed, the upper surface 23B of the front member 23 where the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 is exposed serves as a receiving surface for receiving the bottom surface 30A of the reading unit 30. The bottom surface 30A of the reading unit 30 has a stepped portion 30B that is recessed upward at a portion corresponding to the exposed surface and the upper surface 23B of the waste liquid box 71 when the cover 13 is closed. By the height of the stepped portion 30B, a longer height dimension of the waste liquid box 71 that can be accommodated in the housing 12 can be ensured. This leads to a further increase in the waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid box 71.

[0077] The holding portion 73 that holds the waste liquid box 71 is located downstream in the conveyance direction Y1 from the scanning region SA of the carriage 51 and above the discharge portion 43. The holding portion 73 is located above the downstream portion in the conveyance direction Y1 of the discharge portion 43. The holding portion 73 is located above the second discharge roller pair 47 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction Y1 of the two discharge roller pairs 46, 47 that constitute the discharge portion 43. Also, the holding portion 73 is located above the second conveyance path K2. In the present embodiment, a space is formed in the housing 12 above the portion where the discharge portion 43 extends to the downstream area in the conveyance direction Y1 from the scanning region SA of the carriage 51. The holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 are arranged using the space formed in the region downstream in the conveyance direction Y1 from the scanning region SA of the carriage 51 and above the discharge portion 43. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the liquid ejecting device 11, which would be a problem when providing a dedicated space for arranging the holding portion 73.

[0078] In this embodiment, in order to invert the medium M after printing on the first side in order to perform double-sided printing, a second conveyance path K2 for conveying the medium M in the second conveyance direction Y2 is provided below the first conveyance path K1. And the discharge unit 43, in addition to the first discharge roller pair 46 that conveys and discharges the medium M at a position downstream of the liquid ejection head 52 in the conveyance direction Y1, is provided with a second discharge roller pair 47 that discharges or performs a switchback conveyance of the medium M at a position downstream of the first discharge roller pair 46 in the conveyance direction Y1. During double-sided printing, after the medium M with the first side printed is discharged halfway by the two discharge roller pairs 46 and 47, the second discharge roller pair 47 rotates reversely, so that the medium M is switchback conveyed from the first conveyance direction Y1 to the second conveyance direction Y2. The medium M that has been switchback conveyed is guided to the second conveyance path K2. The medium M that has been reversely conveyed by the reverse roller pair 49 via the second conveyance path K2 is inverted via the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 44, and is conveyed toward the printing area by the conveyance roller pair 45 in a direction where the second side faces the liquid ejection head 52. Then, the medium M printed on the second side is discharged from the discharge port 15 by the two discharge roller pairs 46 and 47 and stacked on the discharge tray 22.

[0079] The liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment includes a second discharge roller pair 47 in the downstream area in the conveyance direction Y1 of the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50. That is, a second discharge roller pair 47 that switchback conveys the medium M and guides it to the second conveyance path K2 is provided at a position downstream of the first discharge roller pair 46 in the conveyance direction Y1. For this reason, a relatively wide space is generated in the housing 12 above the second discharge roller pair 47, that is, in the downstream area in the conveyance direction Y1 of the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50. In this embodiment, the tube bundle 60 is routed through a routing path that forms a curved portion 62 that curves horizontally with displacement in the conveyance direction Y1 by using this space.

[0080] The curved portion 62 of the tube 61 requires a curvature radius of a predetermined value or more so that the flow path of the tube does not collapse. Further, when the carriage unit 50 moves within the entire scanning range, the curved portion 62 moves within a range approximately half of the upper space in the housing 12 closer to the home position HP. Therefore, the space portion other than the movement region TA of the curved portion 62 in the space becomes a dead space DS. Using this dead space DS, the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 are arranged. Further, by arranging the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 at the front portion within the housing 12, other mechanisms are arranged in the space formed at the rear portion of the housing 12. In this example, the feeding mechanism 87 shown in FIG. 5 is arranged in the space formed at the rear portion of the housing 12. Therefore, even if the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 are arranged at the front portion within the housing 12, it does not lead to an increase in the size of the liquid ejecting device 11.

[0081] Further, the holding member 72, in which the holding portion 73 shown in FIG. 12 is integrally formed, and which is assembled at the front portion within the housing 12, forms a routing path of the tube bundle 60 between the holding portion 73 and the side plate portion 75, and has a plurality of pairs of ribs 77 that hold the routed tube bundle 60 therebetween. Further, even if the first straight portion 61A of the routed tube bundle 60 hangs down, it contacts the bottom plate portion 74 and further hanging down is prevented. For example, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the medium M conveyed toward the discharge port 15 contacts the hanging-down tube bundle 60 and a jam caused by such contact.

[0082] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The liquid injection device 11 includes a conveyance unit 42 that conveys the medium M in the conveyance direction Y1, a liquid injection head 52 that injects liquid into the medium M, a carriage 51 (an example of a head support unit) that supports the liquid injection head 52, a liquid storage container 28 that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid injection head 52, and a discharge unit 43 that discharges the medium M into which the liquid has been injected. The liquid injection device 11 includes a holding unit 73 that holds a waste liquid box 71 capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid injection head 52 as waste liquid. The holding unit 73 is disposed at a position downstream of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1 and above the discharge unit 43. Therefore, the holding unit 73 for holding the waste liquid box 71 can be disposed by using the space above the discharge unit 43 that avoids the head support unit. The location above the discharge unit 43 that avoids the head support unit is a position where the user can easily access compared to the rear part of the liquid injection device 11. For this reason, it is possible to improve the workability when replacing the waste liquid box 71 while minimizing the increase in the size of the liquid injection device 11.

[0083] (2) The discharge unit 43 includes two roller pairs 46, 47 disposed at different positions in the conveyance direction Y1. The holding unit 73 is disposed at an upper position of one of the roller pairs 47 located on the downstream side in the conveyance direction Y1 among the two roller pairs 46, 47. Therefore, the holding unit 73 is located above one of the roller pairs 47 located on the downstream side in the conveyance direction Y1 among the two roller pairs 46, 47 that constitute the discharge unit 43. The holding unit 73 can be disposed by using the space above one of the roller pairs 47.

[0084] (3) The liquid injection device 11 has a second conveyance path K2 below the conveyance path K1 for conveying the medium M after the liquid is injected in a second conveyance direction Y2, which is opposite to the conveyance direction Y1. The discharge unit 43 discharges the medium M partway in the conveyance direction Y1 and then conveys it in the reverse direction in the second conveyance direction Y2 to send the medium M to the second conveyance path K2. The holding unit 73 is located downstream of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1 and above the second conveyance path K2. Therefore, it is provided with the second conveyance path K2 for conveying the medium M in the second conveyance direction Y2 after the liquid is injected. For this reason, compared with a configuration that only discharges the medium M in the first conveyance direction Y1, it is necessary to once discharge the medium M partway in the first conveyance direction Y1 to a position where the rear end of the medium M in the first conveyance direction can be guided to the entrance of the second conveyance path K2. As a result, the conveyance path of the discharge unit 43 becomes longer in the conveyance direction, and a space is likely to be formed above the downstream area portion of the second conveyance path K2 in the first conveyance direction Y1. The holding unit 73 can be arranged using this space.

[0085] (4) The carriage 51 is capable of reciprocating in a scanning direction intersecting the conveyance direction Y1 at a position above the conveyance paths K1 and K2 of the medium M, and the liquid injection head 52 moves together with the carriage 51. The holding unit 73 is arranged at a position downstream of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1 and above the discharge unit 43. Therefore, the holding unit 73 can be arranged using the space above the discharge unit 43 without interfering with the movement of the carriage 51. For this reason, the workability during the replacement of the waste liquid box 71 is improved, and the enlargement of the liquid injection device 11 can be suppressed.

[0086] (5) The holding unit 73 is arranged above the discharge port 15 of the housing 12. Therefore, while avoiding contact between the holding unit 73 and the medium M discharged toward the discharge port 15, a large waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid box 71 can be ensured.

[0087] (6) The liquid injection device 11 includes a housing 12 having an opening 12A at the upper part, and an openable and closable cover 13 that covers the opening 12A of the housing 12. The holding part 73 holds the waste liquid box 71 in a state where it is exposed when the cover 13 is opened. Therefore, when the cover 13 is opened, the waste liquid box 71 is exposed in the housing 12, so the workability of replacing the waste liquid box 71 is improved.

[0088] (7) The liquid injection device 11 includes a maintenance device 81 that performs maintenance on the liquid injection head 52 in a state where the carriage 51 is positioned at a maintenance position that is one end of the movement path of the carriage 51. The holding part 73 is positioned closer to one side that is opposite to the maintenance position in the moving direction of the carriage 51 inside the housing 12. Therefore, the movement region TA of the tube 61 is set so that a dead space DS is formed where the holding part 73 can be arranged closer to one side that is opposite to the maintenance position, and the tube 61 is routed. In this case, when the carriage 51 is at the home position HP, since the curved part 62 is positioned near the carriage 51, the curved part 62 is less likely to sag.

[0089] (8) The holding part 73 is positioned closer to one side on the same side as the side where the liquid storage container 28 is arranged in the moving direction of the carriage 51 inside the housing 12. Therefore, the tube 61 extending from the liquid storage container 28 can be routed so that the curved part 62 is formed on the side opposite to the liquid storage container 28. The holding part 73 can be arranged in the dead space DS outside the movement region TA of the tube 61.

[0090] (9) The liquid injection device 11 includes a tube 61 through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 28 connected to the carriage 51 and arranged at a position different from the carriage 51 to the liquid injection head 52 passes. The lower end of the holding part 73 is positioned below the tube 61. Therefore, the height dimension of the waste liquid box 71 can be utilized, and a larger waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid box 71 can be ensured.

[0091] (10) The upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holding part 73 is located above the upper end surface 50A of the carriage 51. Therefore, a longer height dimension of the waste liquid box 71 can be ensured, and a larger waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid box 71 can be ensured.

[0092] (11) The liquid injection device 11 includes a tube 61 through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 28 arranged at a position different from the carriage 51 to the liquid injection head 52 passes, a waste liquid tube 86 through which the waste liquid sent from the maintenance device 81 to the waste liquid box 71 passes, and a partition part 78 that separates the tube 61 and the waste liquid tube 86. Therefore, since the tube 61 through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 28 passes and the waste liquid tube 86 are separated by the partition part 78 so as not to intersect, problems such as the waste liquid tube 86 being entangled when the tube 61 for liquid supply moves can be avoided.

[0093] (12) The holding part 73 has a supply needle 92 that connects the waste liquid box 71 to the waste liquid tube 86. The holding part 73 is provided with a detachable mechanism 90 that attaches and detaches the waste liquid box 71 to and from the holding part 73 so that the waste liquid box 71 can be connected to and detached from the supply needle 92 by sliding the waste liquid box 71 in the moving direction of the carriage 51. Therefore, by connecting the waste liquid box 71 to the supply needle 92 by the detachable mechanism 90, leakage of waste liquid between the waste liquid box 71 and the waste liquid tube 86 can be prevented. By sliding the waste liquid box 71, the waste liquid box 71 can be attached to and detached from the supply needle 92. Since the sliding direction during attachment and detachment is the same as the moving direction of the carriage 51, even if the waste liquid box 71 is slid, the waste liquid box 71 is unlikely to come into contact with the tube 61.

[0094] (13) The tube 61 is provided to form a curved portion 62 that curves and folds in a direction with displacement in the conveyance direction Y1 and to move the formation position of the curved portion 62 as the carriage 51 moves. The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 removes the waste liquid box 71 when the waste liquid box 71 slides in a direction opposite to the side where the curved portion 62 is located in the moving direction of the carriage 51. Therefore, it is difficult to contact the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 when removing the waste liquid box 71. Also, in a configuration where it is slid and removed toward the curved portion 62 side, it is necessary to secure a space for the stroke when sliding toward the curved portion 62 side within the dead space DS. On the other hand, with the configuration of the present embodiment, there is no need to secure a space for the slide stroke of the waste liquid box 71 within the dead space DS, so a larger occupied volume of the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 can be secured within the dead space DS, and a larger waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid box 71 can be secured.

[0095] (14) The liquid ejection device 11 is connected to the carriage 51 and includes a tube 61 through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 28 to the liquid ejection head 52 passes. The tube 61 has a movable portion that forms a curved portion 62 that curves in a direction with displacement in the conveyance direction Y1 and the formation position of the curved portion 62 moves as the carriage 51 moves, and a fixed portion that does not move. The holding portion 73 is disposed between the fixed portion 61C and the scanning region SA of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1. As the carriage 51 moves, the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 moves by an amount approximately half of the moving amount of the carriage 51. The holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 are disposed in the remaining approximately half region other than the moving region TA of the curved portion 62, that is, in the dead space DS that is not used for the movement of the curved portion 62 formed between the scanning region SA of the carriage 51 and the fixed portion 61C of the tube 61. For this reason, the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 do not interfere with the movement of the carriage 51 and the movement of the tube 61. Also, the location between the scanning region SA of the carriage 51 and the fixed portion 61C is more accessible to the user than the rear portion of the liquid ejection device 11. Therefore, it is possible to improve the workability when replacing the waste liquid box 71 while suppressing the increase in size of the liquid ejection device 11 as much as possible.

[0096] (15) The holding part 73 is arranged outside the movement region TA of the tube 61 within the housing 12. Therefore, the holding part 73 and the waste liquid box 71 can be arranged by utilizing the dead space that is not used as the movement region of the tube 61 without interfering with the movement of the tube 61. For this reason, while suppressing the increase in size of the liquid injection device 11 as much as possible, the workability during the replacement of the waste liquid box 71 is improved.

[0097] (16) The holding part 73 is arranged above the conveyance paths K1, K2 through which the conveyance mechanism 40 conveys the medium M within the housing 12 and downstream in the conveyance direction Y1 from the scanning region SA of the carriage 51. Therefore, since the holding part 73 is arranged above the conveyance path and downstream in the conveyance direction Y1 from the scanning region SA of the carriage 51, the workability during the replacement of the waste liquid box 71 is improved.

[0098] (17) The liquid injection device 11 includes a maintenance device 81 that performs maintenance on the liquid injection head 52 in a state where the carriage 51 is positioned at a maintenance position that is one end of the movement path of the carriage 51. The holding part 73 has a supply needle 92 provided at one end of a waste liquid tube 86 extending from the maintenance device 81. The waste liquid box 71 has a supply port part 95 connected to the supply needle 92. Therefore, when the waste liquid box 71 is attached to the holding part 73, the supply needle 92 and the supply port part 95 are connected. For this reason, the liquid discharged from the liquid injection head 52 by the maintenance device 81 can be collected into the waste liquid box 71 through the waste liquid tube 86. At this time, since the waste liquid is collected into the waste liquid box 71 through the connection between the supply needle 92 and the supply port part 95, leakage of the waste liquid at the connection part can be suppressed.

[0099] Note that the above embodiment can also be changed to forms such as the following modification examples. Furthermore, combinations of the above embodiment and the following modification examples as appropriate can be used as further modification examples, and combinations of the following modification examples as appropriate can also be used as further modification examples.

[0100] ·A routing path of the tube 61 may be adopted in which the bent portion 62 of the tube 61 is arranged on the anti-home position AH side with respect to the carriage unit 50. For example, in the above embodiment, the liquid storage container 28 is arranged on the home position HP side, and the routing path of the tube 61 is laid out symmetrically with respect to the perpendicular line passing through the width center of the housing 12 and the above embodiment. In this case, the home position HP and the anti-home position AH may be set to be opposite. Also, in this case, the waste liquid box 71 may be arranged in the dead space DS. Also, in the routing path of the tube 61 of the above embodiment, the home position HP and the anti-home position AH may be set to be opposite.

[0101] ·In the above embodiment, it is applied to a so-called off-carriage type liquid ejection device 11 in which the liquid storage container 28 is arranged at a position different from the carriage 51, but a so-called on-carriage type in which the carriage 51 mounts the liquid storage container 28 may be used. That is, the liquid ejection device 11 may be configured not to include the tube 61 for liquid supply. In this case, the holding portion 73 can be arranged at a position downstream in the conveyance direction Y1 from the carriage 51 and above the discharge portion 43 without using the dead space DS of the tube 61. The holding portion 73 may be at any position in the direction parallel to the width in the housing 12. For example, the holding portion 73 may be closer to the maintenance position side. Further, in this case, the liquid storage container 28 may be arranged on the home position HP side. Also, the liquid storage container 28 may be of an injection type or a pack type.

[0102] ·In the above embodiment, the number of discharge roller pairs may be one. Also, the number of discharge roller pairs may be two or more. ·When removing the waste liquid box 71 from the holding portion 73, it may be slid in the direction toward the bent portion 62.

[0103] ·The holding portion 73 may be arranged closer to one side on the home position HP side. In this case, the routing path of the tube 61 is made opposite to the above embodiment so that the bent portion 62 of the tube 61 is located on the anti-home position AH side.

[0104] · The second conveyance path K2 may not be provided. If the first conveyance path K1 extends for a predetermined length or more in the downstream area of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1, the holding portion 73 may be disposed above the first conveyance path K1.

[0105] · The pair of rollers constituting the discharge portion 43 may be one as long as it is located downstream of the head support portion such as the carriage 51. The holding portion 73 may be disposed using the space above this one pair of rollers.

[0106] · The discharge portion 43 may be a belt conveyance system instead of the roller conveyance system. The two rollers different in position in the conveyance direction constituting the discharge portion 43 may be rollers around which a conveyance belt is wound.

[0107] · The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 of the waste liquid box 71 may be a configuration in which the waste liquid box 71 is slid in the vertical direction Z1 for attachment / detachment instead of a configuration in which the waste liquid box 71 is slid horizontally for attachment / detachment. · The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 may be a configuration in which the waste liquid box 71 is slid back and forth for attachment / detachment. In this case, it may be a configuration in which the waste liquid box 71 is slid forward and then removed in the vertical direction Z1 at the time of removal. Further, a cover may be provided at a position corresponding to the holding portion 73 on the front surface of the housing, and after opening the cover, the waste liquid box 71 may be slid forward and taken out.

[0108] · The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 may be a configuration in which the waste liquid box 71 is horizontally slid from the side surface of the housing 12 to the side opposite to the curved portion 62 side for removal. In this case, a cover may be provided on the side surface of the housing 12, or the end surface of the waste liquid box 71 may be exposed on the side surface of the housing 12. Further, the holding portion 73 may be a box having an opening 73A in a direction facing the side surface of the housing 12.

[0109] · The tube 61 may be routed in the space upstream of the carriage 51 in the conveyance direction Y1. In this case, the holding portion 73 may be disposed between the fixing portion 61C and the scanning area SA of the carriage 51. Even with this configuration, the waste liquid box 71 can be attached / detached by opening the cover 13.

[0110] · When the cover 13 is opened, the waste liquid box 71 may not be exposed. For example, when the cover is opened, the waste liquid box 71 may be covered by the inner cover, and the inner cover may be opened to detach the waste liquid box 71. Note that exposing the waste liquid box 71 when the cover 13 is opened can increase the height dimension of the waste liquid box 71, so that the waste liquid storage volume can be increased. Further, the waste liquid box 71 may be covered by the front member 23 and held below it, and the front member 23 may be removed to detach the waste liquid box 71.

[0111] · The supply mechanism 91 may be abolished. That is, the waste liquid box 71 and the waste liquid tube 86 may not be connected by the supply needle 92 or the like, and the waste liquid may be dropped from the waste liquid tube 86 onto the liquid absorption member 79 in the waste liquid box 71. In this case, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for preventing leakage of the waste liquid and a mechanism for collecting the leaked waste liquid.

[0112] · It is sufficient if there is a portion where the waste liquid unit 70 and the tube bundle 60 are arranged at the same height in the vertical direction Z1. That is, it is not necessary for all of the tube bundle 60 to be at the same height as the waste liquid unit 70 in the vertical direction Z1. For example, the upper end of the waste liquid box 71 may be located at the same level as or lower than the upper end of the tube bundle 60. Further, for example, the bottom surface 73B that forms the lower end of the holding portion 73 may be located at the same level as or higher than the lower end of the tube bundle 60.

[0113] · The direction in which the curved portion 62 curves, that is, the direction in which the tube 61 curves with displacement in the transport direction Y1, is not limited to horizontal. It is sufficient if the direction in which the tube 61 curves is parallel to the transport surface of the medium M. For example, when the transport surface of the portion facing the liquid ejection head 52 is an inclined surface inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal, the curved portion 62 may curve the tube 61 in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal.

[0114] · The holding part 73 may be located outside the conveyance direction Y1 from a position above one of the roller pairs 47 located downstream in the conveyance direction Y1 among the two roller pairs 46 and 47 that constitute the discharge part 43. Even in this case, it is sufficient if the holding part 73 is located above the second conveyance path K2.

[0115] · There may be no part where the waste liquid unit 70 and the tube bundle 60 are arranged at the same height in the vertical direction Z1. In this way, if the waste liquid box 71 and the tube bundle 60 are located differently in the vertical direction Z1, there is no fear that the tube bundle 60 and the waste liquid box 71 will come into contact even if the curved part 62 of the tube bundle 60 moves. Therefore, the holding part 73 is not limited to the dead space DS and can be freely laid out. For example, a long waste liquid box 71 having a length close to the entire width within the housing 12 may be arranged at a height above the curved part 62.

[0116] · The holding part 73 may be arranged in a region downstream of the tube bundle 60 in the conveyance direction Y1. In this case, if the holding part 73 is located in the downstream area in the conveyance direction Y1 and above the discharge part 43 with respect to the head support part such as the carriage 51, the waste liquid box 71 can be arranged using the space above the discharge part 43, and the workability during the replacement of the waste liquid box 71 is improved.

[0117] · The tube 61 is not limited to the configuration of a tube bundle formed by bundling a plurality of tubes, and may also have a configuration of only one tube. For example, it may be applied to a configuration including one tube 61 in the liquid ejection device 11 that prints in black. Further, when forming a tube bundle, a plurality of tubes other than four may also be used.

[0118] · The liquid ejection device 11 is not limited to a printing device that prints on paper or film as a medium, and may also be a dyeing device that prints on cloth. · The liquid ejection device is not limited to a serial printer in which the carriage unit 50 reciprocates in the scanning directions X1 and X2, and may also be a lateral printer in which the carriage unit 50 is movable in two directions, the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

[0119] · The liquid ejection device 11 may be a line printer. In the case of a line printer, the line head may be of a multi-head type formed by arranging a plurality of ejection heads, or may have a configuration including one long line head having a plurality of nozzle rows in which nozzles 55 are arranged at a constant pitch over the entire printing area in the width direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the medium M. In the case of a line printer, the line head corresponds to the liquid ejection head, and the line head is supported by the head support portion.

[0120] · The liquid ejection device is not limited to a multifunction device, and may be a printer having a cover 13 not equipped with the reading unit 30. · The medium M is not limited to paper, and may be a flexible plastic film, cloth, non-woven fabric, or the like.

[0121] · The liquid ejection device is not limited to a printer for printing. For example, it may eject a liquid in which particles of a functional material are dispersed or mixed, and manufacture 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. Further, it may be a liquid ejection device for three-dimensional modeling that ejects an uncured resin liquid to form a three-dimensional object.

[0122] The technical idea grasped from the above-described embodiment and modification examples will be described below together with its effects. The liquid injection device includes a conveyance unit that conveys a medium in a conveyance direction, a liquid injection head that injects liquid into the medium, a head support unit that supports the liquid injection head, a liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid injection head, a discharge unit that discharges the medium into which the liquid has been injected, and a holding unit that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid injection head as waste liquid. The holding unit is disposed at a position downstream of the head support unit in the conveyance direction and above the discharge unit. According to this configuration, the holding unit that holds the waste liquid container can be disposed by using the space above the discharge unit while avoiding the head support unit. The location above the discharge unit while avoiding the head support unit is a position where the user can easily access compared to the rear part of the liquid injection device. Therefore, it is possible to improve the workability during the replacement of the waste liquid container while suppressing the increase in the size of the liquid injection device as much as possible.

[0123] In the above liquid injection device, the discharge unit includes two rollers disposed at different positions in the conveyance direction, and the holding unit may be disposed above one of the two rollers located on the downstream side in the conveyance direction.

[0124] According to this configuration, the holding unit is located above one of the two rollers that constitute the discharge unit and located on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The holding unit can be disposed by using the space above one of the rollers.

[0125] In the above liquid injection device, below the first conveyance path in which the conveyance unit conveys the medium, there is a second conveyance path that conveys the medium after the liquid has been injected in a second conveyance direction opposite to the conveyance direction. The discharge unit discharges the medium partway in the conveyance direction and then reversely conveys it in the second conveyance direction to send the medium to the second conveyance path. The holding unit may be located at a position downstream of the head support unit in the conveyance direction and above the second conveyance path.

[0126] According to this configuration, since it includes a second conveyance path that conveys the medium after the liquid is ejected in the second conveyance direction, compared to a configuration that only discharges the medium in the first conveyance direction, it is necessary to once discharge the medium partway in the first conveyance direction to a position where the rear end of the medium in the first conveyance direction can be guided to the inlet of the second conveyance path. Therefore, the conveyance path of the discharge part becomes long in the conveyance direction, and a space is likely to be formed above the downstream part of the second conveyance path in the first conveyance direction. The holding part can be arranged using this space.

[0127] In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the head support part is a carriage that can reciprocate in a scanning direction intersecting the conveyance direction at a position above the conveyance path of the medium, the liquid ejecting head moves together with the carriage, and the holding part may be arranged at a position downstream of the carriage in the conveyance direction and above the discharge part.

[0128] According to this configuration, the holding part can be arranged using the space above the discharge part without interfering with the movement of the carriage. For this reason, the workability during the replacement of the waste liquid container is improved, and the enlargement of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be suppressed.

[0129] The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a housing that houses the liquid ejecting head and the holding part, the housing has a discharge port through which the medium is discharged, and the holding part may be arranged above the discharge port.

[0130] According to this configuration, while avoiding contact between the holding part and the discharged medium, a large accommodation volume of the waste liquid accommodated in the waste liquid container can be ensured. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a housing that houses the liquid ejecting head and the holding part, and an openable and closable cover that covers the upper opening of the housing, and the holding part may hold the waste liquid container in a state where it is exposed when the cover is opened.

[0131] According to this configuration, when the cover is opened, the waste liquid container is exposed in the housing, so the workability of replacing the waste liquid container is improved. In the above-described liquid ejection device, a maintenance device is provided for performing maintenance on the liquid ejection head while the carriage is positioned at a maintenance position which is one end of the movement path of the carriage. The holding portion may be positioned closer to one side of the housing which is opposite to the maintenance position in the moving direction of the carriage.

[0132] According to this configuration, the holding portion can be arranged using approximately half of the area other than the moving area of the tube that moves by approximately half of the moving amount of the carriage as the carriage moves. Therefore, the holding portion can be arranged at a position that does not obstruct the movement of the carriage and the movement of the tube.

[0133] In the above-described liquid ejection device, the holding portion may be positioned closer to one side on the same side as the side where the liquid storage container is arranged in the moving direction of the carriage within the housing. According to this configuration, the tube extending from the liquid storage container can be routed so as to form a curved portion on the side opposite to the liquid storage container. The holding portion can be arranged in a dead space outside the moving area of the tube.

[0134] The above-described liquid ejection device includes a tube through which liquid supplied from the liquid storage container arranged at a position different from the carriage and connected to the carriage passes to the liquid ejection head. The lower end of the holding portion may be positioned below the tube.

[0135] According to this configuration, the height dimension of the waste liquid container can be utilized, and a larger storage volume of the waste liquid container can be ensured. In the above-described liquid ejection device, the upper end of the waste liquid container held by the holding portion may be positioned above the upper end of the carriage.

[0136] According to this configuration, the height dimension of the waste liquid container can be utilized, and a larger storage volume of the waste liquid container can be ensured. In the above liquid injection device, a tube through which liquid supplied from the liquid storage container disposed at a position different from the carriage to the liquid injection head passes, a waste liquid tube through which waste liquid sent from the maintenance device to the waste liquid container passes, and a partition wall portion that separates the tube and the waste liquid tube may be provided.

[0137] According to this configuration, since the tube through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container passes and the waste liquid tube are separated by the partition wall portion so as not to intersect, problems such as the liquid supply tube getting entangled with the waste liquid tube when the liquid supply tube moves can be avoided.

[0138] In the above liquid injection device, the holding portion has a connection portion that connects the waste liquid container to the waste liquid tube, and the holding portion is provided with a detaching mechanism that can connect and detach the waste liquid container to and from the connection portion by sliding the waste liquid container in the moving direction of the carriage.

[0139] According to this configuration, by connecting the waste liquid container to the connection portion by the detaching mechanism, leakage of waste liquid between the waste liquid container and the waste liquid tube can be prevented. By sliding the waste liquid container, the waste liquid container can be attached to and detached from the connection portion. Since the sliding direction during attachment and detachment is the same as the moving direction of the carriage, even if the waste liquid container is slid, the waste liquid container is less likely to come into contact with the tube.

[0140] In the above liquid injection device, the tube is provided so as to form a curved portion that curves and folds back in a direction accompanied by displacement in the conveyance direction and moves the formation position of the curved portion as the carriage moves, and the detaching mechanism may remove the waste liquid container by sliding the waste liquid container in a direction opposite to the side where the curved portion is located in the moving direction of the carriage.

[0141] According to this configuration, it is difficult to come into contact with the curved portion when removing the waste liquid container. Also, compared to a configuration in which a space for the sliding stroke is secured so as not to contact the curved portion and the waste liquid container is slid to the curved portion side for removal, a larger waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid container can be secured.

Description of Signs

[0142] 11…Liquid ejection device, 12…Housing, 12A…Opening, 13…Cover, 15…Discharge port, 16…Support base, 17…First guide member, 18…Second guide member, 20…Printing unit, 21…Cassette, 22…Discharge tray, 23…Front member, 23A…Opening, 24…Operation panel, 25…Operation part, 26…Display part, 27…Liquid supply unit, 28…Liquid storage container, 29…Mounting part, 30…Reading unit, 32…Automatic document feeder, 33…Document tray, 40…Conveying mechanism, 41…Feeding part, 42…Conveying part, 43…Discharging part, 44…Intermediate roller, 45…Pair of conveying rollers, 46…First discharge roller pair constituting an example of a pair of rollers, 47…Second discharge roller pair constituting an example of a pair of rollers and also an example of one of the rollers, 49…Inversion roller pair, 50…Carriage unit, 50A…Upper end surface as an example of the upper end of the carriage, 51…Carriage as an example of a head support part, 52…Liquid ejection head, 53…Carriage motor, 55…Nozzle, 56…Liquid reservoir, 60…Bundle of tubes, 61…Tube, 61A…First straight part, 61B…Second straight part, 61C…Fixed part, 61D…Movable part, 62…Curved part, 63…Support member, 71…Waste liquid box, 71A…Upper end surface as an example of the upper end, 73…Holding part, 73A…Opening, 73B…Bottom surface as an example of the lower end, 74…Bottom plate part, 75…Side plate part, 76…Guide groove, 78…Partition part, 81…Maintenance mechanism, 82…Gap adjustment mechanism, 83…Cap, 84…Suction pump, 85…Electric motor, 86…Waste liquid tube, 87…Feeding mechanism, 90…Detaching and attaching mechanism, 91…Supply mechanism, 92…Supply needle as an example of a connection part, 93…First locking mechanism, 95…Supply port part as an example of a connected part, 96…Second locking mechanism, 97…Memory element, 100…Control unit, D…Document, M…Medium, HP…Home position, AH…Anti-home position, K1…First conveyance path as an example of a conveyance path, K2…Second conveyance path as an example of a conveyance path, R1…First conveyance path, R2…Second conveyance path, SA…Scanning area, TA…Moving area of the curved part, X1…First scanning direction, X2…Second scanning direction, Y1…First conveyance direction (conveyance direction), Y2…Second conveyance direction, Z1…Vertical direction.

Claims

1. A conveying unit that conveys a medium in a conveying direction, A liquid injection head that injects liquid onto the medium, A head support unit that supports the liquid injection head, A liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid injection head, A discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been injected, A holding unit that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid injection head as waste liquid, A tube that is connected to the head support unit and through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container, which is disposed at a position different from the head support unit, to the liquid injection head passes, A waste liquid tube through which the waste liquid sent to the waste liquid container passes, Comprising: The holding unit is disposed at a position downstream of the head support unit in the conveying direction, The waste liquid tube is routed along the tube above the tube, A liquid injection device characterized by this.

2. A conveying unit that conveys a medium in a conveying direction, A liquid injection head that injects liquid onto the medium, A head support unit that supports the liquid injection head, A liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid injection head, A discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been injected, A holding unit that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid injection head as waste liquid, A tube that is connected to the head support unit and through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container, which is disposed at a position different from the head support unit, to the liquid injection head passes, Comprising: The holding unit is disposed at a position downstream of the head support unit in the conveying direction, Below the first conveying path along which the conveying unit conveys the medium, there is a second conveying path that conveys the medium after the liquid has been injected in a second conveying direction that is opposite to the conveying direction, The discharge unit discharges the medium partway in the conveying direction and then conveys the medium in the reverse direction in the second conveying direction to send the medium to the second conveying path, The holding unit is located at a position downstream of the head support unit in the conveying direction and above the second conveying path, A liquid injection device characterized by this.

3. A conveying unit that conveys a medium in a conveying direction, A liquid injection head that injects liquid onto the medium, A head support unit that supports the liquid injection head, A liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid injection head, A discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been injected, A holding unit that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid injection head as waste liquid, A tube through which liquid supplied from the liquid storage container connected to the head support portion and disposed at a position different from the head support portion passes to the liquid ejection head, comprising the holding portion is disposed at a position downstream of the head support portion in the conveyance direction, a lower end of the holding portion is positioned below the tube, and a liquid ejection apparatus characterized by this. **Claim 4** A conveyance unit that conveys a medium in a conveyance direction, a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto the medium, a head support portion that supports the liquid ejection head, a liquid storage container that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, a discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been ejected, a holding portion that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid, a tube through which liquid supplied from the liquid storage container connected to the head support portion and disposed at a position different from the head support portion passes to the liquid ejection head, an operation panel disposed downstream of the holding portion in the conveyance direction, comprising the holding portion is disposed at a position downstream of the head support portion in the conveyance direction, in the conveyance direction, the operation panel and the waste liquid container held by the holding portion overlap, in the conveyance direction, the holding portion fits within the region of the operation panel, and a liquid ejection apparatus characterized by this. **Claim 5** A conveyance unit that conveys a medium in a conveyance direction, a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto the medium, a head support portion that supports the liquid ejection head, a liquid storage container that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, a discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been ejected, a holding portion that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid, a tube through which liquid supplied from the liquid storage container connected to the head support portion and disposed at a position different from the head support portion passes to the liquid ejection head, an operation panel disposed downstream of the holding portion in the conveyance direction, comprising the holding portion is disposed at a position downstream of the head support portion in the conveyance direction, in the conveyance direction, the waste liquid container held by the holding portion fits within the region of the operation panel, and a liquid ejection apparatus characterized by this. **Claim 6** A conveyance unit that conveys a medium in a conveyance direction, a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto the medium, a head support portion that supports the liquid ejection head, A liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid ejection head A discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been ejected A holding unit that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid A tube that is connected to the head support unit and through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container, which is disposed at a position different from the head support unit, to the liquid ejection head passes A waste liquid tube through which the waste liquid sent to the waste liquid container passes A pump that recovers the waste liquid into the waste liquid container An operation panel disposed downstream of the holding unit in the conveyance direction Comprising The holding unit is disposed at a position downstream of the head support unit in the conveyance direction When viewed in the conveyance direction, the operation panel and the waste liquid container held by the holding unit overlap The pump is disposed between the head support unit and the operation panel in the conveyance direction. A liquid ejection device characterized by this

7. A conveyance unit that conveys a medium in a conveyance direction A liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto the medium A head support unit that supports the liquid ejection head A liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid ejection head A discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been ejected A holding unit that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid A tube that is connected to the head support unit and through which the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container, which is disposed at a position different from the head support unit, to the liquid ejection head passes A cassette that stores the medium conveyed by the conveyance unit Comprising The holding unit is disposed at a position downstream of the head support unit in the conveyance direction The holding unit is disposed at a position vertically above the cassette and fits within the cassette in the width direction intersecting the conveyance direction. A liquid ejection device characterized by this

8. A housing An openable and closable cover that covers the upper opening of the housing A reading unit that is provided on the cover and reads an image from a document A conveyance unit that conveys a medium in a conveyance direction A liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto the medium A head support unit that supports the liquid ejection head A liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid ejection head A discharge unit that discharges the medium onto which the liquid has been ejected A holding unit that holds a waste liquid container capable of storing the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid A tube through which liquid supplied from the liquid storage container, which is connected to the head support portion and disposed at a position different from the head support portion, passes to the liquid ejection head; comprising The holding portion is disposed at a position downstream of the head support portion in the conveyance direction. The holding portion holds the waste liquid container in a state where the upper end surface of the waste liquid container is exposed from the housing. The bottom surface of the reading unit has a concave portion that is recessed upward at a portion corresponding to the upper end surface of the waste liquid container held by the holding portion when the cover is closed. A liquid ejection apparatus characterized by this.

9. Further comprising an operation panel disposed downstream of the holding portion in the conveyance direction, When viewed in the conveyance direction, the operation panel and the waste liquid container held by the holding portion overlap. The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8, characterized by this.

10. Further comprising a cassette that houses the medium conveyed by the conveyance unit, The holding portion is disposed at a position vertically above the cassette. The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8, characterized by this.

11. Comprising a housing that houses the liquid ejection head and the holding portion, The housing has a discharge port through which the medium is discharged, The holding portion is disposed above the discharge port. The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by this.

12. Further comprising a discharge tray on which the medium discharged from the discharge port is loaded, The holding portion is disposed at a position vertically above the discharge tray housed in the housing. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 11, characterized by this.

13. A housing that houses the liquid ejection head and the holding portion; An openable and closable cover that covers the upper opening of the housing; and The holding portion holds the waste liquid container in a state where it is exposed when the cover is opened. The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by this.

14. The head support portion is a carriage that can reciprocate in a scanning direction intersecting the conveyance direction at a position above the conveyance path of the medium, and the liquid ejection head moves together with the carriage. The holding part is arranged at a position downstream of the carriage in the conveying direction. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by this.

15. The upper end of the waste liquid container held by the holding part is located above the upper end of the carriage. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 14, characterized by this.

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