Liquid recovery device and liquid recovery container

Abstract

To provide a liquid recovery device which can recover a liquid remaining in a liquid storage container efficiently, and to provide the liquid recovery container.SOLUTION: A liquid recovery device 80 may recover a liquid remaining in a liquid storage container 18 having an injection port 53 and a supply port part 52 which may supply the liquid to a liquid discharge part. The liquid storage container 18 has a discharge port part 73 which is used to recover the liquid. The liquid recovery device 80 includes a liquid recovery storage part 81, a recovery force generation part 82, and a recovery port part 83. The liquid recovery storage part 81 may store the liquid recovered from the liquid storage container 18. The recovery force generation part 82 generates a recovery force which is other than gravity and moves the liquid from the liquid storage container 18 in a direction toward the liquid recovery storage part 81. The recovery port part 83 may be connected to the discharge port part 73. The liquid remaining in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the liquid recovery storage part 81 through connection between the discharge port part 73 and the recovery port part 83 by the recovery force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid recovery device and a liquid recovery container that recovers liquid remaining in a liquid storage container that can contain liquid to be supplied to a liquid ejection section. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses, as an example of a liquid ejection device, an inkjet printing device that includes a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid such as ink onto a medium such as paper. This type of liquid ejection device is equipped with a liquid storage container that stores the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection unit. In addition to replaceable cartridges (such as ink cartridges), other known liquid storage containers include refillable liquid tanks (such as ink tanks) that have an inlet that allows the user to refill the liquid. When the liquid in a refillable liquid storage container (liquid tank) runs low, the user refills the liquid by connecting an ink bottle or other liquid bottle to the inlet.

[0003] When a liquid ejection device is discarded, the cartridge is often collected for recycling. Even if the liquid ejection device is discarded together with the cartridge, there is little risk of liquid leaking from the cartridge because the cartridge does not have an injection port.

[0004] In contrast, a liquid refillable liquid container is fixed to the housing or carriage of the liquid ejection device. Therefore, liquid ejection devices are often discarded with the liquid container still fixed. However, if liquid such as ink remains in the liquid container, the liquid may leak from the inlet port with a loose or detached cap if the liquid ejection device is tilted during disposal. The spilled liquid may not be disposed of and may cause environmental pollution. Therefore, when discarding a liquid ejection device equipped with a tank-type liquid container, it is preferable for the user to collect the liquid from the liquid container before discarding the liquid ejection device. Furthermore, even if a liquid refillable liquid container is removed from a liquid ejection device, if liquid remains in the removed liquid container, the same problem can occur when discarding the removed liquid container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-69717 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional liquid refillable liquid containers do not provide a structure for discharging or recovering the liquid remaining in the liquid container when the liquid ejection device is disposed of. Therefore, for example, it is necessary to drain the liquid from the inlet or supply port. Because the inlet port is not designed for draining the liquid, there is a risk of the liquid overflowing during the draining process, or the liquid, such as ink, adhering to and staining the user's fingers.

[0007] For example, it is necessary to efficiently discharge or recover almost all of the liquid in the liquid storage container. For example, when recovering the liquid by utilizing a hydraulic head difference, the height position at which the liquid storage container is held is limited so that the injection port or supply port is positioned higher than the mouth of the container or bottle into which the liquid is to be recovered.

[0008] Furthermore, when using a head difference to discharge liquid, recovery may be inefficient if the inlet or supply port is narrow, for example. As the head difference becomes smaller, the liquid recovery efficiency further decreases. Therefore, when recovering liquid from a liquid storage container, it is desirable that the height position at which the liquid storage container is held is not restricted and that the liquid can be recovered efficiently. Therefore, when disposing of a liquid ejection device, it is desirable that the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container can be easily discharged or recovered. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A liquid recovery device that solves the above problem is a liquid recovery device configured to be able to recover liquid remaining in a liquid storage container having an inlet portion through which liquid can be injected and a supply port portion through which liquid can be supplied to a liquid ejection portion that ejects the liquid, wherein the liquid storage container has an outlet portion used for recovering the liquid, and the liquid recovery device comprises a liquid recovery storage portion capable of storing liquid recovered from the liquid storage container, a recovery force generating portion that generates a recovery force that moves liquid in a direction from the liquid storage container toward the liquid recovery storage portion by a force other than gravity, and a recovery port portion connectable to the outlet portion, and recovers liquid remaining in the liquid storage container to the liquid recovery storage portion by the recovery force through the connection between the outlet portion and the recovery port portion.

[0010] A liquid recovery container that solves the above problem is a liquid recovery container configured to be able to recover liquid remaining in a liquid storage container having an inlet portion through which liquid can be injected and a supply port portion through which liquid can be supplied to a liquid ejection portion that ejects the liquid, wherein the liquid storage container has an outlet portion used to recover the liquid, and is equipped with a liquid recovery storage portion having a recovery chamber that can store the liquid recovered from the liquid storage container, a recovery force generating portion that generates a recovery force that moves liquid in a direction from the liquid storage container toward the liquid recovery storage portion by a force other than gravity, and a recovery port portion that can be connected to the outlet portion, and the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container is recovered to the liquid recovery storage portion by the recovery force through the connection between the outlet portion and the recovery port portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a liquid ejection device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the liquid ejection device when refilling the liquid container with liquid. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the internal configuration of the liquid ejection device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a liquid container and a liquid discharge portion. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a liquid container and a liquid discharge portion when the liquid container is being refilled with liquid. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing how the liquid storage container is removed from the storage unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the liquid recovery apparatus of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a liquid recovery device that recovers liquid from a liquid storage container. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the liquid recovery device before starting to recover liquid from a liquid storage container in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a liquid recovery device that recovers liquid from a liquid storage container. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a liquid recovery device that recovers liquid from a liquid storage container in the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a liquid recovery device that recovers liquid from a liquid storage container in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the internal configuration of a liquid ejection device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing a liquid discharge unit on which a liquid container is mounted. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a liquid recovery device that recovers liquid from a liquid storage container. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a liquid recovery device that recovers liquid from a liquid storage container in the sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] (First embodiment) A liquid recovery system according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The liquid recovery system recovers liquid remaining in a liquid storage container that constitutes a liquid ejection device. The liquid ejection device of this embodiment ejects liquid such as ink onto a medium such as paper, thereby printing characters, images, etc. on the medium.

[0013] <Configuration of liquid ejection device 11> First, the liquid ejection device 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 11 is, for example, an inkjet printer that ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid.

[0014] In FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, and three mutually orthogonal directions are defined as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. The Z direction, which is parallel to the direction of gravity, is defined as the vertical direction Z. Two mutually orthogonal directions along the horizontal plane, the X direction and the Y direction, are defined as the width direction X and the transport direction Y, respectively. The X direction is the width direction of the liquid ejection device 11, and is therefore defined as the width direction X. The Y direction is parallel to the depth direction of the liquid ejection device 11. In the liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment, the direction in which the medium M is transported at the printing position where printing is performed is parallel to the Y direction, and is therefore referred to as the transport direction Y. Furthermore, one end of the liquid ejection device 11 in the transport direction Y is also referred to as the front side, and the other end opposite to the one end is also referred to as the rear side. One end of the width direction X as viewed from the front side is also referred to as the right side, and the other end is also referred to as the left side. The actual transport direction of the medium M changes depending on the position of the medium M on the transport path. In addition, in this embodiment, when describing gravity, the Z direction is also referred to as the gravity direction Z.

[0015] The liquid ejection device 11 may be a multifunction device. The liquid ejection device 11, which is also a multifunction device, may include a device main body 12 and an image reading device 13 on top of the device main body 12. The liquid ejection device 11 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole.

[0016] The liquid ejection device 11 includes a liquid storage container 18 that stores liquid, and a liquid ejection unit 23 that ejects the liquid. The liquid ejection device 11 prints characters or images on the medium M by having the liquid ejection unit 23 eject liquid, such as ink, supplied from the liquid storage container 18 toward the medium M. The liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment is, for example, a serial printer in which the liquid ejection unit 23 prints while moving in the width direction X. Note that the liquid ejection device 11 may also be a line printer. A line printer prints by having the liquid ejection unit 23, which extends in the width direction X over a length longer than the width dimension of the medium M, eject liquid, such as ink, toward the medium M, which is transported at a constant speed.

[0017] The liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment is a so-called off-carriage type in which the liquid storage container 18 is fixed at a position separate from the liquid ejection unit 23 within the device body 12. The liquid storage container 18 and the liquid ejection unit 23 are connected via a supply flow path 24. The liquid ejection unit 23 ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 18 via the supply flow path 24. The supply flow path 24 is, for example, a tube.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 11 includes a housing 20. The housing 20 houses a liquid storage container 18 and a liquid ejection unit 23. The housing 20 is composed of, for example, a housing main body and a lid. The housing main body is in the shape of a bottomed box with an opening that opens upward. The lid covers the opening of the housing main body. In the liquid ejection device 11, which is a multifunction device, the bottom of the image reading device 13 also serves as the lid. The housing 20 includes, for example, a metal frame structure and an exterior member made of synthetic resin. The exterior member covers the frame structure from the outside.

[0019] An operation panel 17 is provided on the front surface of the liquid ejection device 11. The operation panel 17 has an operation unit 15 and a display unit 16. The operation unit 15 includes buttons for performing various operations. The display unit 16 displays various information such as menus and the operating status of the liquid ejection device 11.

[0020] A storage section 19 is provided at the front end of the liquid ejection device 11. The storage section 19 may be located, for example, on the right side of the operation panel 17. The storage section 19 stores at least one liquid storage container 18. In this embodiment, the storage section 19 stores multiple (five in this embodiment) liquid storage containers 18. The storage section 19 forms part of the housing 20. In other words, the housing 20 is equipped with the storage section 19 that stores multiple liquid storage containers 18. The liquid storage container 18 is of a liquid refill type that can be refilled with liquid such as ink. In other words, the liquid storage container 18 is a liquid refill type liquid tank. The liquid tank is, for example, an ink tank that can store ink as an example of a liquid.

[0021] The storage unit 19 includes a substantially box-shaped storage unit main body 19A with an opening that opens upward, and a cover 32. The cover 32 covers the opening of the storage unit main body 19A in an openable and closable manner. The storage unit main body 19A has at least one viewing window 21 (five in this embodiment) at the front. In other words, the housing 20 has the viewing window 21 at the front of the storage unit 19. The user can visually check the amount of liquid in the liquid storage container 18 through the viewing window 21.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the multiple liquid storage containers 18 are arranged in a line in the width direction X within the storage section 19. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the multiple liquid storage containers 18 are five in total, including one liquid storage container 18A and four liquid storage containers 18B. The liquid storage container 18A has a larger capacity than the liquid storage container 18B. The liquid storage container 18A stores, for example, black ink. The four liquid storage containers 18B store, for example, inks of different colors. The multiple liquid storage containers 18 store, for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and other inks. The inks may be pigment inks or dye inks. Furthermore, the liquid used for printing is not limited to ink, and may be a coating liquid or the like.

[0023] The two types of liquid storage containers 18A, 18B have the same basic configuration except for different widths due to different capacities. Therefore, when there is no need to distinguish between the two types of liquid storage containers 18A, 18B, they will simply be referred to as "liquid storage containers 18."

[0024] The liquid ejection unit 23 includes an ejection head 25 and a carriage 26. The carriage 26 holds the ejection head 25 and is capable of moving back and forth along the width direction X (scanning direction). The liquid ejection unit 23 prints on the medium M by ejecting liquid from the ejection head 25 while moving in the width direction X.

[0025] The liquid ejection device 11 includes a scanning mechanism 27 in a housing 20 that moves (scans) the liquid ejection unit 23. The scanning mechanism 27 includes a guide shaft 28 that guides the carriage 26 so that it can move in the width direction X, a carriage motor 29 that serves as a drive source, a pair of pulleys 30, and an endless timing belt 31 wound around the pair of pulleys 30. One of the pair of pulleys 30 is fixed to the output shaft of the carriage motor 29. When the carriage motor 29 is driven in the forward direction, the liquid ejection unit 23 moves forward in the +X direction, and when the carriage motor 29 is driven in the reverse direction, the liquid ejection unit 23 moves backward in the -X direction.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the image reading device 13 is configured to be openable and closable relative to the device main body 12 via a pivot mechanism 13A such as a hinge. The image reading device 13 functions as a lid. The image reading device 13 can be opened and closed between a closed position shown in FIG. 1 and an open position shown in FIG. 2. When the image reading device 13 is positioned in the open position, the cover 32 can be opened and closed. When the cover 32 is opened, the cap lever 33 attached to the liquid container 18 (see FIG. 1) can be opened and closed. When the liquid container 18 is replenished with liquid such as ink, the image reading device 13, the cover 32, and the cap lever 33 are all positioned in the open position as shown in FIG. 2. The liquid bottle 34 is in an upside-down position with its supply port facing downward, and the supply port is connected to the inlet of the liquid container 18. The cover 32 may be configured to be able to be opened and closed independently even when the image reading device 13 is closed.

[0027] <Internal configuration of liquid ejection device 11> Next, the internal configuration of the liquid ejection device 11 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the ejection head 25 has a nozzle forming surface 25A in which nozzles 25N open. In the example shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of nozzles 25N open in the nozzle forming surface 25A. The ejection head 25 is configured to be able to eject liquid from the plurality of nozzles 25N. For example, a plurality of nozzles 25N may be provided for each type (e.g., color) of liquid to be ejected.

[0028] The liquid ejection device 11 includes a maintenance device 35 that performs maintenance on the ejection head 25, and a liquid supply device 36 that supplies liquid from a liquid storage container 18 to the ejection head 25. The maintenance device 35 includes a cap 37 that can be raised and lowered, and a discharge tube 38 connected to the cap 37. The cap 37 is configured to be movable between a retracted position shown in FIG. 3 where it is spaced apart from the ejection head 25, and a capping position (not shown) where it contacts the nozzle forming surface 25A of the ejection head 25 when it is in the standby position. The cap 37 is capable of receiving liquid that is ejected or discharged from the nozzles 25N for maintenance.

[0029] When the cap 37 is in the capping position, it forms a closed space between itself and the nozzle forming surface 25A, which communicates with the nozzles 25N. The maintenance device 35 is equipped with a suction pump 39 located midway along the discharge tube 38. The maintenance device 35 drives the suction pump 39 while the ejection head 25 is capped, thereby reducing the pressure in the closed space surrounded by the cap 37 and the nozzle forming surface 25A. This reduction in pressure causes foreign matter such as air bubbles to be sucked and discharged together with the liquid from the nozzles 25N of the ejection head 25. The liquid discharged from the nozzles 25N by this cleaning is collected in the waste liquid storage unit 40 via the cap 37 and the discharge tube 38.

[0030] 3 shows only one liquid supply device 36, but a plurality of liquid supply devices 36 are provided corresponding to the plurality of liquid storage containers 18. The plurality of liquid supply devices 36 basically have the same configuration.

[0031] 3, the liquid supply device 36 includes a liquid storage container 18 and a supply flow path 24 that supplies the liquid in the liquid storage container 18 to the ejection head 25. The supply flow path 24 may be, for example, a flexible tube. However, the supply flow path 24 may include a member other than a tube as long as the carriage 26 can move within its movement range. A portion of the supply flow path 24 may be a tubular member made of a hard resin material, or a flow path member formed by attaching a film to a flow path forming member with a groove formed therein.

[0032] If the liquid storage container 18 is referred to as the first liquid storage container 18, a second liquid storage container 60 different from the first liquid storage container 18 is mounted on the carriage 26. The first liquid storage container 18 is a main tank, and the second liquid storage container 60 is a sub-tank. The amount of liquid that the second liquid storage container 60 can store is smaller than the amount of liquid that the first liquid storage container 18 can store. The second liquid storage container 60 temporarily stores, on the carriage 26, the liquid that is supplied from the first liquid storage container 18 through the supply flow path 24. The second liquid storage container 60 has a locking portion 61 that can be locked to the carriage 26. The second liquid storage container 60 is fixed to the carriage 26 by locking via the locking portion 61.

[0033] An upstream end (one end) of the supply flow path 24 is connected to the first liquid storage container 18. A downstream end (the other end) of the supply flow path 24 is connected to the second liquid storage container 60. The second liquid storage container 60 is connected to the upstream end of a flow path 41 of the carriage 26. A downstream end of the flow path 41 is connected to the ejection head 25. The liquid in the first liquid storage container 18 is supplied to the ejection head 25 through the supply flow path 24, the second liquid storage container 60, and the flow path 41. Note that, hereinafter, the first liquid storage container 18 will also be simply referred to as the "liquid storage container 18" unless it is particularly distinguished from the second liquid storage container 60.

[0034] The liquid storage container 18 includes a container body 50. The container body 50 is configured as a case made of synthetic resin. This case may be made of transparent or translucent resin. Alternatively, the container body 50 may be configured such that a film is adhered to one surface of a storage case having a storage chamber recess recessed into one surface, thereby forming a liquid storage chamber 55 surrounded by the film and the storage chamber recess. The storage case may be made of transparent or translucent resin. A viewing surface 22 on the front surface of the liquid storage container 18 is exposed through the viewing window 21. A user can view the liquid level in the liquid storage chamber 55 from outside through the viewing surface 22. In other words, the user can view the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid storage container 18.

[0035] The liquid storage containers 18 are fixed to the bottom 20A of the housing 20 via fastening portions 42. The fastening portions 42 are fixing structures that fix the liquid storage containers 18 via screw fastening. The fastening portions 42 may fix multiple liquid storage containers 18 individually to the housing 20, or may fix multiple liquid storage containers 18 collectively to the housing 20. The specific configuration of the fastening portions 42 will be described later.

[0036] The liquid storage container 18 is positioned at a predetermined position relative to the bottom 20A of the housing 20 via a position restricting portion 43. The position restricting portion 43 restricts the position of the liquid storage container 18 at a predetermined position relative to the bottom 20A. The liquid storage container 18 is fixed via a fastening portion 42 to a predetermined position within the storage portion 19, the position of which is restricted relative to the bottom 20A.

[0037] 3, the liquid storage container 18 includes a liquid storage section 51, a supply port section 52, and an injection port section 53. The liquid storage section 51 is configured to be able to store liquid. The injection port section 53 is a section where liquid is injected into the liquid storage section 51. The supply port section 52 is a section where liquid is supplied to the liquid ejection section 23. One upstream end of the supply flow path 24 is connected to the supply port section 52.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, the ejection head 25 is positioned above the liquid level LP in the liquid storage container 18 in the vertical direction Z. More specifically, the opening of the nozzle 25N is positioned above the liquid level LP when the liquid storage container 18 is at its maximum height. Therefore, the liquid in the nozzle 25N receives a negative pressure as back pressure. This prevents the liquid from dripping from the nozzle 25N and forms a meniscus in the liquid in the nozzle 25N. The liquid in the liquid storage container 18 is supplied to the ejection head 25 so as to make up for the amount of liquid consumed by the nozzle 25N due to the head difference between the liquid level and the meniscus in the nozzle 25N.

[0039] 3, the liquid ejection device 11 includes a control unit 200 that controls the operation of the entire device. The control unit 200 controls a carriage motor 29 that reciprocates the carriage 26, a transport unit (not shown) that transports the medium M, the ejection operation of the ejection head 25, and the cleaning operation of the maintenance device 35.

[0040] <Configuration of Liquid Storage Container 18> Next, the configuration of liquid storage container 18 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Note that although the two types of liquid storage containers 18A and 18B have different width dimensions due to differences in capacity, they have the same basic configuration. Therefore, hereinafter, unless there is a need to distinguish between the two types, they will be described as liquid storage container 18.

[0041] 4 and 5, the liquid storage container 18 has an inlet portion 53 and a supply port portion 52. The inlet portion 53 is configured to allow the liquid to be poured into it from the liquid bottle 34. The supply port portion 52 supplies the liquid to a liquid ejection portion that ejects the liquid.

[0042] The liquid storage container 18 includes a container body 50. The container body 50 has a liquid storage portion 51 and a protruding portion 56. The protruding portion 56 is a portion that protrudes upward from the liquid storage portion 51. The liquid storage portion 51 has a liquid storage chamber 55 in which the liquid IL is stored. The liquid storage chamber 55 may be divided into a plurality of compartments that communicate with each other by a plurality of ribs (not shown). This prevents the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 55 from shaking when the liquid ejection device 11 is transported, for example. This prevents air (air bubbles) from being mixed into the liquid due to foaming caused by shaking, etc.

[0043] The container body 50 has a supply port 52, an injection port 53, and an atmosphere-communicating port 54. These may be tubular and protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the container body 50. The supply port 52, the injection port 53, and the atmosphere-communicating port 54 are in communication with a liquid storage chamber 55. The injection port 53 and the atmosphere-communicating port 54 are located, for example, above the highest position of the liquid level LP. The supply port 52 is in communication with the liquid storage chamber 55 at a position where the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 55 can be supplied all the way to the end.

[0044] Inlet portion 53 is used to inject a liquid such as ink into liquid storage chamber 55. Inlet portion 53 and liquid storage chamber 55 are connected via a liquid flow path 57 and an air flow path 58. Both liquid flow path 57 and air flow path 58 extend along the vertical direction Z. The lower ends of both liquid flow path 57 and air flow path 58 are located at the highest position of the liquid level LP shown in FIG.

[0045] The atmosphere communication portion 54 connects the air area above the liquid level LP in the liquid storage chamber 55 to the atmosphere. The container body 50 has a partition wall portion 51C that separates the liquid storage chamber 51 from the protruding portion 56. The communication path that connects the liquid storage chamber 55 to the atmosphere communication portion 54 includes a serpentine pore in part. This makes it difficult for the water in the liquid IL stored in the liquid storage chamber 55 to evaporate.

[0046] The liquid storage container 18 has a flow path forming wall 51D extending downward from the partition wall 51C. The flow path forming wall 51D divides the liquid storage chamber 55 into an area where the liquid is stored and a flow path area that guides the liquid to the supply port 52. The height of the liquid level LP in the area where the liquid is stored changes as the liquid IL is consumed and replenished. Even if the height of the liquid level LP changes, the flow path area remains filled with the liquid IL.

[0047] 4, the height position of the opening of nozzle 25N is located above the highest position of the liquid level LP. The liquid IL in the liquid storage chamber 55 is supplied to the ejection head 25 by a head pressure based on the difference in height (head difference) between the liquid level LP and the meniscus of the liquid in nozzle 25N. Note that a configuration may also be provided with a pump that sends the liquid IL in the liquid storage chamber 55 to the ejection head 25.

[0048] The liquid storage container 18 is fixed to the housing 20 via a fastening portion 42. The liquid storage container 18 is positioned relative to the housing 20 via a position restricting portion 43. The liquid storage container 18 has a fixing portion 71 and a positioning portion 72. The fixing portion 71 and the positioning portion 72 may be disposed on the bottom surface 51A. The housing 20 has a fixed portion 76 and a positioned portion 77 on the upper surface side of the bottom 20A. The fastening portion 42 is made up of the screw 44, the fixing portion 71, and the fixed portion 76. The position restricting portion 43 is made up of the positioning portion 72 and the positioned portion 77.

[0049] The fixing portion 71 may be a rib having a screw insertion hole. The fixed portion 76 may be a rib having a screw hole. The screw 44 inserted into the screw insertion hole of the fixing portion 71 is threaded into the screw hole of the fixed portion 76, thereby fixing the liquid container 18 to the housing 20 via the fastening portion 42. The positioning portion 72 may be an L-shaped rib. The positioned portion 77 may be an L-shaped rib. The positioning portion 72 and the positioned portion 77 engage with each other, thereby positioning the liquid container 18 at a predetermined position relative to the housing 20. The liquid container 18 is fixed by the fastening portion 42 at a predetermined position determined by the position restriction portion 43 relative to the bottom 20A of the housing 20.

[0050] The structure for fixing the liquid storage container 18 to the housing 20 is not limited to the fastening portion 42, but may be a locking structure. The locking structure may be, for example, a snap fit. Furthermore, the fixing destination on the housing 20 side may be a resin member constituting the exterior or a metal frame.

[0051] 4, the liquid storage container 18 has an outlet portion 73 used to recover the liquid. The outlet portion 73 is capable of discharging the liquid. The outlet portion 73 is used to recover the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18. In other words, the outlet portion 73 is a portion that discharges the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 to the outside when the liquid ejection device 11 is disposed of, for example. The outlet portion 73 may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the liquid storage container 18 at a position that allows almost all of the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 55 to be discharged.

[0052] The outlet portion 73 may be provided in a position where discharge is possible, particularly using hydraulic head pressure. The outlet portion 73 may be provided on the bottom surface 51A of the liquid storage container 18. In this case, the outlet portion 73 is provided in a position where it does not interfere with the fixing portion 71 and the positioning portion 72. In the example shown in FIG. 4 etc., the outlet portion 73 is provided on the bottom surface 51A, but it may also be provided on the lower part of the side surface 51B of the liquid storage portion 51. In short, the outlet portion 73 may be located in a position where it can discharge the liquid inside the liquid storage container 18. Even when the liquid storage container 18 is in the same position as when it is attached to the liquid ejection device 11 during liquid recovery, discharge of the liquid using hydraulic head pressure is possible.

[0053] The discharge port 73 is provided separately from the supply port 52 and is dedicated to recovery. For example, if the orientation of the liquid storage container 18 is tilted, the supply port 52 can also serve as the discharge port. However, when the liquid storage container 18 is tilted, there is usually a possibility that liquid will leak from other ports, such as the inlet port 53 or the atmosphere communication port 54. For this reason, the discharge port 73 is disposed in a position suitable for recovering the liquid IL, for example, without tilting the liquid storage container 18 from its orientation during use. The liquid IL can be recovered from the liquid storage container 18 in the same orientation as when the liquid storage container 18 is used in the liquid ejection device 11. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the liquid leaking from ports, such as the supply port 52, during liquid recovery.

[0054] The outlet portion 73 may be, for example, tubular and protrude from a lower portion of the bottom surface 51A or the side surface 51B of the liquid storage container 18. A sealing member 74 such as a cap that seals the outlet may be removably attached to the outlet portion 73.

[0055] On the other hand, the second liquid storage container 60 includes a locking portion 61, a liquid storage portion 62, a supply port portion 63, and a supply destination port portion 64. The downstream end of a supply flow path 24, the upstream end of which is connected to the supply port portion 52, is connected to the supply destination port portion 64. The liquid IL in the first liquid storage container 18 is supplied to the second liquid storage container 60 through the supply flow path 24.

[0056] The liquid storage section 62 stores the liquid supplied from the first liquid storage container 18. The supply port 63 is connected to a connecting port 25B provided on the carriage 26. The liquid in the liquid storage section 62 is supplied to the ejection head 25 via the connection between the supply port 63 and the connecting port 25B. The connecting port 25B communicates with a liquid chamber (not shown) in the ejection head 25 through a flow path 41 (see FIG. 3). The nozzle 25N communicates with this liquid chamber. The ejection head 25 ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section 62 from the nozzle 25N.

[0057] 4, the second liquid storage container 60 is fixed to the carriage 26 by engagement between a locking portion 61 and a locked portion 26A. The locking portion 61 is, for example, a snap fit and has a locking protrusion 61A. The carriage 26 has a locked portion 26A that can be engaged with the locking protrusion 61A of the locking portion 61. The locked portion 26A is, for example, a locking recess.

[0058] <About refilling liquid> As shown in FIG. 5 , when pouring liquid into the liquid storage container 18, the liquid bottle 34 is in an upside-down position and the supply unit 34A is connected to the inlet 53. At this time, the interior of the liquid bottle 34 is in communication with the liquid storage chamber 55 through both the liquid flow path 57 and the air flow path 58. The liquid in the liquid bottle 34 is poured into the liquid storage container 18 through the liquid flow path 57, while the air in the liquid storage chamber 55 is introduced into the liquid bottle 34 through the air flow path 58. This gas-liquid exchange allows the liquid to be continuously poured from the liquid bottle 34 into the liquid storage chamber 55. Then, when the liquid level LP reaches the lower end opening of the air flow path 58, the gas-liquid exchange stops. As a result, the pouring of liquid from the liquid bottle 34 into the liquid storage chamber 55 stops. This makes it less likely that the liquid will spill when the user pours liquid into the liquid storage container 18 through the inlet 53.

[0059] <Regarding removal of the liquid storage container 18> Next, an example of a method for removing the liquid storage container 18 from the housing 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the storage section 19 may have a door 19B at its front. The door 19B is configured to be detachable from a pair of side plates 19C, 19D fixed to the bottom 20A of the housing 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the door 19B may be detachable by sliding it along a rail 46. The door 19B is configured to be movable between a closed position that covers the front sides of the multiple liquid storage containers 18 with respect to the housing 20 and an open position that opens the front sides. The door 19B has a viewing window 21.

[0060] When door 19B is in the open position by sliding or removing door 19B, fastening portion 42 is exposed from housing 20. In other words, screw 44 of fastening portion 42 is exposed from housing 20. The user loosens screw 44 using a tool such as a screwdriver to release fastening portion 42. After the release, the user moves liquid container 18 slightly toward the back and then upward, thereby releasing the restriction by position restriction portion 43 (see FIG. 4 ). After this restriction is released, the user can remove liquid container 18 from housing 20.

[0061] The connection between the supply flow path 24 and the liquid storage container 18 may or may not be detached. In the case of a detachable configuration, a valve may be provided at the upstream end of the supply flow path 24. The valve is closed when the upstream end of the supply flow path 24 is in a disconnected state. On the other hand, the valve opens when the upstream end of the supply flow path 24 is connected to the supply port 52. The valve switches between open and closed depending on whether the supply port 52 is connected to the supply flow path 24. When the supply flow path 24 is disconnected from the liquid storage container 18, the valve at the upstream end closes. This prevents liquid from leaking from the connection port of the disconnected supply flow path 24.

[0062] <Configuration of Liquid Recovery Device 80> Next, the configuration of the liquid recovery device 80 will be described with reference to Figures 7, 8, etc. In the drawings relating to the liquid recovery device 80 below, the direction corresponding to the width direction parallel to the width of the liquid storage container 18 is referred to as direction A, and the longitudinal direction (depth direction) of the liquid storage container 18 is referred to as direction B. Direction A corresponds to the width direction X of the liquid storage container 18 when fixed to the housing 20. Direction B corresponds to the transport direction Y parallel to the depth direction of the liquid storage container 18 when fixed to the housing 20. Figure 7 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of the liquid recovery device 80 taken along a plane intersecting with direction A. Figure 8 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of the liquid recovery device 80 with the liquid storage container 18 set therein taken along a plane intersecting with direction A.

[0063] A user obtains a liquid recovery device 80 when recovering liquid from the liquid storage container 18. For example, the liquid recovery device 80 may be included in the package when purchasing the liquid ejection device 11. Alternatively, when the user disposes of the liquid ejection device 11, the user may obtain the liquid recovery device 80 from a manufacturer or retailer, with or without payment. Furthermore, the liquid recovery device 80 may be housed in a recess provided in the housing 20 of the liquid ejection device 11. The opening of this recess may be covered with a cover. When disposing of the liquid ejection device 11, the user may remove the cover and take out the liquid recovery device 80 from the recess for use.

[0064] The first embodiment is directed to an off-carriage type liquid ejection device 11. In the off-carriage type liquid ejection device 11, a liquid storage container 18 is fixed to a housing 20. A liquid recovery device 80 shown in FIG. 7 is used to recover liquid, such as ink, remaining in the liquid storage container 18 when the user disposes of the liquid ejection device 11, for example. The user sets the liquid storage container 18, which has been removed from the housing 20, in the liquid recovery device 80 as shown in FIG. 8. When setting, the user connects the outlet 73 of the liquid storage container 18 to the recovery port 83 of the liquid recovery device 80. The liquid recovery device 80 recovers the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container 18. Note that setting means placing the liquid storage container 18 in a predetermined position relative to the liquid recovery device 80 with the outlet 73 and the recovery port 83 connected. In this embodiment, the predetermined position is, for example, set at a position higher than a recovery chamber 86, which will be described later, of the liquid recovery device 80. For example, the liquid storage container 18 is placed above the liquid recovery device 80, higher than the recovery chamber 86, so that the liquid storage container 18 is set in a predetermined position.

[0065] 7 and 8, liquid recovery device 80 includes a liquid recovery storage section 81 and a recovery force generator 82. Liquid recovery device 80 is configured as a liquid recovery container 80A that integrally includes liquid recovery storage section 81 and recovery force generator 82.

[0066] The liquid recovery storage section 81 is configured to be able to store liquid recovered from the liquid storage container 18. The liquid recovery storage section 81 has a recovery port section 83 that can be connected to the discharge port section 73. The liquid recovery storage section 81 includes a liquid recovery section 84 and a guide section 85.

[0067] The recovery port 83 has a shape that allows it to be connected to the tubular discharge port 73. The recovery port 83 may be tubular or hole-shaped. For example, the recovery port 83 may be tubular and protrude from an upper portion 84A of the liquid recovery unit 84. The recovery port 83 may have, for example, a needle portion 83A that is tubular and has a pointed tip. As shown in FIG. 8 , the recovery port 83 may be configured to open when the needle portion 83A presses the valve element 78 disposed in the flow path of the discharge port 73 against an urging force. The needle portion 83A has a hole that opens at the tip and a flow path that communicates with the hole and extends axially inside. The liquid IL is introduced into the internal flow path through the hole of the needle portion 83A. The discharge port 73 has an elastic member (not shown) such as a packing located closer to the discharge port than the valve element 78. The needle portion 83A presses the valve element 78 while being pressed into the elastic member. Therefore, even if the flow path of the discharge port portion 73 is opened, the liquid IL will not leak from the connection portion between the discharge port portion 73 and the recovery port portion 83.

[0068] The liquid recovery section 84 is a section where the liquid is recovered. The liquid recovery section 84 includes a recovery chamber 86. The recovery chamber 86 contains the recovered liquid IL. The recovery chamber 86 is defined inside the liquid recovery section 84. The recovery chamber 86 may contain a liquid holding member 87. The liquid holding member 87 absorbs and holds the liquid IL. The liquid holding member 87 may be an absorbent member. Examples of the absorbent member include a nonwoven fabric or a porous resin member.

[0069] The liquid recovery unit 84 has an atmosphere communication part 88 that communicates between the recovery chamber 86 and the outside. The atmosphere communication part 88 is provided in an upper part 84A of the liquid recovery unit 84 at a position corresponding to the recovery chamber 86.

[0070] The guide portion 85 guides the liquid storage container 18 when it is set. The liquid recovery device 80 may have a storage recess 85A surrounded by the guide portion 85. The storage recess 85A is a recess in which the liquid storage container 18 is accommodated when it is set. The guide portion 85 guides the liquid storage container 18, which is in the process of being accommodated in the storage recess 85A, to a position where the discharge outlet 73 and the recovery port 83 can be connected. Therefore, when the liquid storage container 18 is set in the storage recess 85A of the liquid recovery device 80, the discharge outlet 73 and the recovery port 83 are connected. Note that the liquid recovery device 80 of this embodiment also has a positioning function that guides the liquid storage container 18 to a position where the discharge outlet 73 and the recovery port 83 are connected.

[0071] The recovery force generator 82 generates a recovery force that moves the liquid IL from the liquid storage container 18 toward the liquid recovery device 80 by a force other than gravity. The recovery force moves the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 toward the liquid recovery device 80 through the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83. The recovery force generator 82 includes a pump 89 that generates the recovery force.

[0072] The recovery port 83 and the recovery chamber 86 are connected via a recovery flow path 90. The pump 89 is provided midway along the recovery flow path 90. The recovery force generating unit 82 includes a motor 91 as a drive source. The motor 91 is a drive source for a pump 89. The motor 91 drives the pump 89. The pump 89 discharges the liquid IL sucked in from the recovery port 83 side toward the recovery chamber 86 side. When the pump 89 sucks the liquid IL from the recovery port 83 side, a negative pressure is generated that tries to suck the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 55 toward the recovery chamber 86 side through the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83. In other words, the pump 89 generates a negative pressure that sucks the liquid IL in the liquid storage chamber 55 toward the recovery chamber 86 side. The force that tries to suck the liquid IL in the liquid storage chamber 55 toward the recovery chamber 86 side due to this negative pressure becomes a recovery force. In this respect, the recovery force generating unit 82 of this embodiment is a negative pressure generating unit 92 that generates a negative pressure.

[0073] <Operation of the First Embodiment> Next, the operation of the liquid recovery device 80 of the first embodiment will be described. The user removes the liquid storage container 18 from the housing 20 of the liquid ejection device 11 and sets it in the liquid recovery device 80 as shown in Fig. 8. In this set state, the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83 are in a connected state. In this connected state, the needle 83A presses the valve body 78, resulting in an open valve state.

[0074] In this state, when the user operates a switch (not shown), the motor 91 is driven. Then, the power of the motor 91 causes the pump 89 to suck in the liquid IL from the recovery port 83 side and discharge it toward the recovery chamber 86 side. When the pump 89 sucks in the liquid IL from the recovery port 83 side, a negative pressure is generated, which generates a force at the discharge port 73 that tries to suck in the liquid IL from the liquid storage chamber 55. This force becomes a recovery force that moves the liquid IL from the liquid storage chamber 55 in a direction toward the discharge port 73. Therefore, the liquid IL from the liquid storage container 18 is discharged with a strong recovery force that tries to suck it toward the discharge port 73. As a result, the liquid IL from the liquid storage container 18 is efficiently recovered into the recovery chamber 86.

[0075] At this time, head pressure also acts on the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18. In other words, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is positioned above the recovery chamber 86. A head pressure based on a head difference, which is the difference in position (height) in the direction of gravity Z between the liquid level LP of the liquid storage container 18 and the liquid level in the recovery chamber 86, acts on the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18. Therefore, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered by the liquid recovery device 80 more efficiently by both the recovery force and the head pressure. In this way, the liquid recovery device 80 recovers almost all of the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18. The liquid IL recovered in the recovery chamber 86 is held by the liquid holding member 87.

[0076] <Effects of the first embodiment> According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1-1) The liquid recovery device 80 is configured to be able to recover liquid remaining in a liquid storage container 18, which has an inlet portion 53 into which the liquid can be injected, and a supply port portion 52 that can supply the liquid to a liquid ejection portion 23 that ejects the liquid. The liquid storage container 18 has an outlet portion 73 used to recover the liquid. The liquid recovery device 80 includes a liquid recovery storage portion 81, a recovery force generator 82, and a recovery port portion 83. The liquid recovery storage portion 81 is configured to be able to store the liquid recovered from the liquid storage container 18. The recovery force generator 82 generates a recovery force that moves the liquid IL in a direction from the liquid storage container 18 toward the liquid recovery storage portion 81 by a force other than gravity. The recovery port portion 83 is configured to be connectable to the outlet portion 73. The liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the liquid recovery storage portion 81 by the recovery force through the connection between the outlet portion 73 and the recovery port portion 83. With this configuration, the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be efficiently recovered into the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 by the recovery force. Furthermore, for example, there are more options for the location of the liquid storage container 18 when recovering the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18. For example, if the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 by using head pressure (gravity), it is necessary to place the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 below the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18. In this case, the position of the liquid storage container 18 relative to the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 is limited to being above. However, because the liquid IL can be moved by a recovery force other than gravity generated by the recovery force generation unit 82, there is more freedom in selecting the positional relationship between the liquid storage container 18 and the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 when recovering the liquid.

[0077] (1-2) The recovery force generating unit 82 includes a pump 89 that generates a recovery force. With this configuration, the recovery force is generated by the pump 89, making it easy to recover liquid remaining in the liquid storage container 18. In a configuration that recovers liquid using a head difference, there are height and position restrictions, such as the need to position the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 lower than the liquid storage container 18 so that the weight of the liquid becomes the recovery force. In contrast, because the recovery force can be obtained by the pump 89 without using the weight of the liquid, there are fewer height and position restrictions.

[0078] (1-3) The recovery force generating unit 82 is a negative pressure generating unit 92 that generates a negative pressure inside the liquid recovery storage unit 81. According to this configuration, recovery force is obtained by the negative pressure generated inside the liquid recovery storage unit 81 by the negative pressure generating unit 92, so that the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be easily recovered.

[0079] (1-4) The recovery force generating unit 82 includes a motor 91 as a drive source. With this configuration, the recovery force is generated by the power of the motor 91, so that the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be recovered more easily than when a manual pump is used.

[0080] (1-5) When the liquid storage container 18 is positioned above the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 in the direction of gravity Z, the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83 are connected, and the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 by a recovery force and a head pressure through the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83. With this configuration, the liquid IL can be recovered using both a recovery force acting on the liquid IL other than gravity and a head pressure based on gravity acting on the liquid IL. Therefore, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 can be recovered efficiently. Therefore, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 can be recovered more efficiently than when the liquid IL is recovered using only the recovery force.

[0081] (1-6) The liquid recovery container 80A recovers liquid from a liquid storage container 18, which has an inlet portion 53 and a supply port portion 52. The liquid storage container 18 has an outlet portion 73 used to recover the liquid. The liquid recovery container 80A includes a liquid recovery storage portion 81, a recovery force generator 82, and a recovery port portion 83. The liquid recovery storage portion 81 has a recovery chamber 86 that can store the liquid recovered from the liquid storage container 18. The recovery force generator 82 generates a recovery force that moves the liquid IL in a direction from the liquid storage container 18 toward the liquid recovery storage portion 81 by a force other than gravity. The recovery port portion 83 is configured to be connectable to the outlet portion 73. The liquid recovery container 80A recovers the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 into the liquid recovery storage portion 81 by the recovery force through the connection between the outlet portion 73 and the recovery port portion 83. According to this configuration, the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be efficiently recovered into the liquid recovery storage section 81 by using both the recovery force and the head pressure.

[0082] (Second embodiment) Next, a liquid recovery device 80 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. In this embodiment, the configuration of the recovery force generating section 82 differs from that of the first embodiment. The configuration of the liquid ejection device 11 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same members as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The following description will focus on the particularly different configuration of the liquid recovery device 80.

[0083] Liquid recovery device 80 comprises a liquid recovery storage section 81 and a recovery force generator 82. In this embodiment, recovery force generator 82 is disposed inside liquid recovery storage section 81. In other words, liquid recovery device 80 is configured as a liquid recovery container 80A that integrally comprises liquid recovery storage section 81 and recovery force generator 82. In this embodiment, recovery force generator 82 is a negative pressure generator 95 that generates negative pressure.

[0084] As in the first embodiment, the liquid recovery storage section 81 includes a recovery port section 83, a liquid recovery section 84, and a guide section 85. The configurations of the recovery port section 83 and the guide section 85 are basically the same as in the first embodiment.

[0085] The liquid recovery unit 84 accommodates a negative pressure generating unit 95. The negative pressure generating unit 95 may be accommodated in an accommodation chamber 84B formed in the liquid recovery unit 84. The negative pressure generating unit 95 includes a recovery chamber 98. The negative pressure generating unit 95 is configured to be able to generate negative pressure in the recovery chamber 98. The negative pressure generating unit 95 includes a chamber forming member 96, an elastic member 97, and a holding unit 99.

[0086] The chamber-forming member 96 has a recovery chamber 98 with a variable volume. The chamber-forming member 96 may be an elastic member that surrounds and forms the recovery chamber 98. The chamber-forming member 96 may be a hollow, deformable member. A deformable member is a member that deforms so as to change the volume of the recovery chamber 98. The chamber-forming member 96 is, for example, a deformable member having a bellows portion that can expand and contract in one direction. For example, the chamber-forming member 96 is a square tubular or cylindrical member having a bellows portion on its side periphery that can expand and contract in the axial direction. The chamber-forming member 96 is configured to be able to change the volume of the recovery chamber 98 by expanding and contracting in one direction.

[0087] The elastic member 97 biases the chamber forming member 96 in a direction that expands the volume of the recovery chamber 98. In the example shown in Figure 9, the elastic member 97 is a compression spring. The elastic member 97, which is a compression spring, is housed inside the recovery chamber 98 of the chamber forming member 96.

[0088] The holding portion 99 holds the chamber forming member 96 in a compressed state. The holding portion 99 is configured to be able to release the held compressed state. The retaining portion 99 maintains the recovery chamber 98 and the elastic member 97 of the chamber-forming member 96 in a compressed state. The retaining portion 99 maintains the chamber-forming member 96 in a compressed state by restricting displacement of the chamber-forming member 96 in the extension direction due to the biasing force of the elastic member 97, which is made of a compression spring. The retaining portion 99 may be, for example, a lock bar or lock pin that can be operated by a user to release the hold (lock). The retaining portion 99 may also be an operating lever or push button, as long as it is operable by a user. The retaining portion 99 restricts displacement of the chamber-forming member 96 in the extension direction by abutting against the upper surface 96A of the chamber-forming member 96, which is in a compressed state. Due to the restriction by the retaining portion 99, the chamber-forming member 96 is maintained in a compressed state.

[0089] The holding portion 99 is configured to be movable between a restricting position shown in FIG. 9 and a recovery position shown in FIG. 10. The restricting position restricts displacement of the chamber-forming member 96 in the expansion direction when the chamber-forming member 96 is in a compressed state. The recovery position allows displacement of the chamber-forming member 96 in the expansion direction when the chamber-forming member 96 is in a compressed state. If the holding portion 99 is a lock bar or a lock pin, it is configured to be insertable and removable from the outside into an opening 84C formed in the outer wall of the liquid recovery and storage portion 81. When the holding portion 99, which partially protrudes outside the liquid recovery and storage portion 81, is pulled out, the chamber-forming member 96 expands in a direction that expands the volume of the recovery chamber 98 due to the biasing force of the elastic member 97. The expansion of the chamber-forming member 96 generates negative pressure in the recovery chamber 98. This negative pressure generates a suction force in the recovery flow path 90, which communicates with the recovery chamber 98. This suction force acts on the liquid in the liquid storage container 18 through the recovery flow path 90. This suction force becomes a recovery force that moves the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 in the recovery direction.

[0090] <Operation of the Second Embodiment> 9, liquid recovery device 80 is in a state in which holding portion 99 is inserted into liquid recovery portion 84. Therefore, chamber forming member 96 in liquid recovery portion 84 is locked in a contracted state with its upper surface pressed down by holding portion 99.

[0091] The user sets the liquid storage container 18 in the liquid recovery device 80. The liquid storage container 18 is set in a predetermined position by being guided by the guide portion 85. The discharge port portion 73 and the recovery port portion 83 are connected. During this connection, the needle portion 83A of the recovery port portion 83 pushes the valve body 78, thereby opening the flow path within the discharge port portion 73. The liquid IL in the liquid storage chamber 55 and the inside of the recovery chamber 98 are connected through the connection between the discharge port portion 73 and the recovery port portion 83.

[0092] Next, the user removes the holding portion 99 from the liquid recovery portion 84. In other words, the user releases the lock on the chamber forming member 96. As a result, the elastic member 97 housed therein deforms in the direction in which its volume increases, from the contracted state shown in FIG. 9 to the expanded state shown in FIG. 10. This increase in the volume of the chamber forming member 96 generates a suction force that draws the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 55 into the chamber forming member 96 through the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83. This suction force becomes the recovery force.

[0093] In this way, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the recovery chamber 98 in the chamber forming member 96 through the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83, and through the recovery flow path 90. The difference between the volume of the recovery chamber 98 when locked and the maximum volume is, for example, the same as or larger than the maximum liquid amount of the liquid storage container 18. Therefore, all of the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered to the liquid recovery device 80 side.

[0094] Once the user has confirmed that all the liquid has been recovered, they remove the liquid storage container 18 from the liquid recovery device 80. At this time, the valve body 78 inside the discharge port 73 on the liquid storage container 18 side moves to the valve closed position due to the biasing force. As a result, the flow path of the discharge port 73 is closed. The user may also attach a cap member (not shown) to the recovery port 83 of the liquid recovery device 80.

[0095] <Effects of the second embodiment> According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects (1-1), (1-5), and (1-6) of the first embodiment, the following effects are also obtained.

[0096] (2-1) The recovery force generator 82 is a negative pressure generator 95 that generates a negative pressure inside the liquid recovery storage unit 81. With this configuration, recovery force is obtained by the negative pressure that the negative pressure generator 95 generates inside the liquid recovery storage unit 81. Therefore, compared to a configuration that recovers liquid by relying solely on gravity acting on the liquid, the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be recovered more efficiently.

[0097] (2-2) The negative pressure generating unit 95 includes a chamber forming member 96 having a volumetric recovery chamber 98, an elastic member 97 that biases the chamber forming member 96 in a direction that expands the volume of the recovery chamber 98, and a holding unit 99 that holds the chamber forming member 96 in a compressed state. The holding unit 99 is configured so that it can be released from its compressed state. With this configuration, when the holding unit 99 is released, the restoring force of the elastic member 97 causes the chamber forming member 96 to expand from its compressed state to its expanded state, generating a suction force due to the negative pressure. This suction force is used as a recovery force to recover the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18. Therefore, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 can be recovered more efficiently than with a configuration that recovers the liquid by relying solely on gravity acting on the liquid.

[0098] (Third embodiment) Next, a liquid recovery device of a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 11. In this embodiment, the configuration of the recovery force generating section 82 differs from that of the first embodiment. The configuration of the liquid ejection device 11 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same members as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The following description will focus on the particularly different configuration of the liquid recovery device 80.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 11 , the liquid recovery device 80 is configured as a liquid recovery container 80A that integrally includes a liquid recovery storage unit 81 and a recovery force generating unit 82. The recovery force generating unit 82 is a capillary force generating unit 100 that is interposed between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83 and generates capillary force as a recovery force. The capillary force generating unit 100 is made of a material capable of generating capillary force. The capillary force generating unit 100 has an axial member 101. Examples of the axial member 101 include an absorbent member, a porous structure, and a fiber group structure. Examples of the absorbent member include fibrous materials such as felt, nonwoven fabric, and woven fabric. Examples of the porous structure include a continuous porous structure material and a multi-tube structure material. Examples of the continuous porous structure material include a foamed resin material such as sponge. Examples of the multi-tube structure material include a capillary tube bundle formed by bundling capillaries. Examples of the fiber group structure include a fiber bundle made of resin fibers, glass fibers, and the like. Other materials that can generate capillary action may be used as appropriate, such as a material having a plurality of fine grooves or a plurality of wrinkles that can generate capillary force.

[0100] The shaft member 101 shown in Fig. 11 is held in a state in which it is inserted into the recovery port 83 of the liquid recovery device 80. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the shaft member 101 is held in a state in which it is separated from the inner circumferential surface of the flow path of the recovery port 83 by a gap. The tip of the shaft member 101 protrudes a predetermined length from the recovery port 83. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11, when the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83 are connected, the tip of the shaft member 101 is inserted into the discharge port 73.

[0101] The liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is sucked in by the capillary force of the shaft member 101. The liquid IL sucked in from the tip of the shaft member 101 by the capillary force is transported in the axial direction of the shaft member 101 and seeps out from the lower end of the shaft member 101. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the lower end of the shaft member 101 is in contact with the liquid holding member 87 housed in the recovery chamber 86. The liquid IL that reaches the lower end of the shaft member 101 may be sucked into the liquid holding member 87 by the capillary force. Alternatively, the liquid IL that seeps out from the lower end of the shaft member 101 may fall by its own weight without coming into contact with the liquid holding member 87. Furthermore, in the flow path formed at the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 flows downward through the gap on the outer periphery of the shaft member 101 due to hydraulic head pressure. In this way, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the liquid IL is collected by the negative pressure that causes the shaft member 101 to suck in the liquid IL by the capillary force. 7, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the liquid recovery storage portion 81 by utilizing the hydraulic head pressure through the connection between the discharge port portion 73 and the recovery port portion 83.

[0102] The tip of the shaft member 101 may have rigidity. The rigidity allows the tip of the shaft member 101 to be securely inserted into the outlet portion 73. Furthermore, a valve body 78 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be provided inside the outlet portion 73. In this case, the shaft member 101 may have rigidity that allows the valve body 78 to be pushed in against the biasing force to open the valve.

[0103] <Effects of the third embodiment> According to the third embodiment, in addition to the effects (1-1), (1-5), and (1-6) of the first embodiment, the following effects are also obtained.

[0104] (3-1) The recovery force generating unit 82 is a capillary force generating unit that is interposed at the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83 and generates capillary force as a recovery force. With this configuration, capillary force is generated as a recovery force, so that the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be easily recovered.

[0105] (3-2) The discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83 are connected when the liquid storage container 18 is positioned above the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 in the direction of gravity Z. The liquid in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 using a recovery force and head pressure through the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83. With this configuration, the liquid in the liquid storage container 18 can be recovered more efficiently than when the liquid is recovered using only the recovery force (capillary force) generated by the recovery force generating unit 82 (capillary force generating unit 100).

[0106] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a liquid recovery device 80 of a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 12. In this embodiment, the configuration of the recovery force generating section 82 differs from that of the first embodiment. The configuration of the liquid ejection device 11 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same members as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The following description will focus on the particularly different configuration of the liquid recovery device 80.

[0107] Liquid recovery device 80 comprises a liquid recovery storage section 81, a recovery force generator 82, and a recovery port section 83. Liquid recovery device 80 is configured as a liquid recovery container 80A that integrally comprises liquid recovery storage section 81 and recovery force generator 82. Liquid recovery storage section 81 is configured to be able to store liquid recovered from liquid storage container 18. Recovery force generator 82 generates a recovery force that moves liquid in a direction from liquid storage container 18 toward liquid recovery storage section 81 by a force other than gravity.

[0108] The recovery force generating unit 82 in this embodiment is a pressurizing unit 102 that pressurizes the liquid level LP in the liquid recovery storage unit 81. The recovery force generating unit 82 includes a pump 103 that generates a pressure force as the recovery force. The recovery force generating unit 82 includes a motor 104 as a drive source. In other words, the pressurizing unit 102 pressurizes the liquid level LP using the power of the motor 104. In this embodiment, the pressurizing unit 102 drives the pump 103 using the power of the motor 104.

[0109] In the example shown in FIG. 12 , the pressurizing unit 102 (recovery force generating unit 82) is supported by a guide unit 85. The guide unit 85 may extend upward to near the upper end of the liquid storage container 18 set in the storage recess 85A of the liquid recovery container 80A. The pressurizing unit 102 fixed to the guide unit 85 may be located near the injection port 53. The liquid recovery device 80 has a sealing member 106 that can seal the injection port 53 of the liquid storage container 18 set in the storage recess 85A. The sealing member 106 is, for example, a cap member that is fitted into the tubular injection port 53. The sealing member 106 is, for example, fixed to the tip of an arm 108 that is provided on the guide unit 85 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis 107.

[0110] The sealing member 106 can be moved by the user by rotating the arm 108 within a range between the sealing position shown in FIG. 12 and the open position indicated by the two-dot chain line in the same figure. The user can open and close the injection port 53 by moving the sealing member 106. One end of a tube 105 is connected to the pump 103, and the other end is connected to the sealing member 106. The other end of the tube 105 is connected to, for example, a pipe portion (not shown) that passes through the sealing member 106. When the sealing member 106 is in the sealing position, the discharge port of the pump 103 communicates with the liquid storage chamber 55 through the tube 105 and the pipe portion of the sealing member 106.

[0111] The user may be able to seal supply port 52 by fitting sealing member 109 into supply port 52. This makes the interior of liquid storage chamber 55 a substantially closed space that is only in communication with the outside air through the pores in atmosphere-communication portion 54. When pressurization portion 102 is driven in this state to pressurize the liquid surface LP within liquid storage chamber 55, a recovery force acts on liquid IL that tries to push out liquid IL in the direction of gravity Z. This causes liquid recovery device 80 to recover liquid IL remaining in liquid storage container 18 into liquid recovery storage portion 81 through the connection between discharge port 73 and recovery port 83 using the recovery force.

[0112] 12, liquid recovery device 80 is configured so that discharge port 73 and recovery port 83 are connected with liquid storage container 18 placed above liquid recovery storage section 81. Liquid IL remaining in liquid storage container 18 is recovered into liquid recovery storage section 81 by utilizing head pressure and recovery force through the connection between discharge port 73 and recovery port 83. In other words, liquid recovery device 80 can recover liquid IL by using both the recovery force generated when pressurizing section 102 applies pressure to the liquid level LP in liquid storage container 18, and the head pressure based on the difference in position in the gravity direction Z between liquid level LP in liquid storage chamber 55 and the liquid level in recovery chamber 86 (head difference).

[0113] <Operation of the Fourth Embodiment> The user sets the liquid storage container 18 removed from the housing 20 of the liquid ejection device 11 in the liquid recovery device 80. This setting is performed with the sealing member 106 in the open position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12. After setting the liquid storage container 18, the user seals the injection port 53 by moving the sealing member 106 from the open position to the sealed position shown by the solid line in FIG. 12. The user may also seal the supply port 52 by attaching a sealing member 109 to the supply port 52. In the set state, the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83 are in a connected state. In this connected state, the needle 83A presses the valve body 78, creating an open valve state. The liquid storage chamber 55 and the recovery chamber 86 are in communication with each other through the connection between the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 86.

[0114] In this state, when the user operates a switch (not shown), the motor 104 is driven. Then, the pump 103 is driven by the power of the motor 104 to send air into the liquid storage chamber 55. The liquid level LP in the liquid storage chamber 55 is pressurized by the air pressure increased by the air sent from the pump 103. In other words, the pump 103 pressurizes the liquid level LP in the liquid storage container 18. As a result of the pressurization of the liquid level LP, a recovery force is generated that tries to push the liquid IL toward the discharge port 73. This recovery force is a force that pushes the liquid IL downward in the direction of gravity Z. This recovery force tries to push the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 out of the discharge port 73. Therefore, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is discharged from the discharge port 73 at high pressure due to the pressurization. As a result, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is efficiently recovered into the recovery chamber 86.

[0115] At this time, head pressure also acts on the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18. In other words, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is positioned above the recovery chamber 86. Head pressure based on the head difference, which is the difference in position (height) in the direction of gravity Z between the liquid level LP of the liquid storage container 18 and the liquid level in the recovery chamber 86, acts on the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18. For this reason, the liquid IL in the liquid storage container 18 is recovered by the liquid recovery device 80 even more efficiently. In this way, the liquid recovery device 80 recovers almost all of the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18. The liquid IL recovered in the recovery chamber 86 is held by the liquid holding member 87.

[0116] <Effects of the Fourth Embodiment> According to the fourth embodiment, in addition to the effects (1-1), (1-5), and (1-6) of the first embodiment, the following effects are also obtained.

[0117] (4-1) The recovery force generating unit 82 is a pressurizing unit 102 that pressurizes the liquid surface in the liquid recovery storage unit 81. According to this configuration, the pressurizing unit 102 pressurizes the liquid surface LP to push the liquid IL out of the liquid storage container 18, generating a recovery force, so that the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be easily recovered.

[0118] (4-2) The recovery force generation unit 82 includes a pump 103 that generates a recovery force. That is, the pressurizing unit 102 includes a pump 103 that pressurizes the liquid level LP in the liquid storage container 18. With this configuration, the recovery force is generated by the pump 103, so that the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be efficiently recovered. In a configuration that recovers liquid using only head pressure, there are height and position restrictions, such as the need to position the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 at a position lower than the liquid storage container 18 so that the liquid's own weight (gravity) becomes the recovery force. In contrast, because the recovery force can be obtained by the pump 89 without using the liquid's own weight, the liquid storage container 18 and the liquid recovery and storage unit 81 are less likely to be limited in height and position.

[0119] (4-3) The recovery force generation unit 82 includes a motor 104 as a drive source. That is, the pressurizing unit 102 includes a motor 104 as a drive source. With this configuration, the recovery force is generated by the power of the motor 104, so that the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 can be recovered more easily than when a manual pump is used.

[0120] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a liquid recovery device 80 according to a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 15. This embodiment is an example applied to an on-carriage type liquid ejection device 11. The basic configuration of the liquid ejection device 11 is the same as that of the first embodiment. It differs from the first embodiment in that it recovers liquid remaining in a liquid storage container 110 mounted on a carriage 26 instead of a liquid storage container 18. Therefore, the same members as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted, with the explanation focusing on the different configuration.

[0121] <Configuration of liquid ejection device 11> First, the configuration of an on-carriage type liquid ejection device 11 will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. As shown in Figure 13, in the on-carriage type liquid ejection device 11, a liquid storage container 110 is mounted on a carriage 26. The carriage 26 has a storage recess 26B that can store the liquid storage container 110. The liquid storage container 110 is stored in the storage recess 26B of the carriage 26.

[0122] The liquid storage container 110 includes a liquid storage portion 111. The liquid storage portion 111 has a supply port portion 112, an injection port portion 113, and an atmosphere communication portion 114. The liquid storage portion 111 has a liquid storage chamber 116 therein. The supply port portion 112, the injection port portion 113, and the atmosphere communication portion 114 are in communication with the liquid storage chamber 116.

[0123] The inlet 113 is sealed by an openable and closable cap lever 117. The inlet 113 is in communication with the liquid storage chamber 116 via the liquid flow path 57 and the air flow path 58. A user refills the liquid from the liquid bottle 34 (see FIG. 2 ) into the liquid storage container 110 by connecting the liquid bottle 34 to the inlet 113. The refilled liquid is stored in the liquid storage chamber 116.

[0124] The supply port 112 discharges the liquid to be supplied to the ejection head 25. The carriage 26 has a supply receiving port 26D at the bottom of the accommodation recess 26B, to which the supply port 112 can be connected. When the supply port 112 is connected to the supply receiving port 26D, the liquid storage chamber 116 in the liquid storage container 110 communicates with a flow path 26E formed in the carriage 26 via the supply port 112. The liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is supplied to the ejection head 25 through the flow path 26E.

[0125] The liquid storage container 110 is positioned relative to the carriage 26 by engagement between the supply port portion 112 and the supply destination port portion 26D. The liquid storage container 110 has a locking portion 115 that secures the liquid storage container 110 in a state where it is mounted on the carriage 26. The liquid storage container 110 has the locking portion 115, for example, on the upper part of the side surface of the liquid storage portion 111. The locking portion 115 may be, for example, a snap fit. The liquid storage container 110 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 26B of the carriage 26. In this accommodated state, the locking portion 115 is engaged with the locked portion 26C (see FIG. 13) on the carriage 26 side, so that the liquid storage container 110 is mounted in a fixed state on the carriage 26.

[0126] 14, a plurality of liquid storage containers 110 are mounted on the carriage 26. The plurality of liquid storage containers 110 are housed in a plurality of housing recesses 26B. The plurality of liquid storage containers 110 are individually locked to the carriage 26 by a plurality of locking portions 115.

[0127] Cap lever 117 has cap portion 117A and lever portion 117B. A base end of lever portion 117B is rotatably supported by shaft portion 117C that is installed on the upper surface of liquid storage container 110. Cap lever 117 can be opened and closed between a sealing position where filler port 113 is sealed and an opening position where filler port 113 is opened.

[0128] Liquid of each color supplied from the plurality of liquid storage containers 18 is ejected from the ejection head 25. When the carriage motor 29 is driven forward and backward, the timing belt 31 wound around the pulley 30 rotates forward and backward. This causes the carriage 26 to move back and forth in the scanning direction X. As the carriage 26 moves in the scanning direction X, the ejection head 25 ejects liquid of each color, thereby performing printing.

[0129] <Configuration of Liquid Recovery Device 80> Next, the configuration of liquid recovery apparatus 80 in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 15. The basic configuration of liquid recovery apparatus 80 is similar to that of the first embodiment. Note that, in the following, the same reference numerals are used for the configurations that are common to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0130] 15, the liquid storage container 110 is set in the storage recess 85A relative to the liquid recovery device 80. The liquid recovery device 80 uses the locking portion 115, the positioning portion 118, and the supply port portion 112 of the liquid storage container 110. The recovery port portion 83 is connected to the supply port portion 112 of the liquid storage container 110.

[0131] The locking portion 115 secures the liquid storage container 110 set in the storage recess 85A by engaging with a locking recess 85B formed in the guide portion 85. The locking portion 115 may be, for example, a snap fit. The locking portion 115 may have a locking protrusion 115A and a lever portion 115B.

[0132] The positioning portion 118 is engageable with a positioned portion 84E formed in a hole 84D recessed in the upper portion 84A of the liquid recovery portion 84. The positioning portion 118 is guided by the positioned portion 84E, which is its mating engagement partner, to guide (position) the supply port 52 to a position where it can be connected to the recovery port 83. For example, the positioning portion 118 is a plurality of protrusions protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the supply port 112. The positioned portions 84E are a plurality of recesses formed on the inner circumferential surface of the hole 84D in which the supply port 112 is housed, and are engageable with the plurality of protrusions constituting the positioning portion 118. By engaging the positioning portion 118 with the positioned portions 84E, the liquid storage container 18, guided by the guide portion 85, is further positioned at a position where the supply port 112 can be connected to the recovery port 83. The user can relatively easily set the liquid storage container 110 in the liquid recovery device 80 in a state where the supply port 112 is connected to the recovery port 83.

[0133] 15, the liquid recovery device 80 has a configuration that is basically the same as that of the first embodiment. The configuration is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the configuration and shape of the periphery of the storage recess 85A are different due to the shape, etc., of the liquid storage container 110 being different from that of the liquid storage container 18 of the first embodiment.

[0134] That is, the liquid recovery device 80 comprises a liquid recovery storage portion 81 and a recovery force generator 82. The liquid recovery device 80 is configured as a liquid recovery container 80A that integrally comprises the liquid recovery storage portion 81 and the recovery force generator 82. The liquid recovery storage portion 81 is configured to be able to store the liquid IL recovered from the liquid storage container 110. More specifically, the liquid recovery storage portion 81 comprises a liquid recovery portion 84 and a guide portion 85. The liquid recovery portion 84 has a recovery chamber 86 therein. The recovery chamber 86 is configured to be able to store the liquid IL recovered from the liquid storage container 110. The guide portion 85 extends upward from the upper peripheral edge of the liquid recovery portion 84. The guide portion 85 guides the liquid storage container 110 as it is being stored in the storage recess 85A. The liquid recovery storage portion 81 has a recovery port portion 83 that is connectable to the supply port portion 52 that functions as a discharge port portion.

[0135] In the set state shown in FIG. 15 , the recovery port 83 is disposed at a position corresponding to the supply port 112 on the liquid storage container 110 side. In the example shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the recovery port 83 is a needle 83A that can be inserted into the tubular supply port 112. When the needle 83A is inserted into the supply port 112, the recovery port 83 opens the flow path of the supply port 112 by pushing the valve element 119 inside the supply port 112 with the needle 83A against the biasing force of the valve element 119. The needle 83A of the recovery port 83 has basically the same configuration as the needle 83A of the recovery port 83 in the first embodiment. The needle 83A of the recovery port 83 has a flow path (not shown) therein. Before the supply port 112 is connected to the recovery port 83, the valve element 119 is in a valve closed position, and when the supply port 112 is connected to the recovery port 83, the valve element 119 is displaced to a valve open position.

[0136] 15, the liquid storage container 110 is positioned relative to the liquid recovery device 80 at a position where the supply port 112 can be connected to the recovery port 83 by the positioning portion 118 guiding the liquid storage container 110 to the positioned portion 84E. By this positioning, the supply port 112 of the liquid storage container 110 set in the storage recess 85A is connected to the recovery port 83 on the liquid recovery device 80 side.

[0137] The user sets the liquid storage container 110, which has been removed from the carriage 26, in the liquid recovery device 80. As a result of setting it, the supply port 112 and the recovery port 83 are connected. When the user operates a switch (not shown), the pump 89 is driven. The liquid IL in the liquid storage container 110 is recovered into the recovery chamber 86 of the liquid recovery device 80 through the connection between the supply port 112 and the recovery port 83.

[0138] <Effects of the Fifth Embodiment> According to the fifth embodiment, the liquid recovery device 80 that recovers the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 110 included in the on-carriage type liquid ejection device 11 can provide the same effects as the effects (1-1) to (1-5) of the first embodiment. That is, similar to the liquid storage container 18 fixed to the housing 20 in the first embodiment, the liquid recovery device 80 can also provide the same effects (1-1) to (1-5) of the first embodiment for the liquid storage container 110 mounted on the carriage 26. Furthermore, since the liquid recovery device 80 is a liquid recovery container 80A that recovers the liquid IL from the liquid storage container 110, the same effect as the effect (1-6) of the first embodiment can be provided.

[0139] (Sixth embodiment) Next, a liquid recovery device 80 of a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 16. The liquid ejection device 11 is an off-carriage type similar to that of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the configuration of the recovery force generating section 82 differs from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The following description will focus on the particularly different configuration of the liquid recovery device 80.

[0140] A liquid recovery apparatus 80 of the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 16 basically has the same configuration as the liquid recovery apparatus 80 of the first and fourth embodiments. 16 , the liquid ejection device 11 includes a carriage 26 that moves the liquid ejection unit 23, and a housing 20. The housing 20 houses a first liquid storage container 18, a second liquid storage container 60, the liquid ejection unit 23, and the carriage 26. The second liquid storage container 60 is connected to the first liquid storage container 18 through a supply flow path 24. The liquid in the first liquid storage container 18 is supplied to the second liquid storage container 60 through the supply flow path 24.

[0141] The second liquid storage container 60 has an engaging portion 61 that can be engaged with the carriage 26, and a supply port portion 63 that supplies liquid to the liquid ejection portion 23. The supply port portion 63 also serves as a discharge port portion. The engaging portion 61 is made of, for example, a snap fit. The engaging portion 61 made of a snap fit is engaged with an engaged portion 26A (see FIG. 4) provided on the carriage 26, whereby the second liquid storage container 60 is fixed in a state where it is mounted on the carriage 26.

[0142] The second liquid storage container 60 mounted on the carriage 26 is configured to be removed from the carriage 26 and set in the liquid recovery device 80. When disposing of the liquid ejection device 11, the user releases the engagement between the locking portion 61 and the carriage 26 and removes the second liquid storage container 60 from the carriage 26. Next, the user removes the second liquid storage container 60 from the upper opening of the housing 20 with the supply flow path 24 still connected. The second liquid storage container 60 is set in the liquid recovery device 80.

[0143] 16, liquid recovery device 80 includes a liquid recovery storage section 81 and a recovery force generator 82. Liquid recovery device 80 is configured as a liquid recovery container 80A that integrally includes liquid recovery storage section 81 and recovery force generator 82.

[0144] The liquid recovery storage section 81 is configured to be able to store liquid recovered from the liquid storage container 18. The liquid recovery storage section 81 has a recovery port section 83 that can be connected to the discharge port section 73. The liquid recovery storage section 81 includes a liquid recovery section 84 and a guide section 85.

[0145] The liquid recovery device 80 has a liquid recovery section 84 and a guide section 85. The liquid recovery section 84 has a recovery chamber 86 therein. A liquid holding member 87 may be housed in the recovery chamber 86. A housing recess 85A is formed by the space surrounded by the upper surface of the liquid recovery section 84 and the guide section 85. A recovery port section 83 and an atmosphere communication section 88 protrude upward from an upper section 84A of the liquid recovery section 84. The recovery port section 83 and the atmosphere communication section 88 are in communication with the recovery chamber 86. The recovery port section 83 has a configuration similar to that of the connecting port section 25B of the carriage 26 (see FIG. 4).

[0146] 16 in which the liquid storage container 60 is set in the liquid recovery device 80. The recovery port 83 is configured to be connectable to the supply port 63 (discharge port) of the liquid storage container 60. The recovery port 83 may have a needle (not shown) that can push in a valve body (not shown) inside the supply port 63.

[0147] Liquid recovery device 80 comprises a liquid recovery storage section 81 and a recovery force generating section 82. Liquid recovery device 80 is configured as a liquid recovery container 80A that integrally comprises liquid recovery storage section 81 and recovery force generating section 82.

[0148] The recovery force generator 82 generates a recovery force that moves the liquid by a force other than gravity in the recovery direction from the second liquid storage container 60 toward the liquid recovery device 80. The recovery force causes the liquid IL in the second liquid storage container 60 to move to the liquid recovery device 80 through the connection between the supply port 63 and the recovery port 83. The recovery force generator 82 includes a pump 89 that generates the recovery force. That is, the recovery force generator 82 includes the same pump 89 as in the first embodiment.

[0149] The recovery port 83 and the recovery chamber 86 are connected via a recovery flow path 90. The pump 89 is provided midway along the recovery flow path 90. The recovery force generating unit 82 includes a motor 91 as a drive source. The motor 91 is a drive source for a pump 89. The motor 91 drives the pump 89. The pump 89 discharges the liquid sucked from the recovery port 83 into the recovery chamber 86. The recovery force generating unit 82 in this embodiment is a negative pressure generating unit 92 that generates negative pressure. In other words, when the pump 89 performs pumping drive to discharge the liquid sucked from the recovery port 83 into the recovery chamber 86, a suction force is generated in the recovery port 83 that tries to suck the liquid IL into the recovery chamber 86. Due to this suction force, when the supply port 63 and the recovery port 83 are connected, a negative pressure due to the suction force is generated in the liquid IL in the liquid storage chamber 55. In other words, the force due to the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating unit 92 becomes the recovery force.

[0150] In this embodiment, the inner bottom surface of the liquid storage chamber 55 of the second liquid storage container 60 is located at a position higher than the highest liquid level in the recovery chamber 86 of the liquid recovery device 80. In other words, the liquid recovery device 80 is configured so that the second liquid storage container 60 can be set at a predetermined position where liquid can be recovered by head pressure.

[0151] <Operation of the Sixth Embodiment> The user sets the second liquid storage container 60, which has been removed from the carriage 26, in the liquid recovery device 80. As a result of this setting, the supply port 63 and the recovery port 83 are connected. When the user operates a switch (not shown), the pump 89 is driven. The liquid in the second liquid storage container 60 is recovered into the recovery chamber 86 of the liquid recovery device 80 through the connection between the supply port 63 and the recovery port 83. Furthermore, the second liquid storage container 60 is set in the liquid recovery device 80 while connected to the first liquid storage container 18 through the supply flow path 24. The liquid in the first liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the liquid recovery device 80 through the supply flow path 24 and the second liquid storage container 60. In this way, the liquid IL in the first liquid storage container 18 and the liquid IL in the second liquid storage container 60 can be recovered into the liquid recovery device 80 while the first liquid storage container 18 remains fixed to the housing 20. This eliminates the need to release the first liquid storage container 18. Furthermore, there is no need to remove the first liquid storage container 18 from inside the housing 20.

[0152] Furthermore, the second liquid storage container 60 is removed from the housing 20 while still connected to the supply flow path 24. At this time, there may be a limit to the length of the supply flow path 24 that can be removed outside the housing 20. In this case, the liquid recovery device 80 must be placed on the same mounting surface on which the liquid ejection device 11 is placed, or on a platform higher than this mounting surface. The liquid storage container 18 is disposed on the bottom 20A within the liquid ejection device 11. The difference in position in the direction of gravity Z between the liquid level in the second liquid storage container 60 set above the liquid recovery device 80 and the liquid level LP in the first liquid storage container 18 becomes relatively small. In other words, the head pressure when the liquid IL in the first liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the liquid recovery device 80 via the second liquid storage container 60 becomes small. However, the recovery force generated by the recovery force generation unit 82 allows the liquid IL in the first liquid storage container 18 to be recovered into the liquid recovery device 80.

[0153] <Effects of the Sixth Embodiment> According to the sixth embodiment, even in a configuration in which the second liquid storage container 60 is set in the liquid recovery device 80, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the effects (1-1) to (1-5) of the first embodiment. Furthermore, since the liquid recovery device 80 is a liquid recovery container 80A that recovers the liquid IL inside the liquid storage container 60, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the effect (1-6) of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the following effects are also obtained.

[0154] (6-1) The second liquid storage container 60 is set in the liquid recovery device 80 while remaining connected to the first liquid storage container 18 via the supply flow path 24. Thus, the liquid IL in the first liquid storage container 18 and the liquid IL in the second liquid storage container 60 can be recovered in the liquid recovery device 80 while the first liquid storage container 18 remains fixed to the housing 20.

[0155] The above embodiment can be modified as shown in the following modified examples. Furthermore, the above embodiment and the modified examples shown below can be appropriately combined to form further modified examples, or the modified examples shown below can be appropriately combined to form further modified examples.

[0156] In each of the above embodiments, the liquid storage container 18, 60, 110 is not limited to being set above the liquid recovery device 80, but may be set next to or below the liquid recovery device 80. Even in these configurations, the liquid IL inside the liquid storage container 18, 60, 110 can be recovered into the liquid recovery device 80 by a recovery force.

[0157] In each of the above-described embodiments, the discharge port 73 of the liquid storage container 18 and the recovery port 83 of the liquid recovery device 80 may be connected via a tube. For example, when the connection is via a tube, the degree of freedom in selecting the positional relationship between the liquid storage container 18 and the liquid recovery device 80 is increased.

[0158] In the first to fourth embodiments, the liquid IL remaining in the liquid storage container 18 may be recovered into the liquid recovery device 80 while the liquid storage container 18 remains fixed to the housing 20. In this case, a tubular member such as a tube connected to the recovery port 83 of the liquid recovery device 80 may be connected to the discharge port 73 of the liquid storage container 18.

[0159] In the first to fourth embodiments, the discharge port 73 may be eliminated, and the injection port 53 or the supply port 52 may be used as the discharge port. For example, a recovery port 83 may be connected to the injection port 53 or the supply port 52, or one end of a tube connected to the recovery port 83 may be connected to the other end of the tube.

[0160] In each of the above embodiments, the liquid recovery container 80A, which is one example of the liquid recovery device 80, may be configured so that the liquid recovery storage unit 81 is detachable from the recovery force generator 82. With this configuration, only the liquid recovery storage unit 81 can be disposable, and the recovery force generator 82 can be reused. This reduces the cost required for liquid recovery. The detachable liquid recovery storage unit 81 is not limited to a recovery box that stores the liquid holding member 87, but may also be a recovery cartridge or a recovery pack. Furthermore, for example, the liquid recovery storage unit 81, which is a consumable item, may be sold, and the recovery force generator 82 may be rented.

[0161] In the above embodiments, the liquid recovery storage unit 81 and the recovery force generation unit 82 are provided as an integral unit, but they may also be separate units. In other words, the liquid recovery storage unit 81 and the recovery force generation unit 82 may be provided separately. For example, the liquid recovery device 80 may be configured such that the liquid recovery storage unit 81 and the recovery force generation unit 82 are separate units that are connected via a connecting member such as a tube. For example, the pressurizing unit 102 and the liquid recovery storage unit 81 are connected to different positions in the liquid storage container 18, so having them as separate units is easier for the user to handle and also enables the liquid recovery device 80 to be made more compact.

[0162] In the first and fourth to sixth embodiments, the electric pumps 89, 103 are provided using the motors 91, 104 as drive sources, but the pumps 89, 103 may be manual pumps. For example, they may be manual pumps that are driven by a user's manual operation, such as by rotating a handle or reciprocating a lever.

[0163] The negative pressure generator 95 of the second embodiment is not limited to a configuration in which the elastic member 97 is used to change the chamber forming member 96 from a compressed state to an expanded state in a direction that increases the volume, but may be configured so that the user manually generates negative pressure. For example, a syringe or a rubber bulb may be used as a manual negative pressure generator. In this case, the manual negative pressure generator 95 may be incorporated into the liquid collection container 80A, or may be configured so that the user connects it to the liquid collection and storage unit 81.

[0164] The elastic member 97 provided in the negative pressure generating unit 95 in the second embodiment is not limited to a compression spring, but may be a foamed resin member such as a sponge. The elastic member 97 included in the negative pressure generating unit 95 of the second embodiment may be a tension spring instead of a compression spring. In this case, the elastic member 97 made of a tension spring pulls the chamber forming member 96 from the outside. The restoring force of the elastic member 97 made of a tension spring urges the chamber forming member 96 in a direction that expands the volume of the recovery chamber 98. For example, the variable-volume chamber forming member 96 is locked by the holding portion 99 in a contracted state. At this time, the elastic member 97 made of a tension spring is in an extended state. When the user releases the holding portion 99, the restoring force of the tension spring causes the chamber forming member 96 to expand from the compressed state in a direction that increases the volume. This expansion generates a suction force that draws the liquid IL from the liquid storage chamber 55 of the liquid storage container 18 toward the recovery chamber 98. This suction force becomes a recovery force, and the liquid IL from the liquid storage container 18 is recovered into the recovery chamber 98. In this way, it is sufficient for the elastic member 97 to be able to urge the chamber forming member 96 in a direction that expands the volume. The spring is not limited to a coil spring, but a leaf spring or a torsion coil spring may be used. The elastic member 97 is not limited to a spring, but may be rubber.

[0165] The liquid recovery device 80 may be provided with a plurality of recovery force generating units 82 of different types each having a different configuration for generating the recovery force in each of the above-described embodiments. For example, the liquid ejection device 11 may be provided with negative pressure generating units 92, 95 and a pressure applying unit 102 as recovery force generating units. The recovery force generating unit may also be a combination of a capillary force generating unit 100 and a negative pressure generating unit 92, 95, or a combination of a capillary force generating unit 100 and a pressure applying unit 102.

[0166] If the liquid recovery device 80 is electrically driven, the motor of the liquid ejection device 11 may be used as the drive source. For example, when the liquid recovery device 80 is set at a predetermined location on the outer side surface of the housing 20, a driven part on the liquid recovery device 80 side may be connected to a drive part that outputs power from the motor inside the housing 20. The drive part and driven part may be, for example, a drive gear and a driven gear. In this case, the drive source motor may be a dedicated motor, or it may be a transport motor that drives a transport part that transports the medium M or a motor that drives the maintenance device 35.

[0167] Liquid recovery device 80 may include a sealing member that is detachably attached to recovery port 83. The sealing member may be a cap member that seals recovery port 83. The sealing member can prevent the liquid inside liquid recovery device 80 from leaking.

[0168] The positional relationship when the liquid storage container 18 and the liquid recovery device 80 are connected may be a positional relationship that allows the liquid to be discharged by head pressure, or a positional relationship that prevents the liquid from being discharged by head pressure. Furthermore, depending on this positional relationship, the position of the discharge port 73 of the liquid storage container 18 and the position of the recovery port 83 of the liquid recovery device 80 may be changed as appropriate.

[0169] In each of the above embodiments, the discharge port 73 side may have a shape in which the needle protrudes, and a valve body may be provided on the recovery port 83 side. Furthermore, the valve that connects the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83 when they are connected is not limited to a valve structure that opens and closes with a combination of a needle and a valve body. Valves of other known valve structures may also be used. Furthermore, the valve may be a manual on-off valve or an electrically operated on-off valve. A manual on-off valve may be configured so that after the user connects the discharge port 73 and the recovery port 83, the valve body is switched from a closed position to an open position by manually operating a lever, button, or the like.

[0170] Although the liquid ejection device 11 in the above embodiment is provided with multiple liquid storage containers 18, 110, the liquid ejection device 11 may be provided with only one liquid storage container 18, 110. The single liquid storage container 18, 110 may store, for example, black ink as liquid. In other words, the liquid ejection device 11 may be an inkjet printer dedicated to monochrome printing.

[0171] The liquid holding member 87 is not limited to nonwoven fabric or porous material, but may be made of a superabsorbent polymer (SAP), that is, any material that can absorb and hold liquid. In the liquid ejection device 11, the position where the liquid storage container 18 is arranged is not limited to the front right side of the housing 20. For example, it may be on the front left side of the housing 20. The liquid storage container 18 may also be arranged on the side or rear side of the housing 20. The storage section 19 of the liquid storage container 18 may not protrude outward (for example, to the front side) of the housing 20. Multiple liquid storage containers 18 may also be arranged separately on both the left and right sides of the front part of the housing 20.

[0172] The liquid ejection device 11 is not limited to an inkjet printer that prints on paper, but may also be a textile printing device that prints on fabric. The medium M onto which the liquid ejection device 11 ejects the liquid may be a synthetic resin film, a laminate medium including a synthetic resin layer and a metal layer, or a metal foil.

[0173] The liquid ejection device 11 may be a liquid ejection device that ejects liquids other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected as minute droplets from the liquid ejection device includes granular, teardrop-like, and string-like tails. The liquid referred to here may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejection device. For example, the liquid may be any state in which a substance is in a liquid phase, including fluids such as high or low viscosity liquids, sols, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, and liquid metals (metal melts). The liquid includes not only liquids as a single state of matter, but also particles of functional materials made of solids such as pigments and metal particles dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Representative examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals, as described in the above embodiments. Here, ink includes various liquid compositions such as general water-based inks and oil-based inks, as well as gel inks and hot-melt inks. Specific examples of liquid ejection devices include devices that eject liquids containing dispersed or dissolved materials such as electrode materials and color materials used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, electroluminescent (EL) displays, surface-emitting displays, and color filters. The liquid ejection device may also be a device that ejects bioorganic materials used in biochip manufacturing, a device used as a precision pipette to eject sample liquids, a textile printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. The liquid ejection device may also be a device that ejects lubricating oil with pinpoint accuracy onto precision machinery such as watches and cameras, or a device that ejects transparent resin liquids such as ultraviolet-curing resins onto substrates to form micro-hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication devices, etc. The liquid ejection device may also be a device that ejects etching liquids such as acids or alkalis to etch substrates, etc. In such liquid ejection devices, the technology for recovering liquid remaining in the liquid storage container 18 described in the above-described embodiments or modifications may be applied.

[0174] The technical concepts and effects that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below. (A) A liquid recovery device configured to recover liquid remaining in a liquid storage container having an inlet portion into which liquid can be injected and a supply port portion capable of supplying liquid to a liquid ejection portion that ejects the liquid, wherein the liquid storage container has an outlet portion used for recovering the liquid, and the liquid recovery device comprises a liquid recovery storage portion capable of storing liquid recovered from the liquid storage container, a recovery force generating portion that generates a recovery force that moves liquid in a direction from the liquid storage container toward the liquid recovery storage portion by a force other than gravity, and a recovery port portion connectable to the outlet portion, and recovers liquid remaining in the liquid storage container to the liquid recovery storage portion by the recovery force through the connection between the outlet portion and the recovery port portion.

[0175] With this configuration, the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container can be recovered in the liquid recovery storage unit by a recovery force. Therefore, compared to a configuration that uses gravity acting on the liquid, such as hydraulic head pressure, to recover the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container, the liquid can be recovered more efficiently. Furthermore, because the recovery configuration does not rely on gravity acting on the liquid, such as hydraulic head pressure, there is greater freedom in selecting the positional relationship between the liquid storage container and the liquid recovery storage unit. Therefore, for example, depending on needs, at least one of efficient recovery of the liquid and a wider range of freedom in selecting the position can be selected.

[0176] (B) In the liquid recovery device described in (A) above, the recovery force generating unit may include a pump that generates the recovery force. With this configuration, the recovery force is generated by the pump, making it easy to recover liquid remaining in the liquid storage container. The recovery force can be obtained by the pump without using hydraulic head pressure (gravity). This allows for greater freedom in selecting the positional relationship between the liquid storage container and the liquid recovery and storage unit.

[0177] (C) In the liquid recovery device described in (A) above, the recovery force generator may be a negative pressure generator that generates a negative pressure within the liquid recovery storage unit. With this configuration, recovery force is obtained by the negative pressure generated within the liquid recovery storage unit by the negative pressure generator, so that liquid remaining in the liquid storage container can be efficiently recovered.

[0178] (D) In ​​the liquid recovery device described in (C) above, the negative pressure generating unit may include a chamber forming member having a variable volume chamber, an elastic member that urges the chamber forming member in a direction that expands the volume of the chamber, and a holding unit that holds the chamber forming member in a compressed state, and the holding unit may be configured to be able to release the compressed state.

[0179] With this configuration, when the holding portion is released, the chamber-forming member expands from a compressed state to an expanded state due to the restoring force of the elastic member. As a result, a suction force that tries to suck liquid into the chamber-forming member as it expands generates a negative pressure. The suction force based on this negative pressure acts as a recovery force, allowing the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container to be efficiently recovered.

[0180] (E) In the liquid recovery device described in (A) above, the recovery force generating section may be a pressurizing section that pressurizes the liquid surface in the liquid recovery storage section. With this configuration, the pressurizing unit applies pressure to the liquid surface in the liquid storage container, generating a pressure force that tries to push out the liquid in the liquid storage container. This pressure force is used as a recovery force, allowing the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container to be efficiently recovered.

[0181] (F) In the liquid recovery devices described above in (B), (C), and (E), the recovery force generating section may include a motor as a drive source. With this configuration, the recovery force is generated by the power of the motor, which makes it possible to recover the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container more simply and efficiently than with a configuration in which the recovery force is generated by manual power, for example.

[0182] (G) In the liquid recovery device described in (A) above, the recovery force generating section may be a capillary force generating section that is interposed at the connection between the discharge outlet section and the recovery inlet section and generates capillary force as the recovery force.

[0183] According to this configuration, the capillary force generating section is interposed between the discharge port and the recovery port to generate capillary force, and the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container can be efficiently recovered into the liquid recovery storage section using the capillary force as a recovery force.

[0184] (H) In the liquid recovery device described in (A) above, the liquid recovery storage unit may be configured such that the discharge outlet and the recovery port are connected when the liquid storage container is placed above the liquid recovery storage unit, and the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container may be recovered into the liquid recovery storage unit using head pressure and the recovery force through the connection between the discharge outlet and the recovery port. With this configuration, the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container can be more efficiently recovered into the liquid recovery storage unit by using both the recovery force and head pressure.

[0185] (I) A liquid recovery container configured to recover liquid remaining in a liquid storage container having an inlet portion through which liquid can be injected and a supply port portion through which liquid can be supplied to a liquid ejection portion that ejects the liquid, the liquid storage container having an outlet portion used to recover the liquid, a liquid recovery storage portion having a recovery chamber capable of storing the liquid recovered from the liquid storage container, a recovery force generating portion that generates a recovery force that moves the liquid from the liquid storage container toward the liquid recovery storage portion by a force other than gravity, and a recovery port portion connectable to the outlet portion, and the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container is recovered to the liquid recovery storage portion through the connection between the outlet portion and the recovery port portion by the recovery force. This configuration allows the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container to be efficiently recovered into the liquid recovery container by the recovery force. Furthermore, for example, there is greater freedom in selecting the positional relationship between the liquid storage container and the liquid recovery storage portion during liquid recovery. [Explanation of symbols]

[0186] 11...liquid ejection device, 12...device main body, 13...image reading device, 13A...rotation mechanism, 15...operation unit, 16...display unit, 17...operation panel, 18...liquid storage container (first liquid storage container), 18A...liquid storage container, 18B...liquid storage container, 19...storage unit, 19A...storage unit main body, 19B...door body, 19C...side plate, 19D...side plate, 20...casing, 20A...bottom, 21...viewing window, 22...viewing surface, 23...liquid ejection unit, 24...supply flow path, 25...ejection head, 25A...nozzle forming surface, 25B...connecting port portion, 25N...nozzle, 26...carriage, 26A...engaged portion, 26B...storage recess, 2 6C...engagement portion, 26D...supply port portion, 26E...flow path, 27...scanning mechanism, 28...guide shaft, 29...carriage motor, 30...pulley, 31...timing belt, 32...cover, 33...cap lever, 34...liquid bottle, 34A...supply portion, 35...maintenance device, 36...liquid supply device, 37...cap, 38...discharge tube, 39...suction pump, 40...waste liquid storage portion, 41...flow path, 42...fastening portion, 43...position control portion, 44...screw, 46...rail, 50...container body, 51...liquid storage portion, 51A...bottom surface, 51B...side surface, 51C...partition portion, 51D...flow path forming wall , 52...supply port portion, 53...injection port portion, 54...atmosphere communication portion, 55...liquid storage chamber, 56...protrusion portion, 57...liquid flow path, 58...air flow path, 60...second liquid storage container (liquid storage container), 61...locking portion, 61A...locking protrusion, 62...liquid storage portion, 63...supply port portion, 64...supply port portion, 71...fixing portion, 72...positioning portion, 73...discharge port portion, 74...sealing member, 76...fixed portion, 77...positioned portion, 78...valve body, 80...liquid recovery device, 80A...liquid recovery container, 81...liquid recovery storage portion, 82...recovery force generating portion, 83...recovery port portion, 83A...needle portion, 84...liquid recovery portion, 84A...upper portion, 8 4B...storage chamber, 84C...opening, 84D...hole portion, 84E...positioned portion, 85...guide portion, 85A...storage recess, 85B...locking recess, 86...recovery chamber, 87...liquid holding member, 88...atmosphere communication portion, 89...pump, 90...recovery flow path, 91...motor, 92...negative pressure generating portion, 95...negative pressure generating portion, 96...chamber forming member, 96A...upper surface, 97...elastic member, 98...recovery chamber, 99...holding portion, 100...capillary force generating portion, 101...shaft member, 102...pressurizing portion, 103...pump, 104...motor, 105...tube, 106...sealing member, 107...rotating shaft, 108...arm, 109...sealing member,110...liquid storage container, 111...liquid storage section, 112...supply port section, 113...inlet section, 114...atmosphere communication section, 115...locking section, 115A...locking protrusion, 115B...lever section, 116...liquid storage chamber, 117...cap lever, 117A...cap section, 117B...lever section, 117C...shaft section, 118...positioning section, 119...valve body, 200...control section, M...medium, X...width direction (scanning direction), Y...transport direction, Z...vertical direction (gravity direction), IL...liquid, LP...liquid surface.

Claims

1. A liquid recovery device configured to recover liquid remaining in a liquid storage container, the liquid storage container having an inlet portion through which liquid can be injected and a supply port portion through which liquid can be supplied to a liquid discharge portion that discharges the liquid, the liquid container has an outlet portion used for recovering the liquid; The liquid recovery device is a liquid recovery and storage section capable of storing liquid recovered from the liquid storage container; a recovery force generating section that generates a recovery force that moves the liquid from the liquid storage container toward the liquid recovery storage section by a force other than gravity; a collection port portion connectable to the discharge port portion, a liquid recovery device that recovers the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container to the liquid recovery storage section through the connection between the discharge port and the recovery port by the recovery force;

2. 2. The liquid recovery apparatus according to claim 1, The liquid recovery device, wherein the recovery force generating section includes a pump that generates the recovery force.

3. 2. The liquid recovery apparatus according to claim 1, The liquid recovery device is characterized in that the recovery force generating section is a negative pressure generating section that generates a negative pressure in the liquid recovery storage section.

4. 4. The liquid recovery device according to claim 3, the negative pressure generating unit includes a chamber forming member having a variable volume chamber, an elastic member that biases the chamber forming member in a direction that expands the volume of the chamber, and a holding unit that holds the chamber forming member in a compressed state, The liquid recovery device is characterized in that the holding portion is configured to be able to release the compressed state.

5. 2. The liquid recovery apparatus according to claim 1, The liquid recovery device is characterized in that the recovery force generating section is a pressurizing section that pressurizes the liquid surface in the liquid recovery storage section.

6. The liquid recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 2, 3 and 5, The liquid recovery device is characterized in that the recovery force generating unit includes a motor as a drive source.

7. 2. The liquid recovery apparatus according to claim 1, The liquid recovery device is characterized in that the recovery force generating section is a capillary force generating section that is interposed at a connection between the discharge port section and the recovery port section and generates capillary force as the recovery force.

8. 2. The liquid recovery apparatus according to claim 1, The liquid recovery storage section is configured so that the discharge outlet section and the recovery port section are connected when the liquid storage container is placed above the liquid recovery storage section, and the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container is recovered into the liquid recovery storage section by utilizing the head pressure and the recovery force through the connection between the discharge outlet section and the recovery port section.

9. A liquid recovery container configured to be able to recover liquid remaining in a liquid storage container, the liquid storage container having an inlet portion through which liquid can be injected and a supply port portion through which liquid can be supplied to a liquid discharge portion that discharges the liquid, the liquid container has an outlet portion used for recovering the liquid; a liquid recovery and storage unit having a recovery chamber capable of storing liquid recovered from the liquid storage container; a recovery force generating section that generates a recovery force that moves the liquid from the liquid storage container toward the liquid recovery storage section by a force other than gravity; a collection port portion connectable to the discharge port portion, A liquid recovery container, characterized in that the liquid remaining in the liquid storage container is recovered into the liquid recovery storage section through the connection between the discharge outlet section and the recovery port section by the recovery force.

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