Liquid injection device

Abstract

To provide a liquid jet device which enables improvement of workability during replacement of a waste liquid storage body while minimizing enlargement of the liquid jet device as much as possible.SOLUTION: A liquid jet device includes: a transport mechanism 40 which transports a medium in a transport direction; a carriage 51 which can reciprocate in a scanning direction intersecting with the transport direction; a liquid jet head mounted on the carriage 51; a liquid storage container; and a tube 61 which is connected to the carriage 51 and in which a liquid supplied from the liquid storage container to the liquid jet head passes. Further, the liquid jet device includes a holding part 73 which holds a waste liquid storage body which can store the liquid discharged from the liquid jet head as a waste liquid. The tube 61 has: a movable part 61D which forms a curve part 62 which curves in a direction that causes displacement in the transport direction and moves a formation position of the curve part 62 in conjunction with movement of the carriage 51; and a fixed part 61C which does not move. The holding part 73 is disposed between the fixed part 61C and a scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the transport direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a medium, and a waste liquid container that stores liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting head as waste liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a multifunction peripheral (an example of a liquid ejection device) equipped with a recording unit having a liquid ejection head. This multifunction peripheral includes a transport mechanism for transporting a medium such as recording paper, and prints on the transported medium by ejecting a liquid such as ink from the liquid ejection head onto the medium. The multifunction peripheral is provided with a waste liquid absorption member disposed behind the recording unit to absorb waste ink ejected from the nozzles of the liquid ejection head during maintenance work using a maintenance device. In other words, in this multifunction peripheral, the waste liquid absorption member is disposed on the rear side of the housing. Note that the waste liquid absorption member may be disposed as a waste liquid container housed in a container to prevent waste liquid leakage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-35662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in liquid ejection devices such as the above-mentioned multifunction peripherals, the waste liquid container is located at the rear of the housing, which presents a problem of poor workability when replacing the waste liquid container. For example, if the liquid ejection device is installed with its back surface facing a wall, it is necessary to change the orientation of the liquid ejection device or move the liquid ejection device to ensure work space for replacing the waste liquid container, which makes it difficult to replace the waste liquid container. Therefore, there is a demand for improved workability when replacing the waste liquid container. At the same time, there is also a demand to avoid increasing the size of the liquid ejection device as much as possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A liquid ejection device that solves the above problem comprises a transport mechanism that transports a medium in a transport direction, a carriage that can move back and forth in a scanning direction that intersects the transport direction, a liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage and that ejects liquid onto the medium, a liquid storage container that can store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head and is located at a position separate from the carriage, a tube connected to the carriage and through which liquid supplied from the liquid storage container to the liquid ejection head passes, and a holding unit that holds a waste liquid storage body that can store liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid, wherein the tube forms a curved portion that curves in a direction that involves displacement in the transport direction and has a movable part that moves the formation position of the curved portion as the carriage moves, and a fixed part that does not move, and the holding unit is positioned between the fixed part and the scanning area of ​​the carriage in the transport direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the liquid ejecting device with the reading unit open. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the liquid ejecting device with the housing removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the carriage unit and its scanning area and its surroundings. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the liquid ejecting device with the housing removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the carriage unit and its surroundings as viewed from the home position side. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the liquid ejecting apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the carriage unit and its surroundings as viewed from the side opposite to the home position. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the front part of the liquid ejection device. [Figure 10]FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing the carriage unit and its surroundings as viewed from the side opposite to the home position. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the liquid ejecting device with the waste liquid box removed from the holding member. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the waste liquid box in a tilted state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] An embodiment of a liquid ejection device will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, and three mutually orthogonal virtual axes are designated as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The X-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the scanning direction of a liquid ejection head, which will be described later, and the Y-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the medium transport direction during printing. The Z-axis is a virtual axis parallel to the vertical direction Z1. One direction parallel to the Y-axis is the medium transport direction Y1 during printing. Note that the side of the housing 12 on which an operation panel, which will be described later, is located on the Y-axis is also referred to as the front side, and the side opposite the front side is also referred to as the back side.

[0008] The liquid ejection device 11 shown in Fig. 1 is a serial printing type inkjet printer. As shown in Fig. 1, the liquid ejection device 11 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 12 and an openable cover 13 that covers an opening 12A at the top of the housing 12. The cover 13 is openable and closable around a pivot shaft (not shown) located on the rear side of the cover 13, between a closed state in which the opening 12A (see Fig. 2) of the housing 12 is covered and an open state in which the opening 12A of the housing 12 is exposed. The liquid ejection device 11 is, as an example, a multifunction peripheral, and includes a printing unit 20 that occupies most of the housing 12, and a reading unit 30 that is formed by the upper end of the housing 12 and the cover 13.

[0009] A cassette 21 for storing recording media M such as paper (hereinafter simply referred to as "medium M") is removably inserted into a recess 14 provided at the bottom front of the housing 12. A plurality of media M is stored in the cassette 21. An operated portion 21A that a user can hook their finger on to attach or detach the cassette 21 is provided at the center of the front of each cassette 21. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the cassettes 21 are arranged in two rows aligned in the vertical direction Z1. The number of cassettes 21 may be one, or may be three or more.

[0010] An outlet 15, through which printed media M are discharged, is open above the cassette 21 in the housing 12. An extendable, multi-tiered outlet tray 22 is provided between the outlet 15 and the cassette 21. The outlet tray 22 is used in a state where it is extended downstream in the transport direction Y1, and printed media M discharged from the outlet 15 are stacked on the outlet tray 22. An operation panel 24 is also provided above the outlet 15 in the housing 12. The operation panel 24 includes an operation unit 25 consisting of multiple switches that the user operates to give instructions to the liquid ejection device 11, and a display unit 26 that displays menus, various messages, and the like. The operation unit 25 includes a power switch 25A, a selection switch, and the like. The display unit 26 may be configured as a touch panel, in which case the operation functions of the display unit 26 may also serve as part of the operation unit 25. In the drawings, a direction parallel to the X axis is referred to as a first scanning direction X1, and a direction opposite to the first scanning direction X1 is referred to as a second scanning direction X2.

[0011] 1, the cover 13 in this example is made up of a reading unit 30. The reading unit 30 has a document table cover 31. An automatic document feeder 32 (Auto Document Feeder) having a document tray 33 on which multiple documents can be placed is mounted on the top of the document table cover 31. The reading unit 30 has a sheet feeder type scanner function that feeds and reads documents D positioned in the width direction by edge guides 33A one by one from the document tray 33, and a flatbed type scanner function that reads documents D placed on a document table that is exposed when the document table cover 31 is opened. The documents D read one by one by the reading unit 30 using the sheet feeder type scanner function are loaded onto an output tray 31A on the document table cover 31.

[0012] The liquid ejection device 11, which is such a multifunction device, has a printing function of printing on a medium M using an inkjet method, as well as a scanner function of reading an original D using a reading unit 30, and a copy printing function of printing an image of the original D read by the reading unit 30 on a medium M.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid supply unit 27 is provided at one front end of the housing 12. The liquid supply unit 27 houses a plurality of liquid storage containers 28 (see also FIG. 2), each of which stores a liquid such as ink. The plurality of liquid storage containers 28 store inks of different colors, for example, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. The liquid stored in the liquid storage containers 28 is used by the liquid ejection device 11 to eject and print onto the medium M. The liquid supply unit 27 has a plurality of windows 27A on the front surface that allow the amount of liquid in each liquid storage container 28 to be visible. The liquid storage containers 28 are, for example, ink tanks.

[0014] Liquid supply unit 27 has an openable and closable lid 27B at the top. For example, when the user sees in window 27A that the liquid level is low, he or she opens lid 27B and replenishes the liquid by pouring ink or other liquid from, for example, an ink bottle (neither of which are shown) into the supply port of liquid storage container 28. Note that liquid storage container 28 is not limited to being an injectable type that allows liquid to be poured into it, and may also be a replaceable ink cartridge or ink pack.

[0015] A carriage unit 50 capable of reciprocating along the X-axis is provided within the housing 12. The carriage unit 50 includes a carriage 51 supported so as to be reciprocating along the X-axis, and a liquid ejection head 52 mounted on the carriage 51 and configured to eject liquid onto the medium M. The carriage unit 50 is a so-called off-carriage type that receives liquid from a liquid storage container 28 disposed at a different position from the carriage 51. A waste liquid unit 70 is also provided within the housing 12 at a position corresponding to the rear surface of the operation panel 24. The waste liquid unit 70 collects, as waste liquid, liquid such as ink ejected or discharged from the liquid ejection head 52 for purposes other than printing. The waste liquid unit 70 includes a removable waste liquid box 71 as an example of a waste liquid container. The liquid ejection device 11 also includes a control unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 that controls the printing unit 20 and the reading unit 30. In this embodiment, the control unit 100 is arranged at an end position closer to the standby position of the carriage unit 50 shown in FIG. 1 in the direction along the X-axis within the housing 12, but it may also be arranged at an end position on the opposite side from the standby position.

[0016] 2 and 3 show the liquid ejecting device 11 with the reading unit 30 open. Fig. 3 shows the internal structure of the liquid ejecting device 11 with the housing 12 removed. As shown in FIG. 2, when the reading unit 30 is open, the carriage unit 50, the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50, the waste liquid unit 70, and the like are exposed. Furthermore, the support base 16 is exposed at the bottom of the scanning area SA. An elongated front member 23 extending along the X-axis is disposed in the housing 12 at a position facing the rear surface of the operation panel 24. The waste liquid unit 70 has a detachable waste liquid box 71. The waste liquid box 71 can store liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 52 as waste liquid. The waste liquid box 71 is attached with its upper end surface 71A exposed through the opening 23A of the front member 23. The upper surface 23B of the front member 23 serves as a receiving surface for receiving the reading unit 30 when the cover 13 is closed.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the widthwise center region within the housing 12 is a transport area FA through which the medium M supplied from the cassette 21 is transported. The liquid ejection device 11 includes a transport mechanism 40 that feeds the medium M from the cassette 21, transports the fed medium M in the transport direction Y1, and discharges the printed medium M. The transport mechanism 40 includes a feed unit 41 located at the rear of the liquid ejection device 11 and feeds the medium M one sheet at a time from the cassette 21, a transport unit 42 that transports the medium M in the transport direction Y1, and a discharge unit 43 that discharges the printed medium M onto which liquid has been ejected. The transport unit 42 transports the medium M fed by the feed unit 41 at a position upstream in the transport direction Y1 of a printing area PA that faces the scanning liquid ejection head 52. The discharge unit 43 discharges the printed medium M at a position downstream in the transport direction Y1 of the printing area that faces the scanning liquid ejection head 52.

[0018] The feeding unit 41 has a pickup roller 41A that feeds out the topmost sheet of media M stored in each cassette 21, and an intermediate roller 44 that reverses the fed medium M by transporting it along its outer periphery (see FIG. 7 for both). The feeding unit 41 reverses the medium M fed rearward from the cassette 21 by the rotation of the pickup roller 41A along the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 44, and then transports it in the transport direction Y1. The aforementioned support base 16 that supports the medium M on which the carriage unit 50 will perform printing is disposed in the transport area FA. The transport unit 42 has a pair of transport rollers 45 that transport the medium M in the transport direction Y1 along the transport path.

[0019] 2, the carriage unit 50 is supported so as to be movable along the X axis by being guided by a first guide member 17 and a second guide member 18. The carriage unit 50 moves back and forth along the guide members 17, 18 in the scanning directions X1, X2.

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

[0021] 2 and 3, the carriage unit 50 is located at a home position HP, which is a standby position where the carriage unit 50 waits when not printing on the medium M. As shown in FIG. 2, in this example, the end in the second scanning direction X2 when the carriage unit 50 is at the end opposite the arrangement position of the liquid supply unit 27 is the home position HP. The end position opposite the home position HP on the X axis is the anti-home position AH of the carriage 51 (see also FIG. 7). When printing on the medium M, the carriage 51 moves back and forth in a printing region that corresponds to the width of the medium M within the movable range between the home position HP and the anti-home position AH.

[0022] 2 and 3, the liquid storage container 28 is capable of storing liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head 52 (see FIG. 3), and is disposed at a position separate from the carriage 51. In this example, the liquid storage container 28 that supplies liquid to the carriage unit 50 is disposed at the end of the carriage unit 50 on the anti-home position AH side, opposite the home position HP. The liquid ejection device 11 is connected to the carriage 51 and includes a tube 61 through which liquid passes to be supplied from the liquid storage container 28 to the liquid ejection head 52. The tube 61 is made of, for example, a flexible synthetic resin material.

[0023] The liquid supply unit 27 has a mounting portion 29 having a supply pipe (not shown) into which the liquid storage container 28 is inserted. A tube 61, one end of which is connected to the mounting portion 29, is routed along the X-axis in an area downstream in the transport direction Y1 from the movement path of the carriage unit 50, and the other end of which is connected to the carriage unit 50. In this way, the multiple liquid storage containers 28 and the carriage 51 are connected via the multiple tubes 61 corresponding to each container. The multiple tubes 61 are routed as a tube bundle 60 held in a state where they are aligned in a line in the vertical direction Z1. The mounting portion 29 may also be equipped with a pump that supplies liquid from the liquid storage container 28 to the carriage unit 50.

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

[0025] The direction in which the liquid flows through the tube 61 along the path of the tube 61 is defined as the liquid supply direction. The tube 61 has a first straight portion 61A, the upstream portion of which in the liquid supply direction is greater than the curved portion 62 and extends substantially horizontally along the X-axis, and a second straight portion 61B, the downstream portion of which in the liquid supply direction is greater than the curved portion 62 and extends substantially horizontally along the X-axis. The lengths of the first straight portion 61A and the second straight portion 61B change as the position of the curved portion 62 changes with the movement of the carriage unit 50. The multiple tubes 61 that make up the tube bundle 60 are arranged in a row so as to overlap in the vertical direction Z1.

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

[0027] The tube bundle 60 has a displaceable movable section 61D that forms a portion of the tube bundle 60 downstream in the liquid supply direction from the fixed section 61C in the longitudinal direction, and this displaceable movable section 61D is supported by a support member 63 made of a flexible film or sheet, thereby preventing sagging due to its own weight. The support member 63 is attached so as to cover the surface of the movable section 61D that forms the outer circumferential surface of the curved section 62. The support member 63 is attached to the movable section 61D of the tube bundle 60 via a plurality of attachment members 64 that are attached at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the movable section 61D.

[0028] In this embodiment, the other end of the tube 61 is connected to the front end, which is the downstream end of the carriage unit 50 in the transport direction Y1. Therefore, the first straight portion 61A of the tube 61 and the carriage unit 50 are positioned at a predetermined distance in the transport direction Y1 that is within a range of approximately 1.5 to 2 times the radius of curvature of the curved portion 62. As a result, a movement region TA in which the curved portion 62 can move along the X axis is secured in an area downstream of the movement path of the carriage unit 50 in the transport direction Y1.

[0029] 4 prints an image or text on the medium M by ejecting liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 28 through a tube 61 from the liquid ejection head 52 toward the medium M while reciprocating along the X axis. In more detail, as the carriage unit 50 moves along the X axis, the liquid ejection head 52 ejects liquid to print one scan of the medium M, and the transport operation in which the transport unit 42 and the discharge unit 43 transport the medium M to the next printing position, alternately repeating these operations, thereby printing on the medium M. The printed medium M is ejected from the discharge port 15 by the discharge unit 43 and stacked on the discharge tray 22 (see FIG. 1).

[0030] 3 and 5, the liquid ejection device 11 is also provided with a maintenance device 81 that performs maintenance on the liquid ejection head 52 (see FIG. 6) at a maintenance position that is one end of the movement path of the carriage 51. In this example, the maintenance position of the maintenance device 81 is the home position HP. The maintenance device 81 is disposed directly below the carriage unit 50 when the carriage unit 50 is disposed at the home position HP. The maintenance device 81 cleans the nozzles 55 (see FIG. 6) of the liquid ejection head 52 by forcibly discharging liquid such as ink that is not related to printing from the nozzles 55. Note that, in this embodiment, the location of the maintenance device 81 is the home position HP, but it is not limited to the home position HP, and it may be disposed at a position shifted from the home position HP, or at the anti-home position AH or a position shifted from the anti-home position AH.

[0031] In nozzles 55 from which liquid is not ejected during printing, the thickened ink in the nozzles 55 causes nozzle clogging. Furthermore, foreign matter such as paper dust adhering to the nozzle opening surface 52A (see FIG. 6) of the liquid ejection head 52 may cause nozzle clogging. Furthermore, if air bubbles are present in the ink in the nozzles 55, the liquid ejection head 52 may fail to eject liquid. Therefore, if a predetermined time has passed since the previous cleaning, the maintenance device 81 is driven to clean the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52 that is positioned at the home position HP. Furthermore, in a liquid ejection device 11 equipped with a nozzle defect inspection device (not shown), the maintenance device 81 cleans the nozzles 55 when a nozzle defect is detected. Cleaning prevents or eliminates nozzle clogging and other problems.

[0032] 4, the holding portion 73 is located on one side of the housing 12 opposite the maintenance position in the movement direction of the carriage 51. In other words, the holding portion 73 is located on one side of the housing 12 opposite the home position HP, which is the maintenance position, in the direction along the width of the housing 12. Furthermore, the holding portion 73 keeps the waste liquid box 71 exposed when the cover 13 is opened.

[0033] 3 and 5, the liquid ejection device 11 includes a gap adjustment mechanism 82 that adjusts the gap between the liquid ejection head 52 and the medium M by changing the height position of the liquid ejection head 52 with respect to the support base 16. The gap adjustment mechanism 82 adjusts the gap between the liquid ejection head 52 and the support base 16 by moving a portion of the carriage 51 that supports the liquid ejection head 52 along the Z axis with respect to a portion that is supported by the guide member 18. By driving the gap adjustment mechanism 82, the gap between the liquid ejection head 52 and the medium M is adjusted to an appropriate value depending on the type of medium M. Note that the gap adjustment mechanism 82 may be configured to adjust the gap between the liquid ejection head 52 and the support base 16 by eccentrically rotating an axial guide member 17.

[0034] 5, a feeding mechanism 87 that feeds the medium M from multiple stages of cassettes 21 is provided as part of the feeding unit 41. The feeding mechanism 87 includes a feeding motor 88 that is a power source that drives the pickup roller 41A, and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power to the pickup roller 41A. In this embodiment, the holding unit 73 and the waste liquid box 71 are disposed in the front part of the housing 12, and the feeding mechanism 87 is disposed in the empty space created at the rear of the housing 12.

[0035] Also, as shown in Figure 5, the rear part of the housing 12 is provided with an openable maintenance cover 12B that can be opened when clearing a jam of medium M that has occurred in the feeding path of the feeding section 41, and a manual feeding mechanism 89 that allows the user to manually feed medium M.

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

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

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, when the carriage 51 is at the home position HP, the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 is located at the end of the movement path of the carriage 51, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2. When the carriage 51 is at the anti-home position AH, the curved portion 62 is located near the center of the movement path of the carriage 51, as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2. In other words, when the carriage 51 moves back and forth between the home position HP and the anti-home position AH, the curved portion 62 moves between the end position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2 and the center position indicated by the two-dot chain line in the same figure. Within the housing 12, the curved portion 62 moves within a movement area TA in the conveyance direction Y1, in a space formed between the first straight portion 61A of the tube bundle 60 and the scanning area SA of the carriage 51. The portion of this space outside the movement area TA becomes dead space DS, which is not used for the movement of the curved portion 62.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, the holding member 72 has a rectangular box-shaped holding portion 73 that is open at the top in a portion corresponding to the arrangement area of ​​the waste liquid box 71. The holding portion 73 is located between the fixed portion 61C of the liquid supply tube 61 and the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50 in the transport direction Y1. The holding portion 73 is located outside the movement area TA of the tube 61. More specifically, of the space between the portion where the fixed portion 61C of the tube 61 is located and the scanning area SA of the carriage 51, the space outside the movement area TA of the tube 61 is a dead space DS where no part of the tube 61 is located during the movement of the carriage unit 50. In this embodiment, the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71 held by the holding portion 73 are arranged using this dead space DS.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6 , the maintenance device 81 includes a cap 83 at a position facing the liquid ejection head 52 when the carriage unit 50 is at the home position HP. The cap 83 is configured to be movable up and down along the Z axis. As shown by the solid lines in FIG. 6 , the cap 83 comes into contact with the nozzle opening surface 52A of the liquid ejection head 52, where the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52 are open, and moves between a capping position where the cap 83 forms a closed space between the nozzle opening surface 52A and the cap 83, and a retracted position where the cap 83 is spaced apart from the nozzle opening surface 52A of the liquid ejection head 52. The maintenance device 81 includes a suction pump 84 and an electric motor 85 that drives the suction pump 84. A waste liquid tube 86 extends with one end connected to the bottom of the cap 83, is routed through a predetermined path within the housing 12 via the suction pump 84, and has the other end connected to a supply mechanism 91 fixed to the holder 73. The waste liquid box 71 held by the holder 73 is connected to the waste liquid tube 86 via the supply mechanism 91.

[0041] 6, the suction pump 84 is driven by the power of the electric motor 85, which sucks and discharges air from the space within the cap 83, creating a negative pressure in the closed space between the cap 83 and the nozzle opening surface 52A, forcibly sucking and discharging the liquid from the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52. By cleaning, which forcibly discharges the liquid from the nozzles 55, the viscous ink and air bubbles within the nozzles 55 are sucked and discharged into the cap 83 along with the ink. The liquid discharged into the cap 83 is collected as waste liquid from the maintenance device 81 through the waste liquid tube 86 and via the supply mechanism 91 into the waste liquid box 71.

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

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

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

[0045] 7 and 8, the discharge unit 43 includes two roller pairs 46 and 47 arranged at different positions in the transport direction Y1. Specifically, the discharge unit 43 includes a first discharge roller pair 46 and a second discharge roller pair 47 arranged in this order from upstream to downstream in the first transport direction Y1 along the first transport path K1. That is, the discharge unit 43 includes the first discharge roller pair 46 arranged at a position downstream of the liquid ejection head 52 in the transport direction Y1, and the second discharge roller pair 47 arranged at a position downstream of the first discharge roller pair 46 in the transport direction Y1. The holder 73 is arranged above one of the two roller pairs 46 and 47, the roller pair 47, which is located downstream in the transport direction Y1.

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

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

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8 , in the liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment, two pairs of rollers, a first discharge roller pair 46 and a second discharge roller pair 47, are disposed downstream of the liquid ejection head 52 in the transport direction Y1. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which only one discharge roller pair is disposed, a larger space is secured in the transport direction Y1 downstream of the scanning region SA of the carriage unit 50. This larger space is used as a routing space for the tube 61. The tube 61 is routed so that a curved portion 62 is positioned above the second discharge roller pair 47. The distal end, which is the downstream end of the tube 61 in the liquid supply direction, is connected to the downstream end of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1. The other ends of the multiple tubes 61 are connected to the carriage 51 and then communicate with each of multiple liquid reservoirs 56 mounted on the carriage 51. The liquid sent through the multiple tubes 61 is temporarily stored in the multiple liquid reservoirs 56 before being supplied to the liquid ejection head 52 and ejected from the nozzles 55.

[0049] 7, in the liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment, a dead space DS (see FIG. 4) located above the second discharge roller pair 47 and not used as the movement area TA of the curved portion 62 is utilized as a space for arranging the holding unit 73. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the holding unit 73 is located downstream of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1 and above the discharge unit 43. In this example, the holding unit 73 is located above the second discharge roller pair 47. The holding unit 73 is located above (see FIG. 7) the transport paths K1 and K2 (see FIG. 8) along which the transport mechanism 40 transports the medium M and downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1 (see FIG. 4). Thus, a waste liquid unit 70 including the holding unit 73 and the waste liquid box 71 is located above the second discharge roller pair 47. The holding unit 73 is housed in the housing 12 together with the liquid ejection head 52 and the like. Furthermore, the holder 73 is disposed above the outlet 15 formed in the housing 12 for discharging the medium M.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, a first transport path R1 is formed within the housing 12 by the intermediate roller 44, roller pairs 45-47, medium guide members, and the like, which are positioned along the first transport path K1. The path along which the medium M is transported is the first transport path K1. The first transport path R1 is a transport path within a range in which the intermediate roller 44 and roller pairs 45-47 are located, and a second discharge roller pair is located at the downstream end of the first transport path R1 in the transport direction Y1. Also, a second transport path R2 is formed within the housing 12 by roller pairs 47, 49, medium M guide members, and the like, which are positioned along the second transport path K2. The path along which the medium M is transported is the second transport path K2. The second transport path R2 is a transport path within a range in which the roller pairs 47, 49 are located, and a second discharge roller pair is located at the downstream end of the second transport path R2 in the transport direction Y1. The first conveying path R1 and the second conveying path R2 are connected at the nip position of the second discharge roller pair. The holding unit 73 being located above the second conveying path K2 is synonymous with being located above the second conveying path R2. The area where the holding unit 73 is located above the first conveying path K1 is wider downstream in the conveying direction Y1 than the area where the holding unit 73 is located above the second conveying path R2.

[0051] Next, with reference to Fig. 4, the displacement of the tube 61 during the movement of the carriage unit 50 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, as the carriage unit 50 moves in the first scanning direction X1 or the second scanning direction X2, the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 moves in the same direction as the carriage unit 50 by an amount that is approximately half the amount of movement of the carriage unit 50.

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

[0053] A waste liquid box 71 is disposed between fixed portion 61C of tube 61 and scanning area SA of carriage unit 50. During the movement of carriage unit 50, curved portion 62 does not come into contact with holding portion 73, neither when curved portion 62 is located at the position shown by the solid line in Fig. 4 when carriage unit 50 is at home position HP nor when curved portion 62 is located near the width center of housing 12 shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 4 when carriage unit 50 is at anti-home position AH.

[0054] Next, the holding member 72 and the waste liquid box 71 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 12. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the holding member 72 has a bottom plate 74, a side plate 75 extending vertically from the downstream end of the bottom plate 74 in the conveying direction Y1, and the box-shaped holding portion 73 located on a portion of the bottom plate 74, separated by a predetermined gap in the conveying direction Y1 from the side plate. The holding portion 73 is located on one side of the bottom plate 74 in the direction along the X-axis. The space between the holding portion 73 and the side plate 75 provides a holding space in which the tubes 61 constituting the tube bundle 60 are held in a vertically aligned state in the vertical direction Z1. The surface of the side plate 75 opposite the holding portion 73 serves as a mounting surface to which the operation panel 24 is rotatably mounted.

[0055] Next, with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, 9, and 10, the height positional relationship between the holding member 72 and the waste liquid box 71 and the tube bundle 60 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 9, and 10, the lower end of the holding portion 73 is located lower than the tubes 61. That is, the bottom surface 73B, which is the lower end of the holding portion 73 that holds the waste liquid box 71, is located lower in the vertical direction Z1 than the lower end of the tube bundle 60. Furthermore, the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holding portion 73 is exposed through the opening 23A of the front member 23 and is located at approximately the same height as the upper surface 23B. The upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 is located higher in the vertical direction Z1 than the upper end of the tube bundle 60. Furthermore, the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 is located higher than the upper end of the tube bundle 60. Furthermore, the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 is located higher than the upper end surface 50A of the carriage unit 50, which is located higher than the upper end of the tube bundle 60. This allows the waste liquid box 71 to be accommodated in the housing 12 in a long height.

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

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

[0058] 11 and 12, the holder 73 is provided with an attachment / detachment mechanism 90 that attaches and detaches the waste liquid box 71 to and from the holder 73 by sliding the waste liquid box 71 in the scanning directions X1 and X2, which are the movement directions of the carriage 51, so that the waste liquid box 71 can be connected to and detached from the supply needles 92. A guide groove 76 is formed on the bottom surface of the holder 73 to engage with a guide portion (not shown) on the bottom of the waste liquid box 71 and guide the waste liquid box 71 slidably along the X axis.

[0059] Pairs of ribs 77 are provided along the X-axis on both opposing surfaces of the holding portion 73 and the side plate portion 75. The fixed portions 61C of the plurality of tubes 61 are clamped by the ribs 77 at multiple locations, and are thereby held by the holding member 72 along a path that passes between the holding portion 73 and the side plate portion 75. The tube bundle 60 is routed at a height slightly above the bottom plate portion 74. If the tube bundle 60 sags, the lower end of the tube bundle 60 comes into contact with the bottom plate portion 74, thereby preventing further sagging. The waste liquid tube 86 drawn from the supply needle 92 constituting the supply mechanism 91 is routed along the tube 61 above the movable portion 61D of the tube bundle 60.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 10 , the liquid ejection device 11 has a partition wall 78 that separates the tube 61 that supplies liquid from the liquid storage container 28 from the waste liquid tube 86. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 , the partition wall 78 that separates the tube bundle 60 and the waste liquid tube 86 from each other is protruded from one end of the side plate 75 that is opposite the side on which the holding portion 73 is located in the longitudinal direction of the holding member 72. The partition wall 78 is located at approximately the same height as the supply needle 92 attached to the holding portion 73. The waste liquid tube 86 is routed so as to rest on the partition wall 78, and is therefore located above the tube bundle 60.

[0061] The waste liquid box 71 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a plate-shaped handle 71B extends parallel to the upper end surface 71A from one end of the upper portion. The waste liquid box 71 has a supply port 95 as an example of a connected portion that connects with a supply needle 92 on the holding portion 73 side. More specifically, the supply port 95, which is pierced by the supply needle 92, is provided on one end surface of the waste liquid box 71 opposite the handle 71B in the longitudinal direction. The waste liquid box 71 is connected to the waste liquid tube 86 by piercing the supply needle 92 into the supply port 95. Therefore, the waste liquid sent to the waste liquid box 71 through the waste liquid tube 86 does not leak at the connection point. In addition, a second locking mechanism 96 is provided below the end surface of the waste liquid box 71. When the waste liquid box 71 is slid along the X-axis, the first locking mechanism 93 and the second locking mechanism 96 are locked together, and the waste liquid box 71 is positioned at a connection position where the supply needle 92 is inserted into the supply port 95. Therefore, the connection between the waste liquid box 71 and the supply needle 92 will not be broken due to vibration of the liquid ejection device 11 or the like.

[0062] 11 and 12, in this embodiment, the attachment / detachment mechanism 90 is made up of a first locking mechanism 93, a second locking mechanism 96, a guide groove 76, etc. The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 is removed by the user sliding the waste liquid box 71 in the removal direction, which is the direction opposite to the side where the curved portion 62 is located in the movement direction of the carriage 51. When the user pulls the waste liquid box 71 horizontally in the removal direction, the first locking mechanism 93 and the second locking mechanism 96 are disengaged, and the waste liquid box 71 is guided horizontally along the guide groove 76 until the supply needle 92 and the supply port 95 are disengaged.

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

[0064] The control unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 , which is built into the liquid ejection device 11, controls the carriage motor 53, the liquid ejection head 52, the transport motor, and the like. The liquid ejection device 11 is communicably connected to a host device (not shown). The control unit 100 controls printing based on print data received from the host device. The host device may be, for example, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a mobile phone. The control unit 100 measures the amount of liquid ejected or discharged from the liquid ejection head 52 for maintenance purposes based on the print data, and obtains the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid box 71 by adding the measured amount of liquid to the amount of liquid read from the memory element 97. The control unit 100 updates the latest amount of liquid in the waste liquid box 71 by writing it to the memory element 97 periodically or irregularly. When the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid box 71 reaches the upper limit, the control unit 100 notifies the user by displaying a message on the display unit 26 or the display unit of the host device that it is time to replace the waste liquid and urging the user to replace the waste liquid.

[0065] Next, the operation of the liquid ejection device 11 will be described. When the liquid ejecting device 11 receives a printing command, the feeding unit 41 is driven, and the medium M fed from the cassette 21 is transported through the transport area FA in the transport direction Y1. Then, while the carriage unit 50 is moving in the first scanning direction X1 or the second scanning direction X2, printing on the medium M is progressed by alternately performing a printing operation in which the liquid ejecting head 52 ejects liquid toward the medium M to print one scan, and a transport operation in which the roller pairs 45 to 47 transport the medium M to the next printing position.

[0066] 4, as the carriage unit 50 moves in the first scanning direction X1 or the second scanning direction X2, the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 moves in the same direction as the carriage unit 50, by a distance that is approximately half the distance that the carriage unit 50 moves. Furthermore, during printing, the carriage unit 50 periodically moves to the home position HP and performs flushing, in which liquid unrelated to printing is ejected from all the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52, to refresh the liquid in the nozzles 55. In this way, with each flushing, liquid is ejected from the nozzles 55 of the liquid ejection head 52 toward the cap 83. Each time flushing is performed a predetermined number of times, the suction pump 84 is driven by the power of the electric motor 85, and waste liquid accumulated in the cap 83 is collected into the waste liquid box 71 via the waste liquid tube 86.

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

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

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

[0070] When the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid box 71 exceeds the upper limit, the control unit 100 displays a message on the display unit 26 of the operation panel 24 or the display unit of the host device indicating that it is time to replace the waste liquid box 71. Upon seeing the message, the user replaces the waste liquid box 71.

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

[0072] After the waste liquid box 71 has slid a predetermined distance, it disengages from the guide groove 76. This allows the waste liquid box 71 to move in directions other than horizontal. The user lifts the handle 71B and tilts the waste liquid box 71 as shown in FIG. 15. Then, the user removes the waste liquid box 71 from the holder 73 as shown in FIG. 11. After gripping the handle 71B of the waste liquid box 71 and sliding it horizontally in this way, the user lifts the handle 71B upward to tilt the waste liquid box 71 and remove it from the holder 73.

[0073] Next, the user sets a new waste liquid box 71 in the holder 73 by reversing the removal process. That is, the waste liquid box 71 is tilted diagonally onto the holder 73 with the end on the supply port 95 side facing forward, and its bottom is engaged with the guide groove 76. The user then changes the waste liquid box 71 from the tilted position to a horizontal position, slides it in the horizontal position in the second scanning direction X2, which is the installation direction indicated by the two-dot chain arrow B in FIG. 14, and finally pushes it in. During this pushing process, the supply needle 92 pierces the supply port 95, and the first locking mechanism 93 and the second locking mechanism 96 are locked. In this way, the waste liquid box 71 is connected to the waste liquid tube 86 via the supply needle 92 in a leak-proof manner.

[0074] 4, within the housing 12, a dead space DS is formed in the transport direction Y1 between the fixed portion 61C of the tube bundle 60 and the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50, outside the movement area TA in which the curved portion 62 moves along the X axis. The dead space DS is not used for the movement of the curved portion 62. In this example, the holder 73 and the waste liquid unit 70 held by the holder 73 are disposed in this dead space DS. Therefore, throughout the entire movement range in which the carriage unit 50 moves along the X axis between the home position HP and the anti-home position AH, the curved portion 62 does not come into contact with the holder 73 or the waste liquid unit 70. In other words, regardless of the position of the carriage unit 50 on its movement path, the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 does not come into contact with the holder 73 or the waste liquid box 71.

[0075] 7 and 9, the upper end of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holder 73 is located above the tube bundle 60, and the lower end of the waste liquid box 71 is located below the tube bundle 60. Furthermore, the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holder 73 is located higher than the upper end surface 50A of the carriage unit 50. This allows the waste liquid box 71 to be accommodated in the housing 12 with a long height. This leads to an increase in the waste liquid storage capacity of the waste liquid box 71.

[0076] 8, when the cover 13 of the reading unit 30 is closed, the upper surface 23B of the front member 23, on which the upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 is exposed, becomes a receiving surface that receives the bottom surface 30A of the reading unit 30. The bottom surface 30A of the reading unit 30 has a stepped portion 30B that is recessed upward at a portion that corresponds to the exposed surface and the upper surface 23B of the waste liquid box 71 when the cover 13 is closed. The height of the stepped portion 30B alone ensures that the height dimension of the waste liquid box 71 that can be accommodated within the housing 12 is long. This leads to a further increase in the waste liquid storage volume of the waste liquid box 71.

[0077] The holder 73 that holds the waste liquid box 71 is located downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1 and above the discharge unit 43. The holder 73 is located above a downstream portion of the discharge unit 43 in the transport direction Y1. The holder 73 is located above a second discharge roller pair 47, which is one of the two discharge roller pairs 46, 47 that make up the discharge unit 43 and is located downstream in the transport direction Y1. The holder 73 is also located above the second transport path K2. In this embodiment, a space is created within the housing 12 above a portion of the discharge unit 43 that extends downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1. The holder 73 and the waste liquid box 71 are located using the space created in the area downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1 and above the discharge unit 43. This avoids the problem of increasing the size of the liquid ejection device 11 that occurs when a dedicated space is provided for arranging the holder 73.

[0078] In this embodiment, in order to perform double-sided printing, a second transport path K2 is provided below the first transport path K1 to transport the medium M in the second transport direction Y2, in order to invert the medium M after printing on its first side. The discharge unit 43 includes a first discharge roller pair 46 that transports and discharges the medium M downstream of the liquid ejection head 52 in the transport direction Y1, and a second discharge roller pair 47 that discharges or switches back transports the medium M downstream of the first discharge roller pair 46 in the transport direction Y1. During double-sided printing, the medium M, whose first side has been printed, is partially discharged by the two discharge roller pairs 46 and 47, and then the second discharge roller pair 47 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the medium M is switched back and transported from the first transport direction Y1 to the second transport direction Y2. The switched back transported medium M is guided to the second transport path K2. The medium M transported in reverse by the reversing roller pair 49 via the second transport path K2 is reversed via the outer periphery of the intermediate roller 44, and is transported toward the printing area by the transport roller pair 45 with the second surface oriented so as to face the liquid ejection head 52. Then, the medium M with printing printed on its second surface is discharged from the discharge port 15 by two discharge roller pairs 46, 47, and stacked on the discharge tray 22.

[0079] The liquid ejecting device 11 of this embodiment includes a second discharge roller pair 47 downstream in the transport direction Y1 from the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50. That is, the second discharge roller pair 47 that causes the medium M to switchback and transport and guide it to the second transport path K2 is provided downstream in the transport direction Y1 from the first discharge roller pair 46. For this reason, a relatively large space is created within the housing 12 downstream in the transport direction Y1 from the scanning area SA of the carriage unit 50, that is, above the second discharge roller pair 47. In this embodiment, this space is used to route the tube bundle 60 along a routing path that forms a curved portion 62 that curves horizontally with displacement in the transport direction Y1.

[0080] The curved portion 62 of the tube 61 requires a curvature radius of at least a predetermined value to prevent the tube flow path from collapsing. Furthermore, when the carriage unit 50 moves through the entire scanning range, the curved portion 62 moves through approximately half of the upper space within the housing 12 in the scanning directions X1 and X2, toward the home position HP. Therefore, the space outside the movement area TA of the curved portion 62 becomes dead space DS. This dead space DS is used to position the holder 73 and the waste liquid box 71. Furthermore, by placing the holder 73 and the waste liquid box 71 in the front portion of the housing 12, other mechanisms are placed in the space at the rear of the housing 12. In this example, the feed mechanism 87 shown in FIG. 5 is placed in the space at the rear of the housing 12. Therefore, placing the holder 73 and the waste liquid box 71 in the front portion of the housing 12 does not lead to an increase in the size of the liquid ejection device 11.

[0081] 12 is attached to the front of the housing 12. The holding member 72, which is integrally formed with the holding portion 73 shown in FIG. 12, forms a path for routing the tube bundle 60 between the holding portion 73 and the side plate portion 75, and has multiple pairs of ribs 77 that sandwich and hold the routed tube bundle 60. Even if the first straight portion 61A of the routed tube bundle 60 sags, it contacts the bottom plate portion 74 and is prevented from further sagging. For example, it is possible to prevent the medium M being transported toward the discharge port 15 from coming into contact with the sagging tube bundle 60 and jamming that may occur as a result of this contact.

[0082] According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The liquid ejection device 11 includes a transport mechanism 40 that transports the medium M in the transport direction Y1, a carriage 51 that can move back and forth in a scanning direction that intersects the transport direction Y1, and a liquid ejection head 52 that is mounted on the carriage 51 and ejects liquid onto the medium M. The liquid ejection device 11 also includes a liquid storage container 28 that can store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head 52 and is provided at a position separate from the carriage 51, and a tube 61 that is connected to the carriage 51 and through which liquid supplied from the liquid storage container 28 to the liquid ejection head 52 passes. The liquid ejection device 11 also includes a holding unit 73 that holds a waste liquid box 71 that can store liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 52 as waste liquid. The tube 61 has a movable unit that forms a curved portion 62 that curves in a direction that displaces in the transport direction Y1 and that moves the position where the curved portion 62 is formed as the carriage 51 moves, and a fixed unit that does not move. The holder 73 is disposed between the fixed portion and the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1. As the carriage 51 moves, the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 moves by approximately half the distance of the carriage 51. The holder 73 and the waste liquid box 71 are disposed in the remaining approximately half of the area other than the movement area TA of the curved portion 62, i.e., in the dead space DS that is not used for the movement of the curved portion 62 and is formed between the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 and the fixed portion 61C of the tube 61. Therefore, the holder 73 and the waste liquid box 71 do not interfere with the movement of the carriage 51 and the tube 61. Furthermore, the area between the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 and the fixed portion 61C is more accessible to the user than the rear portion of the liquid ejection device 11. This improves the ease of replacing the waste liquid box 71 while minimizing the size of the liquid ejection device 11.

[0083] (2) The holder 73 is disposed outside the movement area TA of the tube 61 within the housing 12. Therefore, the holder 73 and the waste liquid box 71 can be disposed by utilizing the dead space DS that is not used as the movement area TA of the tube 61 without interfering with the movement of the tube 61. This improves the workability when replacing the waste liquid box 71 while minimizing the increase in size of the liquid ejection device 11.

[0084] (3) The holder 73 is disposed within the housing 12 downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1 and above the transport paths K1, K2 of the medium M transported by the transport mechanism 40. Therefore, the holder 73 and the waste liquid box 71 can be disposed by utilizing the space downstream of the space above the transport paths K1, K2, avoiding the scanning area SA of the carriage 51. The area downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51, which is the arrangement area of ​​the holder 73, is the front part of the housing 12, which improves the workability when replacing the waste liquid box 71.

[0085] (4) The holding unit 73 is disposed above the discharge port 15 of the housing 12. This prevents the medium M being transported toward the discharge port 15 from coming into contact with the holding unit 73, while ensuring a large volume of waste liquid to be stored in the waste liquid box 71.

[0086] (5) The liquid ejection device 11 includes a housing 12 having an opening 12A at the top, and an openable / closable cover 13 that covers the opening 12A of the housing 12. The holder 73 keeps the waste liquid box 71 exposed when the cover 13 is opened. Therefore, when the cover 13 is opened, the waste liquid box 71 is exposed inside the housing 12, improving the workability of replacing the waste liquid box 71.

[0087] (6) The liquid ejection device 11 includes a maintenance device 81 that performs maintenance on the liquid ejection head 52 while the carriage 51 is positioned at a maintenance position, which is one end of the movement path of the carriage 51. The holder 73 has a supply needle 92 provided at one end of a waste liquid tube 86 extending from the maintenance device 81. The waste liquid box 71 has a supply port 95 that is connected to the supply needle 92. Therefore, when the waste liquid box 71 is attached to the holder 73, the supply needle 92 and the supply port 95 are connected. Therefore, the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 52 by the maintenance device 81 can be collected in the waste liquid box 71 through the waste liquid tube 86. At this time, the waste liquid is collected in the waste liquid box 71 through the connection between the supply needle 92 and the supply port 95, thereby preventing waste liquid from leaking from the connection point.

[0088] (7) The holding portion 73 is located in the housing 12 on one side opposite the maintenance position in the movement direction of the carriage 51. Therefore, the tube 61 is routed by setting the movement area TA of the tube 61 so that a dead space DS is formed in which the holding portion 73 can be positioned on one side opposite the maintenance position. In this case, when the carriage 51 is at the home position HP, the curved portion 62 is located near the carriage 51, and therefore the curved portion 62 is less likely to sag.

[0089] (8) The holding portion 73 is located to one side within the housing 12 on the same side as the liquid container 28 in the movement direction of the carriage 51. Therefore, the tube 61 extending from the liquid container 28 can be routed so as to form the curved portion 62 on the opposite side from the liquid container 28. The holding portion 73 can be located in the dead space DS outside the movement area TA of the tube 61.

[0090] (9) The holder 73 includes an attachment / detachment mechanism 90 that attaches and detaches the waste liquid box 71 to and from the holder 73, allowing the waste liquid box 71 to be connected to and detached from the supply needle 92 and the supply port 95 by sliding the waste liquid box 71 in the movement direction of the carriage 51. Therefore, connecting the waste liquid box 71 to the supply needle 92 with the attachment / detachment mechanism 90 prevents leakage of waste liquid between the waste liquid box 71 and the waste liquid tube 86. By sliding the waste liquid box 71, the waste liquid box 71 can be attached to and detached from the supply needle 92. Because the sliding direction during attachment and detachment is the same as the movement direction of the carriage 51, the waste liquid box 71 is unlikely to come into contact with the tube 61 even when the waste liquid box 71 is slid.

[0091] (10) The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 removes the waste liquid box 71 by sliding the waste liquid box 71 in the direction opposite to the side where the curved portion 62 is located in the movement direction of the carriage 51. Therefore, the waste liquid box 71 is less likely to come into contact with the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 when being removed. Furthermore, if the waste liquid box 71 is removed by sliding it toward the curved portion 62, it is necessary to secure a space in the dead space DS for the stroke of sliding it toward the curved portion 62. In contrast, with the configuration of this embodiment, it is not necessary to secure a space in the dead space DS for the sliding stroke of the waste liquid box 71, so a larger volume is secured in the dead space DS for the holding portion 73 and the waste liquid box 71, and a larger waste liquid storage capacity can be secured for the waste liquid box 71.

[0092] (11) The liquid ejection device 11 has a waste liquid tube 86 through which waste liquid passes when sent from the maintenance device 81 to the waste liquid box 71, and a partition 78 that separates the waste liquid tube 86 from the tube 61 that supplies liquid from the liquid storage container 28. Therefore, the tube 61 that supplies liquid from the liquid storage container 28 and the waste liquid tube 86 are separated by the partition 78 so that they do not intersect, thereby avoiding problems such as the liquid supply tube 61 becoming entangled with the waste liquid tube 86 when moving.

[0093] (12) In the liquid ejecting device 11, the bottom surface 73B, which is the lower end of the holding portion 73, is located below the tube 61. This allows the waste liquid box 71 to have a large height, and the waste liquid storage capacity of the waste liquid box 71 can be increased.

[0094] (13) The upper end surface 71A of the waste liquid box 71 held by the holder 73 is located higher than the upper end surface 50A of the carriage 51. This allows the waste liquid box 71 to have a large height, thereby ensuring a large waste liquid storage capacity.

[0095] (14) The liquid ejection device 11 includes a transport unit 42 that transports the medium M in the transport direction Y1, a carriage 51 that supports the liquid ejection head 52, a discharge unit 43 that discharges the medium M after liquid has been ejected, and a holding unit 73 that holds a waste liquid box 71 that can store liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 52 as waste liquid. The holding unit 73 is located downstream of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1 and above the discharge unit 43. Therefore, the holding unit 73 that holds the waste liquid box 71 can be located using the space above the discharge unit 43 that avoids the head support unit. The area above the discharge unit 43 that avoids the head support unit is a location that is more accessible to the user than the rear of the liquid ejection device 11. This makes it possible to improve the ease of replacing the waste liquid box 71 while minimizing the size of the liquid ejection device 11.

[0096] (15) The discharge section 43 includes two roller pairs 46, 47 arranged at different positions in the conveyance direction Y1. The holding section 73 is arranged above one of the two roller pairs 46, 47, which is located downstream in the conveyance direction Y1. Therefore, the holding section 73 is located above one of the two roller pairs 46, 47 constituting the discharge section 43, which is located downstream in the conveyance direction Y1. The holding section 73 can be arranged by utilizing the space above one of the roller pairs 47.

[0097] (16) The liquid ejection device 11 has a second transport path K2 below the transport path K1 that transports the medium M after the liquid has been ejected in a second transport direction Y2, which is the direction opposite to the transport direction Y1. The discharge unit 43 ejects the medium M partway in the transport direction Y1 and then transports it back in the second transport direction Y2, thereby sending the medium M to the second transport path K2. The holding unit 73 is located downstream of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1 and above the second transport path K2. Thus, the liquid ejection device 11 has a second transport path K2 that transports the medium M in the second transport direction Y2 after the liquid has been ejected. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the medium M is simply discharged in the first transport direction Y1, the medium M must be discharged partway in the first transport direction to a position where the trailing end of the medium M in the first transport direction can be guided to the entrance of the second transport path K2, so the transport path of the discharge unit 43 becomes longer in the transport direction, and space tends to be created above the downstream portion of the second transport path K2 in the first transport direction Y1. This space can be used to position the holder 73.

[0098] (17) The carriage 51 is capable of reciprocating movement in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction Y1 at a position above the transport paths K1, K2 of the medium M, and the liquid ejection head 52 moves together with the carriage 51. The holding unit 73 is located downstream of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1 and above the discharge unit 43. Therefore, the holding unit 73 can be located using the space above the discharge unit 43 without interfering with the movement of the carriage 51. This improves the workability when replacing the waste liquid box 71 and prevents the liquid ejection device 11 from becoming larger.

[0099] 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.

[0100] The routing path of the tube 61 may be such that the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 is located on the anti-home position AH side relative to the carriage unit 50. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the liquid container 28 is located on the home position HP side, and the routing path of the tube 61 is laid out symmetrically with respect to the above-described embodiment with respect to a perpendicular line passing through the center of the width of the housing 12. In this case, the home position HP and the anti-home position AH may be reversed. Also, in this case, it is preferable to place the waste liquid box 71 in the dead space DS. Also, in the routing path of the tube 61 in the above-described embodiment, the home position HP and the anti-home position AH may be reversed. The liquid container 28 may be of either a pour-type or a pack type.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the number of discharge roller pairs may be one. Alternatively, the number of discharge roller pairs may be three or more. When removing the waste liquid box 71 from the holder 73, it may be slid in the direction toward the curved portion 62.

[0102] The holding portion 73 may be disposed closer to one side of the home position HP. In this case, the routing path of the tube 61 is reversed from that of the above embodiment so that the curved portion 62 of the tube 61 is located on the opposite side to the home position AH.

[0103] The second transport path K2 does not have to be provided. As long as the first transport path K1 extends over a predetermined length or more downstream of the scanning area SA of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1, the holding unit 73 may be disposed above the first transport path K1.

[0104] The discharge unit 43 may have only one roller pair, provided that it is located downstream of a head support unit such as the carriage 51. The holding unit 73 may be located in the space above this single roller pair.

[0105] The discharge unit 43 may be a belt conveyor instead of a roller conveyor. The two rollers that make up the discharge unit 43 and are positioned at different positions in the conveyance direction may be rollers around which a conveyor belt is wrapped.

[0106] The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 for the waste liquid box 71 may be configured to attach / detach the waste liquid box 71 by sliding it in the vertical direction Z1, instead of by sliding it in the horizontal direction. The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 may be configured to attach and detach the waste liquid box 71 by sliding it back and forth. In this case, the waste liquid box 71 may be slid forward and then removed in the vertical direction Z1 when removed. Alternatively, a cover may be provided on the front of the housing at a position corresponding to the holder 73, and after opening the cover, the waste liquid box 71 may be slid forward to be removed.

[0107] The attachment / detachment mechanism 90 may be configured to remove the waste liquid box 71 by sliding it horizontally from the side of the housing 12 toward the side opposite the curved portion 62. In this case, a cover may be provided on the side of the housing 12, or an end face of the waste liquid box 71 may be exposed on the side of the housing 12. The holder 73 may also be a box having an opening 73A facing the side of the housing 12.

[0108] The tube 61 may be routed in a space upstream of the carriage 51 in the transport direction Y1. In this case, the holding portion 73 may be disposed between the fixed portion 61C and the scanning area SA of the carriage 51. Even in this configuration, the waste liquid box 71 can be attached and detached by opening the cover 13.

[0109] The waste liquid box 71 may not be exposed when the cover 13 is opened. For example, the waste liquid box 71 may be covered by an inner cover when the cover is opened, and the waste liquid box 71 may be attached or detached by opening the inner cover. Incidentally, exposing the waste liquid box 71 when the cover 13 is opened allows the height dimension of the waste liquid box 71 to be increased, thereby increasing the waste liquid storage volume. Alternatively, the waste liquid box 71 may be covered by and held below the front member 23, and the waste liquid box 71 may be attached or detached by removing the front member 23.

[0110] The supply mechanism 91 may be eliminated. In other words, the waste liquid box 71 and the waste liquid tube 86 may not be connected by a supply needle 92 or the like, and the waste liquid may be dripped from the waste liquid tube 86 onto the liquid absorbing member 79 in the waste liquid box 71. In this case, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for preventing the waste liquid from leaking and a mechanism for collecting leaked waste liquid.

[0111] It is sufficient that there is a portion where the waste liquid unit 70 and the tube bundle 60 are arranged at the same height in the vertical direction Z1. In other words, it is not necessary for the entire tube bundle 60 to be at the same height as the waste liquid unit 70 in the vertical direction Z1. For example, the upper end of the waste liquid box 71 may be positioned at the same level as or lower than the upper end of the tube bundle 60. Also, for example, the bottom surface 73B, which is the lower end of the holding portion 73, may be positioned at the same level as or higher than the lower end of the tube bundle 60.

[0112] The direction in which the curved portion 62 is curved, i.e., the direction in which the tube 61 is curved with displacement in the transport direction Y1, is not limited to horizontal. The direction in which the tube 61 is curved may be parallel to the transport surface of the medium M. For example, if the transport surface in the portion facing the liquid ejection head 52 is an inclined surface inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal, the curved portion 62 may be the tube 61 curved in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal.

[0113] The tube 61 is not limited to a tube bundle configuration in which multiple tubes are bundled together, and may be a configuration in which only one tube 61 is used. For example, the invention may be applied to a configuration in which a single tube 61 is used in a liquid ejecting device 11 that prints in one color, black. Furthermore, when configuring a tube bundle, the number of tubes may be more than four.

[0114] The liquid ejection device 11 is not limited to a printing device that prints on paper or film as a medium, but may also be a textile printing device that prints on fabric. The liquid ejection device is not limited to a serial printer in which the carriage unit 50 moves back and forth in the scanning directions X1 and X2, but may be a lateral printer in which the carriage unit 50 can move in two directions, the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. Furthermore, the liquid ejection device is not limited to a multifunction printer, but may be a printer having a cover 13 that does not have a reading unit 30 mounted thereon.

[0115] The medium M is not limited to paper, but may be a flexible plastic film, cloth, nonwoven fabric, or the like. The liquid ejection device is not limited to a printer for printing. For example, it may be a device that ejects a liquid in which particles of a functional material are dispersed or mixed in a liquid, and produces an electrical wiring pattern on a substrate, which is an example of a medium, or a pixel for a display of various types, such as a liquid crystal, electroluminescence (EL), or surface emission. It may also be a liquid ejection device for three-dimensional modeling, which ejects uncured resin liquid to form a three-dimensional object.

[0116] The technical concepts grasped from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below together with their effects. The liquid ejection device comprises a transport mechanism that transports a medium in a transport direction, a carriage that can move back and forth in a scanning direction that intersects the transport direction, a liquid ejection head that is mounted on the carriage and that ejects liquid onto the medium, a liquid storage container that is capable of storing liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head and is located at a position separate from the carriage, a tube that is connected to the carriage and through which liquid that is supplied from the liquid storage container to the liquid ejection head passes, and a holding section that holds a waste liquid storage body that can store liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid, wherein the tube forms a curved portion that curves in a direction that involves displacement in the transport direction and has a movable section that moves the formation position of the curved portion as the carriage moves, and a fixed section that is not movable, and the holding section is positioned between the fixed section and the scanning area of ​​the carriage in the transport direction.

[0117] With this configuration, as the carriage moves, the curved portion of the tube moves by approximately half the amount of movement of the carriage. The holding unit and waste liquid container are disposed in the remaining approximately half of the area outside the area where the curved portion moves, i.e., in the dead space that is not used as the area where the curved portion moves and is formed between the carriage scanning area and the tube fixing portion. This allows the holding unit and waste liquid container to be disposed in a position that does not interfere with the movement of the carriage and the tube. Furthermore, the area between the carriage scanning area and the tube fixing portion is more accessible to the user than the rear of the liquid ejection device. This allows for increased workability when replacing the waste liquid container while minimizing the size of the liquid ejection device.

[0118] The liquid ejecting apparatus may further include a housing that houses the liquid ejecting head and the holding portion, and the holding portion may be disposed in the housing outside a region in which the tube moves. With this configuration, the holding part is positioned outside the area where the tube moves, so it can be positioned in dead space that is not used as an area where the tube moves without interfering with the movement of the tube, which improves the workability when replacing the waste liquid container while minimizing the increase in size of the liquid ejection device.

[0119] In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the holding unit may be disposed within the housing at a position downstream of a scanning area of ​​the carriage in the transport direction and above a transport path along which the transport mechanism transports the medium.

[0120] With this configuration, the holding unit and the waste liquid container can be located in the space above the transport path, avoiding the carriage scanning area and utilizing the downstream space. The area downstream of the carriage scanning area, where the holding unit is located, is in front of the liquid ejection device, which improves the workability when replacing the waste liquid container.

[0121] In the liquid ejecting device, the housing may have an outlet through which the medium is discharged, and the holding portion may be disposed above the outlet. According to this configuration, contact between the medium being transported toward the discharge port and the holder can be avoided, while ensuring a large storage volume for the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage body.

[0122] In the above liquid injection device, the housing may have an opening at the top and an openable / closable cover that covers the opening of the housing, and the holding portion may keep the waste liquid container exposed when the cover is opened.

[0123] According to this configuration, the waste liquid container is exposed when the cover of the housing is opened, improving the workability of replacing the waste liquid container. The above liquid injection device may be provided with a maintenance device that performs maintenance on the liquid injection head while the carriage is positioned at a maintenance position, which is one end of the carriage's movement path, and the holding portion may have a connection portion provided at one end of a waste liquid tube extending from the maintenance device, and the waste liquid container may have a connected portion that is connected to the connection portion.

[0124] According to this configuration, when the waste liquid container is attached to the holding part, the connecting part and the connected part are connected. Therefore, the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head by the maintenance device can be collected into the waste liquid container through the waste liquid tube. At this time, the waste liquid is collected into the waste liquid container through the connection between the connecting part and the connected part, so that waste liquid leakage at the connection point can be suppressed.

[0125] In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the holding portion may be located in the housing toward one side opposite to a maintenance position in a moving direction of the carriage. With this configuration, the drainage tube is routed by setting the tube movement area so that dead space is created in an area where the holder can be positioned on one side opposite the maintenance position. In this case, when the carriage is in the home position, which is the maintenance position, the curved portion is located close to the carriage, so the curved portion is less likely to sag.

[0126] In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the holding portion may be located on the same side as the liquid container in the direction of movement of the carriage within the housing, and off to one side. According to this configuration, the tube extending from the liquid container can be routed so as to form a curved portion on the side opposite to the liquid container, and the holding portion can be disposed in a dead space outside the movement area of ​​the tube.

[0127] In the above liquid injection device, the holding portion may be provided with an attachment / detachment mechanism that attaches and detaches the waste liquid container to and from the holding portion by sliding the waste liquid container in the direction of movement of the carriage, thereby enabling the connection portion and the connected portion to be connected and detached.

[0128] With this configuration, the waste liquid container is connected to the connection part by the attachment / detachment mechanism, thereby preventing leakage of waste liquid between the waste liquid container and the waste liquid tube. The waste liquid container can be attached and detached to and from the connection part by sliding the waste liquid container. Because the sliding direction when attaching and detaching is the same as the movement direction of the carriage, even when the waste liquid container is slid, the waste liquid container is unlikely to come into contact with the tube.

[0129] In the liquid ejecting device, the attachment / detachment mechanism may detach the waste liquid container by sliding the waste liquid container in a direction opposite to the side where the curved portion is located in the moving direction of the carriage.

[0130] This configuration makes it difficult for the waste liquid container to come into contact with the curved portion when it is removed, and also ensures a larger waste liquid storage capacity than a configuration in which the waste liquid container is slid toward the curved portion while securing a space for the slide stroke to avoid contact with the curved portion.

[0131] The liquid ejecting device may have a waste liquid tube through which waste liquid passes to be sent from the maintenance device to the waste liquid container, and a partition wall that separates the tube that supplies liquid from the liquid container from the waste liquid tube.

[0132] According to this configuration, the tube supplying liquid from the liquid storage container and the waste liquid tube are separated by a partition so that they do not cross each other, thereby avoiding problems such as the liquid supply tube becoming tangled with the waste liquid tube when moving.

[0133] In the liquid ejecting device, a lower end of the holding portion may be located below the tube. According to this configuration, the height dimension of the waste liquid container can be increased, and a large storage volume of the waste liquid container can be ensured.

[0134] In the liquid ejecting apparatus, an upper end of the waste liquid container held by the holding portion may be located above an upper end of the carriage. According to this configuration, the height dimension of the waste liquid container can be increased, and a large storage volume of the waste liquid container can be ensured. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 11...liquid ejection device, 12...housing, 12A...opening, 13...cover, 15...discharge port, 16...support base, 17...first guide member, 18...second guide member, 20...printing unit, 21...cassette, 22...discharge tray, 23...front member, 23A...opening, 24...operation panel, 25...operation section, 26...display section, 27...liquid supply unit, 28...liquid storage container, 29...mounting section, 30...reading unit, 32...automatic document feeder, 33...document tray, 40...transport mechanism, 41...feed section, 42...transport section, 43...discharge section , 44...intermediate roller, 45...pair of conveying rollers, 46...first pair of discharge rollers constituting an example of a pair of rollers, 47...second pair of discharge rollers constituting an example of a pair of rollers and being an example of one of the rollers, 49...pair of reversing rollers, 50...carriage unit, 50A...upper end surface as an example of the upper end of the carriage, 51...carriage, 52...liquid ejection head, 53...carriage motor, 55...nozzle, 56...liquid storage body, 60...tube bundle, 61...tube, 61A...first straight portion, 61B ...second straight portion, 61C...fixed portion, 61D...movable portion, 62...curved portion, 63...support member, 71...waste liquid box, 71A...upper end surface as an example of an upper end, 73...holding portion, 73A...opening, 73B...bottom surface as an example of a lower end, 74...bottom plate portion, 75...side plate portion, 76...guide groove, 78...partition portion, 81...maintenance mechanism, 82...gap adjustment mechanism, 83...cap, 84...suction pump, 85...electric motor, 86...waste liquid tube, 87...feed mechanism, 90...attachment / detachment mechanism, 91...supply mechanism, 92...as an example of a connecting portion Supply needle, 93...first locking mechanism, 95...supply port portion as an example of a connected portion, 96...second locking mechanism, 97...memory element, 100...control portion, D...original, M...medium, HP...home position, AH...anti-home position, K1...first transport path as an example of a transport path, K2...second transport path as an example of a transport path, R1...first transport path, R2...second transport path, SA...scanning area, TA...movement area of ​​curved portion, X1...first scanning direction, X2...second scanning direction, Y1...first transport direction (transport direction), Y2...second transport direction, Z1...vertical direction.

Claims

1. a transport mechanism that transports the medium in a transport direction; a carriage that is reciprocally movable in a scanning direction that intersects with the transport direction; a liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject liquid onto the medium; a liquid container capable of containing a liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, the liquid container being provided at a position separate from the carriage; a tube connected to the carriage and through which liquid passes to be supplied from the liquid storage container to the liquid ejection head; a holding section that detachably holds a waste liquid container that can contain the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid, the tube has a movable portion that moves in accordance with the movement of the carriage and a fixed portion that does not move even when the carriage moves, The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the waste liquid container held by the holding portion is disposed in a state sandwiched between the fixed portion and a scanning area of ​​the carriage in the transport direction.

2. A cassette for storing a medium; a transport mechanism that transports the medium in a transport direction; a carriage that is reciprocally movable in a scanning direction that intersects with the transport direction; a liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject liquid onto the medium; a liquid container capable of containing a liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, the liquid container being provided at a position separate from the carriage; a tube connected to the carriage and through which liquid passes to be supplied from the liquid storage container to the liquid ejection head; a holding unit that holds a waste liquid container that can contain the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid, the tube has a movable portion that moves in accordance with the movement of the carriage and a fixed portion that does not move even when the carriage moves, A liquid injection device characterized in that at least a portion of the waste liquid container held in the holding portion is positioned in a state sandwiched between the fixed portion and the scanning area of ​​the carriage in the transport direction, and is located within a range overlapping with the cassette in the vertical direction.

3. a transport mechanism that transports the medium in a transport direction; a carriage that is reciprocally movable in a scanning direction that intersects with the transport direction; a liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject liquid onto the medium; a liquid container capable of containing a liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, the liquid container being provided at a position separate from the carriage; a tube connected to the carriage and through which liquid passes to be supplied from the liquid storage container to the liquid ejection head; a holding unit that holds a waste liquid container that can contain the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head as waste liquid, the tube has a movable portion that moves in accordance with the movement of the carriage and a fixed portion that does not move even when the carriage moves, the carriage is configured to move to a home position and wait there when not ejecting liquid onto the medium; A liquid ejection device characterized in that at least a portion of the waste liquid container held in the holding portion is positioned in a state sandwiched between the fixed portion and the scanning area of ​​the carriage in the transport direction, and is located closer to the transport area of ​​the medium than the carriage which is at the home position in the scanning direction.

4. a housing that houses the liquid jet head and the holding unit, A liquid ejection device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the holding portion is positioned within the housing downstream of the scanning area of ​​the carriage in the transport direction and above the transport path along which the transport mechanism transports the medium.

5. a housing that houses the liquid jet head and the holding unit, the housing has an outlet through which the medium is discharged, 5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is disposed above the discharge port.

6. a housing that houses the liquid jet head and the holding unit, The housing has an opening at an upper portion, an openable and closable cover for covering the opening of the housing; 6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion holds the waste liquid container in an exposed state when the cover is opened.

7. A liquid injection device as described in Claim 6, characterized in that the waste liquid container is detachable from the opening.

8. 8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cover is configured as a reading unit that reads an original.

9. a maintenance device that performs maintenance on the liquid ejection head while the carriage is positioned at a maintenance position that is one end of a movement path of the carriage; the holding portion has a connection portion provided at one end of a waste liquid tube extending from the maintenance device, 9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste liquid container has a connected portion that is connected to the connecting portion.

10. a housing that houses the liquid jet head and the holding unit, The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the holding portion is located in the housing toward one side opposite to a maintenance position in a moving direction of the carriage.

11. a housing that houses the liquid jet head and the holding unit, A liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the holding portion is located to one side of the housing on the same side as the liquid container is arranged in the direction of movement of the carriage.

12. The holding portion has a connection portion provided at one end of a waste liquid tube through which the waste liquid moves, the waste liquid container has a connection receiving portion that is connected to the connection portion, The liquid injection device described in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the holding portion is equipped with an attachment / detachment mechanism that attaches and detaches the waste liquid container to and from the holding portion, by sliding the waste liquid container in a direction along the transport direction, or by sliding the waste liquid container along the scanning direction in a direction opposite to the scanning direction from the curved portion side that curves in a direction that involves displacement in the transport direction from the fixed portion of the movable portion, thereby enabling connection and detachment between the connecting portion and the connected portion.

13. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the waste liquid container is removed by sliding it in the direction along the transport direction and then pulling it out in the vertical direction.

14. 14. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the holding portion is positioned lower than the tube.

15. 15. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the waste liquid container held by the holding portion is positioned higher than an upper end of the carriage.

16. A liquid injection device described in any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, when viewed in a plan view from above, the entire waste liquid container is held between the fixed portion and the scanning area of ​​the carriage in the transport direction.

17. 17. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid container has a supply port through which the liquid can be injected.

18. An operation panel having an operation unit consisting of a plurality of switches and a display unit on which information is displayed, 18. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the holding portion is disposed between the operation panel and a scanning area of ​​the carriage.

19. 19. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the holding portion is disposed between a scanning region of the carriage and the fixed portion in the transport direction.

20. a front member that exposes the waste liquid container held in the holding portion; an upper surface of the waste liquid container held by the holding portion is flat; 20. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the waste liquid container is substantially flush with an upper surface of the front member.

Images