Patent Grant
10479092
The present invention relates to a waste liquid container and a liquid ejecting apparatus.
Among liquid ejecting apparatuses that perform printing by ejecting liquid onto a medium from a liquid ejecting head, there exist liquid ejecting apparatuses including a mounting portion configured to enable a waste liquid container for containing waste liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting head to be attachably and detachably mounted in the mounting portion itself. The mounting portion of such a liquid ejecting apparatus includes a discharge portion for discharging the waste liquid flown from the liquid ejecting head and an apparatus-side connection terminal capable of being electrically connected to a container-side connection terminal included in the waste liquid container. On the other hand, the waste liquid container includes a waste liquid introduction portion and a container-side connection terminal, and in a state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion, the waste liquid introduction portion is capable of introducing the waste liquid discharged from the discharge portion and the container-side connection terminal is electrically connected to the apparatus-side connection terminal (see, for example, JP-A-2012-196799).
By the way, for the waste liquid introduction portion and the container-side connection terminal in the waste liquid container, the waste liquid introduction portion is located in an upper portion of the waste liquid container, while the container-side connection terminal is disposed on a side face and is located at a position lower than the waste liquid introduction portion. Thus, there has been a possibility that, in the case where the waste liquid discharged from the discharge portion of the mounting portion has been adhered to the periphery of the waste liquid introduction portion of the waste liquid container, when the adhered waste liquid drops downward, the dropped waste liquid comes at the container-side connection terminal.
An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that a waste liquid container that enables the minimization the occurrence of a situation where, when waste liquid having been adhered to a waste liquid introduction portion located in an upper portion drops downward, the dropped waste liquid comes at a container-side connection terminal located in a lower portion and a liquid ejecting apparatus in which such a waste liquid container is attachably and detachably mounted are provided.
According to an aspect of the invention, a waste liquid container configured to be attachably and detachably mounted in a mounting portion including a discharge portion configured to discharge waste liquid flown from a liquid ejecting head, and an apparatus-side connection terminal located at a position lower than the discharge portion includes a first container portion including a waste liquid introduction portion in an upper portion of the first container portion, the waste liquid introduction portion being configured to enable the waste liquid discharged from the discharge portion to be introduced in a state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion; a second container portion disposed below the first container portion in a vertical direction and communicating with the first container portion in the state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion; and a container-side connection terminal electrically connected to the apparatus-side connection terminal in the state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion. Further, in the state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion, in a plan view from above, the second container portion is formed so as to be larger than the first container portion, and in the second container portion, the container-side connection terminal is disposed at a position not overlapping with the first container portion in the vertical direction.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a waste liquid container and a liquid ejecting apparatus including a mounting portion configured to enable the waste liquid container to be attachably and detachably mounted in the mounting portion itself will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the liquid ejecting apparatus in the present embodiment is constituted by an ink jet printer that performs printing by ejecting inks, as an example of liquids, onto paper, as an example of a medium. Further, the relevant printer is a printer whose printing method is a so-called serial printing method in which the printing is performed by moving a liquid ejecting head in a main-scanning direction intersecting with a transport direction of the paper.
Moreover, an X-Y-Z coordinate system including X, Y, and Z directions is indicated in each of the figures, and the X, Y, and Z directions are defined as follows. That is, the X direction is a movement direction (the main-scanning direction) of a carriage (a movement object) that moves together with liquid containers which are mounted in the carriage and in which the liquids are contained, and the X direction corresponds to a width direction of the liquid ejecting apparatus. Further, the Y direction is a depth direction of the liquid ejecting apparatus, and corresponds to the transport direction of the paper and an ejection direction of the paper. Further, the Z direction is a vertical direction, and corresponds to a height direction of the liquid ejecting apparatus.
Further, for the Z direction, a vertically upward direction toward the upper side of the apparatus is defined as a +Z direction, and a vertically downward direction toward the lower side of the apparatus is defined as a −Z direction. Further, for the Y direction, as indicated by an arrow outlined by a full line in
As illustrated in
The housing 12 includes faces 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d, and in a plan view from above, the face 12a is a face located at a +Y direction side at which an ejection port (omitted from illustration) for the paper P is formed; the face 12b is a face that is located at a −Y direction side and that, when the face 12a is defined as a front face, becomes a rear face opposite the face 12a; and the face 12c and the face 12d form a pair of left and right faces constituting side faces each intersecting with the two faces 12a and 12b. Further, an opening portion 17 is formed in an intersecting portion 16, and this intersecting portion 16 is a portion in which the −Y direction side face 12b, which is the rear face, and the −X direction side face 12c, which is one of the pair of left and right faces, namely the faces 12c and 12d, and which becomes a right side face when the housing 12 is viewed from the +Y direction side, namely the front side, intersect with each other. Further, the opening portion 17 forms a rectangular cut shape in both of a case where the intersecting portion 16 is viewed from the −Y direction side and a case where the intersecting portion 16 is viewed from the −X direction side. That is, the opening portion 17 is formed so as to extend to the −Y direction side face 12b and the −X direction side face 12c that are among six faces constituting the external face of the housing 12 forming a rectangular solid shape and that are two faces forming the intersecting portion 16 by extending in the Z direction, namely the vertical direction, and intersecting with each other.
Further, a cover 18 is attachably and detachably attached to the opening portion 17. This cover 18 is capable of covering the opening portion 17 when attached to the opening portion 17, and includes faces 18b and 18c. The face 18b is a face along the −Y direction side face 12b of the housing 12 in a state in which the cover 18 is attached to the opening portion 17. Similarly, the face 18c is a face along the −X direction side face 12c of the housing 12 in a state in which the cover 18 is attached to the opening portion 17. That is, when attached to the opening portion 17, the cover 18 allows the face 18b and the face 18c, which are two faces intersecting with each other, to respectively form one portion of the face 12b and one portion of the face 12c, these faces 12b and 12c being two faces intersecting with each other in the intersection portion 16 of the housing 12.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, the cover 18 includes a +X direction side face 25 at the reverse side of the −X direction side face 18c of the cover 18, and on this +X direction side face 25, a plurality of (three, in the present embodiment) ribs 26 are formed so as to extend in the Y direction. At the +Y direction-side end portions of two ribs 26 being among the three ribs 26 and located at the +Z direction side, guide claws 27 are formed, and each of these guide claws 27 has a inverted L shape whose −Z direction side portion is open when viewed from the Y direction. Further, at the −Z direction-side end portion of the +X direction side face 25, two similar guide claws 27 are also formed so as to be spaced by a certain distance in the Y direction. Further, in the opening portion 17 of the housing 12, each of guide portions 28 is formed so as to correspond to a corresponding one of the guide claws 27 at a position through which the corresponding guide claw 27 passes when the cover 18 is attached/detached to/from the opening portion 17. Each of the guide portions 28 has a rail-like shape, and thus is engaged with an individually corresponding one of the guide claws 27 so as to guide the corresponding guide claw 27 in the Y direction and restrict its movement in the X direction.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
Next, the waste liquid container 29, which is attachably and detachably mounted relative to the mounting portion 30, will be described.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
On the upper face of the first container portion 41 in the liquid container 29, a waste liquid introduction portion 44 is formed, and this waste liquid introduction portion 44 includes an opening extending toward the +Z direction, which is an upwardly extending direction. The waste liquid introduction portion 44 communicates with the waste liquid containing chamber inside the waste liquid container 29. Further, in a state in which the waste liquid container 29 is mounted in the mounting portion 30, the waste liquid introduction portion 44 is configured to allow its position to overlap with that of the discharge portion 31 in the Z direction, which is located in the upper portion inside the mounting portion 30, and thereby to be capable of introducing the waste liquid having been discharged from the discharge portion 31 into the waste liquid containing chamber.
Further, on the upper face of the first container portion 41 of the waste liquid container 29, a pair of container-side alignment portions 45 is disposed so as to extend in the X direction. When the waste liquid container 29 is mounted into the mounting portion 30, the pair of container-side alignment portions 45 is allowed to be aligned with and inserted into the pair of apparatus-side alignment portions 32, which is provided in the upper portion inside the mounting portion 30. The waste liquid container 29 is configured to, when mounted into the mounting portion 30, allow the X direction to be the mounting direction, and in the Y direction intersecting with the X direction, which is the mounting direction of the waste liquid container 29, the pair of container-side alignment portions 45 is formed at positions interposing the waste liquid introduction portion 44 between both Y-direction sides.
Further, as illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
Moreover, on the lower face of the second container portion 42 in the waste liquid container 29, a groove portion 48 is formed so as to extend in the X direction. This groove portion 48 has a semicircle-shaped cross section, and enables the apparatus-side attachment portion 35 to be inserted when the waste liquid container 29 is mounted into the mounting portion 30. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, on the −Y direction side face 29b of the waste liquid container 29, a concave portion 51 is formed, and this concave portion 51 extends across the +X direction side face 129d and the interconnecting face 50 in the first container portion 41. Thus, as illustrated in
Next, the operation of the waste liquid container 29 and the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 that are configured in such a way as described above will be described focusing attention on a case where the waste liquid container 29 is attached/detached to/from the mounting portion 30 included in the liquid ejecting apparatus 11.
When the waste liquid container 29 is mounted into the mounting portion 30 of the housing 12, at first, the cover 18 is removed from the opening portion 17 of the housing 12. At this time, since the cover 18 includes the interconnecting face 20, which smoothly interconnects the −Y direction side face 18b and the −X direction side face 18c at a side located further inside than the interconnecting point 19 of these faces, a user's operation of holding the interconnecting face 20 with the user's fingertips facilitates the user's operation of attaching/detaching the cover 18 to/from the opening portion 17.
Upon removal of the cover 18 from the opening portion 17, the mounting portion 30 is exposed to the outside via the opening portion 17. In such a state, next, the waste liquid container 29 is grasped and held, and then is mounted into the mounting portion 30. At this time, the waste liquid container 29 includes the interconnecting face 50, which smoothly interconnects the −Y direction side face 29b and the −X direction side face 29c at a side further inside than the intersecting point 49 of both of these faces, and thus, a user's operation of holding the interconnecting face 50 with the user's fingertips facilitates the user's operation of holding the waste liquid container 29. Thus, it is unnecessary to particularly form a holding portion in the waste liquid container 29 in such a way as to allow the holding portion to protrude.
Further, when the waste liquid container 29 is mounted into the mounting portion 30, the container-side alignment portions 45 are aligned with the apparatus-side alignment portions 32, and thus, this configuration enables the waste liquid introduction portion 44 to be mounted into the discharge portion 31 without any misalignment. Further, from a state in which the alignment has been made in such a way as described above, the waste liquid container 29 is brought into a mounted state by being moved in the X direction, which is one direction in which the apparatus-side attachment portion 35 extends.
Further, at the time of the execution of the mounting, the container-side connection terminal 46 and the apparatus-side connection terminal 33 are brought into an electrically stable connection state because the container-side engagement portion 47 and the apparatus-side engagement portion 34, which are respectively disposed at a position adjacent to the container-side connection terminal 46 and a position adjacent to the apparatus-side connection terminal 33 in the Z direction, are engaged with each other. Further, in the mounted state, the waste liquid having been discharged from the discharge portion 31 is introduced into the waste liquid containing chamber of the waste liquid container 29 via the waste liquid introduction portion 44, and is contained therein. At this time, even when the waste liquid from the periphery of the waste liquid introduction portion 44 travels on a side face of the first container portion 41, such as the +X direction side face 129d, and drops down, the flow-around of such the dropped liquid is minimized because the +X direction side face 229d, which is, in the second container portion 42, a side face on which the container-side connection terminal 46 is disposed, is configured not to overlap with the +X direction side face 129d of the first container portion 41 in the Z direction.
According to the above embodiment, the following advantageous effects are brought about.
(1) Even when the waste liquid having been discharged from the discharge portion 31 of the mounting portion 30 is adhered to the periphery of the waste liquid introduction portion 44, located in an upper portion of the waste liquid container 29, and further, the adhered waste liquid drops downward, the occurrence of a situation where the dropped waste liquid comes at the container-side connection terminal 46, located in a lower portion of the waste liquid container 29, is minimized because, in the second container portion 42, the container-side connection terminal 46 is located at a position not overlapping with the first container portion 41 in the Z direction.
(2) Even when the waste liquid having been adhered to the periphery of the waste liquid introduction portion 44 travels on the +X direction side face 129d of the first container portion 41, and drops down, the flow-around of the dropped waste liquid to the container-side connection terminal 46 is minimized because the +X direction side face 229d, on which the container-side connection terminal 46 is disposed, is located further outside than the +X direction side face 129d of the first container portion 41 in the second container portion 42.
(3) The container-side engaged portion 47 is engaged with the apparatus-side engagement portion 34 at a position close to the container-side connection terminal 46, and thus, the container-side connection terminal 46 is correctly connected to the apparatus-side connection terminal 33.
(4) When the waste liquid container 29 is mounted into the mounting portion 30, the position of the waste liquid introduction portion 44 can be aligned with that of the discharge portion 31 using the apparatus-side alignment portion 32 and the container-side alignment portion 45, and thus, the occurrence of a situation where the waste liquid having been discharged from the discharge portion 31 is improperly adhered to the periphery of the waste liquid introduction portion 44 is minimized.
(5) When the fingertips 52 are placed on the interconnecting portion 50 of the waste liquid container 29, the waste liquid container 29 can be grasped and held in such a way as to allow the fingertips 52 to be crossed over the intersecting portion 54, in which the −Y direction side face 29b and the −X direction side face 29c intersects with each other, and thus, for the waste liquid container 29, it is unnecessary to separately form a holding portion in such a way as to allow the holding portion to protrude to enable the holding portion to be held with the fingertips 52. Further, as compared with such a configuration in which a holding portion is separately formed so as to protrude from the waste liquid container 29, the above-described configuration according the present embodiment enables a capacity appropriated by the waste liquid container 29 itself to be largely secured inside the mounting portion 30, and thus, enables a large amount of waste liquid to be contained.
(6) When the waste liquid container 29 is attached/detached to/from the mounting portion 30, the waste liquid container 29 can be grasped and held over the −Y direction side face 12b and the −X direction side face 12c, which are two faces of the housing 12 that intersect with each other via the opening portion 17, and thus, this configuration facilitates the operation of attaching/detaching the waste liquid container 29.
(7) When the opening portion 17 is covered by the cover 18, the cover 18 not only blocks the waste liquid container 29 mounted in the mounting portion 30 from being improperly touched by a user, but also keeps the external view of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 in a favorable state.
(8) When fingertips are placed on the interconnecting face 20, the cover 18 can be grasped and held in such a way as to allow the fingertips to be crossed over the intersecting portion, in which the −Y direction side face 18b and the −X direction side face 18c intersects with each other, and thus, this configuration facilitates the attachment and the detachment of the cover 18 to the opening portion 17 of the housing 12.
(9) When the waste liquid container 29 is mounted into the mounting portion 30, the attachment and the detachment of the waste liquid container 29 is enabled by moving the waste liquid container 29 only in the X direction, namely only in one direction, relative to the mounting portion 30.
Note that the above-described embodiment may be modified in such ways as described in modification examples below. Further, any configuration included in the above-described embodiment may be optionally combined with any configuration included in modification examples described below, and any configurations included in modification examples described below may be optionally combined with one another.
The waste liquid container 29 may be attached/detached to/from the mounting portion 30 via the opening portion 17 in the Y direction, which is another one of the directions that is different from the X direction, that is, not to/from the side at which the −X direction side face 12c is located, but to/from the side at which the −Y direction side face 12b is located. In this case, the apparatus-side connection terminal 33, the apparatus-side engagement portion 34, the apparatus-side attachment portion 35, the container-side connection terminal 46, the container-side engagement portion 47, and the groove portion 48 are disposed so as to extend, not in the X direction, but in the Y direction.
The cover 18 may be configured to be secured to the housing 12 with screws.
The cover 18, which is capable of covering the opening portion 17, may not be installed. In this case, the −Y direction side face 29b and the −X direction side face 29c of the waste liquid container 29 having been mounted in the mounting portion 30 via the opening portion 17 are configured to respectively form one portion of the −Y direction side face 12b and one portion of the −X direction side face 12c of the housing 12.
In the case where the cover 18, which is capable of covering the opening portion 17, is not provided, the waste liquid container 29 may be configured in a shape protruding toward the outside from the opening portion 17. This configuration enables the increase of the amount of containable waste liquid.
The opening portion 17, which allows the mounting portion 30 to be exposed to the outside, may be configured such that the opening portion 17 is not constituted as such the opening extending to the two faces intersecting with each other, but is constituted as an opening formed on one face, such as the −X direction side face 12c, in the housing 12.
The interconnecting face 50 of the intersecting portion 54, in which the −Y direction side face 29b and the −X direction side face 29c of the waste liquid container 29 intersects with each other, may be configured such that, in a plan view above, the interconnecting face 50 does not form the smooth R shape, but forms the shape of a continuous folded-line passing through a region further inside than the intersecting point 49.
The intersecting portion 54 of the −Y direction side face 29b and the −X direction side face 29c of the waste liquid container 29 may be configured such that these faces are not interconnected by the smooth interconnecting face 50, but orthogonally intersect and are joined each other, or have a chamfered shape.
Each of the number of the apparatus-side alignment portions 32 and the number of the container-side alignment portions 45 may be, not the pair, but just one, or three or more. Further, such an alignment portion is not necessary in both of the apparatus side and the container side.
In the waste liquid container 29, the container-side connection terminal 46, which is disposed at a position lower than the waste liquid introduction portion 44, may be disposed, not on the side face of the second container portion 42, but on an upper face of the second container portion 42, which forms the step portion 43 between the first container portion 41 and the second container portion 42.
The waste liquid container 29 may be configured in a shape other than the rectangular shape, for example, a circular shape or the like, in a plan view from above, provided that the second container portion 42 is formed so as to be larger than the first container portion 41 in the plan view from above.
In the waste liquid container 29, the interconnecting portion 50, which smoothly interconnects the −Y direction side face 29b and the −X direction side face 29c at a side further inside than the intersecting point 49 in the intersecting portion 54 of the −Y direction side face 29b and the −X direction side face 29c, may be formed only in the first container portion 41 or only in the second container portion 42.
The apparatus-side engagement portion 34 and the container-side engagement portion 47 may be configured such that the container-side engagement portion 47 is constituted by an elastically deformable sheet metal piece and the apparatus-side engagement portion 34 is not deformed, or both of these portions may be configured to be elastically deformed and engaged with each other by energizing forces.
Hereinafter, technical Ideas grasped from the aforementioned embodiment and modification examples as well as operational advantages of the technical Ideas will be described.
Technical Idea 1
According to technical Idea 1, a waste liquid container configured to be attachably and detachably mounted in a mounting portion including a discharge portion configured to discharge waste liquid flown from a liquid ejecting head, and an apparatus-side connection terminal located at a position lower than the discharge portion includes a first container portion including a waste liquid introduction portion in an upper portion of the first container portion, the waste liquid introduction portion being configured to enable the waste liquid discharged from the discharge portion to be introduced in a state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion; a second container portion disposed below the first container portion in a vertical direction and communicating with the first container portion in the state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion; and a container-side connection terminal electrically connected to the apparatus-side connection terminal in the state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion. Further, in the state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion, in a plan view from above, the second container portion is formed to be larger than the first container portion, and in the second container portion, the container-side connection terminal is disposed at a position not overlapping with the first container portion in the vertical direction.
According to this configuration, even when the waste liquid discharged from the discharge portion of the mounting portion has been adhered to the periphery of the waste liquid introduction portion, located in an upper portion of the waste liquid container, and the adhered waste liquid drops downward, the occurrence of a situation where the dropped waste liquid comes at the apparatus-side connection terminal, located in a lower portion of the waste liquid container, is minimized.
Technical Idea 2
In the waste liquid container according to technical Idea 1, in the state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion, the waste liquid introduction portion is disposed on an upper face of the first container portion, and the container-side connection terminal is disposed on a side face of the second container portion.
According to this configuration, when the waste liquid having been adhered to the periphery of the waste liquid introduction portion drops down, the flow-around of the dropped waste liquid to the container-side connection terminal is minimized.
Technical Idea 3
In the waste liquid container according to technical Idea 1 or technical Idea 2, the second container portion includes a container-side engagement portion at a position adjacent to the container-side connection terminal in the vertical direction, and in a state in which the container-side connection terminal is electrically connected to the apparatus-side connection terminal, the container-side engagement portion is engaged with an apparatus-side engagement portion disposed in the mounting portion.
According to this configuration, the container-side engagement portion is engaged with the apparatus-side engagement portion at a position close to the container-side connection terminal, and thus, the container-side connection terminal is correctly connected to the apparatus-side connection terminal.
Technical Idea 4
In the waste liquid container according to any one of technical Ideas 1 to 3, the first container portion includes a pair of container-side alignment portions disposed at positions interposing the waste liquid introduction portion in a direction intersecting with a mounting direction toward the mounting portion, and when the waste liquid container is mounted into the mounting portion, the container-side alignment portions are allowed to be aligned with apparatus-side alignment portions disposed at positions interposing the discharge portion when the mounting portion is viewed from the mounting direction.
According to this configuration, when the waste liquid container is mounted into the mounting portion, the position of the waste liquid introduction portion can be aligned with that of the mounting portion, and thus, the adherence of the waste liquid to the periphery of the waste liquid introduction portion is minimized.
Technical Idea 5
In the waste liquid container according to any one of technical Ideas 1 to 4, in a state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion, at least one of the first container portion and the second container portion includes two faces that extend in the vertical direction in a state of intersecting with each other, and in an intersecting portion in which the two faces intersect with each other, an interconnecting face that interconnects the two faces is disposed at a side at which the waste liquid introduction portion is disposed and that is located further inside than an intersecting point of the two faces.
According to this configuration, when fingertips are placed on the interconnecting face, the waste liquid container can be grasped and held in such a way as to allow the fingertips to be crossed over the intersecting portion, in which the two faces intersect with each other, and thus, for the waste liquid container, it is unnecessary to separately form a holding portion in such a way as to allow the holding portion to protrude to enable the waste liquid container to be held with the fingertips. Further, as compared with such a configuration in which a holding portion is formed so as to protrude from the waste liquid container, the above-described configuration enables a capacity appropriated by the waste liquid container itself to be largely secured inside the mounting portion, and thus, enables a large amount of waste liquid to be contained.
Technical Idea 6
According to technical Idea 6, a liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid, a discharge portion configured to discharge waste liquid flown from the liquid ejecting head, an apparatus-side connection terminal located lower than the discharge portion, and a mounting portion in which the waste liquid container according to any one of technical Ideas 1 to 5 is attachably and detachably mounted.
According to this configuration, in the liquid ejecting apparatus, the occurrence of a situation where the waste liquid having been adhered to the periphery of the waste liquid container mounted in the mounting portion comes at the apparatus-side connection terminal of the mounting portion via the container-side connection terminal is minimized.
Technical Idea 7
According to technical Idea 7, a liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid, a mounting portion which includes a discharge portion configured to discharge waste liquid flown from the liquid ejecting head and in which a waste liquid container configured to contain the waste liquid discharged from the discharge portion is attachably and detachably mounted, and a housing including the liquid ejecting head and an opening portion configured to enable the mounting portion to be externally exposed. Further, the opening portion is disposed to extend to two faces intersecting with each other among faces constituting an external face of the housing.
According to this configuration, when the waste liquid container is attached/detached to/from the mounting portion, the waste liquid container can be grasped and held over the two faces, which intersect with each other via the opening portion, and thus, this configuration facilitates the operation of attaching/detaching the waste liquid container.
Technical Idea 8
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to technical Idea 7 further includes a cover being attachable and detachable to the opening potion and configured to cover the opening portion when the cover is attached to the opening portion, and the cover forms one portion of the two faces of the housing when the cover is attached to the opening portion.
According to this configuration, when the opening portion is covered by the cover, the cover not only blocks the waste liquid container mounted in the mounting portion from being improperly touched by a user, but also keeps the external view of the liquid ejecting apparatus in a favorable state.
Technical Idea 9
In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to technical Idea 8, in a portion corresponding to an intersecting portion in which the two faces of the housing intersects with each other in a state in which the cover is attached to the opening portion, the cover includes an interconnecting face that interconnects the two faces at a side at which the opening portion is disposed and that is located further inside than an intersecting point of the two faces in a plan view from above.
According to this configuration, when fingertips are placed on the interconnecting face, the cover can be grasped and held in such a way as to allow the fingertips to be crossed over the intersecting portion, in which the two faces intersect with each other, and thus, this configuration facilitates the attachment and the detachment of the cover to the opening portion.
Technical Idea 10
In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of technical Ideas 7 to 9, the mounting portion is configured to enable the waste liquid container to be attached/detached to/from a side at which one of the two faces is located.
According to this configuration, the attachment and the detachment of the waste liquid container is enabled by moving the waste liquid container only in one direction relative to the mounting portion.
The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-107704, filed May 31, 2017 is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-107704 | May 2017 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9132644 | Harada | Sep 2015 | B2 |
| 20120236074 | Harada et al. | Sep 2012 | A1 |
| 20170203575 | Shimazu | Jul 2017 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2012-196799 | Oct 2012 | JP |
| 2017-124541 | Jul 2017 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180345674 A1 | Dec 2018 | US |
