JP2000203058A - Waste ink collection case - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To visually confirm that the progress of permeation of waste ink absorbed by a waste ink absorber has reached a waste ink absorption limit. SOLUTION: Partition walls 12, 13 are provided on a case body 10.
The first storage room part 14a and the second storage room part 14
z and the third storage chamber portion 14c, a zigzag storage chamber 14
The zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 (the lower waste ink absorber 30 and the upper waste ink absorber 40) is mounted in the zigzag storage chamber 14, and the lid is attached to the case body 10 and the partition walls 12, 13. The body 20 is glued,
A lid 20 is provided with a waste ink inlet 22,
A monitoring window 2 is provided on the lid 20 corresponding to the terminal portion 50b so that the progress of the penetration of waste ink into the terminal portion 50b of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 can be visually observed from the outside.
3 is formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waste ink collecting case which is detachably mounted in a predetermined manner in an ink jet printer in a cartridge manner. Ink jet printer's ink ejection characteristics deteriorates during continuous use of inkjet printers,
Printing by the recording head may be hindered. For this reason, there is a case where the recovery operation is performed by folding or periodically, or the ink is preliminary ejected.
In this case, the ink ejection is not intended for regular printing. The discharged ink needs to be stored as waste ink. The waste ink recovery case to which the present invention is applied is used for such a need. The present invention relates to a technique for notifying a user of a waste ink absorption limit in such a waste ink recovery case. The inkjet printer to which the waste ink recovery case is attached may be a single printer, or may be an inkjet printer mounted on an information processing device such as a personal computer or a personal word processor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A waste ink recovery case has a built-in waste ink absorber. Waste ink flowing from a waste ink discharge pipe is absorbed by the waste ink absorber to prevent contamination of the surroundings. However, if the ink is continuously used beyond the waste ink absorption limit, the waste ink may overflow from the waste ink recovery case and contaminate the surroundings. Conventionally, there has been no one that informs the user of the waste ink absorption limit.

For example, in the case of the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-162334, an absorbent member in which a waste ink absorber is wrapped with a nonwoven fabric is formed, and a slit is formed in a part of the absorbent member. At the same time, a void (space) is formed in the waste ink absorber at the back of the slit. The discharge port of the waste ink discharge pipe is inserted into the space of the waste ink absorber through the slit, and the waste ink flowing from the discharge port is absorbed by the waste ink absorber. Such an absorbent member is incorporated in the cartridge together with the ink bag.

[0004] In the case of this conventional technique, the use limit of the cartridge is assumed to be two, the absorption limit of the waste ink absorber and the supply limit of the ink bag, and consideration is given to which one has priority. Nothing has been done. Of course, nothing is mentioned about the specific technique on how to inform the waste ink absorption limit.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-25024 discloses that
An ink supply port and an air communication hole are formed close to each other on one side surface of the ink tank, and the ink absorber is bent in a U-shape into two so that the ink tank extends from the ink supply port to the air communication hole. There is a description of an ink cartridge which is housed in the ink cartridge and provided with a partition wall for folding back the flow of ink at a boundary portion of the ink absorber. This is different from the “waste ink” storage case to which the present invention is directed, and relates to an “ink” cartridge for supplying ink to a recording head for printing. The reason why the ink absorber is bent in a U-shape is that the ink supply port and the air communication hole are close to each other on one side surface of the ink tank. This is because such proximity may be required due to design constraints. Since the negative pressure at the ink supply port does not reach the inside of the ink tank and acts straight on the nearby air communication hole to cause a short circuit, it is difficult to send out ink from the whole of the ink absorber bent in a U-shape. . In order to eliminate it, a partition wall is provided.

[0006]

The former Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-16
In the case of JP-A No. 2334, there is no mention of a specific technique on how to inform the waste ink absorption limit, and therefore, after the waste ink is absorbed to the absorption limit by the waste ink absorber. In other words, there is a possibility that the absorption may be performed continuously, that is, exceeding the absorption limit, and in that case, the waste ink absorbed therein may overflow from the waste ink recovery case and contaminate the surroundings. If the used waste ink collection case is replaced with a new one as soon as possible, the overflow of waste ink can be prevented beforehand, but in that case, the waste ink absorber has not been used to the absorption limit and it has not yet been absorbed. Running costs are high because they are discarded in the middle stage where there is room. In addition, the replacement cycle is shortened, and maintenance becomes troublesome.

The case of the latter Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-25024 relates to an ink cartridge different from the waste ink recovery case targeted by the present invention.
It doesn't have to be a problem. The concept is different between “waste ink” and “ink”. This publication does not mention any specific technique on how to notify the absorption limit of “waste ink”.
In the first place, there is nothing to mention about the limit of “ink amount” in this publication. Because the "ink" comes out of it and gradually decreases, no matter how hard you imagine, the concept of "checking the ink absorption limit" will not be born. Furthermore, the concept of “checking the limit of waste ink absorption” cannot be born.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0009]

The waste ink collecting case according to the first aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, the band-shaped waste ink absorber is housed inside the waste ink recovery case, and when the waste ink has permeated to the end portion of the band-shaped waste ink absorber, the permeation state is visually observed from outside. In order to make it possible, at least at a position corresponding to the end portion thereof, an opening is formed so that the inside can be seen through.
According to this configuration, it is possible to visually observe through the transparent portion of the case whether or not the waste ink absorbed by the band-shaped waste ink absorber has penetrated to the end portion of the band-shaped waste ink absorber. . When it is confirmed by visual observation that the waste ink has penetrated to the end portion of the belt-like waste ink absorber, the waste ink absorption limit of the waste ink absorber can be accurately grasped. By replacing the waste ink collection case that has reached the absorption limit with a new one, it is possible to avoid the disadvantage that the waste ink absorbed in the waste ink collection case overflows from the waste ink collection case. Further, the used waste ink collecting case is used up to the waste ink absorption limit.

The waste ink collecting case according to the second aspect has the following configuration. The waste ink absorber according to claim 1 has a zigzag band shape. Further, a partition wall portion is provided between adjacent ones of the belt-like body portions constituting the zigzag belt-like waste ink absorber. If the form of the waste ink absorber is not a zigzag band shape and is therefore a single lump having no slits, an area where the waste ink cannot completely penetrate tends to occur in the lump waste ink absorber. . If it is formed in a zigzag band, the waste ink can permeate the entire area. However, it is not sufficient to form a zigzag strip. It is assumed that the waste ink has permeated into one of the adjacent band-shaped portions, but has not yet permeated into the other. In this state, if the adjacent strips are not separated from each other by the partition wall, the waste ink is short-circuited and penetrates from one strip to the adjacent strip, resulting in a strip. An insufficiently penetrated region occurs in the body. Providing the partition walls induces the absorbed waste ink to penetrate deeper along the longitudinal direction of the strip. The zigzag band shape and the provision of the partition wall portion allow the waste ink to penetrate the entire waste ink absorber evenly, and the waste ink absorber can be used to its fullest extent.

The waste ink collecting case according to claim 3 has the following configuration. The progress of the permeation of the waste ink into the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber can be visually observed not only at the end of the waste ink absorber but also in the middle of the waste ink absorber. It is configured to be possible.

The waste ink recovery case according to claim 4 has the following configuration. In order to enable visual observation even in the middle part, instead of dividing it into multiple parts and making it possible to see through, the see-through part of the end part of the waste ink absorber and the On the other hand, it is configured so that the see-through portion of the adjacent zigzag band-shaped portion is continuous via the partition wall portion.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a waste ink collecting case according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a waste ink collecting case according to a first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled state, FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining the progress of penetration of the water.

As shown in FIG. 1, the waste ink collecting case according to the first embodiment has a case body 1 as a constituent element.
0, a lid 20, and a waste ink absorber 50. The waste ink absorber 50 is a combination of the upper waste ink absorber 40 and the lower waste ink absorber 30.

The case body 10 is based on a rectangular box-shaped body 11, and a pair of partition walls 12,
13 are integrally connected. The box-shaped body portion 11 includes a bottom plate portion 11a, a pair of long side outer wall portions 11b and 11c, and a pair of short side outer wall portions 11d and 11e, and the other short side outer wall portion facing one short side outer wall portion 11d. The partition wall portion 12 is protruded toward the bottom wall portion 11a in a state in which the partition wall portion 12 is parallel to the long side outer wall portion 11b and is integrated with the bottom plate portion 11a, and the other short side outer wall facing the other short side outer wall portion 11e. The partition wall portion 13 is protruded toward the portion 11d in a state parallel to the long side outer wall portion 11c and in a state of being integrally formed with the bottom plate portion 11a. One partition wall 12 is the short side outer wall 1
1d, the short side outer wall portion 11d protrudes from a position corresponding to a side closer to the long side outer wall portion 11b among two intermediate points when the short side outer wall portion 11d is substantially divided into three, and the other partition wall portion 13 has a short side. In the outer wall portion 11e, the short side outer wall portion 11e protrudes from a position corresponding to a side closer to the long side outer wall portion 11c among two intermediate points when the short side outer wall portion 11e is substantially equally divided into three. The pair of partition walls 12, 13 are parallel to each other. A first storage chamber portion 14a is provided between the partition wall portion 12 and the long side outer wall portion 11b.
The space between the pair of partition walls 12, 13 is a second storage chamber 14b, and the space between the partition wall 13 and the long side outer wall 11c is a third storage chamber 14c. I have. Between the edge 12a of the partition wall portion 12 and the short side outer wall portion 11e, there is a first communication portion 15a in which the first storage chamber portion 14a and the second storage chamber portion 14b communicate with each other.
Between the end 13a of the second storage chamber 14b and the third storage chamber 14c between the short side outer wall 11d.
5b. First and second communication portions 15a, 1
The zigzag storage chamber 14 is formed by the first to third storage chambers 14a, 14b, and 14c that are connected in a zigzag manner via the base 5b.

The lower waste ink absorber 30 includes first to third
Are stored in a zigzag-shaped storage chamber 14 composed of storage chambers 14a, 14b, and 14c. Slit-shaped notches 31, 32 for inserting the partition walls 12, 13 from the rectangular parallelepiped as a base. Are formed so as to penetrate in the vertical direction, and the belt-like body is bent in a zigzag shape having an angular shape by the pair of slit-shaped notches 31 and 32. The first of the case body 10 in the zigzag band-shaped lower waste ink absorber 30
The portion corresponding to the storage room portion 14a is the first band-shaped body portion 33a, the portion corresponding to the second storage room portion 14b is the second band-shaped body portion 33b, and the portion corresponding to the third storage room portion 14c is the third band-shaped body portion. This is a three-band body portion 33c. The first belt-shaped body portion 33a and the second
The band-shaped body 33b is continuously connected to the band-shaped body 33b via the first connecting part 34a. Similarly, the second band-shaped body 33b and the third band-shaped body 33c are located further beyond the rear end of the slit-shaped notch 32. Are continuously and integrally connected via the second connecting portion 34b.

The upper waste ink absorber 40 is similarly stored in the zigzag storage chamber 14 comprising the first to third storage chambers 14a, 14b, 14c in a state of being superposed on the lower waste ink absorber 30. The pair of slit-shaped slits 41 and 42 are formed on the basis of a rectangular parallelepiped so as to penetrate the partition walls 12 and 13 in the vertical direction. The band is bent in a zigzag shape in which the band is angular by the notches 41 and 42. In the zigzag band-shaped upper waste ink absorber 40, a portion corresponding to the first storage chamber portion 14a of the case body 10 is a first band-shaped body portion 43a, and a portion corresponding to the second storage chamber portion 14b is a second band-shaped portion. The body portion 43b and a portion corresponding to the third storage chamber portion 14c is a third band-shaped body portion 43c. The first band-shaped body portion 43a and the second band-shaped body portion 43b are further connected to the back end of the slit-shaped notch 41 through the first connecting portion 44a, and are similarly connected. The second band-shaped body 43b and the third band-shaped body 43c are further connected to the back end of the notch 42 through the second connecting part 44b.

The lid 20 is formed on a waste ink inlet 22 by notching one corner of the thin plate in a rectangular shape on the basis of a rectangular thin plate.
A monitoring window 23 for monitoring the state of permeation of the waste ink into the end portion 50b of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 is formed at the corner on the diagonal line. The portion of the lid 20 other than the waste ink inlet 22 and the monitoring window 23 is the lid main body 21. The configuration of the monitoring window 23 may be such that such an opening is sealed with a transparent window body instead of simply having an opening in a penetrating state. Here, the opening is in a penetrating state.

The outer shape of the lid 20 corresponds to the outer shape of the case body 10, and the zigzag storage chamber 14 of the case body 10 is formed.
In the state where the lower waste ink absorber 30 and the upper waste ink absorber 40 are stored in a stacked state, the upper edge of the box-shaped body 11 of the case body 10 and the upper edges of the pair of partition walls 12 and 13 The lids 20 are overlapped with each other, and the lids 20 are adhered to the case body 10 in a liquid-tight state. At this time, what is important is that an adhesive is also supplied to the upper edges of the partition walls 12 and 13 to securely adhere to the lower surface of the lid 20, so that the zigzag storage chamber 14 is literally formed in a zigzag shape without a short circuit. That is to partition. As for the storage of the lower waste ink absorber 30, the bottom surface of the lower waste ink absorber 30 is box-shaped with the partition walls 12, 13 inserted into the slit-shaped notches 31, 32 of the lower waste ink absorber 30. Body part 11
Is housed so as to be in close contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 11a. The upper waste ink absorber 40 is stored with the partition walls 12 and 13 inserted into the slit-shaped notches 41 and 42 of the upper waste ink absorber 40.
Is housed in such a manner that the bottom surface thereof is in close contact with the upper surface of the lower waste ink absorber 30. Lower waste ink absorber 30 adhered to each other
A zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 is constituted by a combination of the waste ink absorber 40 and the upper waste ink absorber 40.

When the lid 20 is integrally joined to the case body 10, the waste ink inlet 2 in the lid 20 is
2 is located at a position facing the short side outer wall portion 11d of the first storage chamber portion 14a of the case body 10. Further, the monitoring window 23 in the lid 20 is connected to the third storage chamber 14 c of the case body 10.
Is located at a position facing the short side outer wall portion 11e. That is, the start end portion 50 of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50
The a corresponds to the position of the waste ink inlet 22, and the monitoring window 23 corresponds to the position of the terminal portion 50b of the waste ink absorber 50. The end of the upper waste ink absorber 40 is cut off at the start end portion 50a of the waste ink absorber 50. The cut portion 45 is shown by a broken line in FIG. The cutout 45 corresponds to the position of the waste ink inlet 22. In the lower waste ink absorber 30, the cutout portion 45, that is, the waste ink inlet 22
Is a filling waste ink receiving portion 35. In order to configure the waste ink absorber 50 in such a shape, if the waste ink absorber 50 is a single body, the cutout 45
Although the formation of the waste ink receiver 35 becomes difficult, the waste ink absorber 50 is divided into two parts, the lower waste ink absorber 30 and the upper waste ink absorber 40. The formation of the portion 35 is easy.

Cutting section 45 and injected waste ink receiving section 35
The reason for providing is as follows. The waste ink discharge pipe 60 in the ink jet printer in which the waste ink recovery case of the first embodiment is detachably set is shown in FIGS.
Are hatched. The discharge port at the end of the waste ink discharge pipe 60 is inserted into the waste ink inlet 22 of the lid 20. By securing a space as the cutout portion 45 in the waste ink absorber 50 immediately below the waste ink inlet 22 of the lid 20, the discharge port of the waste ink discharge pipe 60 can be easily placed in the waste ink collection case. It is possible to insert. Further, the inflow of the waste ink injected from the waste ink discharge pipe 60 is made smooth. Further, the inflowing waste ink is not received once by the bottom plate 11a of the case body 10 and then permeated into the waste ink absorber 50. Since the ink is immediately permeated into the receiving portion 35, the inflow of the waste ink into the waste ink absorber 50 becomes smooth.

Next, the function of the waste ink collecting case of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described. The waste ink collecting case is detachably mounted in a predetermined manner of the ink jet printer in a cartridge type. Alternatively, it is mounted on a predetermined portion of an ink jet printer mounted on an information processing device such as a personal computer or a personal word processor.

When the waste ink is discharged into the waste ink recovery case from the discharge port of the waste ink discharge pipe 60 inserted into the waste ink inlet 22 of the lid 20, the waste flowing into the waste ink recovery port is discharged from the discharge port. The ink is a zigzag band shaped waste ink absorber 5
0 immediately penetrates into the injected waste ink receiving portion 35 of the lower waste ink absorber 30. That is, the waste ink permeates into the start end portion of the first belt-shaped body portion 33a in the lower waste ink absorber 30. Also, the lower waste ink absorber 30
The upper waste ink absorber 40 is in close contact with
It also penetrates into the start end portion of the first belt-like body portion 43a of the upper waste ink absorber 40 by capillary action. That is, the permeation starts from the start end portion 50a of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 as a starting point. This is shown in FIG.

As the inflow of the waste ink proceeds, the waste ink absorbed by the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 gradually penetrates to the back side in the waste ink absorber 50 along the longitudinal direction of the zigzag band shape. Go. In other words, the water penetrates in the direction along the arrow, and further permeates in the direction along the arrow.
At this time, the waste ink permeates along the longitudinal direction in the first band portion 33a of the lower waste ink absorber 30 and the first band portion 43a of the upper waste ink absorber 40. Since the partition wall portion 12 exists, the first belt-shaped body portion 33 is provided.
a, 43a, the second belt-like body portion 3
Infiltration into 3b and 43b is prevented.
In other words, the partition wall portion 12 has the absorbed waste ink as the first.
In the belt-like body portions 33a and 43a, the infiltration to the back side along the longitudinal direction is induced, and the penetration direction is regulated.

When the inflow of the waste ink further proceeds at the stage where the infiltration into the waste ink has progressed, the waste ink absorbed by the waste ink absorber 50 is removed from the lower waste ink absorber 30 as shown by the arrow of the curve. The permeation of the upper waste ink absorber 40 into the first connecting portions 34a, 44a progresses, and after passing through the first connecting portions 34a, 44a, the second belt-shaped body portions 33b, 43b are indicated as indicated by the arrows of the carp. Will be promoted to the area of Furthermore, it permeates in the direction along the arrow, and further permeates in the direction along the arrow. At this time, the waste ink permeates in the second belt-shaped portions 33b and 43b along the longitudinal direction. Since the partition wall portion 13 is present, it is prevented from penetrating into the third band-shaped body portions 33c, 43c in a form of crossing directly from the second band-shaped body portions 33b, 43b. That is, the partition wall section 13 guides the absorbed waste ink to penetrate to the back side along the longitudinal direction in the second band-shaped body sections 33b and 43b, and regulates the permeation direction.

When the inflow of the waste ink further proceeds at the stage where the permeation into the waste ink has progressed, the waste ink absorbed by the waste ink absorber 50 is removed from the lower waste ink absorber 30 and the lower ink absorber 30 as indicated by the arrow of the curve. The permeation proceeds to the second connecting portions 34b and 44b of the upper waste ink absorber 40, passes through the second connecting portions 34b and 44b, and then passes through the second connecting portions 34b and 44b. Will be promoted to the area of Further, the end portion 50 of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 along the arrow from
It permeates in the direction of “E” corresponding to b.

Summarizing the above, the waste ink absorbed in the injected waste ink receiving portion 35 of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 becomes exclusively the zigzag band-shaped as the flow of the waste ink from the waste ink discharge pipe 60 progresses. The permeation proceeds to the end portion 50b along the longitudinal direction of the waste ink absorber 50, so that the waste ink absorber 50 is uniformly absorbed without causing a transverse short circuit.

A user of the ink jet printer observes the state of the waste ink collecting case occasionally. That is,
It is visually observed through the monitoring window 23 whether the waste ink has penetrated to the end portion 50b of the waste ink absorber 50 inside the waste ink recovery case. Whether or not it has penetrated can be determined by whether or not there is a color change to the ink color. If there is no color change, it can be determined that the usage limit has not yet been reached. If there is a color change, it is possible to judge how much the color will reach the usage limit based on the degree of the change. If the color change is darker than a certain level, it may be determined that the usage limit has been reached. The monitoring window 23 has a zigzag band-shaped end portion 5 of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50.
0b, when the color change at the end portion 50b is more than a certain value, it means that the waste ink has permeated the whole of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 evenly. It is. It visually points out that waste ink can no longer be absorbed, that is, the waste ink absorption limit has been reached.

When it is determined that the waste ink absorption limit, that is, the usage limit is reached, the waste ink recovery case is removed from the ink jet printer and replaced with a new waste ink recovery case. When removing, be careful not to overflow the waste ink from the waste ink inlet 22 and the monitoring window 23.

The reason why the monitoring window 23 is formed on the lid 20 is as follows. In the case of the first embodiment, the monitoring window 2
3 is a penetrating opening, so that the waste ink is prevented from flowing out of the opening as much as possible after the waste ink has been absorbed almost entirely in the waste ink absorber 50. A monitoring window 23 as a part is formed in the lid 20. This utilizes the fact that the lid 20 is located above the waste ink absorber 50 (that is, in the direction opposite to the direction in which gravity acts). In the case where the opening is a monitoring window in which the opening is sealed with a transparent window, the long side outer wall portion 1 of the case main body 10 may be located at a position facing the end portion 50b of the zigzag band shaped waste ink absorber 50.
1c, may be provided on the short side outer wall portion 11e, or may be provided on the bottom plate portion 11a. In a state where the waste ink collecting case is removed from a state where the waste ink collecting case is attached to the ink jet printer, visual observation can be made from any direction. Waste ink does not flow out of the monitoring window formed by the transparent window.
However, it is necessary to be careful about outflow from the waste ink inlet 22. However, the monitoring window 2 checks the progress of the waste ink absorption in the waste ink absorber 50.
It is preferable to provide the monitoring window 23 in the lid 20 in order to observe the waste ink recovery case attached to the ink jet printer for visual observation through 3. This point is irrelevant whether the monitoring window 23 is a through-hole or a transparent window.

As described above, since the limit of waste ink absorption of the waste ink absorber 50 can be accurately measured by visual observation through the monitoring window 23, when the waste ink absorption limit is confirmed, the waste ink collection case By replacing the waste ink collection case and replacing it with a new one, the waste ink collection case is exceeded and the waste ink collection case is exceeded. Can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a disadvantage that the waste ink absorbed therein overflows from the waste ink recovery case. In addition, the waste ink collection case in use can be used up to the waste ink absorption limit of the waste ink absorber 50, and can be used most effectively by avoiding wasteful use such as discarding by halfway absorption. As a result, the running cost of the waste ink collection case can be minimized. The replacement cycle is longer and maintenance is easier.

[Second Embodiment] In the second embodiment, a monitoring window is provided at a necessary place. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a waste ink recovery case according to the second embodiment. The same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the first embodiment denote the same components in FIG. 5 of the second embodiment.
13 is a partition wall part, 14a is a first storage room part, 14b is a second storage room part, 14c is a third storage room part, 20 is a lid, 21
Is a lid main body, and 22 is a waste ink inlet, and their interrelationships are also as described above, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. The configuration specific to the second embodiment is as follows. In the following description, reference is made to the reference numerals shown in FIG.

A waste ink inlet 22 is formed at one corner of the lid body 21, and the waste ink absorber 5 is attached to the lid body 21 at a diagonal corner to the waste ink inlet 22.
A monitoring window 23 for monitoring the permeation state of the waste ink into the terminal portion 50b of the first storage chamber 10 is formed through the first storage chamber 1 of the zigzag storage chamber 14 in the case body 10.
First connecting portion 3 on the way from 4a to second storage room portion 14b
A monitoring window 24 for monitoring the progress of permeation of waste ink into the corners of the lid main body 21 corresponding to 4a and 44a is formed through the second storage chamber 14b.
Monitoring window for monitoring the progress of waste ink permeation into the portion corresponding to the second connecting portions 34b and 44b on the side of the lid main body 21 on the way from the first storage chamber 14c to the third storage chamber 14c. 25 are formed through. Surveillance window 2 on the way
Reference numerals 4 and 25 respectively correspond to the vicinity of in FIG. The configuration of the second embodiment can be paraphrased as follows. That is, the zigzag path of the zigzag storage chamber 14 is divided into approximately three equal parts in the longitudinal direction, and monitoring windows 24 and 25 for monitoring the progress of waste ink permeation are formed at two intermediate points. It is.

The inflow of the waste ink through the waste ink inlet 22 proceeds, and the waste ink absorbed by the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50 gradually penetrates to the back along the longitudinal direction of the zigzag band. In the process, the user of the inkjet printer occasionally observes the state of the waste ink collecting case. That is, through the monitoring windows 24, 25, and 23, the area of the waste ink absorber 50 inside the waste ink recovery case to which the waste ink has penetrated is visually observed depending on whether or not there is a color change to the ink color. to decide. If there is no color change when the inside is visually observed from the monitoring window 24 corresponding to the first connecting portions 34a and 44a, the progress of the penetration of the waste ink into the zigzag band-like waste ink absorber 50 is still less than one third. Of the first belt-like body part 33a, 4
That is to say halfway through 3a. When a portion where the color is changed and a portion where the color is not changed are visible in the monitoring window 24, the progress of the penetration of the waste ink is almost one third.
It will be until. Also, the first connecting portions 34a, 44
When the color has changed in the monitoring window 24 corresponding to a, and the color has not changed in the monitoring window 25 corresponding to the second connecting portions 34b, 44b, the zigzag band-like waste ink absorber 50 Progress status of waste ink penetration is 3
Second band 33b, 43b between one-third and two-thirds
That means halfway through. Further penetration and the second
When a portion where the color has changed and a portion where the color has not changed can be seen in the monitoring window 25 corresponding to the connecting portions 34b and 44b, the permeation progress state of the waste ink is almost two thirds. Further, when the color of the monitoring window 25 corresponding to the second connecting portions 34b and 44b has changed overall and the color of the monitoring window 23 corresponding to the terminal portion 50b has not changed, the zigzag band-like waste ink is formed. The progress of the penetration of the waste ink into the absorber 50 is 2/3 and 10
It means that the waste ink absorption limit has not yet reached the middle of the third band-shaped portions 33c and 43c between 0%. When the permeation further proceeds and the color changes in the monitoring window 23 corresponding to the terminal portion 50b, it means that the waste ink has permeated the entirety of the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber 50, that is, the waste ink absorption. The limit has been reached. Thus, the progress of the penetration of the waste ink can be grasped in more detail.

In the second embodiment as well, the configuration of the monitoring windows 23, 24, and 25 is such that such an opening is sealed with a transparent window instead of merely having a through-hole. May be something.

The other configurations and functions are the same as those in the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 4), and a description thereof will be omitted.

[Third Embodiment] In a third embodiment, one large monitoring window 23 is provided so as to extend over the third storage chamber 14c and the second storage chamber 14b. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the waste ink collecting case according to the third embodiment. The same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the first embodiment denote the same components in FIG. 6 of the third embodiment. Denotes a partition wall portion, 14a denotes a first storage room portion, 14b denotes a second storage room portion, 14c denotes a third storage room portion, 2
0 is a lid, 21 is a lid main body, 22 is a waste ink inlet, and their mutual relationship is also as described above.
Here, detailed description is omitted. The configuration specific to the third embodiment is as follows. In the following description, reference is made to the reference numerals shown in FIG.

A waste ink inlet 22 is formed at one corner of the lid main body 21, and extends across the partition wall 13 from the third storage chamber 14 c at a diagonal corner of the waste ink inlet 22. One large monitoring window 23a extending to the second storage chamber 14b is formed through the lid body 21. The monitoring window 23a has a monitoring window for monitoring the state of permeation of the waste ink into the end portion 50b of the waste ink absorber 50, that is, whether or not the waste ink absorption limit has been reached, and a waste ink absorber 50 in a zigzag band shape. It also serves as a monitoring window for monitoring whether or not it has penetrated to about one third. If the monitoring window 23a formed in the lid body 21 is 1
Therefore, the structure becomes simpler. In the third embodiment as well, the configuration of the monitoring window 23a may be such that such an opening is sealed with a transparent window body instead of simply having an opening in a penetrating state. .

The other configurations and functions are the same as those in the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 4), and a description thereof will be omitted.

While some embodiments have been described above, the present invention includes the following configurations.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the monitoring window 23, 24, 25, 23a is locally formed through the cover main body 21 to provide a see-through portion for the inside. In the case where 20 is made of a transparent material, the inside can be seen through as a whole, so that it is not necessary to form the monitoring window through.

(2) When the opening is sealed with a transparent window as a structure of the monitoring window, it is not necessary to limit the portion where the monitoring window is formed to the lid 20, and the long side outer wall of the case body 10 is formed. 11b, 11c or short side outer wall portion 11d, 1
1e.

(3) In the above embodiment, the partition wall 1
Although the projections 2 and 13 are integrally protruded from the bottom plate 11 a of the case body 10, the projections 2 and 13 may alternatively be integrally protruded from the lid 20. Alternatively, a separate partition wall portion may be prepared for both the case body 10 and the lid 20, and this may be bonded to both the case body 10 and the lid 20.

(4) In the above embodiment, two partition walls (12, 13) are provided, but the number of partition walls may be any number.

(5) Any number of monitoring windows may be used.

(6) In the above-described embodiment, the waste ink absorber 50 is constituted by the combination of the lower waste ink absorber 30 and the upper waste ink absorber 40. Is also good.

[0048]

According to the present invention, there is provided a waste ink collecting case.
According to the invention, the inside can be seen through corresponding to the end portion of the band-shaped waste ink absorber, so that the waste ink has penetrated to the end portion of the band-shaped waste ink absorber, that is, the waste ink absorption limit is reduced. It can be confirmed by visual observation from the outside, and by replacing the waste ink recovery case with a new one, it is possible to avoid the problem of overflow of waste ink beforehand. Further, the waste ink recovery case can be used up to the waste ink absorption limit, and waste such as disposal on the way can be avoided, and the waste ink can be used most effectively. As a result, the running cost of the waste ink collection case can be minimized. In addition, the replacement cycle becomes longer and maintenance becomes easier.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the adjacent strips of the zigzag strip-shaped waste ink absorber are separated from each other by the partition wall, and the absorbed waste ink is removed in the longitudinal direction of the strip. Can be guided to the back side along the direction, and the waste ink can penetrate the entire waste ink absorber evenly, so that the waste ink absorber can be effectively used to the maximum.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, not only the visual observation at the end portion of the waste ink absorber, but also the visual observation at an intermediate portion thereof, the progress of permeation can be grasped as necessary. Can be.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the transparent portions are provided collectively, the formation is simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a waste ink collecting case according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a waste ink collecting case according to the first embodiment in an assembled state.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a waste ink collecting case according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the progress of permeation of the waste ink into the waste ink collection case according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an assembled state of a waste ink collecting case according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a waste ink collecting case according to a third embodiment in an assembled state.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Case body, 11 Box-shaped body, 11a Bottom plate, 11b, 11c Long outer wall, 11d, 11e
... short side outer wall part, 12, 13 ... partition wall part, 14 ...
Zigzag storage room, 14a ... first storage room part, 14b ...
... Second storage room, 14c .. Third storage room, 15a.
1st communication part, 15b ... 2nd communication part, 20 ... lid, 2
1 ... lid body, 22 ... waste ink inlet, 23, 2
3a, 24, 25 ... monitoring window, 30 ... lower waste ink absorber, 31, 32 ... slit-shaped notch, 33a ...
First band-shaped part, 33b Second band-shaped part, 33c Third band-shaped part, 34a First connecting part, 34b Second connecting part, 35 Injected waste ink receiving part, 40 ... upper waste ink absorber, 41, 42 ... slit-shaped notch, 43
a... first band-shaped portion, 43b... second band-shaped portion, 43c
... Third band-shaped portion, 44a First connected portion, 44b
Second connecting portion, 45... Cutting portion, 50... Zigzag band shaped waste ink absorber, 50a... Start end portion of waste ink absorber, 50b... End portion of waste ink absorber, 60. tube

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A waste ink recovery case configured to be able to see through the inside corresponding to at least the end portion of a strip-shaped waste ink absorber housed therein. 2. The waste ink absorber has a zigzag band shape,
2. The waste ink recovery case according to claim 1, wherein a partition wall portion is provided between adjacent ones of the band-shaped body portions constituting the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber. 3. The waste ink collecting case according to claim 2, wherein the zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber is configured so that the inside thereof can be seen through even at important points in the zigzag band shape including the terminal portion thereof. 4. A zigzag band-shaped waste ink absorber, including a terminal portion thereof, wherein the end portion of the zigzag band-shaped portion adjacent to the end portion of the zigzag band-shaped portion via a partition wall portion is continuous. The waste ink recovery case described.