US 12,220,920 B2
Liquid discharge apparatus, waste liquid collecting unit, and waste liquid collecting method
Katsumi Yamada, Matsumoto (JP); and Takatoshi Yamazaki, Shiojiri (JP)
Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/336,540.
Application 18/336,540 is a continuation of application No. 17/452,257, filed on Oct. 26, 2021, granted, now 11,964,488.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-181062 (JP), filed on Oct. 29, 2020; and application No. 2021-045257 (JP), filed on Mar. 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0330993 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 2/165 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/16517 (2013.01) 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a discharge head that discharges a liquid to a recording material;
a support section provided facing the discharge head and supporting the recording material from below;
a first absorbing member that absorbs the liquid discarded from the discharge head to an outer side of an end portion of the recording material supported by the support section, as a waste liquid;
a waste liquid receiving section that receives the liquid ejected from the discharge head as a waste liquid;
a second absorbing member that absorbs the waste liquid sent from the waste liquid receiving section;
a waste liquid box that holds the second absorbing member; and
a delivery section that delivers the liquid between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member with the delivery section in a non-contact state with the second absorbing member;
a blocking section configured to temporarily block delivery of the liquid from the delivery section between the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member; and
a maintenance device that forcibly ejects the liquid from the discharge head to the waste liquid receiving section; wherein
in a state where the waste liquid box is inserted into an apparatus main body, the delivery section is inclined downwardly from the first absorbing member toward the second absorbing member, and the delivery section, when the waste liquid box is removed from the apparatus main body, is inclined upwardly away from the first absorbing member, wherein
the blocking section is driven by using power of the maintenance device.