Waste ink storage mechanism and inkjet recording device including same

A waste ink storage mechanism comprising:

• a waste ink tank which stores a waste ink exhausted from a recording head that discharges an ink on a recording medium;
• a waste ink tank fitting portion into which the waste ink tank is fitted such that the waste ink tank can be fitted into and removed from the waste ink tank fitting portion;
• a capacitance sensor which is provided in the waste ink tank fitting portion so as to detect that a liquid surface within the waste ink tank reaches a predetermined level;
• and
• a waste ink tube through which the waste ink exhausted from the recording head is passed and which is connected to the inflow port,
• wherein the waste ink tank includes:
• a first surface in which an inflow port through which the waste ink flows in is formed;
• and a second surface which is a side surface of the waste ink tank and which is different from the first surface, and
• the capacitance sensor is arranged close to the second surface,
• the first surface is a side surface of the waste ink tank opposite the second surface,
• the first surface is a side surface of the waste ink tank on an upstream side in a direction of the fitting,
• the second surface is a side surface of the waste ink tank on a downstream side in the direction of the fitting and
• the waste ink tube is arranged from a position of the waste ink tank fitting portion on the downstream side in the direction of the fitting to a position on the upstream side in the direction of the fitting.

A waste ink storage mechanism comprising:

• a waste ink tank which stores a waste ink exhausted from a recording head that discharges an ink on a recording medium;
• a waste ink tank fitting portion into which the waste ink tank is fitted such that the waste ink tank can be fitted into and removed from the waste ink tank fitting portion;
• and
• a capacitance sensor which is provided in the waste ink tank fitting portion so as to detect that a liquid surface within the waste ink tank reaches a predetermined level,
• wherein the waste ink tank includes:
• a first surface in which an inflow port through which the waste ink flows in is formed;
• and a second surface which is a side surface of the waste ink tank and which is different from the first surface,
• the capacitance sensor is arranged close to the second surface,
• the capacitance sensor includes:
• a fixing portion which is fixed to the waste ink tank fitting portion;
• an electrode portion which detects that the liquid surface within the waste ink tank reaches the predetermined level;
• a holding portion which holds the electrode portion and which slides in directions of the fitting and removal with respect to the fixing portion;
• and
• a biasing member which biases the holding portion toward the second surface, and
• the biasing member is arranged between the fixing portion and the holding portion.