# US 10,479,091 B2 · Liquid discharge apparatus and waste liquid amount detection method

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- Number: US 10,479,091 B2
- Document ID: US10479091B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/915,692
- Filed: 2018-03-08
- Published: 2018-09-27
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-23
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Akira Mashima; Seijun Horie
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479091B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/1721: {Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor}
- B41J 2/17566: {Ink level or ink residue control}
- B41J 2/185: Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers
- B41J 2002/17569: {based on the amount printed or to be printed}
- B41J 2002/17589: {using ink level as input for printer mode selection or for prediction of remaining printing capacity}
- B41J 2002/1853: {ink collectors for continuous Inkjet printers, e.g. gutters, mist suction means}
- B41J 2002/1856: {waste ink containers}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge section configured to discharge liquid onto a medium, a holding section capable of holding a waste liquid container capable of containing waste liquid exhausted from the liquid discharge section, a sensor capable of detecting a state in which a containing amount of the waste liquid container has reached a threshold value, and a calculation section configured to calculate a waste liquid amount based on an exhaust amount of the waste liquid exhausted by the liquid discharge section. In the case where the sensor has detected the state in which the containing amount has reached the threshold value, the calculation section calculates the waste liquid amount by adding the exhaust amount of the waste liquid exhausted after the detection of the state by the sensor to the threshold value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a liquid discharge section configured to discharge liquid onto a medium;
a holding section capable of holding a waste liquid container configured to contain waste liquid exhausted from the liquid discharge section;
a sensor capable of detecting a state in which a containing amount of the waste liquid container has reached a threshold value; and
a calculation section configured to calculate a waste liquid amount based on an exhaust amount of the waste liquid exhausted by the liquid discharge section,
wherein, in a case where the sensor has detected the state in which the containing amount has reached the threshold value, the calculation section calculates the waste liquid amount by adding the exhaust amount of the waste liquid exhausted after the detection of the state by the sensor to the threshold value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to, based on a weight of the waste liquid container, detect the state in which the containing amount has reached the threshold value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding section is configured to take a first posture when the containing amount is smaller than the threshold value, and to be tilted into a second posture from the first posture when the containing amount has become larger than or equal to the threshold value, and the sensor is configured to detect a displacement of the holding section as a result of the tilting of the holding section.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the calculation section resets the waste liquid amount when the holding section has returned to the first posture from the second posture.