# US 9,517,882 B1 · Apparatus for collecting waste material in a large-scale ink-jet printer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,882 B1 - Document ID: US9517882B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/164,023 - Filed: 2016-05-25 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-25 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: Paul F Sawicki; Luis A Santiago; Piotr Sokolowski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517882B1 ## CPC - B65F 1/12: with devices facilitating emptying - B41J 2/00: Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed (mounting, arrangement or disposition of types or dies B41J1/00) - B41J 2/16523: {Waste ink transport from caps or spittoons, e.g. by suction (Collecting or collectors of waste ink B41J2/1721)} - B41J 2/16585: {for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads} - B41J 2/1721: {Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor} - B41J 29/17: Cleaning arrangements - B65F: GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE (disinfecting refuse A61L; refuse disintegrators B02C; sorting refuse B03B; B07B; handcarts for transporting refuse receptacles B62B; sack holders B65B67/00; converting refuse into fertilisers C05F; converting refuse into solid fuels C10L; sewers, cesspools E03F; arrangements in buildings for the disposal of refuse E04F17/10; refuse-consuming furnaces F23G; {for surgical articles A61B50/36}) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract In a large-scale ink-jet printer with multiple rows of printheads, an apparatus collects waste material such as paper particles and excess ink. A set of trays is stacked vertically to correspond to the rows of printheads. Each tray includes a drain valve therein. The trays are mounted on a rack that is slidably mounted on a bracket. When the rack is lowered to a drain position on the bracket, a linkage on the rack engages a surface within the printer, such as on the bracket, and the linkage is pushed upward to open the valve associated with each tray. The opened valves cause the trays to drain out their waste material, ultimately to a collection container. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus useful in printing, comprising: a rack, the rack including a first tray and a second tray disposed above the first tray, the first tray and second tray each being suitable for collecting waste material from a printhead, the first tray and second tray each including a selectably-openable drain valve for draining waste material therefrom; a linkage associated with the drain valve of the first tray and the drain valve of the second tray; the rack being selectably positionable within the apparatus in a drain position, whereby, in the drain position, the linkage is pushed against a surface within the apparatus and the pushing causes the linkage to open the drain valve of the first tray and the drain valve of the second tray. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mounting bracket, the rack being slidably mounted on the mounting bracket. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rack is positioned in the drain position when the rack is slid to a bottom position on the mounting bracket. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the drain valve of the first tray is configured to drain waste material from the first tray to a collection bottle when the rack is slid to a bottom position on the mounting bracket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, when the rack is at the bottom position, the linkage presses against a surface of the mounting bracket to open the drain valve of the first tray and the drain valve of the second tray, the surface of the mounting bracket being the surface within the apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the linkage is slidably mounted on the rack. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drain valve of the second tray is configured to drain waste material from the second tray to the first tray. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the drain valve of the first tray is configured to drain waste material from the first tray to a collection bottle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the drain valve of at least one of the first tray and the second tray including a drop tube, the drop tube including an inlet opening, whereby, when the drain valve is opened, the drop tube is positioned upward into the tray, thereby permitting waste material to pass through the inlet opening and downward through the drop tube. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, the linkage being configured to move the drop tube upward as a result of the linkage being pushed against the surface within the apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first tray and the second tray includes a chute for directing waste material from the printhead. ### Claim 12 An apparatus useful in printing, comprising: a rack, the rack including a first tray and a second tray disposed above the first tray, the first tray and second tray each being suitable for collecting waste material from a printhead, the first tray and second tray each including a selectably-openable drain valve for draining waste material therefrom; a mounting bracket, the rack being slidably mounted on the mounting bracket; a linkage associated with the drain valve of the first tray and the drain valve of the second tray, the linkage being slidably mounted on the rack; the rack being selectably positionable on the mounting bracket in a drain position, whereby, in the drain position, the linkage is pushed against a surface within the apparatus and the pushing causes the linkage to open the drain valve of the first tray and the drain valve of the second tray; wherein the drain valve of the second tray is configured to drain waste material from the second tray to the first tray, and the drain valve of the first tray is configured to drain waste material from the first tray to a collection bottle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, the drain valve of at least one of the first tray and the second tray including a drop tube, the drop tube including an inlet opening, whereby, when the drain valve is opened, the drop tube is positioned upward into the tray, thereby permitting waste material to pass through the inlet opening and downward through the drop tube. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, the linkage being configured to move the drop tube upward as a result of the linkage being pushed against the surface within the apparatus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first tray and the second tray includes a chute for directing waste material from the printhead.