Patent ID: 8118396
Filing Date: 2012-02-21
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An ink-jet printer, comprising: (a) a medium feeder operable to feed a recording medium in a medium-feed direction along a medium-feed path; (b) a platen configured to support the recording medium fed by the medium feeder; (c) a recording head having (c-1) a nozzle opening surface which extends in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the medium-feed direction; and (c-2) a plurality of nozzles which open in the nozzle opening surface and which are arranged in the widthwise direction, the recording head being operable to eject ink toward the recording medium through the nozzles and being pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the widthwise direction; (d) a first waste-ink receiver disposed on an upstream side of the recording head in the medium-feed direction and configured to receive the ink ejected through the nozzles during purging operation; and (e) a second waste-ink receiver disposed on a downstream side of the recording head in the medium-feed direction and configured to receive ink ejected through the nozzles during flushing operation, wherein the recording head, the first waste-ink receiver, and the second waste-ink receiver are opposed to the platen across the medium-feed path, wherein the recording head is interposed between the first waste-ink receiver disposed on the upstream side of the recording head in the medium-feed direction and the second waste-ink receiver disposed on the downstream side of the recording head in the medium-feed direction, and wherein the first waste-ink receiver and the second waste-ink receiver are positioned outside a locus that is described by the nozzle opening surface during pivot movement of the recording head.