Patent ID: 7354135
Filing Date: 2008-04-08
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A waste liquid collecting method for a liquid ejecting apparatus having a liquid ejecting head for discharging a liquid and a maintenance mechanism for sucking at least some of the liquid from the liquid ejecting head; the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of cartridges, each for storing a liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head, one of the cartridges containing ink which is consumed at a higher rate than ink in the other cartridges wherein each of the plurality of cartridges includes a waste liquid reservoir portion for storing a waste liquid discharged from the maintenance mechanism, an introducing portion for introducing the waste liquid into the waste liquid reservoir portion, and an open hole for discharging at least some of a gas in the waste liquid reservoir portion to an outside, wherein a flow path resistance of a cartridge side flow path from the introducing portion to the open hole through the waste liquid reservoir portion for the cartridge containing ink which is consumed at the higher rate is less than a flow path resistance of the other cartridges; and introducing an amount of the waste liquid into the waste liquid reservoir portion of the cartridge having the ink that is consumed at the higher rate, the amount being greater than an amount of the waste liquid introduced into the other cartridges.