Abstract:
An ink jet recording apparatus including: a cartridge mounting portion, on which an ink cartridge having a waste ink containing portion containable a waste ink can be mounted; a waste ink introduction portion, adapted to connect to a waste ink introduction port of the waste ink containing portion of the ink cartridge so as to introduce the waste ink; a waste ink introduction portion holder, supporting the waste ink introduction portion; and a cartridge moving mechanism, operable to move the ink cartridge to a cartridge replacement position, located on an outside of the cartridge mounting portion where the ink cartridge can be attached to or detached from the cartridge mounting portion, and a cartridge use position located on an inside of the cartridge mounting portion, wherein the waste ink introduction portion holder is constructed to move integrally with the ink cartridge between the cartridge replacement and the cartridge use position while the waste ink introduction portion is connected to the waste ink introduction port.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that has an ink supply needle, which is inserted into and connected to an ink outlet port of an ink cartridge, and a waste ink introduction needle, which is inserted into and connected to a waste ink introduction port of the ink cartridge, in a cartridge mounting portion, on which the ink cartridge is mounted. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In an ink jet recording apparatus, waste ink that does not contribute to recording (printing) occurs at the time of a head cleaning operation of a printing head that is performed so as to prevent degradation of printing quality due to ink clogging or an ink filling operation after replacement of an ink cartridge. A waste ink storage structure that collects waste ink is required so as to prevent waste ink from being unexpectedly stuck to a mechanism in the ink jet recording apparatus or the like. 
   An ink jet recording apparatus having the following configuration (for example, see JP-A-11-70672) has been suggested. That is, in an ink cartridge that is detachably mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus, a waste ink storage space in which an ink absorption member for absorbing waste ink is installed, and a waste ink introduction port for receiving waste ink to the waste ink storage space from the outside are added. Further, in a cartridge mounting portion, on which the ink cartridge is mounted, an ink supply needle that is inserted into and connected to an ink outlet port of the ink cartridge, and a waste ink introduction port that is inserted into and connected to the waste ink introduction port of the ink cartridge are provided. 
   In such an ink jet recording apparatus, a cap that covers a printing head and receives waste ink to be discharged from a printing head at the time of a head cleaning operation of the printing head or an ink filling operation after replacement of the ink cartridge is provided. Further, in the cap, a waste ink feeding pump that discharges waste ink discharged from the printing head from the cap is provided. An outlet port of the waste ink feeding pump is connected to the waste ink introduction needle through a flexible waste ink feeding tube, and thus waste ink is collected into the waste ink storage space of the ink cartridge, to which the waste ink introduction needle is connected. 
   By the way, in the ink jet recording apparatus that uses the ink cartridge having the waste ink storage space described above, when the waste ink feeding pump operates for the head cleaning operation or the like, the ink cartridge may be unexpectedly removed, and the waste ink introduction needle may be separated from the waste ink introduction port of the ink cartridge. Accordingly, waste ink to be discharged by the waste ink feeding pump may flow into the apparatus, and the inside of the apparatus may be severely damaged. 
   In order to minimize such damages, up to the present, a cartridge attachment/detachment detecting sensor that detects when a mounting portion opening/closing cover that covers the front surface of the cartridge mounting portion is opened or when the user starts to move the ink cartridge in an ejection direction thereof after the mounting portion opening/closing cover is opened is provided. Then, when the above-described operations are detected, the operation of the waste ink feeding pump immediately stops. 
   However, even when the waste ink feeding pump stops, waste ink is filled into and remains in a flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the waste ink introduction needle at that time. Accordingly, if the waste ink introduction needle is separated from the ink cartridge immediately after the waste ink feeding pump stops, waste ink remaining in the flow passage flows into the apparatus, and thus the inside of the apparatus is stained. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that, even though replacement of an ink cartridge that is receiving waste ink fed from a waste ink feeding pump during an operation of the waste ink feeding pump is performed, can prevent waste ink, that remains in a flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the ink cartridge, from leaking into the apparatus and from staining the inside of the apparatus. 
   According to an aspect of the at least one embodiment of the invention, an ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a cartridge mounting portion, on which an ink cartridge having a waste ink containing portion containing a waste ink can be mounted; a waste ink introduction portion, adapted to connect to a waste ink introduction port of the waste ink containing portion of the ink cartridge so as to introduce the waste ink; a waste ink introduction portion holder, supporting the waste ink introduction portion; and a cartridge moving mechanism, operable to move the ink cartridge to a cartridge replacement position, located on an outside of the cartridge mounting portion where the ink cartridge can be attached to or detached from the cartridge mounting portion, and a cartridge use position located on an inside of the cartridge mounting portion, wherein the waste ink introduction portion holder is constructed to move integrally with the ink cartridge between the cartridge replacement and the cartridge use position while the waste ink introduction portion is connected to the waste ink introduction port. 
   According to another aspect of the at least one embodiment of the invention, an ink jet recording apparatus comprising: an ink supply portion, adapted to connect to an ink outlet port of an ink cartridge so as to supply ink of the ink cartridge to a printing head; a waste ink introduction portion, adapted to connect to a waste ink introduction port of the ink cartridge; a waste ink introduction portion holder, supporting the waste ink introduction portion; and a cartridge moving mechanism, operable to move the ink cartridge from a cartridge replacement position where the ink outlet port and the ink supply portion are disconnected from each other, to a cartridge use position where the ink outlet port and the ink supply portion are connected to each other, or from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position, wherein the waste ink introduction portion holder is constructed to move integrally with the ink cartridge between the cartridge replacement position and the cartridge use position while the waste ink introduction portion is connected to the waste ink introduction port is provided. 
   According to these configurations, at the time of the replacement of the ink cartridge, if the cartridge moving mechanism is first driven by an operation or the like, a used ink cartridge that is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion is extracted to the cartridge replacement position where the connection to the ink supply needle is released. At that time, even if the ink cartridge moves to the cartridge replacement position, the waste ink introduction portion holder of the cartridge mounting portion that introduces waste ink into the waste ink storage space of the ink cartridge moves integrally with the ink cartridge to the cartridge replacement position. Therefore, until a removal operation of the ink cartridge from the cartridge replacement position is made, the waste ink introduction needle or the waste ink introduction portion formed of such as a porous material is not separated from the waste ink introduction port of the ink cartridge. 
   That is, even though the ink cartridge starts to move from the cartridge use position toward the cartridge replacement position for the sake of the replacement of the ink cartridge, the waste ink introduction portion is not separated from the ink cartridge immediately after the start of the movement. The connection state of the ink cartridge and the waste ink introduction portion is maintained until the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge replacement position. 
   Therefore, a required time when the connection of the ink cartridge and the waste ink introduction portion is released can be significantly increased, as compared with the related art in which the connection of the ink cartridge and the waste ink introduction portion is released immediately after the ink cartridge starts to move from the cartridge use position toward the cartridge replacement position. 
   In case where a sensor that detects the start of the movement of the ink cartridge is provided, and the waste ink feeding pump is configured so as to stop when the ink cartridge starts to move, even though the replacement of the ink cartridge, which is receiving waste ink fed from the waste ink feeding pump, starts during the operation of the waste ink feeding pump, a sufficient time elapses from a time when the operation of the waste ink feeding pump stops until the ink cartridge reaches the cartridge replacement position and is removed from the cartridge replacement position is allocated to a time for collecting waste ink remaining in a flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the waste ink introduction needle into the waste ink storage space of the ink cartridge. Therefore, there seldom occurs a situation in which waste ink remaining in the flow passage is not collected and leaks into the apparatus, and the inside of the apparatus can be prevented from being stained due to waste ink. 
   The ink jet recording apparatuses according to the at least one embodiment of the invention may further include a cartridge movement detecting sensor operable to detect a movement operation of the ink cartridge from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position based on a displacement operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever, wherein when the movement operation of the ink cartridge is detected by the cartridge movement detecting sensor, an operation of a waste ink feeding pump to feed the waste ink to the waste ink introduction needle may stop. 
   According to this configuration, when the replacement of the ink cartridge, which is receiving waste ink fed from the waste ink feeding pump, starts during the operation of the waste ink feeding pump, the cartridge attachment/detachment lever may be displaced in order to move the ink cartridge from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position in the cartridge mounting portion. With this configuration, the operation of the waste ink feeding pump stops immediately after the displacement of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever starts. Subsequently, a sufficient time elapsed until the ink cartridge reaches the cartridge replacement position and is removed from the cartridge replacement position is allocated to a time for collecting waste ink remaining in the flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the waste ink introduction needle into the waste ink storage space of the ink cartridge. Therefore, the situation in which waste ink remaining in the flow passage is not collected and leaks into the apparatus rarely occurs, and the inside of the apparatus can be prevented from being stained due to waste ink. 
   In the ink jet recording apparatuses according to at least one embodiment of the invention, the cartridge moving mechanism may have a locking mechanism that fixes the waste ink introduction portion holder at the cartridge replacement position. 
   According to this configuration, the replacement of the ink cartridges is performed while the locking mechanism fixes the waste ink introduction portion holder at the cartridge replacement position. Therefore, the handling property of the replacement can be improved. 
   In the ink jet recording apparatus according to the at least one embodiment of the invention, a displacement operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever, when the ink cartridge moves from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position, includes a predetermined operation range at the beginning thereof set such that the displacement operation does not move the ink cartridge and the waste ink introduction portion holder. 
   According to this configuration, immediately after the displacement operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever starts, the actual movement of the ink cartridge to the cartridge replacement position starts later than the displacement operation of the lever by an amount of time equal to the idle time of the operation of the lever. Therefore, a required time until the connection of the ink cartridge and the waste ink introduction needle is released can be increased. 
   That is, the time for collecting waste ink remaining in the flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the waste ink introduction needle into the waste ink storage space can be delayed. Therefore, the collection of waste ink remaining in the flow passage can be reliably performed, and thus reliability for a leakage prevention effect of waste ink can be improved. 
   The ink jet recording apparatuses according to the at least one embodiment of the invention may further include a mounting portion opening/closing cover which, when open, covers a front surface of the cartridge mounting portion, wherein the displacement operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever operates in conjunction with an opening/closing operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover. 
   According to this configuration, the opening/closing operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover also includes the displacement operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever. The replacement operation of the ink cartridge includes (a) opening the mounting portion opening/closing cover and extracting the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion to the cartridge replacement position; and (b) replacing the ink cartridge extracted to the cartridge replacement position with a new ink cartridge and closing the mounting portion opening/closing cover. Therefore, as compared with the related art in which the opening/closing operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover and the displacement operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever are separately performed, the replacement of the ink cartridge can be performed by the small amount of action, and a handling property can be improved. 
   In the ink jet recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention, even though the ink cartridge in the cartridge mounting portion is extracted to the cartridge replacement position for the replacement of the ink cartridge, unless the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge replacement position, there is no case where the waste ink introduction portion, such as the waste ink introduction needle or the like, is separated from the ink cartridge. In addition, the required time until the connection of the ink cartridge and the waste ink introduction portion is released can be significantly increased. 
   For this reason, if the waste ink feeding pump is configured so as to rapidly stop when the ink cartridge starts to move, even though the replacement of the ink cartridge starts during the operation of the waste ink feeding pump, a sufficient time from the time when the operation of the waste ink feeding pump stops until the connection of the ink cartridge and the waste ink introduction portion is released can be secured. Then, waste ink remaining in the flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the waste ink introduction needle can be collected into the ink cartridge for that time. 
   Therefore, that the situation in which waste ink remaining in the flow passage is not collected and leaks into the apparatus rarely occurs. As a result, the inside of the apparatus can be prevented from being stained due to waste ink. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exterior perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a state where a roll paper cover and a mounting portion opening/closing cover of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  are opened; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a state where a case is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state where a front upper panel, a case cover, and so on of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  are removed; 
       FIG. 5  is an expanded perspective view of a cartridge mounting portion shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a state where a mounting portion opening/closing cover of the cartridge mounting portion shown in  FIG. 5  is opened; 
       FIG. 7  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between an ink cartridge and a. waste ink introduction needle to be connected to the ink cartridge; 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view showing a connection structure of the ink cartridge to be mounted on the cartridge mounting portion shown in  FIG. 2  and a waste ink introduction portion having the waste ink introduction needle to be connected to the ink cartridge; 
       FIG. 9  is an explanatory view illustrating an engagement of the waste ink introduction portion and a cartridge attachment/detachment lever when the ink cartridge is located at a cartridge use position shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 10  is an explanatory view illustrating an engagement state of the waste ink introduction portion and the cartridge attachment/detachment lever when the ink cartridge is located at a cartridge replacement position shown in  FIG. 6 ; and 
       FIG. 11  is an explanatory view of a cartridge movement detecting sensor that is provided in the cartridge mounting portion. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   An ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. 
     FIG. 1  is an exterior perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a state where a roll paper cover and a mounting portion opening/closing cover of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  are opened.  FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a state where a case is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state where a front upper panel, a case cover, and so on of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  are removed.  FIG. 5  is an expanded perspective view of a cartridge mounting portion shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a state where a mounting portion opening/closing cover of the cartridge mounting portion shown in  FIG. 5  is opened.  FIG. 7  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between an ink cartridge and a waste ink introduction needle to be connected to the ink cartridge.  FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view showing a connection structure of the ink cartridge to be mounted on the cartridge mounting portion shown in  FIG. 2  and a waste ink introduction portion having the waste ink introduction needle to be connected to the ink cartridge.  FIG. 9  is an explanatory view illustrating an engagement of the waste ink introduction portion and a cartridge attachment/detachment lever when the ink cartridge is located at a cartridge use position shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 10  is an explanatory view illustrating an engagement state of the waste ink introduction portion and the cartridge attachment/detachment lever when the ink cartridge is located at a cartridge replacement position shown in  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 11  is an explanatory view of a cartridge movement detecting sensor that is provided in the cartridge mounting portion. 
   A printer (an ink jet recording apparatus) of this embodiment performs color printing on a roll paper using a plurality of color ink liquids. The printer is suitable for printing of discount coupons of a supermarket or the like. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the printer  1  of this embodiment has a printer case  2  that has a front upper panel  2   a  and a case cover  2   b . On the front surface of the printer case  2 , a power switch  3 , a roll paper cover  5 , and a mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  are disposed. The roll paper cover  5  and the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  are openably provided forward. 
   If the roll paper cover  5  is opened, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a paper accommodating portion  13  that accommodates a roll paper  11  serving as a printing paper is opened, and replacement of the roll paper  11  can be performed. 
   If the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  is opened, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a cartridge mounting portion  15  is opened, and the attachment/detachment of the ink cartridge  17  of the cartridge mounting portion  15  can be performed. 
   The ink cartridge  17  accommodates a plurality of ink packs in a cartridge case  18 . In case of the printer  1  of this embodiment, the ink cartridge  17  of the cartridge mounting portion  15  moves from a cartridge replacement position described below to a cartridge use position, in connection with the opening/closing operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , a carriage  23 , on which a printing head is mounted, is provided above the paper accommodating portion  13  in the printer case  2 . The carriage  23  is movably supported in a widthwise direction of the paper by a guide member  25  that extends along the widthwise direction of the roll paper  11 . Further, the carriage  23  reciprocates in the widthwise direction of the roll paper  11  above a platen  28  by an endless belt  26   a  that extends in the widthwise direction of the roll paper  11  and a carriage motor  26   b  that drives the endless belt  26   a.    
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , a wait position (home position) of the reciprocating carriage  23  is located above the cartridge mounting portion  15 . Further, a cap (not shown) that covers ink nozzles of the printing head to be exposed at a bottom surface of the carriage  23 , and an ink suction mechanism  29  mounted on the cap are provided below the wait position. The ink suction mechanism  29  has a waste ink feeding pump that press-feeds waste ink discharged by a head cleaning operation of the printing head or an ink filling operation into a waste ink storage space provided in the ink cartridge  17 . Here, referring to  FIG. 4 , reference numeral  31  denotes a joint that is fixed to a casing  32  defining the cartridge mounting portion  15 , and reference numerals  33  and  34  denote waste ink feeding tubes that feed waste ink ejected by the waste ink feeding pump to the ink cartridge  17 . The waste ink feeding tubes  33  and  34  are flexible tubes. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the waste ink feeding tube  34  on the downstream side is flexibly cabled in a U shape such that a marginal length is secured so as to permit the movement operation at the time of replacement of the ink cartridge  17 . 
   The configurations of the ink cartridge  17  and the cartridge mounting portion  15  will now be described. 
   As shown in  FIG. 7 , in the ink cartridge  17 , an ink containing space  43  that accommodates the ink packs  42 , and a waste ink storage space  44  that stores waste ink fed from the waste ink feeding pump through the waste ink feeding tubes  33  and  34  are formed in a cartridge case  41  that serves as a casing providing the appearance of the ink cartridge  17 . 
   Each of the ink packs  42  has a cylindrical ink outlet port  45  for supplying an ink liquid to the outside in a side of a flexible pouch body storing the ink liquid. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the ink outlet port  45  has an on/off valve  45   a  that normally closes a flow passage. If an ink supply needle  46  provided in the cartridge mounting portion  15  is inserted into the ink outlet port  45 , the on/off valve  45   a  is opened, and thus the ink liquid stored in the pouch body is supplied to the ink supply needle  46 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , the ink outlet port  45  of the ink pack  42  is aligned with and fixed to an opening  41   b  formed in a front wall  41   a  of the cartridge case  41 . The ink containing space  43  of the ink cartridge  17  of this embodiment is configured to accommodate three ink packs  42  separately. Therefore, as shown in  FIG. 8 , three openings  41   b  individually facing the ink outlet ports  45  of the three ink packs  42  are formed in the front wall  41   a  of the cartridge case  41 . 
   A waste ink introduction port  48  that receives waste ink into the waste ink storage space  44  from the outside is provided below the front wall  41   a  of the cartridge case  41 . In the waste ink introduction port  48 , a valve body  48   b  that closes the flow passage is pressed into contact with a ring-shaped mouth member  48   a  formed of an elastic material, such as rubber or the like, by a spring  48   c . As shown in  FIG. 7 , if a waste ink introduction needle  51  provided in the cartridge mounting portion  15  is inserted and presses the valve body  48   b , the flow passage is opened, and the waste ink introduction needle  51  and the waste ink storage space  44  are connected to each other. Then, the introduction of waste ink from the waste ink introduction needle  51  to the waste ink storage space  44  can be performed. 
   An ink absorption member  53  that absorbs introduced waste ink is installed in the waste ink storage space  44 . As a material for the ink absorption member  53 , a porous material, such as sponge or nonwoven fabric, or absorbent polymer can be used. 
   The ink cartridge  17  is inserted into and mounted on the cartridge mounting portion  15  from the side of the front wall  41   a  of the cartridge case  41  where the ink outlet ports  45  or the waste ink introduction port  48  is exposed. 
   As shown in  FIG. 7 , the ink supply needles  46  that are inserted into the ink outlet ports  45  and are connected to the ink packs  42 , the waste ink introduction needle  51  that is inserted into the waste ink introduction port  48  and is connected to the waste ink storage space  44  are provided in the cartridge mounting portion  15 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the ink cartridge  17  is inserted to the cartridge use position of an inner part of the cartridge mounting portion  15 , the ink supply needles  46  are provided in a structure  55  of the inner part of the cartridge mounting portion  15  so as to be connected to the ink outlet ports  45 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , an upper end of the structure  55  extends a traveling height of the carriage  23 , and a flow passage that is connected to the ink supply needles  46  is formed in the structure  55 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the flow passage in the structure  55  is connected to one end of a flexible ink supply tube  57 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the other end of the ink supply tube  57  is connected to a damper unit  58  provided on the carriage  23 . The damper unit  58  is connected to a back pressure adjusting unit  59  connected to the printing head. 
   That is, in this embodiment, the ink liquid that is supplied from the ink pack  42  in the ink cartridge  17  to the ink supply needle  46  is supplied to the printing head while passing through the flow passage in the structure  55 , the ink supply tube  57 , the damper unit  58 , and the back pressure adjusting unit  59 . 
   The waste ink introduction needle  51  is provided in a waste ink introduction portion  61  shown in  FIG. 8 . 
   The waste ink introduction portion  61  is a mechanism having a guide portion  61   a  that is slidably fitted into a guide groove  62  (see  FIG. 6 ) formed at a bottom portion of the cartridge mounting portion  15 . If the guide portion  61   a  is fitted into the guide groove  62 , as indicated by an arrow (A) in  FIG. 6 , the waste ink introduction portion  61  is movably provided in the cartridge mounting portion  15  along an insertion and extraction direction of the ink cartridge  17 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , the waste ink introduction portion  61  has a bottom wall portion  61   b  having the guide portion  61   a  provided at its bottom surface, left and right side walls  61   c  and  61   d  that are provided upright on both sides of the bottom wall portion  61   b , and a rear wall portion  61   e  that is provided upright at a rear end of the bottom wall portion  61   b . A space  61   f , into which a lower portion of the front surface of the ink cartridge  17  is fitted, is defined by the individual wall portions  61   b  to  61   e.    
   Two positioning pins  64  are provided in the rear wall portion  61   e  of the waste ink introduction portion  61 , in addition to the waste ink introduction needle  51  that is inserted into and connected to the waste ink introduction port  48  of the ink cartridge  17 . The two positioning pins  64  are disposed on both sides of the waste ink introduction needle  51 . The two positioning pines  64  are fitted into positioning holes  66  formed in the front wall  41   a  of the ink cartridge  17 , and thus positioning of the mounted ink cartridge  17  in a widthwise direction and a heightwise direction can be made. 
   A terminal mounting hole  61   g , on which a connection terminal member connected to a control circuit of the printer  1  is mounted, is formed in the left wall  61   c  of the waste ink introduction portion  61 . The connection terminal member mounted on the terminal mounting hole  61   g  electrically connects to a connection terminal of a memory device  67  provided in the side surface of the ink cartridge  17 . Therefore, data can be read and written from and into the memory device  67  by the control circuit of the printer. 
   A tube connection port  61   h , an engagement groove  61   i , and a slotted lever connection portion  61   j  (see  FIG. 9 ) are provided in the right wall  61   d  of the waste ink introduction portion  61 . The tube connection port  61   h  is connected to the waste ink feeding tube  34 . The engagement groove  61   i  positions and fixes the waste ink introduction portion  61  at the cartridge replacement position when the waste ink introduction portion  61  is extracted from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position, together with the ink cartridge  17 . The lever connection portion  61   j  is connected to a connection pin  75  that is provided at a front end of a cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  in order to move the waste ink introduction portion  61  from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position, together with the ink cartridge  17 . 
   Though not shown, a flow passage that connects the waste ink introduction needle  51  to the tube connection port  61   h  is formed in the rear wall portion  61   e  and the right wall  61   d  of the waste ink introduction portion  61 . 
   That is, as shown in  FIG. 5 , when the ink cartridge  17  is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion  15 , the waste ink storage space  44  of the ink cartridge  17 , to which the waste ink introduction needle  51  is connected, is connected to the waste ink feeding pump of the ink suction mechanism  29  through the flow passage in the waste ink introduction portion  61 , the waste ink feeding tube  34 , the joint  31 , the waste ink feeding tube  33 . Then, waste ink that is fed by the waste ink feeding pump at the time of the head cleaning operation of the printing head or the ink filling operation is introduced into the waste ink storage space  44 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a base end of the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  is rotatably connected to the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71 , which is displaced (rotates) integrally with the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 , through a pin  72 . Accordingly, at the time of an opening operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 , the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  is extracted forward by the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  that rotates integrally with the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 . Then, the ink cartridge  17  is extracted forward to the cartridge replacement position integrally with the waste ink introduction portion  61  since the connection pin  75  at the front end of the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  is connected to the lever connection portion  61   j.    
   In this embodiment, the lever connection portion  61   j  is formed in a slot shape such that the connection pin  75  is movably set by a predetermined length L along the moving direction of the ink cartridge  17 . With the slot, even though the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  moves in the extraction direction of the ink cartridge  17 , the connection pin moves within the slot at the beginning of the movement of the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68 , and thus the waste ink introduction portion  61  does not move. 
   That is, in this embodiment, as regards the rotation operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  when the ink cartridge  17  moves from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position, a predetermined operation range at the beginning of the rotation is set so as not to be involved in the movements of the ink cartridge  17  and the waste ink introduction portion  61 . 
   Meanwhile, an anchoring cam  78  that anchors the waste ink introduction portion  61  at the cartridge replacement position is vertically movably provided in the casing  32  that defines the cartridge mounting portion  15 . Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the anchoring cam  78  has cam surfaces  78   a  and  78   b  at its lower end. The cam surfaces  78   a  and  78   b  are brought into contact with a plate cam  77  (see  FIG. 6 ) and are biased upward by the plate cam  77 . On both side surfaces of the anchoring cam  78 , protruding portions are provided to protrude from the side surfaces. The protrusions are fitted into and vertically movably supported by a U groove of a support portion that is bent and erected from the casing  32  defining the cartridge mounting portion  15 , and are biased downward by a spring member (not shown). 
   As shown in  FIG. 10 , the anchoring cam  78  has an engagement piece  76  (locking mechanism) that is engaged with the engagement groove  61   i  (locking mechanism) of the waste ink introduction portion  61 . The engagement piece  76  is formed integrally with the anchoring cam  78  on its rear surface. That is, the engagement piece  76  and the anchoring cam  78  integrally move up and down. When the anchoring cam  78  is brought into contact with the plate cam  77  and the anchoring cam  78  ascends, the engagement piece  76  also ascends together with the anchoring cam  78 . 
   When the ink cartridge  17  is separated from the cartridge use position by the forward movement of the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68 , the connection of the ink supply needle  46  and the ink cartridge  17  is released according to the movement of the ink cartridge  17  since the ink supply needle  46  is provided in the structure  55  of the inner part of the cartridge mounting portion  15 . 
   If the ink cartridge  17  is extracted to the cartridge replacement position, the plate cam  77  slides on the cam surface  78   b  of the anchoring cam  78 , and the anchoring cam  78  moves upward. Then, the engagement piece  76  moves above an end portion of the waste ink introduction portion  61  where the engagement groove  61   i  is formed. Subsequently, if the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  moves forward, the anchoring cam  78  descends such that the cam surface  78   a  is brought into contact with the plate cam  77 . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the engagement piece  76  is engaged with the engagement groove  61   i  of the waste ink introduction portion  61 , and the waste ink introduction portion  61  is fixed so as not to move forward and backward. In this state, if the ink cartridge  17  is extracted forward, the waste ink introduction needle  51  and the ink cartridge  17  are disconnected, and the ink cartridge  17  is completely removed from the cartridge mounting portion  15 . 
   In a state where the waste ink introduction portion  61  is fixed by the engagement piece  76 , if a new ink cartridge  17  is press-attached to the waste ink introduction portion  61 , the waste ink introduction needle  51  and the positioning pins  64  provided in the waste ink introduction portion  61  are fitted into the waste ink introduction port  48  and the positioning holes  66  of the ink cartridge  17 , such that the ink cartridge  17  and the waste ink introduction port  48  are connected to each other. In this case, the engagement groove  61   i  and the engagement piece  76  are engaged with each other, the waste ink introduction portion  61  does not move, and the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  is not closed. Therefore, there is no case where a user&#39;s hand is caught by the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 . 
   When the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  is opened, and the waste ink introduction portion  61  is fixed at the cartridge replacement position, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the connection pin  75  of the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  is disposed at a front end of the slotted lever connection pin  61   j . In this state, even though the opening operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  starts again and the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  starts to move backward by the rotation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71 , the connection pin  75  merely moves within the slot at the beginning of the rotation, and thus the waste ink introduction portion  61  does not move. 
   If the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  rotates by a predetermined angle from the opened state in a closing direction, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the plate cam  77  that is formed at an upper edge of the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  is brought into contact with the anchoring cam  78  by the movement of the cartridge attachment/detachment link  68  connected to the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71 . Then, the anchoring cam  78  is pushed up as indicated by an arrow (B). 
   Therefore, if the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  is closed by a predetermined angle, and the plate cam  77  pushes up the anchoring cam  78 , the engagement piece  76  and the engagement groove  61   i  shown in  FIG. 10  are disengaged from each other, and the waste ink introduction portion  61  can move to the cartridge replacement position. 
   If the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  is completely closed, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the waste ink introduction portion  61  and the ink cartridge  17  are positioned at the cartridge use position, and the ink supply needles  46  are connected to the ink outlet ports  45  of the ink cartridge  17 . 
   In this embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 11 , a cartridge movement detecting sensor  81  that detects the movement operation of the ink cartridge  17  from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position on the basis of the rotation operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  is provided on the left surface ( FIG. 5  shows the right surface) of the casing  32  that defines the cartridge mounting portion  15 . 
   The cartridge movement detecting sensor  81  is a proximity sensor that detects the occurrence of the movement by the displacement of an end portion of an arm  83 , which pivots according to the rotation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  rotating integrally with the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 . 
   The arm  83  is pivotably supported around a fulcrum  84  on the casing  32 . One end of the arm  83  is brought into contact with a pressing portion  71   a  of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71 , such that a rotation in a counterclockwise direction in the drawing is regulated. The other end of the arm  83  extends to a position close to the cartridge movement detecting sensor  81 . 
   In  FIG. 11 , if the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  rotates in a direction of an arrow (D) by the opening operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  indicated by an arrow (C), the arm  83  that is pressed by the pressing portion  71   a  of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  rotates in a direction of an arrow (E) in the drawing around the fulcrum  84  on the casing  32 . On the basis of the displacement of the other end of the arm  83  at that time, the cartridge movement detecting sensor  81  detects that the extraction operation of the ink cartridge  17  starts. 
   Subsequently, if the movement of the ink cartridge  17  is detected by the cartridge movement detecting sensor  81 , the operation of the waste ink feeding pump of the ink suction mechanism  29  stops. 
   Moreover, in this embodiment, a stopper  85  is provided to regulate a rotation range of the arm  83  such that the arm  83  does not rotate more than it should, when the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  is opened and the pressing portion  71   a  is completely separated from the arm  83 . Then, the arm  83  rotates to the position shown in  FIG. 11  by the pressing portion  71   a  at the time of the closing operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 . 
   In the printer  1  of this embodiment described above, at the time of the replacement of the ink cartridge  17 , first, by the rotation operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71 , the used ink cartridge  17  mounted on the cartridge mounting portion  15  is extracted from the cartridge use position where the ink supply needles  46  of the cartridge mounting portion  15  are connected to the ink outlet ports  45  to the cartridge replacement position where the connection of the ink outlet ports  45  and the ink supply needles  46  is released. 
   However, even though the ink cartridge  17  moves to the cartridge replacement position, the waste ink introduction needle  51  that introduces waste ink into the waste ink storage space  44  of the ink cartridge  17  moves integrally with the ink cartridge  17  to the cartridge replacement position. Accordingly, unless the removal operation of the ink cartridge  17  from the cartridge replacement position is made, there is no case where the waste ink introduction needle  51  is separated from the ink cartridge  17 . 
   That is, even though the ink cartridge  17  starts to move from the cartridge use position toward the cartridge replacement position for the replacement of the ink cartridge  17 , there is no case where the waste ink introduction needle  51  is separated from the ink cartridge  17  immediately after the ink cartridge  17  starts to move. Accordingly, the connection state of the ink cartridge  17  and the waste ink introduction needle  51  is maintained until the ink cartridge  17  is removed from the cartridge replacement position. 
   Therefore, a required time until the connection of the ink cartridge  17  and the waste ink introduction needle  51  is released can be significantly increased, as compared with the related art in which the connection of the ink cartridge  17  and the waste ink introduction needle  51  is released immediately after the ink cartridge  17  starts to move from the cartridge use position to the cartridge replacement position. 
   In this embodiment, with the cartridge movement detecting sensor  81  that detects the rotation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71 , when the ink cartridge  17  starts to move, the waste ink feeding pump rapidly stops. 
   For this reason, even though the replacement of the ink cartridge  17 , which is receiving waste ink from the waste ink feeding pump, starts during the operation of the waste ink feeding pump, a sufficient time elapsed from a time when the operation of the waste ink feeding pump stops until the ink cartridge  17  reaches the cartridge replacement position and is removed from the cartridge replacement position is allocated to a time for collecting waste ink remaining in a flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the waste ink introduction needle  51  into the waste ink storage space  44 . 
   Therefore, there is no case where waste ink remaining in the flow passage is not collected and leaks into the apparatus, and thus the inside of the printer can be prevented from being stained due to waste ink. 
   In the printer  1  of this embodiment, the stop operation of the waste ink feeding pump is rapidly made simultaneously with the start of the rotation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  by the action of the cartridge movement detecting sensor  81 . Meanwhile, the actual movement of the ink cartridge  17  to the cartridge replacement position starts later than the rotation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  by an idle time set in the lever connection portion  61   j . Therefore, a required time until the connection of the ink cartridge  17  and the waste ink introduction needle  51  is released is increased. 
   That is, a time for collecting waste ink remaining in the flow passage from the waste ink feeding pump to the waste ink introduction needle  51  into the waste ink storage space  44  of the ink cartridge  17  can be increased. As a result, waste ink remaining in the flow passage can be reliably collected, and reliability for a stain prevention effect in the printer due to waste ink can be improved. 
   In the related art printer, the replacement operation of the ink cartridge requires many actions of (a) opening the mounting portion opening/closing cover and opening the front surface of the cartridge mounting portion, (b) extracting the mounted ink cartridge to the cartridge replacement position where the connection of the ink outlet port of the ink cartridge and the ink supply needle of the cartridge mounting portion is released, (c) replacing the ink cartridge extracted to the cartridge replacement position with a new ink cartridge and returning the new ink cartridge to the cartridge use position where the ink outlet port is connected to the ink supply needle of the cartridge mounting portion, and (d) closing the mounting portion opening/closing cover. 
   In contrast, in the printer of this embodiment, the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  is incorporated into the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 , and the opening/closing operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  includes the rotation operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71 . Accordingly, the replacement operation of the ink cartridge  17  requires two actions of (a) opening the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  and extracting the ink cartridge  17  mounted on the cartridge mounting portion  15  to the cartridge replacement position, and (b) replacing the ink cartridge  17  extracted to the cartridge replacement position with a new ink cartridge  17  and closing the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7 . Therefore, as compared with the related art in which the opening/closing operation of the mounting portion opening/closing cover  7  and the rotation operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71  are separately performed, the replacement of the ink cartridge can be performed by a small amount of action, and a handling property can be improved. 
   Moreover, the kind or arrangement of the cartridge movement detecting sensor that detects the start of the operation for the replacement of the ink cartridge is not limited to the above-described embodiment. As a sensor, a sensor that optically detects operations of an operating portion in a contactless manner can be used as well as the proximity sensor. Further, the start of the operation for the replacement of the ink cartridge may be detected on the basis of the opening operation the mounting portion opening/closing of the cover  7 , not the operation of the cartridge attachment/detachment lever  71 . Further, the configuration, such as the shape or the like, of the waste ink storage space  44  provided in the ink cartridge  17  is not limited to the above-described embodiment. 
   The invention can be most effectively applied to a case where, according to mounting accuracy of the sensor that stops the operation of the waste ink feeding pump, the waste ink feeding pump stops when the waste ink introduction needle is separated. Further, the connection to the ink cartridge is described by way of the waste ink introduction needle and the ink supply needle, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the connection to the ink cartridge may be made by pressing porous materials. In this case, ink may flow using capillary force of the porous materials. 
   Moreover, the cartridge attachment/detachment lever is not limited to the rotatable cartridge attachment/detachment lever as the above-described embodiment and thus a pullout cartridge attachment/detachment lever may be used.