Patent Publication Number: US-7905571-B2

Title: Waste ink container, waste ink storing apparatus and inkjet printer including the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0061084, filed on Jun. 21, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present general inventive concept relates to waste ink collection, and more particularly, to a waste ink container which prevents waste ink from being discharged exterior thereto. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An inkjet printer ejects an ink droplet from a nozzle of a printing head onto a printing medium to form an image. The inkjet printer includes an ink cartridge which stores ink and supplies it to the printing head. 
     Generally, if the nozzle is clogged by impurities, the amount of ink ejected through the nozzle is diminished. Thus, the inkjet printer performs a nozzle-cleaning operation to remove the impurities from the nozzle. 
     The nozzle-cleaning operation is performed by discharging the ink of the ink cartridge out of the printing head through the nozzle, which is generally referred to as an “ink-spitting” operation. To capture the ink discharged out of the printing head during the ink-spitting operation, the inkjet printer includes a waste ink container to store the discharged ink (hereinafter, referred to as ‘waste ink’). 
     The waste ink is discharged through the nozzle in droplets of small size (or volume). As the number of nozzles per unit length increases to improve resolution in dots per inch (DPI) of the inkjet printer, the sizes of the droplets of the waste ink become correspondingly smaller. Consequently, some of the waste ink in the waste ink container is in an aerosol state and diffuses, or is carried with an air flow, within the inkjet printer. 
     Conventional solutions to the foregoing problems include a waste ink container in which a waste ink droplet is introduced through an opening, but is discharged to the outside through the opening by external force. In this case, the internal part of the inkjet printer may be contaminated by the waste ink droplet. Also, if the waste ink droplet contaminates a printing medium which is being printed, printing quality may be lowered. 
     Also, in the conventional inkjet printers, a printing head ejects ink in a transverse direction to a direction of gravity. Thus, the waste ink droplet may not pass through the opening and, instead, be introduced outside the waste ink container, thereby raising a possibility of contaminating the internal part of the inkjet printer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present general inventive concept to provide a waste ink container that prevents waste ink from being discharged to the outside of the waste ink container, a waste ink storing apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the same. 
     Also, it is another aspect of the present general inventive concept to provide a waste ink container that prevents contamination of an internal part of an inkjet printer with waste ink, a waste ink storing apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the same. 
     Further, it is another aspect of the present general inventive concept to provide a waste ink container that improves printing quality, a waste ink storing apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the same. 
     Additional aspects and/or advantages of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present general inventive concept. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can be achieved by providing an ink container, including a container main body which forms a chamber to accommodate ink therein, an upper plate which comprises an opening to introduce a ink droplet therethrough and covers an upper part of the chamber, and a waste ink containment device having a discharge preventing unit which is adjacent to the opening and inhibits the ink droplet from being discharged through the opening. 
     The waste ink containment device may further include an introduction guide which is disposed within the chamber and extends from the upper plate toward inside of the chamber, and guides the ink droplet toward the chamber through the opening. 
     The introduction guide may include a first protrusion to increase a contact area thereof with the ink droplet. 
     The upper plate further may include a second protrusion facing the chamber which increases a contact area of the upper plate with the ink droplet. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a waste ink storing apparatus. The waste ink storing apparatus includes an ink container which includes a container main body which forms a chamber to accommodate ink therein, an upper plate which comprises an opening to introduce a plurality of ink droplets therethrough and covers an upper part of the chamber, and a waste ink containment device having a discharge preventing unit which is adjacent to the opening and resists the ink droplets being discharged through the opening and a cover member which opens and closes the opening. 
     The cover member may open and close the opening by engaging with the movement of an ink-ejecting means which ejects the ink droplet. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing an inkjet printer, including a printing head which includes a nozzle to eject ink therethrough, and moves between a printing position to print on a printing medium and a nozzle-cleaning position distanced from the printing position, and an ink container including a container main body which forms a chamber to accommodate ink therein, an upper plate which comprises an opening to introduce a plurality of ink droplets therethrough and covers an upper part of the chamber, and a waste ink containment device that includes a cover member exterior to the container main body which opens and closes the opening. 
     The waste ink containment device may further include an introduction guide which is disposed within the chamber and extends from the upper plate toward inside of the chamber, and guides the ink droplets into the chamber upon being introduced through the opening. 
     The introduction guide may include a first protrusion to increase a contact area with the ink droplets. 
     The upper plate further may include a second protrusion which increases a contact area with the ink droplets and faces the chamber. 
     The inkjet printer may further include a discharge preventing unit interior to the container main body adjacent to the opening to inhibit the ink droplets from being discharged through the opening. 
     The cover member may move between an opening position to open the opening and a closing position to close the opening in engagement with movement of the printing head moving between the nozzle-cleaning position and the printing position. 
     The cover member may be provided to slidably move parallel to the movement of the printing head. 
     The inkjet printer may further Include an ink cartridge which stores ink therein, and moves integrally with the printing head, wherein the cover member engages and disengages the ink cartridge, and opens and closes the opening in engagement with the movement of the ink cartridge. 
     The inkjet printer may further include an elastic member which applies an elastic force to the cover member to close the opening when the cover member disengages the ink cartridge. 
     Additional aspects and/or utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a waste ink receptacle including at least one opening through which waste ink is received. A waste ink containment device is provided having a lower wetting surface disposed at least partially across the opening to accumulate droplets of the waste ink thereon to form ink drops, an upper wetting surface adjacent to the opening to accumulate aerosol droplets of the waste ink thereon to form other ink drops, a discharge preventing unit formed between the upper wetting surface and the opening to inhibit the aerosol droplets from movement into the opening. A chamber collects the ink drops and the other ink drops upon being released from the lower wetting surface and the upper wetting surface, respectively. 
     Additional aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept are also achieved by providing an inkjet printing apparatus including at least one print head to print indicia on a printing medium with ink supplied thereto, the print head being selectively removed from a printing region at which the printing medium is provided to a cleaning region removed from the printing region and at which the print head forcibly ejects the ink to clean nozzles formed therein. The inkjet printing apparatus includes a waste ink container at the cleaning region to receive the ink forcibly ejected by the print head as waste ink thereat, the waste ink container including an upper plate having formed therein an opening to receive the waste ink therethrough, and a chamber to collect the waste ink. A waste ink containment device is provided and includes a discharge prevention unit having a proximal end thereof coupled to the upper plate and having a distal end thereof in a predetermined arrangement with the upper plate to inhibit the waste ink from movement into the opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of certain components of an exemplary inkjet printer according to the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of a waste ink container according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the waste ink container, taken along line III-III in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of certain components of the waste ink container in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of an exemplary waste ink storing apparatus according to the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic sectional view of the waste ink storing apparatus according to the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of certain components of a waste ink container according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of certain components of a waste ink container according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures. 
     According to embodiments of the present general inventive concept, a waste ink containment device  300  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) is deployed at a waste ink receptacle, such as a waste ink container or a waste ink storage apparatus, to allow waste ink to be introduced into the waste ink receptacle, but to inhibit the waste ink from exiting the waste ink receptacle. As will be illustrated through the exemplary embodiments described below, the waste ink containment device  300  may have elements within and exterior to the waste ink receptacle. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an inkjet printer  1  according to the present general inventive concept may include an ink cartridge  10  and a waste ink container  100 . The inkjet printer  1  may include a waste ink storing apparatus  200  (refer to  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) having the waste ink container  100 . The waste ink container  100  may be replaced by one of waste ink containers  100   a  and  100   b  (to be described below) according to second and third exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     The ink cartridge  10  may be installed in a carrier  5 . The carrier  5  may be guided by a guide  3 , and translates in transverse directions B and C with respect to a printing medium supplying direction L, carrying the ink cartridge  10  therewith to form an ink image on a printing medium. 
     The exemplary ink cartridge  10  is provided to be movable between a printing position, where the printing medium receives ink from printing heads  25  and  35  (to be describe below) illustrated in  FIG. 3 , and a nozzle-cleaning position to clean a nozzle (not illustrated) of the printing heads  25  and  35  by moving the carrier  5 . 
     The printing heads  25  and  35  may each be manufactured as a chip type printing head formed by a semiconductor process. The printing head chip may include a plurality of nozzles (not illustrated) to eject ink therethrough, an ink chamber (not illustrated) to supply the ink to the respective nozzles, and a heater (not illustrated) to heat the ink provided in the ink chamber thereby applying an ejection force on the ink. 
     The ink cartridge  10  may include a color sub-cartridge  20  to store color ink therein, and a mono sub-cartridge  30  to store black ink therein. The ink cartridge  10  may move in a single body, even when comprising more than one sub-cartridge. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the sub-cartridges  20  and  30  may include casings  21  and  31 , which form storage chambers  21   a  and  31   a  to store ink therein. Head supporters  23  and  33  may be accommodated within the casings  21  and  31  to form supplying chambers  23   a  and  33   a  to receive the ink from the storage chambers  21   a  and  31   a  and to supply the received ink to the printing heads  25  and  35 , respectively. Ink paths (not illustrated) are formed to supply the ink stored in the storage chambers  21   a  and  31   a  to the nozzle of the printing heads  25  and  35  in the respective cartridges. 
     The printing heads  25  and  35  may be supported by the head supporters  23  and  33  so that the ink is ejected in a vertical direction, i.e., ejected in the same direction as the direction of the force of gravity. 
     The exemplary ink cartridge  10  has a rectangular shape, but is not limited thereto, and may vary in its shape. Moreover, the ink cartridge  10  and the printing heads  25  and  35  may be separately mounted to the inkjet printer  1 . More specifically, the ink cartridge  10  may be detached from the inkjet printer  1  while the printing heads  25  and  35  remain attached to the inkjet printer  1 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the waste ink container  100  may be disposed in the nozzle-cleaning position outside the region where the printing medium is conveyed. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the waste ink container  100  according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept may include a container main body  120 , which forms chambers G and H accommodating the waste ink therein, a plurality of upper plates  110 , which respectively define the upper part of the chambers G and H, and a plurality of discharge preventing units  130 . The container main body  120  includes a plurality of container sections  121  and  123  to receive the waste ink from the color cartridge  20  and the mono cartridge  30  separately. For example, the container main body  120  may include a color container section  121 , which forms a color waste ink chamber G to store the ejected waste ink of the color sub-cartridge  20 , and a mono container section  123 , which forms a mono waste ink chamber H to store the waste ink of the mono sub-cartridge  30  therein. 
     Each chamber G, H storing waste ink may have integrated thereon an upper plate  110 . A first cleaning region  112  and a second cleaning region  114  may be defined on each upper plate  110  at which the waste ink is ejected to clean the nozzle of the printing heads  25  and  35 . In certain embodiments of the present general inventive concept, either of the first cleaning region  112  and the second cleaning region  114  may be removed, and the shape of the first and second cleaning regions  112  and  114  may vary. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first cleaning region  112  may include one or more first openings  111 , and the second cleaning region  114  may include a second opening  113  that is larger than the first opening  111 . In certain embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the first cleaning region  112  includes at least one first opening  111  and the second cleaning region  114  includes the second opening  113 . 
     If a small amount of waste ink is to be ejected, the nozzle of the printing heads  25  and  35  is moved to the first cleaning region  112  to face the first opening  111 . In this case, most of the ejected ink may be introduced to the chambers G and H through the first openings  111 . 
     If a large amount of waste ink is to be ejected, i.e. if the nozzle is severely clogged or impurities are heavily disposed on the ink path, the nozzle of the printing heads  25  and  35  is moved to the second cleaning region  114  to face the second opening  113  to perform an ink-spitting operation. 
     The ink-spitting operation forcibly ejects ink through the nozzle of the print heads  25  and  35 , where it is captured as waste ink in the waste ink container  100 . The waste ink may have a distribution of droplet sizes, representatively illustrated in  FIG. 3  as ink droplets P and aerosol ink droplets F. The ink droplets P include those droplets of sufficient volume to be carried by their own momentum towards the chamber G, H, generally in the direction in which they were ejected. The aerosol droplets F, however, are of a size that allows them to be suspended in the air within the chamber G, H, where the aerosol droplets F can be carried by the flow of the air and/or diffuse throughout the chamber G, H. The present general inventive concept, among other things, implements elements of a waste ink containment device  300  within the waste ink container that inhibits the ink droplets P as well as the aerosol droplets F from exiting the waste ink container  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the exemplary waste ink containment device  300  includes discharge preventing unit  130 , which is disposed on the periphery of the second opening  113 , and extends from the upper plate  110  toward the corresponding one of the chambers G and H. The discharge preventing unit  130  prevents aerosol ink droplets F in the corresponding chamber G, H from escaping out of the waste ink container  100  through the second opening  113 . 
     All or part of the surface of the upper plate  110  facing the chambers G and H forms an upper wetting surface  180  to accumulate aerosol droplets F by a wetting process to form larger ink drops J that fall under the influence of gravity toward the corresponding chamber G, H. The upper wetting surface  180  may include protrusions  115  that enhance the wetting process by increasing a contact area with a corresponding aerosol droplet F, thereby overcoming the surface tension that holds the droplet in its spherical form. Once the surface tension has been released, the droplet spreads on the wetting surface, and unites with the ink of other aerosol droplets F on the wetting surface  180  to ultimately form ink drops among the ink drops J. The aerosol droplets F are removed from chambers G and H by the wetting process and therefore are prevented from exiting the waste ink container  100 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the waste ink containment device  300  may further include an introduction guide  140  in either of both of the chambers G and H. The introduction guide  140  may be disposed as a lower wetting surface  190  within the chambers G and H to accumulate the ink droplets P introduced through the second opening  113  by the wetting process to form larger ink drops, such as those illustrated as ink drops J, that fall under the influence of gravity toward the corresponding chamber G, H. 
     The introduction guide  140  may be disposed at a distal end thereof from the upper plate  110  above each of the chambers G and H adjacent to the second opening  113  to be inclined toward the respective chambers G and H to intercept ink droplets P discharged from the printing heads  25  and  35  in the waste ink ejecting direction. Additionally, the introduction guide may be disposed to extend across the second opening  113  to prevent ink stored in the chambers G, H from exiting therethrough, such as through splatter. 
     The introduction guide  140  may further include protrusions  143  formed on the lower wetting surface  190 . The protrusions  143  may be provided to increase the contact area with the ink droplets P in a manner similar to the protrusions  115  of the upper wetting surface  180 . The shape of the protrusions  115  and  143  is not limited to the concavo-convex profile illustrated in  FIG. 4 , and may vary per application. Moreover, the protrusions  115  and  143  may be sized according to the different sizes of droplets F, P received on the respective wetting surface  180 ,  190 , and may have varying size distributions across respective wetting surfaces  180 ,  190 . 
     A cloth or attaching member having minute holes thereon may be attached to the lower wetting surface of the introduction guide  140  instead of the protrusions  143  integrally formed in the introduction guide  140 . The foregoing alternative may also apply to the protrusions  115  of the upper plate  110 . 
     An ejected waste ink droplet P and the aerosol droplets F, contact the protrusions  143  of the lower wetting surface  190  and the protrusions  115  of the upper wetting surface  180 , respectively, to become larger waste ink drops J. The ink drops J subsequently fall under the influence of gravity to the corresponding chamber G, H. The waste ink drops J gather in the chambers G and H and become waste ink fluid M to be stored therein. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , a waste ink container  100   a  according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept includes a first discharge preventing unit  130   a  and a second discharge preventing unit  130   b . The shape of the discharge preventing units  130   a  and  130   b  is different from that of the discharge preventing unit  130  according to the first exemplary embodiment. Other components of the waste ink container  100   a  according to the second exemplary embodiment are the same as those previously describe with reference to the first exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the first discharge preventing unit  130   a  may extend in a direction toward a surface of the introduction guide  140  facing the direction from which the ejected ink is introduced into the chamber G. Thus, a gap S which is formed between the first discharge preventing unit  130   a  and the introduction guide  140 , i.e., the gap S through which the waste ink droplet F is discharged, is smaller than that according to the first exemplary embodiment. 
     The first discharge preventing unit  130   a  may include protrusions  137 , which face the chamber G. Protrusions  138  may be also formed on the surface of the first discharge preventing unit  130   a  facing the nozzle  25 . If the waste ink is introduced into the second opening  113 , some of the waste ink may contact the protrusions  138  of the first discharge preventing unit  130   a  and be attached by wetting to the protrusions  138 . The attached waste ink may be guided to the chamber G under the influence of gravity, as described above. 
     The waste ink may be introduced through a partial region R of the second opening  113 , such as when performing an ink-spitting operation only when the nozzle of the print head  25  is positioned in the partial region R. When the present general inventive concept is so embodied, the protrusion  138  may be removed. 
     The second discharge preventing unit  130   b  includes a first bent part  131 , which is bent from the upper plate  110  toward a face of the introduction guide  140 , and a second bent part  132 , which is bent from the first bent part  131  to be parallel to the introduction guide  140 . The first and second bent parts  131  and  132  may include protrusions  137 , which face the chamber H. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , a waste ink container  100   b  according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept includes a third discharge preventing unit  130   c  and a fourth discharge preventing unit  130   d . The shape of the discharge preventing units  130   c  and  130   d  and the size of a second opening  114  are different from those according to the first and second exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept. Other components of the waste ink container  100   b  according to the third exemplary embodiment are the same as those previously described with reference to the first and second exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept. 
     The third discharge preventing unit  130   c  may include a third bent part  133  and a fourth bent part  134 . 
     The third bent part  133  is bent perpendicularly to the upper plate  110  toward the chamber G from a position closer to the first opening  111  of the upper plate  110  to make dimension R′ of the second opening  114  smaller than the dimension R of the previously described second opening  113 . The fourth bent part  134  is bent from the third bent part  133  to be parallel to the introduction guide  140  to form a gap S′ that is smaller than the gap S of the previously described embodiments. 
     The third and fourth bent parts  133  and  134  may further include protrusions  137 , which face the chamber G. As described above, the protrusions  137  attach the aerosol droplets F within the chamber G to its surface to reduce the amount of the waste ink which is suspended the chamber G. 
     The fourth discharge preventing unit  130   d  may include a fifth bent part  135 , which is bent perpendicularly to the upper plate  110  toward the chamber H, and a chamfer part  136 , which is chamfered along a bending direction of the fifth bent part  135  to decrease thickness of the fifth bent part  135 . The fifth bent part  135  may extend substantially to the tip of the introduction unit  140  to form a small gap S″. The gaps S, S′, and S″, allow ink drops J to pass into the corresponding chambers G and H, but decrease the likelihood of an errant spatter ink drop from reaching the second opening  113 . 
     The shapes of the discharge preventing units  130   c  and  130   d  are not limited to those in  FIG. 8 , and may vary to prevent the waste ink droplet from being discharged per the corresponding application. 
     Hereinafter, the waste ink storing apparatus  200  according to the present general inventive concept will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
     The exemplary waste ink storing apparatus  200  includes the foregoing waste ink container  100 . 
     The waste ink storing apparatus  200  may include the waste ink containment device  300  that further includes first and second cover members  210  and  250 , which respectively open and close on a plurality of second openings  113 . It is to be understood that the second opening  114  of  FIG. 8  may also include a second cover member similar to those illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , and described herein with reference thereto. 
     The first and second cover members  210  and  250  may be provided to move in response to engagement with the movement of the printing heads  25  and  35 , and open and close the second openings  113  thereby. That is, as the printing heads  25  and  35  move between the printing position and the nozzle-cleaning position, the cover members  210  and  250  open and close the second openings  113  accordingly. 
     The first and second cover members  210  and  250  may include first and second contact units  213  and  253 , which contact, and are removed from contact with the ink cartridges  20  and  30  as the ink cartridges  20  and  30  move. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the first contact unit  213  may extend in a transverse direction of the waste ink-ejecting direction. The first contact unit  213  contacts the color sub-cartridge  20  so that the color ink is introduced to the second opening  113  upon the first cover member  210  being opened thereby. The first contact unit  213  may be shaped as illustrated in  FIG. 5  so as to bypass the second cover member  250  on the mono sub-cartridge  30  as it proceeds to engage with the first cover member  210  on the color sub-cartridge  20 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second contact unit  253  protrudes to contact a front surface  33  of the mono sub-cartridge  30  responsive to movement thereof. That is, the front surface  33  serves as a second cover operator to operate the second cover member  250 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the waste ink storing apparatus  200  may further include a guide  220 , an elastic member  230 , and a stopper  240 . 
     The guide  220  guides the sliding motion of each of the cover members  210  and  250  so as to move in the prescribed path. It is to be understood that the cover members  210  and  250  need not move in a linear path as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , and the guides  220  are constructed according to the particular path along which the cover members  210  and  250  move. 
     The elastic member  230  applies an elastic force to the cover members  210  and  250  to bias the cover members  210  and  250  toward a closing direction A of the second opening  113 . The elastic member  230  may be disposed between elastic member couplers  215  and  255  formed in the cover members  210  and  250 , respectively, and a projection  203  disposed on the waste ink container  100 . 
     The present general inventive concept is not limited to the shape and position of the elastic members  230  to achieve the elastic force on the cover members  210  and  250  toward the closing direction A of the second opening  113 . 
     The stopper  240  limits the movement of the cover members  210  and  250  to the closed position so that the cover members  210  and  250  are biased against the stoppers  240  by the elastic force of the elastic member  230 . 
     The operation of opening and closing the second opening  113  by the cover members  210  and  250  moving in engagement with the movement of the printing heads  25  and  35  will be described. 
     First, a first cover projection  23  may be formed in the color sub-cartridge  20  to contact the first contact unit  213 . 
     As the color and mono sub-cartridges  20  and  30  move to the nozzle-cleaning position in direction B, the mono cartridge  20  passes over the first cover member  210  without contacting the first contact unit  213  of the first cover member  210 , and the first cover member  210  moves in a direction D to the opening position to open the second opening  113  as the first cover projection  23  of the color sub-cartridge  20  contacts the first contact unit  213 . 
     As the front surface  33  of the mono sub-cartridge  30  contacts the second contact unit  253 , the second cover member  250  moves in the direction D to the opening position, to open the second opening  113 . 
     Thus, the ink cartridge  10  and the printing heads  25  and  35  perform the ink-spitting operation and clean the nozzle while the second opening  113  is open. 
     If the ink cartridge  10  moves in a direction C after completing the ink-spitting operation, the first and second cover members  210  and  250  also move to the position to close the second opening  113  by the elastic force of the elastic member  230 . 
     When the color sub-cartridge  20  and the mono sub-cartridge  30  are removed from contact with the first and second contact units  213  and  253 , respectively, the cover members  210  and  250  over the corresponding second opening  113  are biased in the closed position by the elastic force of the corresponding elastic member  230 . Thus, the waste ink within the chambers G and H is completely prevented from being discharged to the outside of the waste ink storage apparatus  200  through the second opening  113 . 
     With the foregoing configuration, the second opening  113  of the waste ink container  100  is open only when the ink cartridge  10  moves to the nozzle-cleaning position to spit ink, and closed if the ink cartridge  10  moves out of the nozzle-cleaning position, thereby completely preventing the waste ink from contaminating the internal part of the inkjet printer  1 . 
     As described above, the cover members  210  and  250  contact the ink cartridge  10  to move. Alternatively, the cover members  210  and  250  may be operated through contact with the carrier  5  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     In certain embodiments, the cover members  210  and  250  open and close only on the second opening  113 , since the waste ink droplet is discharged more often from the second opening  113  than from the first opening  111 . However, the cover members  210  and  250  may also close the first opening  111  depending on the application. 
     Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.