Patent ID: 8033649

Claim:
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid ejecting head that has a conductive nozzle plate and discharges liquid from openings of the nozzle plate to recording material; an intermediate electrode that is arranged opposite the nozzle plate in a direction in which the liquid is discharged and has a transit area through which the liquid passes; an intermediate potential difference generating means that generates a potential difference between the nozzle plate and said electrode to electrically attract liquid toward said intermediate electrode; a terminal electrode that is arranged farther away from the nozzle plate than said intermediate electrode in a direction in which liquid is discharged in the liquid ejecting apparatus; a terminal potential difference generating means that generates a potential difference between said intermediate electrode and said terminal electrode in the same direction as that between the nozzle plate and said intermediate electrode, in order to electrically attract the liquid that passes through the transit area of said intermediate electrode to said terminal electrode; and a waste liquid absorber that is arranged next to said terminal electrode and absorbs the liquid attracted to said terminal electrode to hold the liquid.