Patent ID: 7841688

Claim:
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid ejecting head having a nozzle from which a liquid is ejected; a liquid supply passage which is connected with the liquid ejecting head and supplies the liquid to the liquid ejecting head; a gas discharge passage connected with the liquid supply passage so as to discharge a gas from the liquid supply passage; a gas-permeable film which allows gases to pass therethrough but not allows liquids to pass therethrough and which provides a partition separating the gas discharge passage and the liquid supply passage from each other in a connecting portion where the gas discharge passage and the liquid supply passage are connected with each other; a liquid suction cap for sucking the liquid in the liquid ejecting head through the nozzle; a sucking device which sucks gases and liquids; a switching device selectively connecting the sucking device with one of the gas discharge passage and the liquid suction cap; a differential pressure valve disposed in a portion of the gas discharge passage between the gas permeable film and the switching device, the differential pressure valve (i) being opened by a suction pressure from the sucking device to communicate the gas permeable film and the switching device with each other while the sucking device is operating, and (ii) disconnecting communication between the gas permeable film and the switching device while the sucking device is not operating; and a first liquid holding chamber which is disposed in a portion of the gas discharge passage between the differential pressure valve and the switching device, and in which the liquid flowing into the gas discharge passage from the switching device is trapped.