A controller is configured to: (a) control a head according to a recording command received to eject liquid through ejection openings toward a recording medium; (b) control a discharger to discharge the liquid toward a receiving member through at least one of the ejection openings; (c) determine whether a remaining amount representing an amount of the liquid on the receiving member and based at least on an amount of the liquid discharged onto the receiving member in the step (b) is equal to or greater than a first predetermined amount; and (d) control the remover to remove the liquid on the receiving member. The controller is configured to perform the step (a) before the step (d) when it is determined in the step (c) that the remaining amount is less than the first predetermined amount.

An ink maintenance system for a printer comprising a first tray having a base and a plurality of side walls, the first tray having a first length and an open top along the length and a second tray having a base and a plurality of side walls, the second tray having a second length and an open top along its length. The system also includes a fan and a filter. To use the system, a print head is positioned in a standby or cleaning position within the printer and ink is ejected from one or more print nozzles into an ink maintenance system within the printer such that the ejected ink is collected in at least one of a catch tray or a filter of the ink maintenance system. The system is then removable from the printer for cleaning.

An image forming system includes a fluid applicator unit, a substrate positioning unit, and a fluid collector assembly. The fluid collector assembly includes a collector substrate, a collector advancement unit, and a collector control module. The fluid applicator unit may apply fluid to a substrate. The substrate positioning unit may position the substrate in a printzone to receive the fluid from the fluid applicator unit such that a first portion of the fluid remains on the substrate and a second portion of the fluid does not remain on the substrate. The collector substrate may collect the second portion of the fluid in the printzone below the substrate. The collector advancement unit may advance the collector substrate along a collector transport path below the substrate in the printzone. The collector control module may control the collector advancement unit to selectively advance the collector substrate along the collector transport path in response to application of the fluid to the substrate by the fluid applicator unit.

A liquid collecting device to collect liquid stored in a storage portion of a liquid container includes a bottle main body, a collecting joint portion, and a first valve element. A flow passage member of the liquid container ports the liquid to the storage portion. The bottle main body has first and second openings in communication with outside the liquid collecting device. The collecting joint portion connects to the bottle main body through the first opening and includes a first coupling portion coupled to the flow passage member, and an internal flow passage extending between the first opening and the first coupling portion. The internal flow passage includes a throttle portion and a space. The first valve element is moveably provided in the space and the first valve element has an area larger than an opening area of the first opening and an opening area of the throttle portion.

A system for detecting a filling level in a printing fluid waste container comprises a waste container that collects excess printing fluid in a reservoir, and an optical sensor unit that detects a filling level of the reservoir on a filling reference surface.

A supporting section is disposed to confront an ejection surface and supports a recording medium. A first tank is mounted on a first-tank mount section. A liquid conveying section conveys liquid to a liquid ejecting head. A receiving section receives liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head. A waste-liquid conveying section conveys liquid to the waste-liquid tank. A first casing holds the liquid ejecting head, the first-tank mount section, and the liquid conveying section. A second casing holds the supporting section, the receiving section, the waste-liquid tank, and the waste-liquid conveying section. The first casing is connected with the second casing such that the first casing is movable relative to the second casing. The first casing takes a first position at which the ejection surface confronts the supporting section and a second position at which the ejection surface is farther away from the supporting section than at the first position.

A recording apparatus discharges an ink in a first color to a position at which an accumulated state on an ink absorber is to be detected. After that, a light is emitted onto the position from a light emitting unit, and reflected light is received by a light receiving unit.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid from a nozzle onto a medium to perform printing, a liquid accommodating unit configured to receive, via an opening, the liquid ejected by empty discharging that ejects the liquid from the liquid ejecting head separately from the printing, a cover movable to a closed position where the opening of the liquid accommodating unit is covered and an open position where the opening is opened, and a detection unit configured to detect the cover positioned at the closed position or the open position.

A liquid discharge device includes a first liquid container, a liquid discharger, a second liquid container, a first liquid flow passage, and a second liquid flow passage. The first liquid container is configured to contain liquid. The liquid discharger is configured to discharge the liquid supplied from the first liquid container in a liquid supply direction. The second liquid container is configured to contain the liquid supplied from the first liquid container. The first liquid flow passage is a passage through which the liquid is supplied from the first liquid container to the liquid discharger via the second liquid container. The second liquid flow passage is a passage through which the liquid is supplied from the first liquid container to the liquid discharger without passing through the second liquid container.

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head having a nozzle surface with a plurality of nozzles, a conductive member configured to face the nozzle surface, a cap having a recess in which the conductive member is accommodated, a substrate including a signal output circuit, a controller configured to determine an ejection state of a nozzle based on a signal output from the signal output circuit, a waste liquid tank having an inlet, and a discharge mechanism configured to discharge liquid from the cap through the inlet into the waste liquid ink. The substrate is disposed above the inlet of the waste liquid tank.