At least one printing fluid of a printing fluid supply system of a printing press is changed. A printing unit of the printing press includes a print head. At least a first printing fluid or second printing fluid is selectively conducted from at least one supply unit to the print head. The at least one supply unit includes a reservoir of the first printing fluid and a reservoir of the second printing fluid. The at least one supply unit further includes an intermediate tank of the first printing fluid and an intermediate tank of the second printing fluid arranged between the reservoirs and the print head in the flow direction of printing fluid. The first and second printing fluids are conducted from their respective intermediate tanks to the print head, and there is no return of the printing fluids from the intermediate tanks to the respective reservoirs.

A waste ink storage mechanism of the present disclosure includes a waste ink tank, a waste ink tank fitting portion and a capacitance sensor. The waste ink tank stores a waste ink exhausted from a recording head. The waste ink tank is fitted to the waste ink tank fitting portion such that the waste ink tank can be fitted into and removed from the waste ink tank fitting portion. The capacitance sensor is provided in the waste ink tank fitting portion so as to detect that a liquid surface within the waste ink tank reaches a predetermined level. The waste ink tank includes: a first surface in which an inflow port through which the waste ink flows in is formed; and a second surface, and the capacitance sensor is arranged close to the second surface.

A waste liquid container configured to be attachably and detachably mounted in a mounting portion including an apparatus-side connection terminal includes a first container portion including a waste liquid introduction portion, the waste liquid introduction portion being configured to enable the waste liquid discharged from the discharge portion to be introduced; a second container portion disposed below the first container portion in a vertical direction and communicating with the first container portion in the state in which the waste liquid container is mounted in the mounting portion; and a container-side connection terminal electrically connected to the apparatus-side connection terminal. Further, in a plan view from above, the second container portion is formed so as to be larger than the first container portion, and in the second container portion, the container-side connection terminal is disposed at a position not overlapping with the first container portion in the vertical direction.

An inkjet printing apparatus includes a print head, an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the print head, a cap switchable between a covering position to cover a discharge port face and an exposing position to expose the discharge port face, a suction unit connected to the cap, and a control unit. The control unit controls the performing of an ink filling operation of filling the print head with the ink supplied from the ink tank. The ink filling operation includes a valve-closing suction operation of performing suction through the suction unit for a predetermined period of time while the cap is in the covering position. The apparatus further includes a detection unit configured to detect an ink filling state. The control unit controls the stopping of the ink filling operation in accordance with a detection result of the detection unit.

At least one printing fluid of a printing fluid supply system of a printing press is changed. A printing unit of the printing press includes a print head. At least a first printing fluid or second printing fluid is selectively conducted from at least one supply unit to the print head. The at least one supply unit includes a reservoir of the first printing fluid and a reservoir of the second printing fluid. The at least one supply unit further includes an intermediate tank of the first printing fluid and an intermediate tank of the second printing fluid arranged between the reservoirs and the print head in the flow direction of printing fluid. The first and second printing fluids are conducted from their respective intermediate tanks to the print head, and there is no return of the printing fluids from the intermediate tanks to the respective reservoirs.

A waste liquid container includes a waste liquid vessel having a mounting face, a first side face, and a bottom face that are outer surfaces intersecting each other, a waste liquid inlet disposed on the mounting face, a circuit board having a connection terminal disposed along the first side face, and a first recess portion that opens in the mounting face and the bottom face below the waste liquid inlet. In the waste liquid container, when a width direction is defined as a direction in which both the mounting face and the bottom face extend, the first recess portion is disposed at a position between the waste liquid inlet and the connection terminal in the width direction.

A spill proof, user-friendly dispensing system that protects users from exposure to toxic fluids (e.g., Ethylene Glycol used in MICR ink) includes a bottle loading mechanism for feeding ink or other fluids to a respective supply tank of an image forming device, and a quick connect gravity feed multipurpose bottle apparatus. Ink replenishing bottles can be inserted upright into holder of the bottle loading mechanism, connected to a supply tank, and folded back out-of-the-way in a dispensing position. The bottle may be rotated from a gravity feed position to a rotated position for removal and installation while the bottle remains in the holder. The bottle when empty may be used to collect waste from the image forming device.

A liquid consuming apparatus includes: a liquid consumer; a liquid receiver; a first waste-liquid storage including (i) a first housing connected to the liquid receiver to allow liquid communication between the first housing and the liquid receiver, and (ii) a first liquid absorber disposed in the first housing; and a second waste-liquid storage including (a) a second housing connected to the first waste-liquid storage to allow liquid communication between the second housing and the first waste-liquid storage, and (b) a second liquid absorber disposed in the second housing. The first housing has a first opening that opens toward the second housing. The second housing has a second opening that opens toward the first housing. The first liquid absorber protrudes from the first opening to an outside of the first housing. The second liquid absorber is in contact with the first liquid absorber protruding from the first opening.

A spittoon system for a printing mechanism includes a reservoir elongated in a longitudinal direction and having a bottom part. The reservoir receives printing fluid residue spit from a print-head onto a first zone of the reservoir. The spittoon system further includes a cleaning element arranged inside the reservoir to transfer, by sliding along the longitudinal direction of the reservoir, the received printing fluid residue from the first zone to a second zone. The second zone includes a drain outlet to drain the printing fluid residue from the reservoir.

A mist collecting unit for collecting a mist of ink droplets. The mist collecting unit includes the following elements. An introduction pipe, a mist introducing box with the introduction pipe mounted to have an upper part open, and a collecting box attached to a lower part of the mist introducing box. The gas is introduced from the introduction pipe into the collecting box, thereby capturing the mist included in the gas by inner surfaces of the collecting box.