A method of recycling ink used in non-printing nozzle dispensing operations in an ink jet printer, comprises collecting the ink from the non-printing operation in a collection tray, draining the ink from the collection tray into a closed cell, draining the ink from the closed cell, filtering the ink draining from the closed cell, and adding the ink back to a main ink supply after filtering, the main ink supply containing fresh ink. To maintain the quality of the ink supply the proportion of recycled to fresh ink may be limited to a maximum.

A liquid absorbent body according to the present disclosure includes a water absorbent resin and a pulp fiber, in which an evaporation rate of a pure water until elapse of 360 minutes after the pure water is absorbed is 0.0006 g/(cm.sup.2.Math.min) or more and 0.0020 g/(cm.sup.2.Math.min) or less, when the pure water of 20 mL is absorbed into the liquid absorbent body of 2.57 g, under an environment of 60° C. and 20% RH. It is preferable that the liquid absorbent body is configured to include an aggregate of small pieces in which a fiber base material containing the pulp fiber carries the water absorbent resin.

To provide a liquid consuming device capable of causing liquid to flow smoothly and reducing contamination of the device and its surroundings, a first absorbent provided in a fixed waste liquid storage unit is connected to a second absorbent provided in a movable waste liquid storage unit by mating of a recessed portion with a protruding portion at the connecting portion between the first absorbent and the second absorbent.

Disclosed is a method to mitigate deterioration of printing fluid in a tank of a printer. The method comprises: draining printing fluid from a tank of a printer, and stopping the draining before the tank is empty, wherein the printing fluid comprises solids suspended in imaging oil, filtering the printing fluid drained from the tank, to separate at least some of the solids from the imaging oil, passing the filtered imaging oil to a reservoir; and then passing imaging oil from the reservoir to the tank. Also disclosed is a printer and a system to perform the method.

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing produces considerable quantities of waste ink or resin during the course of additive manufacture. The waste ink is a hazardous substance and must be collected and disposed of accordingly. The present embodiments provide a waste ink collection device that collects the waste ink from the printing process, or from head cleaning and other incidental operations, stores the waste and cures it. The waste ink is thus rendered safe for conventional disposal. A waste ink disposal cartridge collects the waste ink and carries out curing.

A recording apparatus includes: a recording unit that performs a recording by ejecting a liquid on a medium; a carriage that includes the recording unit and is movable in a width direction; a casing that has the carriage therein and constitutes an external appearance of the apparatus; an adapter that is mounted on an upper portion of the recording unit and accommodates the liquid to be supplied to the recording unit; at least one liquid accommodating unit that supplies the liquid to the adapter through a tube and includes a filling port into which the liquid can be filled; and a waste liquid receiving unit that receives the liquid discharged as a waste liquid during a maintenance operation of the recording unit, in which the casing has a cover for covering both the liquid accommodating unit and the waste liquid receiving unit.

A waste ink conveying device includes a waste ink tank installed in a tank installed part, and a tank cover opening/closing the tank installed part. The tank cover includes a nozzle, a nozzle operation part and a cover locking part. The nozzle flowing a waste ink is inserted in an inflow port in the waste ink tank. The nozzle operation part switches projecting and retracting of the nozzle to insert and retract the nozzle to the inflow port. The cover locking part switches locking and unlocking of closing of the tank cover. If the cover locking part is in a locking state and the nozzle is in a retracting state, the cover locking part can be switched to an unlocking state. If the cover locking part is in the locking state and the nozzle is in a projecting state, the cover locking part cannot be switched to the unlocking state.

A recording apparatus includes: a plurality of medium containing units that is provided along a vertical direction and contains a medium before recording; a liquid ejecting head that performs recording by ejecting liquid toward the medium; and at least one liquid containing unit that contains the liquid; wherein the plurality of medium containing units includes a first medium containing unit located at an uppermost position, and a second medium containing unit located below the first medium containing unit, a size of the first medium containing unit in a medium feeding-out direction, in which the medium is fed out, is smaller than a size of the second medium containing unit in the medium feeding-out direction, and the at least one liquid containing unit is provided above the second medium containing unit in such a way as to overlap with the first medium containing unit in the vertical direction.

Disclosed herein is a spittoon cartridge for a printing device, a printing device and a method of controlling a spittoon cartridge. The spittoon cartridge comprises a waste tank to store material ejected from a print head; a transfer unit to transfer material ejected from the print head into the waste tank; and a floater movably arranged in the spittoon cartridge, wherein a position of the floater depends on a filling level of the waste tank and wherein the floater impedes transfer of material by the transfer unit if the floater reaches a predefined warning position.

A liquid container includes: a case having a liquid introduction port through which liquid is introduced and a storage portion that stores the liquid; and an absorber stored in the case and configured to absorb the liquid. The absorber includes multiple absorbent resins that swell by absorbing the liquid and a substrate that supports the absorbent resins and allows the liquid to permeate therethrough. With the absorbent resins swelling by absorbing the ink, at least some of the absorbent resins are spaced apart from the adjacent absorbent resins.