Keying feature for solid ink stick
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorBrent R. Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A set of ink sticks for a phase change ink jet printer includes a plurality of ink sticks. Each ink stick is formed of a three dimensional ink stick body with a perimeter. Each of the ink stick bodies has one or more key elements formed in its perimeter. Each of the key elements has a uniform shape and size. The key elements are in different positions on the perimeter of each ink stick, and particularly the key elements of some of the ink sticks are on a different side of the ink stick than are the key elements on others of the ink sticks in the set. Corresponding keys on the openings through which the ink sticks are inserted into their appropriate feed channel exclude ink sticks of the set that do not have the appropriate perimeter key element.
Claims14
A set of ink sticks for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, the solid ink feed system having at least first and second ink feed channels, the set of ink sticks comprising:
- first and second ink sticks, each comprising a three dimensional ink stick body having a horizontal perimeter;
- wherein the horizontal perimeters of the first and second ink stick bodies are substantially identical;
- wherein the horizontal perimeters of the first and second ink stick bodies have a first segment and a second segment, different from the first segment;
- wherein the first ink stick includes a first key element formed on the first segment of the horizontal perimeter;
- wherein the second ink stick includes a second key element formed on the second segment of the horizontal perimeter;
- wherein the second key element is substantially the same size as the first key element;
- and
- wherein the second key element is substantially the same shape as the first key element.
A set of ink sticks for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, the solid ink feed system having at least first and second ink feed channels, the set of ink sticks comprising:
- a plurality of ink sticks;
- wherein each ink stick comprises a three dimensional ink stick body;
- wherein each ink stick body has a perimeter;
- wherein each ink stick body has one or more key elements along its perimeter;
- wherein each of the key elements has a first key element shape;
- wherein each of the key elements has a first key element size;
- wherein the positions of the key elements are different on each ink stick body of the set;
- and
- wherein at least some of the key elements on different ink sticks are on non-corresponding segments of the perimeter.
A method of manufacturing a set of ink sticks, the method comprising:
- forming a first ink stick body having a horizontal perimeter;
- forming in a first perimeter portion of the horizontal perimeter of the first ink stick body a first key element;
- wherein the first key element has a first key element size;
- wherein the first key element has a first key element shape;
- and
- wherein the first key element has a first key position on the horizontal perimeter;
- forming a second ink stick body having a horizontal perimeter;
- wherein the horizontal perimeter of the second ink stick body is substantially identical to the horizontal perimeter of the first ink stick body;
- and
- forming in a second perimeter portion of the horizontal perimeter of the second ink stick body a second key element,:
- wherein the second key element has the first key element size;
- wherein the second key element has the first key element shape;
- wherein the second key element has a second key position on the horizontal perimeter;
- wherein the second key position is different from the first key position;
- wherein the second key position is on a second perimeter portion;
- and
- wherein the second perimeter portion does not align linearly with the first perimeter portion when the perimeters of the first and second ink stick bodies are aligned with one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.