Channel keying for solid ink stick insertion
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsBrent R. Jones, Timothy L. Crawford, Frederick T. Mattern
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solid ink feed system for a phase change printer includes a solid ink feed channel that has formed in it a feed channel key that either blocks a solid ink stick from complete insertion into the feed channel, or blocks passage of an ink stick along the length of the feed channel, unless the ink stick has a key element corresponding to the feed channel key. A solid ink stick is formed of a three dimensional ink stick body with a key element that extends along a surface of the ink stick body through the rear of the ink stick body.
Claims17
An ink stick for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, the ink stick comprising:
- an ink stick body, wherein the ink stick body comprises:
- a bottom;
- a rear;
- and
- at least one key element formed through the bottom of the ink stick body for permitting the ink stick to pass a portion of the feed system having a corresponding key.
An ink stick for use in a feed channel of a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, the ink stick comprising:
- an ink stick body;
- keying means formed in the ink stick body for permitting the ink stick to be fully inserted into a keyed feed channel of the solid ink feed system.
A method of feeding solid ink to the melt plate of a phase change ink printer, the method comprising:
- placing an ink stick adjacent an insertion end of a solid ink feed channel:
- wherein the other end of the feed channel is adjacent the melt plate;
- and
- wherein the solid ink feed channel has a feed channel key formed in the insertion end thereof;
- inserting the ink stick into the feed channel if the ink stick has a key element corresponding to the key in the solid ink feed channel;
- and
- blocking the ink stick from being inserted into the feed channel if the ink stick does not have a key element corresponding to the key in the solid ink feed channel.
A solid ink feed system for a phase change ink jet printer, the feed system comprising:
- at least one solid ink feed channel;
- and
- keying means to block full insertion into the feed channel of an ink stick that does not have a corresponding ink stick keying means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.