Feed guidance and identification for ink stick

An ink stick for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, wherein the feed system comprises a feed channel having a feed channel guide rail, the ink stick comprising:

• an ink stick body having:
• a bottom surface;
• first and second opposed end surfaces;
• and
• first and second side surfaces connecting the first and second end surfaces;
• an ink stick guide element formed in the bottom surface of the ink stick body, wherein:
• the ink stick guide element is adapted to slidingly engage the feed channel guide rail;
• a first nesting protrusion formed in the first end surface;
• a second nesting recess formed in the second end surface;
• wherein the position of the first nesting protrusion is positioned with respect to the first and second side surfaces corresponds to the position of the second nesting recess with respect to the first and second side surfaces so that when the ink stick is positioned in the feed channel adjacent a second identical ink stick with the second end surface of the first ink stick abutting the first end surface of the second ink stick, the first nesting protrusion of the second ink stick fits into the second nesting recess of the first ink stick;
• the ink stick body is adapted to travel through the feed channel with a first perimeter segment of the horizontal perimeter substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the feed channel, and with a second perimeter segment at least partially transverse the longitudinal direction of the feed channel;
• at least a portion of the substantially horizontal perimeter of the ink stick body forms the shape of a visually recognizable symbol;
• and
• a key element having a first predetermined shape formed in the second perimeter segment.

A plurality of ink sticks for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, wherein the feed system comprises a feed channel having a feed channel guide rail, the ink sticks comprising:

• first and second ink sticks, each comprising an ink stick body having:
• a bottom surface;
• first and second substantially opposed end surfaces;
• and
• first and second side surfaces connecting the first and second end surfaces;
• wherein the first ink stick has a first horizontal outer perimeter;
• and
• wherein the second ink stick has a second horizontal outer perimeter;
• a first ink stick guide element formed in the bottom surface of the first ink stick;
• a second ink stick guide element formed in the bottom surface of the second ink stick;
• wherein the first and second ink stick guide elements are substantially identical;
• wherein the first and second ink stick guide elements are adapted to slidingly engage the feed channel guide rail;
• at least a portion of the first horizontal outer perimeter forms a first visually recognizable symbol;
• and
• at least a portion of the second horizontal outer perimeter forms a second visually recognizable symbol;
• wherein the second visually recognizable symbol is different from the first visually recognizable symbol.

A method of inserting an ink stick into a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, comprising:

• identifying in the ink stick a bottom having a guide element;
• identifying in a first portion of the outer perimeter of the ink stick a first key element indicative of a particular model of phase change ink jet printer;
• identifying in a second portion of the outer perimeter of the ink stick a second key element indicative of a particular ink feed channel in the phase change ink jet printer;
• aligning the ink stick with a key plate opening corresponding to the particular ink feed channel indicated by the second portion of the outer perimeter;
• inserting the ink stick through the key plate opening;
• resting the guide element on the bottom of the ink stick on a feed channel guide rail in a feed channel accessed through the key plate opening.