Solid ink stick set identification
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorBrent R. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A set of solid ink sticks for a phase change ink jet printer has a common printer key element that matches an insertion key in each in stick feed channel insertion opening. The key element is formed in a portion of the perimeter of each ink stick of the set. The key element is the same for all ink sticks of a set of ink sticks intended for a particular model printer. Different sets of solid ink sticks intended for different models of printers have different printer key elements in each set, to prevent an ink stick intended for one model printer from being incorrectly inserted into a different model printer.
Claims10
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 a plurality of solid ink feed channels, the set of ink sticks comprising:
- a plurality of ink sticks, each ink stick comprising a three dimensional ink stick body having an outer perimeter;
- wherein each of the ink stick bodies has a printer key element formed in the outer perimeter of the ink stick body;
- wherein the shape of the printer key element is substantially identical on each of the ink stick bodies of the set;
- wherein the position of the printer key element is substantially identical on each of the ink stick bodies of the set;
- wherein each of the ink stick bodies has an ink channel insertion key element formed in the outer perimeter of the ink stick body;
- and
- wherein the ink channel insertion key element of each ink stick of the set is unique within the set.
Multiple sets of solid ink sticks for a phase change ink jet printer, the sets comprising:
- a first set of ink sticks, wherein each ink stick of the first set has a first printer key element;
- a second set of ink sticks, wherein each ink stick of the second set has a second printer key element;
- wherein the second printer key element is different from the first key element.
4 The multiple sets of solid ink sticks of claim 3, wherein:
- each ink stick of the first set of ink sticks has a channel insertion key element;
- the channel insertion key element of each ink stick of the first set of ink sticks is unique within the first set of ink sticks;
- each ink stick of the second set of ink sticks has a channel insertion key element;
- and
- the channel insertion key elements of the second set of ink sticks are the same as the channel insertion key elements of the first set of ink sticks.
A method of producing multiple sets of solid ink sticks for phase change ink jet printer, the method comprising:
- forming a first set of ink sticks with a first printer key element in each of the ink sticks of the first set;
- and
- forming a second set of ink sticks with a second printer key element in each of the ink sticks of the second set.
A set of ink sticks comprising:
- a plurality of ink sticks, wherein each ink stick comprises:
- a top surface having two substantially parallel side edges and two end edges connecting the side edges;
- a bottom surface having two substantially parallel side edges and two end edges connecting the side edges;
- two side surfaces connecting the side edges of the top surface with the side edges of the bottom surface;
- and
- two end surfaces, each of which connects one of the end edges of the top surface with one of the end edges of the bottom surface;
- and
- wherein:
- at least one of the end surfaces of each ink stick has a first predetermined contour that is the same for all the ink sticks of the set;
- and
- at least one of the side surfaces of one of the ink sticks of the set has a contour different from a corresponding side surface of another of the ink sticks of the set.
Two or more sets of ink sticks for a phase change ink jet printer, the sets comprising:
- a first set of ink sticks, wherein each ink stick of the first set has a channel insertion key element that is unique within the set;
- and
- a second set of ink sticks, wherein each ink stick of the second set has a channel insertion key element that is substantially identical to one of the channel insertion key elements of the first set of ink sticks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.