Guide for solid ink stick feed
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsBrent R. Jones, Frederick T. Mattern
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink stick for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink printer includes a three dimensional ink stick body that has formed in it guide means. The guide means is formed in a first portion of the ink stick body, for guiding the ink stick along a defined path in the ink stick feed system. An ink stick feed system includes a longitudinal guide rail in a first portion of a feed channel. The width of the longitudinal guide rail is substantially less than the width of the feed channel. the guide means in the ink stick is a longitudinal guide element having a shape that is substantially complementary of the shape of the longitudinal guide rail of the feed channel.
Claims14
An ink stick for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink printer, the ink stick comprising:
- a three dimensional ink stick body;
- and
- guide means formed in the first portion of the ink stick body for guiding the ink stick along a defined path in the ink stick feed system.
A solid ink feed system for a phase change ink jet printer, the feed system comprising:
- a longitudinal feed channel;
- a first longitudinal guide rail in a first portion of the feed channel;
- and
- an ink stick;
- wherein:
- the width of the longitudinal guide rail is substantially less than the width of the feed channel;
- the ink stick has a longitudinal guide element formed in it;
- and
- the shape of the ink stick guide element and the shape of the feed channel guide rail substantially complement one another.
A method of loading an ink stick into a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, wherein the ink stick has a bottom surface, the method comprising:
- aligning a guide element in the bottom surface of the ink stick with a longitudinal guide rail in the feed system;
- inserting the ink stick into the feed system;
- and
- resting the guide element on the longitudinal guide rail so that contact between the guide element and the longitudinal guide rail is substantially the primary support contact between the bottom surface of the ink stick and the feed system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.