Ink consumption determination

In an ink printer in which ink is received as discrete substantially solid ink sticks, a method comprising:

• directing a first ink stick in a feed direction along an ink feed channel, wherein the first ink stick has an ink stick body with ink stick sensing features and a feed dimension along the feed direction;
• directing a second ink stick in the feed direction along the ink feed channel, wherein the second ink stick has an ink stick body with ink stick sensing features and a feed dimension along the feed direction;
• determining when a first predetermined segment of the first ink stick passes a predetermined location in the ink feed channel by detecting an ink stick sensing feature of the ink stick body;
• and
• determining when a second predetermined segment of the first ink stick passes the predetermined location in the ink feed channel by detecting another ink stick sensing feature of the ink stick body,
• wherein the second predetermined segment is different from the first predetermined segment.

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

• an ink stick body having a lateral dimension;
• an ink stick guide element;
• wherein the ink stick body has a lateral center of gravity along the lateral dimension of the ink stick body;
• wherein the first ink stick guide element is formed as a part of the bottom portion of the ink stick body;
• wherein the first ink stick guide element is adapted so that when the ink stick is placed in the feed channel of the solid ink feed system with the first ink stick guide element contacting the feed channel guide rail, the contact between the first ink stick guide element and the feed channel guide rail is a load-bearing contact;
• wherein the first ink stick guide element is laterally offset between a first lateral side extremity and the lateral center of gravity of the ink stick body;
• and
• wherein the second ink stick guide element is laterally offset to a second side from the lateral center of gravity of the ink stick body, opposite the first side;
• and
• a plurality of ink stick sensing elements on the external surface of the ink stick body, wherein each of the ink stick sensing elements is configured to operatively engage a counter at a predetermined location in the ink feed channel as the ink stick body moves along the ink feed channel past the predetermined location;
• wherein the ink stick body has a feed dimension;
• wherein the ink stick body has a leading end relative to the feed dimension;
• wherein the ink stick body has a trailing end relative to the feed dimension, opposite the leading end;
• wherein the ink stick body has a first ink stick sensing element, a second ink stick sensing element, and a last ink stick sensing element spaced along the feed dimension between the leading end and the trailing end;
• wherein each of the first, second, and last ink stick sensing elements has a first edge in a corresponding position of the ink stick sensing element relative to the feed dimension;
• wherein the inks stick body has a leading end mass between the leading end of the ink stick body and the first edge of the first ink stick sensing element;
• wherein the ink stick body has a trailing end mass between the trailing end of the ink stick body and the first edge of the last ink stick sensing element;
• wherein the ink stick body has an inter-element mass between the first edge of the first ink stick sensing element and the first edge of the second ink stick sensing element;
• and
• wherein the inter-element mass is substantially identical to the combined mass of the leading end mass and the trailing end mass.

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;
• and
• a longitudinal ink stick guide element formed in a portion of the ink stick body;
• wherein the longitudinal ink stick guide element is adapted to guide the ink stick in a feed dimension along a feed channel guide rail in the solid ink feed system;
• and
• wherein first and second portions of the longitudinal ink stick guide element each comprise an ink stick sensing element adapted to move a counting element in the solid ink feed system.

An ink stick for use in an ink jet printer having an ink stick feed channel, the ink stick comprising:

• an ink stick body having a configuration adapted to travel in a feed direction along the ink stick feed channel;
• wherein the ink stick body has a feed dimension aligned with the feed direction;
• wherein a first segment of the ink stick body in the feed dimension has a first cross-sectional area transverse to the feed dimension;
• wherein a second segment of the ink stick body has a second cross-sectional area transverse to the feed dimension;
• wherein a third segment of the ink stick body is separated from the first segment by the second segment;
• wherein the third segment has the first cross-sectional area;
• wherein a fourth segment of the ink stick body is separated from the second segment by the third segment, the fourth segment having the second cross-sectional area;
• and
• wherein the second cross-sectional area is less than approximately 80% of the first cross-sectional area.