Claims
- 1. 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 front; a rear; and a bottom surface connecting the front and the rear; and at least one key element formed in the bottom surface; wherein the key element extends along the bottom surface through the rear of the ink stick body; and wherein the key element corresponds in shape and position to a feed channel key in a longitudinal feed channel of the solid ink feed system so that the ink stick key element passes the feed channel key after the ink stick has been at least partially inserted into the longitudinal feed channel.
- 2. The ink stick of claim 1, wherein:the ink stick body has a shape that permits the ink stick to be inserted partially into the longitudinal feed channel; and the key element corresponds in shape and position to a feed channel key that would otherwise prevent the ink stick from being fully inserted into the feed channel.
- 3. The ink stick of claim 1, wherein:the ink stick body has a shape that permits the ink stick to be inserted fully into a segment of the longitudinal feed channel; and the key element corresponds in shape and position to a feed channel key that would otherwise block movement of the ink stick along the longitudinal feed channel.
- 4. 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 a bottom surface of the ink stick body for permitting the ink stick to be at least partially inserted into a keyed feed channel of the solid ink feed system without engaging a keyed segment of the keyed feed channel, and to pass through the keyed segment of the keyed feed channel only if the keying means in the ink stick body corresponds to the keyed segment of the feed channel.
- 5. The ink stick of claim 4, wherein the keying means corresponds to a key element in the bottom of the feed channel.
- 6. The ink stick of claim 4, wherein the feed channel of the solid ink feed system is longitudinal, and wherein:the ink stick is adapted to be fully inserted into the feed channel and to pass along a portion of the length of the longitudinal feed channel without engaging the keyed segment of the keyed feed channel; and the keying means permits the ink stick to pass a feed channel key as the ink stick passes along an additional portion of the length of the feed channel.
- 7. The ink stick of claim 4, wherein:the ink stick is adapted to be partially inserted into the feed channel without engaging the keyed segment of the feed channel; and the keying means permits the ink stick to be inserted fully into the keyed segment of the keyed feed channel.
- 8. The ink stick of claim 7, wherein:the ink stick body has a length; the ink stick body comprises a three dimensional body having a bottom surface extending along the length of the ink stick body; and the ink stick key element comprises a recess formed along only a portion of the length of the bottom surface.
- 9. A method of feeding solid ink to a melt plate of a phase change ink printer, the method comprising:placing an ink stick at least partially into a solid ink feed channel wherein: one end of the feed channel is adjacent the melt plate; moving the ink stick along the solid ink feed channel past a feed channel key in the bottom of the solid ink feed channel if the ink stick has a key element corresponding to the feed channel key; and blocking the ink stick at the feed channel key in the solid ink feed channel if the ink stick does not have a key element corresponding to the feed channel key.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein:placing the ink stick in a solid ink feed channel comprises placing the ink stick partially in the solid ink feed channel; and blocking the ink stick if the feed channel key comprises blocking the ink stick from full insertion into the feed channel.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein blocking the ink stick from full insertion into the feed channel comprises using the feed channel key to block a bottom surface of the ink stick.
- 12. The method of claim 10, wherein moving the ink stick past a feed channel key comprises moving an ink stick key element having a key shape in a bottom surface of the ink stick, the key shape corresponding the feed channel key, past the feed channel key.
- 13. The method of claim 9, wherein:placing the ink stick in a solid ink feed channel comprises fully inserting the ink stick in the solid ink feed channel; and the method additionally comprises moving the ink stick along a portion of a length of the feed channel prior to either the moving or blocking steps.
- 14. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising, after placing the ink stick in the solid ink feed channel, moving the ink stick along at least a portion of the length of the solid ink feed channel, and wherein:moving the ink stick along the solid ink feed channel comprises, after moving the ink stick along at least a portion of the length of the solid ink feed channel, moving the ink stick past the feed channel key; and blocking the ink stick at the feed channel key comprises, after moving the ink stick along at least a portion of the length of the solid ink feed channel, blocking the ink stick at the feed channel key.
- 15. A solid ink feed system for a phase change ink jet printer, the feed system comprising:at least one solid ink feed channel; and feed channel keying means to block passage along the feed channel of an ink stick that does not have a corresponding ink stick keying means in the bottom portion of the ink stick, wherein the feed channel keying means permits an ink stick to at least partially enter the feed channel, even if the ink stick does not have ink stick keying means corresponding to the feed system keying means.
- 16. The solid ink feed system of claim 15, wherein the keying means comprises a feed channel key formed in the feed channel.
- 17. The solid ink feed system of claim 16, wherein the feed channel key comprises a protrusion into the feed channel.
- 18. The solid ink feed system of claim 15, additionally comprising:an ink stick; wherein the ink stick has an ink stick keying means in the bottom portion of the ink stick.
- 19. The solid ink feed system of claim 18, wherein the ink stick keying means comprises a recessed key element that extends along at least a portion of the length of the ink stick.
- 20. The solid in feed system of claim 19, wherein the ink stick recess is shaped to permit the ink stick to pass the feed key element protrusion in the feed channel.
- 21. The solid ink feed system of claim 15, wherein the keying means blocks full insertion of the ink stick into the feed channel unless the ink stick has the corresponding ink stick keying means.
- 22. The solid ink feed system of claim 15, wherein the keying means permits an ink stick that does not have the corresponding ink stick keying means to fully enter the feed channel.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Reference is made to commonly-assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/135,156, filed concurrently herewith, entitled “Feed Guidance and Identification for Ink Stick,” by Jones et al., and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/135,065, filed concurrently herewith, entitled “Channel Keying for Solid Ink Insertion,” by Jones et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Jones et al., “Feed Guidance and Identification for Ink Stick,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. XX/XXX,XXX (Attorney Docket No. D/A2010Q2), filed concurrently herewith. |
Jones et al., “Channel Keying For Solid Ink Insertion,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. XX/XXX,XXX (Attorney Docket No. D/A2040), filed concurrently herewith. |