Patent Application
20090207220
This disclosure relates generally to phase change ink jet printers and the solid ink sticks used in such ink jet printers.
Solid ink or phase change ink printers conventionally receive marking material in a form known as an ink stick. The ink stick is a solid or semi-solid structure that may have any convenient shape (e.g., a pellet, block, brick, cube, or any other geometric structure) for handling and loading into the printer. During use, ink sticks are inserted through an insertion opening of an ink loader for the printer and pushed or slid along a feed channel by a feed mechanism and/or gravity toward an ink melting assembly in the printer. The ink melting assembly melts the solid ink stick into a liquid that is delivered to a print head for jetting onto a recording medium.
One difficulty faced in solid ink technology is identification and authentication of ink sticks to ensure the correct loading and compatibility of an ink stick with the imaging device in which it is used. For example, unlike powdered or liquid marking materials, the solid form of ink sticks allows the ink sticks to be handled and loaded into a phase change ink printer without the need for a container or cartridge, as is typically required for liquid ink or powdered toner. In addition, the entire ink stick may be melted and consumed, with no need to dispose of, or recycle, any container. Eliminating the need for a container provides many advantages to the use of ink sticks. Containers or cartridges, however, may be provided with electronic tags, barcodes, etc. that may be used to identify and/or authenticate the ink contained therein. Without the use of a container, the mechanisms for authenticating or otherwise identifying the ink stick may be limited.
Provisions have been made to facilitate the authentication and/or identification of ink sticks so that ink sticks are correctly loaded into the intended feed channel and to ensure that the ink sticks are compatible with the printer in which they are used. One provision is generally directed toward excluding wrong colored or incompatible ink sticks from being inserted into the feed channels of the printer. For example, the correct loading of ink sticks has been accomplished by incorporating keying features into the exterior surface of an ink stick. These features are protuberances or indentations that are located in different positions on an ink stick. For example,
While the use of keying features on ink sticks may be effective in ensuring that ink sticks are correctly loaded and compatible with the printer in which they are used, the use of keying features is limited in that the “authentication” of the ink stick cannot be done without access to the printer to see if the keying features on the ink stick match the keying features of the ink loader. In addition, in order to be effective in excluding ink sticks, the key elements are relatively large. Due to the soft, waxy nature of the ink stick body, key features, such as the key feature of
In addition, world markets have created a situation where ink sticks may be sold under different marketing programs at various price points. Thus, ink sticks having substantially the same configuration may be sold in different markets at different prices. The identification and/or authentication of Ink sticks intended for sale in different markets and/or at different prices has been accomplished by incorporating different keying features into the ink sticks. Selling ink sticks at different prices in different markets, however, offers the undesired opportunity for enterprising entities to purchase ink sticks at a lower price in one market, modifying the ink sticks to include the keying features of ink sticks sold in a different market and/or at a different price point, and reselling the modified ink sticks in the different market at a higher price for monetary gain. Such behavior, described as arbitrage, can cost a company a significant amount of money in lost revenue and profit. Additionally, this can be very harmful and disruptive to legitimate distributors and resellers.
A solid ink stick is provided that includes a witness mark for providing a visual indication of whether an ink stick has been casually modified from its original or manufactured form. In particular, the ink stick comprises an ink stick body having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The plurality of side surfaces defines a perimeter of the ink stick body. At least one key contour is formed in at least one side surface in the plurality of side surfaces extending at least partially between the top surface and the bottom surface. A witness mark is formed along at least a portion of the perimeter of the ink stick body with a portion of the witness mark following the at least one key contour.
In another embodiment, an ink stick for use in an ink loader of a phase change ink imaging device comprises an ink stick body configured for insertion in an insertion direction into an ink loader of a phase change ink imaging device. The ink stick body includes a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The bottom surface of the ink stick body is for entering the ink loader first and the top surface is for entering the ink loader last when the ink stick body is inserted into the ink loader in the insertion direction. The ink stick body includes an insertion perimeter encompassing outermost portions of the surfaces of the ink stick body relative to the insertion direction. At least one key contour is formed in the insertion perimeter of the ink stick body. The at least one key contour extends at least partially along at least one surface in a direction substantially parallel to the insertion direction. A witness mark is formed in the insertion perimeter extending substantially continuously along the insertion perimeter of the ink stick body transverse to the insertion direction with a portion of the witness mark following the at least one key element contour.
In yet another embodiment, a method of manufacturing an ink stick is provided. The method comprises fabricating an ink stick having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The plurality of side surfaces defines a perimeter of the ink stick body. At least one key contour is formed in at least one surface in the plurality of side surfaces extending at least partially between the top surface and the bottom surface. A witness mark is then formed along at least a portion of the perimeter of the ink stick body with a portion of the witness mark following the at least one key contour.
For a general understanding of the present embodiments, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been used throughout to designate like elements. As used herein, the term “printer” refers, for example, to reproduction devices in general, such as printers, facsimile machines, copiers, and related multi-function products, and the term “print job” refers, for example, to information including the electronic item or items to be reproduced. References to ink delivery or transfer from an ink cartridge or housing to a printhead are intended to encompass the range of melters, intermediate connections, tubes, manifolds and/or other components and/or functions that may be involved in a printing system but are not immediately significant to the present invention.
Referring now to
The embodiment of
Operation and control of the various subsystems, components and functions of the machine or printer 10 are performed with the aid of a controller 38. The controller 38, for example, may be a micro-controller having a central processor unit (CPU), electronic storage, and a display or user interface (UI). The controller reads, captures, prepares and manages the image data flow between image sources 40, such as a scanner or computer, and imaging systems, such as the printhead assembly 20. The controller 38 is the main multi-tasking processor for operating and controlling many or all of the other machine subsystems and functions, including the machine's printing operations, and, thus, includes the necessary hardware, software, etc. for controlling these various systems.
Referring now to
In the embodiment of
An ink stick may take many forms. One exemplary solid ink stick 100 for use in the ink delivery system is illustrated in
Ink sticks may include a number of features that aid in correct loading, guidance, sensing and support of the ink stick when used. These loading features may comprise protrusions and/or indentations that are located in different positions on an ink stick for interacting with key elements, guides, supports, sensors, etc. located in complementary positions in the ink delivery system. Loading features may be categorized as insertion features or feeding features. Insertion features such as exclusionary keying elements and orientation elements are configured to facilitate correct insertion of ink sticks into the loading station and, as such, are substantially aligned with the insertion direction L of the loading station. As an example, the ink stick of
Although not depicted, the ink stick may include feeding features, such as alignment and guide elements, to aid in aligning and guiding ink sticks as they are moved along the feed channels to reduce the possibility of ink stick jams in the feed channel and to promote optimum engagement of the ink sticks with an ink melter in the ink melt assembly. Feeding features, therefore, may be substantially aligned with the feed direction F of the ink delivery system in order to interact with ink stick guides and/or supports in the ink delivery system. An ink stick may have any suitable number and/or placement of loading (i.e. insertion and/or feeding) features. Some of these features may be substantially perpendicular to one another, substantially aligned or have any other relationship.
Each color for a printer may have a unique arrangement of one or more key elements in the outer perimeter of the ink stick to form a unique cross-sectional shape for that particular color ink stick. The combination of the keyed openings in the key plate and the keyed shapes of the ink sticks insure that only ink sticks of the proper color are inserted into each feed channel. A set of ink sticks is formed of an ink stick of each color, with a unique key and/or sensing feature arrangement for ink sticks of each color. Insertion keying may also be used to differentiate ink sticks intended for different models of printers. One type of insertion key may be placed in all the keyed openings of feed channels of a particular model printer. Ink sticks intended for that model printer contain a corresponding insertion key element. An insertion key of a different size, shape, or position may be placed in the keyed openings of the feed channels of different model printers.
Insertion and feeding features may provide a means of identification and/or authentication of an ink stick. For example, keying features of an ink stick interact with complementary shaped key elements in an insertion opening of the loading station to allow insertion of ink sticks having the appropriate key features and to exclude from insertion ink sticks that do not have the appropriate key features. Thus, insertion features and feeding features provide a physical means of identification and/or authentication of an ink stick, and, to a lesser extent, a visual means of identification if a printer user gains a familiarity with the keying configurations of ink sticks. Ink stick features provide a means of visually determining if sticks are identical or differentiating non identical sticks even when specific model or type identification is not recognized. Due to the soft, waxy nature of the ink stick body, however, ink sticks may be modified to include insertion features or feeding features that were not previously included in the ink stick by milling, cutting, melting and reforming, etc. If an ink stick that has been modified for insertion into a phase change ink imaging device which it was not originally intended for has not been optimized for use with or is not compatible with the imaging device, poor quality print jobs may result, and/or considerable errors and malfunctions may occur.
Visual inspections of previously known ink sticks may not be capable of detecting whether the ink sticks have been modified from a previous form. In order to provide visual indication of whether an ink stick has been modified, the ink stick of
In one embodiment, witness marks, such as the mark 160 of
Witness marks provide a visual indication of the authenticity of ink sticks. In particular, a subsequent alteration of the keying configuration of an ink stick may cause a break or interruption of the continuity of the witness mark thereby providing a visual indication of the modification to an individual such as a manufacturer's representatives, maintenance personnel, distributors, sales persons, purchasers, and end users. For example,
The use of witness marks in an ink stick may also deter ink stick modification. For example, the dimensions of the witness mark may be “small” relative to the insertion and/or feeding features of an ink stick to increase the difficulty of replication. Therefore, while it may be possible to modify an ink stick to include the authentication feature, the additional cost and effort that may be required to modify an ink stick to include the witness mark may deter such modifications.
With reference to
Witness marks may be formed using any suitable method or device. As an example, witness marks may be incorporated in a known manner into the ink stick during molding of an ink stick. Alternatively, witness marks may be incorporated into ink sticks as part of a secondary process such as by laser cutting, heat or pressure forming, stamping, etc.
A witness mark may be incorporated into the ink stick during or after the ink stick keying configuration, including insertion and/or feeding features, has been formed. Forming key elements into the ink stick after formation of the witness mark requires the removal or addition of ink material in desired places on the ink stick thus providing a visual indication of the modification. For example, a recessed or inset key element formed in the ink stick may require removal or interruption of the witness mark. Similarly, if an ink stick that includes a witness mark is modified to remove a key element, e.g. “fill in” a recessed key element, the ink material that is placed in the recess of the key element covers the witness mark that follows the inner contour of the recessed key element. Thus, if the witness mark is interrupted by the inclusion of an additional key element or if the witness mark is “covered” by ink material in order to delete or alter a key element or if a key element is enlarged by removing material from the ink stick, the altered witness mark provides a visual indication of the modification.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications can be made to the specific implementations described above. For example, although the witness mark has been shown as being provided along the insertion perimeter of the ink stick, witness marks may be provided along the feed perimeter of the ink stick as an addition to or alternative to the insertion perimeter. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the witness mark may be formed in numerous shapes and configurations other than those illustrated. Therefore, the following claims are not to be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described above. The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.
