Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-29
2004-05-25
Meier, Stephen D. (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S099000, C347S084000, C347S085000, C347S095000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06739713
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to ink printers, the ink used in such ink printers, and the apparatus and method for feeding the ink into the printer.
BACKGROUND
Solid ink or phase change ink printers conventionally receive ink in a solid form, either as pellets or as ink sticks. A feed mechanism delivers the solid ink to a heater assembly, where the ink is melted into a liquid state for jetting onto a receiving medium.
Solid ink or phase change ink printers conventionally receive ink in a solid form and convert the ink to a liquid form for jetting onto a receiving medium. The printer receives the solid ink either as pellets or as ink sticks in a feed chute. With solid ink sticks, the solid ink sticks are either gravity fed or spring loaded through the feed chute toward a heater plate. The heater plate melts the solid ink into its liquid form. In a printer that receives solid ink sticks, the sticks are gravity fed or spring loaded along a feed channel and pressed against a heater plate to melt the solid ink into its liquid form. U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,402 for a Solid Ink Feed System, issued Mar. 31, 1998 to Rousseau et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,903 for an Ink Feed System, issued Jan. 19, 1999 to Crawford et al. describe exemplary systems for delivering solid ink sticks into a phase change ink printer.
SUMMARY
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.
A method of loading an ink stick into a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer includes aligning a guide element in the lower portion of the ink stick with a longitudinal guide rail in the feed system. The ink stick is then inserted into the feed system. The guide element is rested on the longitudinal guide rail so that contact between the ink stick guide element and the feed channel guide rail is the primary contact between the ink stick and the feed system.
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English Abstract for Japanese Patent Publication JP 04093259.
Jones et al., “Guide for Solid Ink Stick Feed,” U.S patent application Ser. No. 10/135,051, filed concurrently herewith.
Jones, “Guide for Solid Ink Stick Feed,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/135,077, filed concurrently herewith.
Jones et al., “Feed Guidance and Identification for Ink Stick,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/135,156, filed concurrently herewith.
Jones et al., “Channel Keying for Solid Ink Stick Feed,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/135,038, filed concurrently herewith.
Jones Brent R.
Mattern Frederick T.
Arthur David J.
Liang Leonard
Xerox Corporation
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