Patent ID: 8083336
Filing Date: 2011-12-27
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An ink jam detection and recovery system for use in a phase change ink imaging device comprising: an ink stick conveyance configured to move ink sticks in a forward direction toward a melt plate at a melt end of an ink stick feed path and a reverse direction away from the melt plate toward an insertion end of the ink stick feed path; a sensor system configured to generate a first signal indicative of a characteristic of at least one of the melt plate and a receiving reservoir configured to receive melted ink from the melt plate, the characteristic being at least one of a melt plate temperature change over a span of time, a melt plate power level change over a span of time, a rate of change of power applied to the melt plate, a rate of temperature change of the melt plate, and a rate of change of a receiving reservoir volume sensor that indicates whether an ink stick is present at the melt plate; an ink stick detecting system having a plurality of ink stick sensors, each ink stick sensor being positioned at a different location proximate the ink stick feed path, the ink stick detecting system being configured to generate a second signal indicative of whether an ink stick is on the ink stick feed path between the melt end and the insertion end; and a controller operatively connected to the ink stick conveyance and the ink stick detecting system to receive the first signal and the second signal, the controller being configured to actuate the ink stick conveyance to move in at least one of the forward direction and the reverse direction in response to the characteristic indicating that no ink stick is present at the melt plate and the second signal indicating that an ink stick is on the ink stick feed path and to generate an ink out alert in response to the first signal indicating no ink stick is present at the melt plate and the second signal indicating that no ink sticks are on the ink stick feed path.