Patent ID: 6857732

Claim:
A set of ink sticks for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer, wherein the solid ink feed system has a plurality of feed channels, each feed channel identified with a different visually recognizable symbol, the set of ink sticks comprising: a plurality of ink sticks; wherein each of the ink sticks comprises; an ink stick body having a plurality of side surfaces and a general top surface substantially perpendicular to each of the side surfaces; and a visually recognizable symbol formed on the top surface of the ink stick and corresponding to one of the visually recognizable symbols that identifies one of the feed channels; and wherein the visually recognizable symbol on the top surface encompasses less than all of the top surface; wherein at least a portion of each of the ink stick visually recognizable symbols has a vertical dimension relative to another portion of the top surface; wherein a first one of the ink sticks has a first visually recognizable symbol; wherein a second one of the ink sticks has a second visually recognizable symbol; wherein the second visually recognizable symbol is different from the first visually recognizable symbol; wherein a third one of the ink sticks has a third visually recognizable symbol; wherein a fourth one of the ink sticks has a fourth visually recognizable symbol; wherein the first, second, third, and fourth visually recognizable symbols form a pattern of symbols; and wherein the first, second, third, and fourth visually recognizable symbols are first, second, third, and fourth consecutive alphanumeric characters.