Patent ID: 7581827

Claim:
A solid ink stick melting apparatus comprising: an ink stick melt chamber having an enclosure with at least one heated wall, an inlet for receiving an ink stick, and an outlet for melted ink flow from the enclosure; and a plurality of seals mounted within the inlet of the enclosure, the seals being spatially separated from one another and configured to mate with an exterior surface of an ink stick having a predetermined shape, the seals forming a passageway for ink sticks within the enclosure, the seals of the passageway being positioned in the inlet to hold the exterior surface of the ink stick as a portion of the ink stick extending from the seals is melted by the at least one heated wall to enable the seals and the solid ink stick portion held by the seals to form a barrier that blocks egress of melted ink through the inlet and that generates a pressure within the enclosure that pushes melted ink through the outlet of the enclosure.