Ink melt device with solid state retention and molten ink pass-through

摘要

A phase change ink melting assembly for use in a phase change ink imaging device includes an ink melt perimetric constraint having an open top and a melted ink egress positioned at a bottom of the perimetric constraint. The open top is sized to receive a leading end of an ink stick fed downwardly therethrough. The perimetric constraint includes an interior through path with egress at the bottom and a plurality of melted ink flow paths intermediate the open top and the melted ink egress. The assembly includes a heater for heating the perimetric constraint to a phase change ink melting temperature.