INK STICK WITH VISUALLY DISCERNIBLE FEATURE PATTERN

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink stick having feature sets that can be conveniently translated into useful identification. SOLUTION: The solid ink stick is comprised of an ink stick body formed of a phase change ink material. The ink stick body is configured so as to be included in a first set of the ink stick and has substantially the same size and shape as other ink sticks in the first set of ink sticks and ink sticks in a second set of ink sticks. The first set of ink sticks has a series different from that of the second set of ink sticks. The solid ink stick includes an identification pattern formed on the ink stick body. The identification pattern is one identification pattern in a set of identification patterns and the identification pattern formed on a pattern area of the ink stick body is visually discernible from the other identification patterns in the set. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT