INK FEEDING SYSTEM FOR SOLID INK PRINTER AND FEEDING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a solid ink stick to be loaded even from a chute extension direction by eliminating a spring-urged push block mechanism. SOLUTION: In a printer 202 which forms an image 215 onto a medium 212 by an ink 210 acquired by liquefying the solid ink stick 206 by a liquefier 208, as an ink feeding system 204 for feeding of the sticks to the liquefier 208, what has a guide which forms a passage capable of holding a plurality of the sticks 206, and which guides the sticks 206 along a predetermined course 218 using the passage is prepared. A chute 216 as the guide, a loading part 220 as its inlet, and a sending part 222 as its outlet are formed to be able to smoothly pass or transfer the sticks 206. The loading part 220 is disposed at a position higher than the sending part 222 so that the stick 206 loaded from the loading part 220 reaches the sending part 222 passing the interior of the chute 216 by only the gravity. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT