Raster Graphics Inc.

Cliff Gyotoku

David Albertalli

Noel Schmidt

Jim Middleton

Peter Fellingham

An ink supply apparatus includes a carriage on which a printer head arrangement including a printer head is mounted to an alignment plate and an ink reservoir arrangement including an ink reservoir is mounted to a frame pivotably connected to the alignment plate to permit access to the printer head arrangement. A conduit connects an inlet of the printer head to an outlet of the ink reservoir. The outlet of the ink reservoir is located directly behind the inlet of the printer head when the frame is pivoted to a normal operating position to minimize surges in the conduit and thereby prevent leakage out of or air ingestion into the nozzles of the printer head. The ink supply apparatus is particularly well suited for use in ink jet printers where multiple printer heads are used and printing occurs in two directions of travel of the carriage.

Ink supply apparatus

In a method for reinforcing a flexible sheet such that the flexible sheet will retain desired topographical features, a flexible sheet is positioned on a surface of a magnetic chuck. The surface of the magnetic chuck has a topography, such as a perfectly flat topography, such that a magnetic force of the magnetic chuck causes a first surface of the flexible sheet to be formed into a reverse topography of the topography of the magnetic chuck. A frame having greater rigidity than the flexible sheet is secured relative to the flexible sheet as the first surface of the flexible sheet is formed into the reverse topography of the topography of the magnetic chuck by the magnetic force of the magnetic chuck. The flexible sheet together with the frame secured thereto are removed from the magnetic chuck. The first surface of the flexible sheet retains the reverse topography of the topography of the magnetic chuck when the flexible sheet is removed from the magnetic chuck together with the frame secured thereto.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Cliff Gyotoku