| 摘要 |
Disclosed is a printing apparatus, having a print surface lying in a print plane defined by an imaginary x-axis and y-axis, the print surface having an outward normal pointing in the positive direction along an imaginary z-axis, such that the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are substantially orthogonal to one another, a lower stamp clamp disposed adjacent to the negative-x edge of the print surface, an upper stamp clamp, moveable in two dimensions in a trajectory plane defined by the x-axis and z-axis, a stamp comprising a flexible material, the stamp having a first end attached to the lower stamp clamp and a second end attached to the upper stamp clamp, such that a cross section of the stamp parallel to the trajectory plane forms an arc extending from an origin point Q on the lower stamp clamp having (x,z) coordinates (0,0) to point E on the upper stamp clamp, this arc being described by the mathematical function theta(s), where s is the curvilinear distance along the arc measured from point Q, and theta is the angle between the print plane and an imaginary line, the imaginary line being tangent to the cross section of the stamp at s, and wherein, during a print operation, the upper stamp clamp is moved in a trajectory comprising a plurality of xz positions of the upper clamp stamp that blend into a substantially continuous motion, the trajectory being effective in laying the stamp down smoothly and flat upon the print surface in a manner such that a moving contact front between the stamp and the print surface is created, the contact front being disposed substantially along a line characterized by a contact-front coordinate s0 x0 that increases as the trajectory progresses, the trajectory also being effective in causing the curvatureof the stamp at or near the contact front to be substantially constant throughout the motion. The preferred embodiment also has either or both of two additional systems that move along the x axis in coordination with the motion of the upper stamp clamp: a print-force-application system effective in pressing the stamp against the print surface, and a stamp control system for helping to control the curvature of the stamp near the contact front.
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