1. An apparatus for processing ink applied to substrate media sheets, the apparatus comprising:
a control cylinder rotatably supported for thermal conduction to a sheet of substrate media, the sheet conveying ink deposited on a first side thereof, the sheet being held against a peripheral arch of the control cylinder as the control cylinder rotates with the first side of the sheet directly engaging and wrapping around the control cylinder along the peripheral arch;
a thermal control element for at least one of heating and cooling the control cylinder; and
a pressure roll for spreading the ink, the pressure roll together with the control cylinder forming a spreader nip, the spreader nip selectively changeable between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the pressure roll being biased toward the control cylinder for applying pressure to the ink on the sheet, the pressure roll spaced further away from the control cylinder in the open position relative to the closed position.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an acquisition nip disposed adjacent the spreader nip for holding the sheet after the sheet passes through the spreader nip.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the acquisition nip moves the sheet at least partly through the spreader nip in the open position.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure roll moves away from the control cylinder after a trailing edge of the substrate media sheet disengages the pressure roll, allowing the substrate media sheet to pass between the pressure roll and the control cylinder without further engaging the pressure roll.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a rotational velocity of the control cylinder is adjustable for regulating a dwell time in which the substrate media sheet remains in direct engagement with the control cylinder.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a sensor for detecting a temperature of at least one of the substrate media sheet and the ink deposited thereon.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the thermal control element adjusts the temperature of the control cylinder in response to the temperature detected by the sensor.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control cylinder at least partially levels the ink while the sheet is held against the peripheral arch.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a sheet process path for conveying the sheet, the acquisition nip holding the sheet along an intermediate portion of the process path on a first side of the acquisition nip, an exit portion of the process path being disposed on an opposed side of the acquisition nip relative to the intermediate portion.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
at least one controller operatively connected to and controlling the control cylinder, the thermal control element and the pressure roll.
11. A method of processing ink applied to substrate media sheets, the method comprising:
engaging a sheet of substrate media with a control cylinder rotatably supported along a process path of the sheet, the sheet conveying ink deposited on a first side thereof;
rotating the control cylinder with the sheet held against a peripheral arch of the control cylinder as the control cylinder rotates with the first side of the sheet directly engaging and wrapping around the control cylinder along the peripheral arch;
activating a thermal control element to at least one of heat and cool the control cylinder for thermal conduction to the sheet;
spreading the ink by passing the sheet between a pressure roll and the control cylinder, the pressure roll together with the control cylinder forming a spreader nip, the spreader nip pressing the ink on the sheet as it passes through the spreader nip; and
opening the spreader nip into an open position, the spreader nip being selectively changeable between a closed position and the open position, in the closed position the pressure roll being biased toward the control cylinder for applying pressure to the ink on the sheet, the pressure roll spaced further away from the control cylinder in the open position relative to the closed position.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
closing an acquisition nip disposed adjacent the spreader nip for holding the sheet after the sheet passes through the spreader nip.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the control cylinder at least partially levels the ink while the sheet is held against the peripheral arch.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the pressure roll moves out of the closed position after a trailing edge of the substrate media sheet disengages the pressure roll.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein a rotational velocity of the control cylinder is adjustable for regulating a dwell time in which the substrate media sheet remains in direct engagement with the control cylinder.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the sheet is initially engaged by the control cylinder while the sheet is carried on a platen of a media cart.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
returning the sheet to the platen with the first side facing the platen.
18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
passing the sheet through spreader nip a second time while the spreader nip is in the open position.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
after passing the sheet through the spreader nip a second time, conveying the sheet further along the process path to a marking station for application of further ink to a second side of the sheet, the same marking station having previously applied the first side ink.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
re-engaging the sheet with the control cylinder after the application of the further ink to the second side of the sheet.
21. A system for processing ink applied to substrate media sheets, the apparatus comprising:
a sheet transport including a sled having a platen for supporting thereon a sheet, the sled being translatable along a process path to transport the sheet to a control cylinder and to transport the sheet away from the control cylinder along the process path;
the control cylinder rotatably supported for thermal conduction to a sheet of substrate media, the sheet conveying ink deposited on a first side thereof, the sheet being held against an arched portion of the control cylinder as the control cylinder rotates with the first side of the sheet directly engaging and wrapping around the control cylinder along the arched portion;
a thermal control element for at least one of heating and cooling the control cylinder; and
a pressure roll for spreading the ink, the pressure roll together with the control cylinder forming a spreader nip, the spreader nip selectively changeable between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the pressure roll being biased toward the control cylinder for applying pressure to the ink on the sheet, the pressure roll spaced further away from the control cylinder in the open position relative to the closed position.
22. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the control cylinder includes a sheet acquiring apparatus which acquires the sheet from the sled when the sled is in a first position.
23. The system as defined in claim 22, wherein the sled is moveable to a second position spaced from the first position and when in the second position the sled reacquires the sheet after being processed by the pressure roll.
24. The system as defined in claim 22, further including a track and the sled translates on the track along the process path.
25. The system as defined in claim 21, wherein the control cylinder and pressure roll cooperate to invert the sheet.
26. The system as defined in claim 23, further including an exit path extending from the pressure roll generally toward the process path and the sled when in the second position, the exit path guiding the travel of the sheet onto the sled.
27. The apparatus of claim 21, further including a sensor for detecting a temperature of at least one of the substrate media sheet and the ink deposited thereon and the thermal control element adjusts the temperature of the control cylinder in response to the temperature detected by the sensor.
28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the control cylinder at least partially levels the ink while the sheet is held against the arched portion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A crash attenuation system for an aircraft, the system comprising:
a first airbag inflatable generally adjacent to an exterior of the aircraft;
a second airbag inflatable generally adjacent to an exterior of the first airbag; and
a vent system, the vent system comprising:
a vent passage being configured to allow gas to escape from within the first airbag during an impact into the second airbag.