Patent ID: 7866262

Claim:
A fixer subsystem for use in a system for printing on a substrate media, the subsystem comprising: a rotatable, heatable fuser drum defining an axis of rotation; a rotatable pressure roll operatively associated with the fuser drum and defining an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the fuser drum, the pressure roll being rotatable about the axis of rotation of the fuser drum to vary a length of contact of substrate media in order to control a temperature of the substrate media, wherein the fuser drum and the pressure roll define a nip therebetween for passage of the substrate media therethrough, the fixer subsystem defining first, second and third orthogonal axes, wherein the first orthogonal axis is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation defined by the fuser drum, wherein the fixer subsystem is configured to enable the pressure roll to gimbal about at least one of the second and third orthogonal axes while remaining grounded with respect to the fuser drum in the direction of the first orthogonal axis, wherein immediately before the substrate media is provided to the fixer subsystem, the substrate media is exposed to a mid-heating station having a plurality of heating boxes, two or more of the plurality of heating boxes positioned in an opposing configuration to selectively adjust the temperature in a uniform manner on both sides of the substrate media; wherein immediately before the mid-heating station, the substrate media is exposed to an imaging station; wherein immediately before the imaging station, the substrate media is exposed to a pre-heating station, such that the imaging station is positioned between the pre-heating station and the mid-heating station so that heat is applied to the substrate media in at least two separate time periods in order to prevent usage of cooling units immediately after the fixer subsystem; wherein the fixer subsystem is configured to be located downstream of the mid-heating station by a distance sufficient for the substrate media to cool down a predetermined amount; and wherein the fuser drum assists the mid-heating station by selectively applying the heat to the substrate media in predefined intervals in order to enable the mid-heating section to operate at lower temperatures; a fuser mount including a pair of spaced apart rails, wherein the fuser drum is operatively disposed between the pair of spaced apart rails; a load frame operatively supported on the fuser mount, wherein the fuser drum defines an axis of rotation extending through the pair of spaced apart rails, wherein the load frame is supported on the pair of spaced apart rails; and a tilting mechanism operatively interconnecting the fuser mount and the load frame, wherein the tilting mechanism is operable to vary an angular position of the pressure roll relative to the fuser drum.