Photography – Fluid-treating apparatus – Having testing – calibration – or indicating
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-27
2004-03-16
Rutledge, D. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Fluid-treating apparatus
Having testing, calibration, or indicating
C396S626000, C396S636000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705779
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present application relates to an arrangement for preparing a liquid treatment solution for treating, e.g. developing photosensitive material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the field of photofinishing technologies, two types of photofinishing environments are mainly known. One of these types concerns minilabs and the other, large scale photofinishing laboratories. In the minilabs, all kinds of processing needed for the exposed film, for the exposure of the photosensitive paper and the development of the exposed photosensitive paper as well as all splicing and cutting operations necessary for the exposed and developed film and the exposed and developed photosensitive paper are dealt with in one small scale minilab. This minilab is able to process small to medium numbers of films and/or photographs.
On the other hand, large scale photofinishing laboratories are able to process a huge number of exposed films which are arranged in film batches. These film batches are processed in special high speed printer devices.
In minilabs it is useful to conduct most of the operations, if not all operations, automatically without wasting time.
Minilabs include several compartments directed to the treatment of the exposed film and several compartments directed to the treatment of the exposed photopaper. In the known minilabs as well as in the known types of large scale photofinishing laboratories, the replenishment of these compartments is not sufficiently operated automatically and some times have to be replenished, if the treating solution in the compartments is no longer useful for an acceptable result.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve the known arrangements by providing an arrangement for preparing a liquid treatment solution for the treatment of photosensitive material. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to propose such a new arrangement which is able to provide a fresh treatment solution without any time delay.
The solution to deal at least partially with these objects is an arrangement for preparing a liquid treatment solution for treating photosensitive material, such as photosensitive film material or photosensitive paper material, comprising: a storage container for storing said treatment solution to be fed to a development compartment of a development apparatus; a supply portion for a dry component or dry components and/or dry mixtures of components of said treatment solution; a reception container for receiving and storing a solvent, e.g. water, distilled water or the like; wherein a mixing tank is located between said supply portion, said reception container and said storage container, said parts being connected to said mixing tank.
Particularly useful and advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the sub-claims.
The present invention can be used for all processes in connection with the development of photographic material, i.e. all developing, desilvering, washing and stabilizing processes, to dissolve and supply the granules of the necessary chemical components for each of the steps.
Of course, the photographic material can be a photographic film or a photographic print paper, both for color and black-and-white shots and prints.
Accordingly, the combination of different tanks and containers can be arranged for preparing not only a developer, but also a bleacher or a bleach-fixer for a desilvering step, a stabilizer for a non-water washing step and a stabilizer for a dye-stabilizing step, respectively.
Accordingly, e.g. a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material after being exposed to light, is then processed in the steps such as a series of developing, desilvering, washing and stabilizing steps. And, a silver halide black-and-white photographic light-sensitive material, after exposed to light, is then processed in the series of developing and fixing steps. In these processes, a black-and-white developer or a color developer for carrying out a developing step, a bleacher or a bleach-fixer for a desilvering step, city water or deionized water for a washing step, a stabilizer for a non-water washing step, and a stabilizer for a dye-stabilizing step, respectively.
In general, a processing device according to the invention includes for instance a developing unit, a fixing unit, a desilvering unit, a washing or stabilizing unit and a drying unit and also a means for automatically transporting a photographic light-sensitive material through each of the processing tanks or compartments.
However, for simplification in the following it is only referred to the developing of films and prints, while the invention is also related to the e.g. fixing, bleaching or whatever process.
The advantages of the present invention are based on the fact that an additional mixing tank is located between a supply portion, a reception container and a storage container, wherein said parts are connected to the mixing tank by conduits. With this new feature of the invention, it is possible to prepare a new developer solution on the basis of dry components in connection with the solvent, which will usually be water or distilled water, while, at the same time, when mixing the new liquid developer solution, unused and active liquid developer solution is available for the development compartment of a development apparatus in a minilab or in a large scale photofinishing laboratory. Correspondingly, if the fresh liquid development solution has been pumped or withdrawn from the storage container to the development compartment of the development apparatus, the prepared fresh developer solution from the mixing tank can be supplied to the storage container and, immediately afterwards, the components of the development solution can be introduced into the mixing tank to prepare a new charge of the liquid developer solution. This is in particular important if dry ingredients in the form of powder or granules have to be disoluted in the solvent, e.g. water, which takes considerable time which can delay the overall function of the respective development apparatus and, correspondingly, of the complete minilab or the complete large scale photofinishing laboratory.
It is an advantageous embodiment of the present invention that the supply portion includes at least one and in particular two or more connecting locations for connecting replaceable vessels to the arrangement according to the arrangement. The vessels are, for instance, replaceable cartridges or the like which can be placed at the connecting locations to introduce the dry component or components or mixtures of the dry components to compose the liquid developer solution. For instance, the connecting locations can include flange devices or the like in connection with a pivotable lid or similar, which can be opened after the flange device has been fixably connected to the connecting location of the supply portion. The replaceable vessels or cartridges can be protected by housings to avoid possible damaging of the cartridges which could soil or spoil the liquid developer solution.
According to an advantageous embodiment including features in accordance with the invention, the storage container includes a sensor means which is able to monitor at least one particular level of the developer solution. This particular level of the developer solution in the storage container can also be merely a signal indicating that the storage container is empty. Of course, the sensor means in the storage container can also provide a continuous measurement showing all possible levels, i.e. the full level, all intermediate levels and also the empty state of the storage container.
According to another important embodiment in accordance with the present invention the mixing tank also includes a sensor means which is to monitor at least one particular level of a solvent and/or a liquid in said tank. Also this sensor means can provide a signal when the mixing tank is empty, i.e., if the fresh developer solution has been forwarded to the storage container. On
Castellarin Silvano
Scodellaro Eni
Corless Peter F.
Edwards & Angell LLP
Jensen Steven M.
Rutledge D.
San Marco Imaging Srl
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