Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Detailed holder for photosensitive paper
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-14
2001-01-23
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Detailed holder for photosensitive paper
C355S040000, C355S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06177981
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a loading arrangement for a film cartridge, especially a cartridge containing an APS film, as well as a film platform for a photographic copier apparatus especially for the processing of APS films.
BACKGROUND ART
The so-called APS films (Advanced Photographic System) which appeared in recent years, are distinguished, among other things, in that the storage and processing (with the exception of the developing) of the films always takes place in or out of the APS film cartridges especially constructed therefor, which means the films are not completely removed from the cartridges for the processing (again with exception of the developing) and after the processing rewound into the cartridge. Adjustable codings are further provided on the cartridges by way of which it can be determined whether an unexposed, a partially exposed, a completely exposed, or an already developed film is in the cartridge.
So-called minilabs or photographic copier apparatus which, apart from the actual copier part (exposure apparatus, printer), also include a developing section for the photographic copy material as well as possibly also a film developing section. Minilabs and other photographic copier apparatus are generally equipped with a so-called film platform which allows a precise feeding of the films to be copied into the exposure light path.
With minilabs for conventional films, for example, those of the 135 format, a film to be copied is manually or by way of a suited loading arrangement fed into the film platform and thereby passed onto the film transport means provided in the film platform. Those then transport the film along a film path and position the individual picture frames in the exposure window of the film platform where the exposure takes place. When the last picture frame is copied, the film is generally ejected from the film platform.
Minilabs adapted for the processing of APS films, because of the above-mentioned characteristics of such films, require a specially adapted film platform or loading arrangement for APS films. That is generally provided with a holding device for the positioning of an individual APS film cartridge in a defined orientation, as well as an unwind and windup mechanism which guides the APS film out of the cartridge and passes it to the film transport means of the film platform and rewinds the film after the copying process back into the cartridge. Subsequently, the cartridge can then be removed again from the loading arrangement.
Minilabs cover a capacity of up to 100 copy orders (individual films) per hour.
However, even at a lower capacity of, for example, 40 copy orders per hour, this means that the operator must install and remove an APS cartridge about every one and a half minutes. Thus, in order to be able to fully utilize the capacity of the minilab, the operator must practically continuously stand at the minilab.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the present invention, the handling of a copy apparatus, especially a minilab shall now be simplified, especially for the processing of APS films so that the operator requires less time for the feeding of the film cartridges, especially APS film cartridges. In particular, with the present invention, a loading arrangement especially for APS film cartridges is to be improved such that several cartridges can be fed simultaneously. A further object of the invention resides in the corresponding improvement of a film stage for a photographic copy apparatus which is especially adapted for the processing of APS film.
According to the main idea of the invention, simultaneously, several APS cartridges or comparable film cartridges are loaded into a storage chamber and then sequentially fully automatically brought into the working position and subsequently ejected. The operator therefore needs to go less often to the minilab and is therebetween available for other activities.
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Adams Russell
Brown Khaled
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Gretag Imaging AG
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