Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Cartridge system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2002-04-09
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Cartridge system
C242S332400, C242S332800, C242S532600, C242S532700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06367727
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a roll photo film. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a roll photo film in a manner with heightened precision and efficiency.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
There are 120 and 220 types of roll photo film. The roll photo film includes a spool, a photo filmstrip and a light-shielding sheet. The spool consists of a cylindrical core and a pair of disk-shaped flanges formed on respective ends of the core. The light-shielding sheet is connected to the photo filmstrip, and wound therewith about the photo filmstrip to protect the photo filmstrip from ambient light. To load a camera with the roll photo film of 120 or 220 type, a rear end of the light-shielding sheet with an obliquely reduced width is inserted in a slit of a camera spool, before a few turns of the light-shielding sheet with the photo filmstrip is wound about the camera spool with the light-shielding sheet kept tightened without being unwound. This is an extremely difficult operation in setting the roll photo film in the camera.
The spool has a slit formed therein for receiving insertion of the front end portion of the light-shielding sheet. To facilitate a loading operation of the camera with the roll photo film of 120 or 220 type, the light-shielding sheet of the roll photo film is provided with a retaining hole, formed in its rear end, for retention to a retaining claw of the camera spool. Inside the slit of the spool, there are formed push ridges formed therewith for preventing the light-shielding sheet from being removed.
If conventional techniques are used for producing the light-shielding sheet, the retaining hole is formed by punching after the trimming operation of a front end portion of the light-shielding sheet. However there occurs a problem in that a position of the retaining hole is likely to irregular relative to a shape of outer edges of the front end portion, due to deviations in conveying the light-shielding sheet or deviations in a position to stop the light-shielding sheet. If the retaining hole is excessively deviated, the light-shielding sheet must be bent or distorted before the retaining hole can be engaged with the retainer claw. In case the retaining hole is engageable with the retainer claw, the engagement is likely to be incomplete and unreliable.
In forming the retaining hole, punched dust is created. If the punched dust should not be removed from the punching station in the course of operation, the punched dust is likely to remain on the light-shielding sheet when wound about the spool. The punched dust is so small in the size, and difficult to discover in inspection after the manufacture. Once the roll photo film with the punched dust is purchased by a user, the punched dust is likely to lie on an exposure region of the photo filmstrip inside the camera to lower an image quality of a photograph, or cause damages to the camera. There are a black paper type and a white paper type of the light-shielding sheet. The black paper type consists of paper material and carbon mixed therewith and having black color to shield light. The white paper type consists of paper material and a light-shielding layer of a coating applied thereon. The white paper type has a characteristic of being charged electrically with ease. A serious problem arises in that the punched dust is typically likely to remain with the white paper type of the light-shielding sheet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a roll photo film, in which a retaining hole can be cut precisely and exactly through a light-shielding sheet to be wound with a photo filmstrip.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a roll photo film, in which a front end of a light-shielding sheet can be inserted reliably into a slit of a spool.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a roll photo film, in which inconsistency between parts constituting a roll photo film, if there is any, can be detected in the course of manufacture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a roll photo film, in which an adhesive tape can be attached between a photo filmstrip and a light-shielding sheet with heightened precision.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a roll photo film, in which a photo filmstrip or a light-shielding sheet, during operation of rotating a spool, can be wound about the spool without scratches or other failure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a roll photo film, in which a trailer sheet and a leader sheet are included in a roll photo film with a photo filmstrip, and the photo filmstrip can be wound unfailingly with the trailer sheet and the leader sheet.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a roll photo film includes a spool having a cylindrical core, a light-shielding sheet having a front end portion and a rear end portion, the front end portion being secured to the core, and a photo filmstrip, a first end of the photo filmstrip being secured to one securing position on the light-shielding sheet, the photo filmstrip being wound about the core in a roll form with the light-shielding sheet. In a roll photo film producing apparatus, a punch/die set includes a trimming punch and a trimming die, for trimming the rear end portion with a reduced width. A hole-forming punch and a hole-forming die are incorporated in the punch/die set, for cutting a-retaining hole through the rear end portion in a substantially simultaneous manner with trimming of the rear end portion.
The retaining hole is adapted to retention of the light-shielding sheet to a second spool after exposing the photo filmstrip, the second spool includes a second cylindrical core, a slit formed in the second core in an axial direction, and a retainer claw disposed in the slit, and the retaining hole is engaged with the retainer claw before the photo filmstrip and the light-shielding sheet are wound about the second core.
Accordingly the retaining hole can be cut precisely and exactly through the light-shielding sheet to be wound with the photo filmstrip.
In a preferred embodiment, a spool has a cylindrical core and a slit formed to extend in an axial direction thereof, the slit having first and second inner faces, there being a push claw disposed on the first inner face, a light-shielding sheet having a front end portion and a rear end portion, the front end portion being inserted in the slit and retained by the push claw. In the roll photo film producing apparatus, a position setter unit rotationally sets the core in a predetermined rotational position before winding the photo filmstrip about the core, to orient the slit in one direction. An inserter unit inserts the front end portion in the slit, wherein the position setter unit and the inserter unit are so preset as to direct the front end portion of the light-shielding sheet to the second inner face at an angle of 5-200° therebetween. A rotating unit rotates the core to wind the photo-filmstrip about the core.
Furthermore, an inserter unit inserts the front end portion in the slit and for curving the light-shielding sheet away from the push claw while the front end portion is inserted.
Accordingly the front end-of the light-shielding sheet can be inserted reliably into the slit of the spool.
In another preferred embodiment for producing a roll photo film, a photo filmstrip of a predetermined length is formed by cutting continuous photo film. A light-shielding sheet of a predetermined length is formed by cutting continuous light-shielding sheet. One end of the photo filmstrip is secured to one securing position on the light-shielding sheet. A
Makino Teruyoshi
Sasou Masami
Fuji Photo Film Co, Ltd.
Rivera William A.
LandOfFree
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