Photography – Self-developing camera – Including means to treat superimposed material
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2002-05-28
Rutledge, D. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Self-developing camera
Including means to treat superimposed material
C396S036000, C355S027000, C347S264000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06397007
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical printer which converts electrical signal to optical signal to form an image on an instant film.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in FIG.
9
and
FIG. 10
, in an optical printer of a liquid crystal shutter type, an instant film
19
is fixed on a printer main body
101
, an optical head
103
is moved forward/backward relative to the instant film
19
, and a photosensitive face of the instant film
19
is exposed by the optical head
103
.
FIG. 9
shows a state of the optical printer before the optical head
103
starts to move rearward (direction of arrow F) in order to expose the photosensitive face of the instant film
19
.
FIG. 10
shows a state of the optical printer after the rearward movement of the optical head
102
has been completed, namely, the exposure on the photosensitive face of the instant film
19
has been completed. The optical head
103
positioned in the state shown in
FIG. 10
moves forward (direction F′ opposed to the arrow F shown in
FIG. 9
) to return back to its original position (position shown in
FIG. 9
) and stop. Then, as shown in
FIG. 11
, the instant film
19
is discharged forward from a film discharge port
104
.
A sectional view of this optical printer is shown in
FIG. 12
, and an enlarged view of a portion H of the sectional view in
FIG. 12
is shown in FIG.
13
.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, the instant film
19
used in this optical printer has a photosensitive face
19
d
which is an upper surface, and which is surrounded by a front end portion
19
j
, a rear end portion
19
m
, and left and right side end portions
19
a
and
19
b
formed so as to connect the front end portion
19
j
and the rear end portion
19
m.
A developer accommodating portion
19
c
is formed in the front end portion
19
j
with a width D
1
which is a non-photosensitive portion of the instant film
19
, and a waste developer accommodating portion
19
g
is formed in the rear end portion
19
m
with a width D
2
which is a non-photosensitive portion of the instant film
19
. The developer accommodating portion
19
c
accommodates liquid developer. The waste developer accommodating portion
19
g
accommodates waste developer which has been applied for exposure on the photosensitive face
19
d
. Also, a developer retaining bag
19
e
made of transparent material is provided on an upper face of the photosensitive face
19
d
. Developer pouring ports
19
h
are provided between the developer accommodating portion
19
c
and the developer retaining bag
19
e
and developer discharging ports
19
f
are provided between the developer retaining bag
19
e
and the waste developer accommodating portion
19
g
at several portions, respectively.
After the instant film
19
is exposed, the instant film
19
is fed out towards the film discharge port by rotating a pair of developing rollers
106
constituting developing means while nipping the instant film
19
between the pair of developing rollers
106
, as shown in FIG.
12
and FIG.
13
. In this process, the developer accommodating portion
19
c
is collapsed by the developing rollers
106
so that the liquid developer flows out of the developer accommodating portion
19
c.
The liquid developer which has flown out of the developer accommodating portion
19
c
enters in the developer retaining bag
19
e
where the developer is applied to the- entire photosensitive face
19
d
of the instant film
19
, thereby performing developing processing. The liquid developer in the developer retaining bag
19
e
is caused to flow rearward according to rotation of the developing rollers
106
to flow in the waste developer accommodating portion
19
g
through the developer discharging ports
19
f
. At this time, the developer retaining bag
19
e
is expanded largely on its rear side of the developing rollers
106
due to fluid resistance generated by flowing of the liquid developer into the liquid discharging ports
19
f
, as shown with reference numeral
19
k
in FIG.
13
.
When the portion of the developer retaining bag
19
e
which has been expanded by the liquid developer passes through the nip between the developing rollers
106
, it acts as an obstacle so that the conveying speed of the instant film
19
by the developing rollers
106
is reduced at this time. As a result, since the conveying speed of the instant film
19
becomes unstable to change, exposure unevenness occurs on the instant film
19
.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to suppress load variation to the instant film at a time when the exposed instant film is discharged while developing the instant film to maintain the discharging speed of the instant film constant, in the optical printer, thereby suppressing exposure unevenness on the instant film
19
.
An optical printer according to the present invention comprises an accommodating portion for accommodating a photosensitive element, a conveying roller for conveying the photosensitive element from the accommodating portion along a predetermined conveying path, and an optical head for irradiating light on a predetermined position on the photosensitive element, wherein an image is formed on the photosensitive element. Then, the photosensitive element is provided on its photosensitive face side with a non-photosensitive portion with a first predetermined width (D
1
) extending toward a rear end from an front end in a conveying direction of the photosensitive element and a non-photosensitive portion with a second predetermined width (D
2
) extending toward the front end from the rear end. A position of a light irradiation on the photosensitive element by the optical head is set within a range from a first point at a distance equal to the first predetermined width (D
1
) from a center of the conveying roller on the upstream side in the conveying direction and a second point at a distance equal to the second predetermined width (D
2
) from the center of the conveying roller on the downstream side in the conveying direction.
The optical printer according to the present invention can take the following aspects.
The position of irradiation region is set on the downstream side or the upstream side of the conveying direction with respect to the center of the conveying roller, or it is caused to coincide with an approximate center of the conveying roller in the conveying direction.
The photosensitive element has non-photosensitive portions on both side end portions positioned between the front end side non-photosensitive portion and the rear end side non-photosensitive portion on the side of photosensitive face. The conveying roller is brought in contact with regions corresponding to the non-photosensitive portions on the both side end portions of the photosensitive element to convey the conveying roller.
The conveying roller is rotationally driven at a predetermined rotational speed by driving means and is disposed in opposition to an follower roller with a predetermined pressure relative thereto.
The photosensitive element is an instant film in which liquid developer is accommodated and which can perform self-developing processing. A developing roller is provided for applying the liquid developer to the photosensitive face. The conveying roller and the developing roller are driven by one motor. The conveying roller has a conveying roller driving gear formed coaxially to the rotational shaft of the conveying roller, the developing roller has a developing roller driving gear formed coaxially to the rotational shaft of the developing roller, and both the conveying roller driving gear and the developing roller driving gear are brought to mesh with one intermediate gear to be driven by the one motor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1 026 543 (2000-08-01), None
patent: 11-8731 (1999-01-01), None
patent: 11-252491 (1999-09-01), None
patent: 11-344772 (1999-12-01), None
patent: 11-352595 (1999-12-01), None
patent: 2000-72302 (2000-03-01), None
Aizawa Chikara
Futakami Shigeru
Masubuchi Sadao
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Rutledge D.
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