Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Processes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-16
2002-02-26
Maust, Timothy L. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Processes
C141S086000, C141S110000, C141S112000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06349751
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system for, and a method of, removing a component from immersion in a liquid. In particular, the invention relates to the removal of a used liquid treatment component from a container in a convenient manner, whereby any drips of liquid from the component are substantially prevented from contacting the user and any other part of the equipment from which the component is removed. The invention finds particular, though not exclusive, application in a photo-processing system, for example in the removal of a used cathode from an electrolytic silver recovery system, or the removal of a filter cartridge or an ion exchange column. The invention also extends to the replacement of the removed used component with a fresh component.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Although the invention has broader application, for convenience the description will generally relate to its usage in a photo-processing system, and specifically to the removal, and replacement, of a cathode of an electrolytic silver recovery system thereof.
A silver recovery cell, or cartridge, contains a cathode on which silver is plated during operation, for example during the recovery of silver from a fixer solution in a tank of a photo-processor. When the cathode is fully loaded with silver, it has to be removed from the cell by the user. The cathode may be of the reusable type, in which case the silver is removed and the cleaned cathode is replaced in the cell; the silver being sent to a refiner. However, this operation of removing the silver from a cathode is both messy and inconvenient. This inconvenience is reduced when a disposable cathode is used, in which the cathode is generally made of a low-cost conductive material which can be smelted along with the silver. Typical materials for such a disposable cathode are graphite impregnated plastic, graphite foil laminated to plastic sheet, and plastic sheet painted with conductive ink. For a recovery cell having a disposable cathode, the user simply removes the cathode and replaces it with a fresh one; the used cathode then being sent in its entirety for refining.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,781 discloses a disposable cathode for use in an electrolytic cell, in which the action of screwing down a lid of the cell both seals the cell and makes electrical contact with the cathode. When the cathode is fall of silver, the lid is unscrewed and the wet cathode is removed either by hand or by means of a tool which grasps holes in the top of a cylindrical wall of the cathode. The cathode is removed from the cell and placed in a bag and sealed for transport to the refiner. The operation of removal, and exchange, of the cathode is still messy and requires some skill on the part of the user to avoid contact between any liquid dripping from the cathode and the user and/or associated equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,979 also discloses a disposable cathode, and whilst its large size reduces the frequency of changing, the cell must be drained in order to change the cathode, so that bolts passing through the cathode and the cell wall may be released. Removal of the cylindrical cathode is done either manually or by a tool. This operation is both time consuming and messy, especially bearing in mind that the wet cathode may weigh up to several kilograms.
U.S. Pat. No.4,834,849 discloses yet another type of disposable cathode construction in which the cathode is in the form of conductive paint on a plastic substrate. Replacement of the cathode requires the cell to be drained of its photographic fixer solution, and although the extent of the manual operation is reduced, pouring of liquid, which may cause spills and drips onto associated equipment, is still involved. This method is, therefore, likewise not suited to operation of the cell in an office-like environment.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method that enables a wet component to be removed from immersion in a liquid easily and rapidly, without the need for draining and re-filling of the containment vessel, whilst minimizing not only contact between the user with the liquid, for example a photographic fixer solution, but also with the silver contained therein, and also whilst containing any drips from the wet component in a safe manner during and after removal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for removing a wet component from a canister for containing a liquid, comprising:
a canister which, in operation, removably contains the component at least partially immersed in the liquid;
a transport housing arranged to receive the component for transport away from the canister;
interengaging means for temporarily locating the transport housing in a position adjacent the canister, and preferably secured thereto; and
a liquid collector arranged to be disposed between the canister and the transport housing so as to collect any liquid released from the component as the component is transferred from the canister to the transport housing.
It will be appreciated that at the time of removal of the component from the canister, the canister may still contain solution, or the solution may have recently been drained therefrom leaving the component still wet.
By ‘canister’ is meant a vessel of any shape, capable of containing liquid and into which the component is at least partially immersed at some time during operation.
By ‘transport housing’ is meant a receptacle, rigid or flexible, of any shape capable of receiving the component.
By ‘interengaging means’ is meant any means rigid or flexible, integral with or separate to, the transport housing capable of locating the transport housing adjacent the canister.
The interengaging means may locate the transport housing in a predetermined spatial relationship with the canister, for example alongside or above the canister. The liquid collector may be deployable so as to extend between the canister and the transport housing. In one embodiment, the transport housing is located a fixed distance laterally from the canister so that deployment of the liquid collector will result in its correct positioning between the canister and the transport housing. This is particularly convenient when the liquid collector is relatively rigid.
Advantageously, the liquid collector may be associated with, for example by being retained on or in, the transport housing. The liquid collector may then be unfolded from the transport housing when the latter is secured to the canister. Unfolding of the liquid collector is to be understood as including not only opening it out from an overlapped configuration, but also unfurling, unwinding or otherwise flattening it out from a crumpled state.
Introduction of the wet component into the transport housing may be arranged to carry the liquid collector with it, so that its return to the housing is achieved without any risk of contact between the operator and the liquid.
In a preferred system, the component is fixed to a lid of the canister. Transfer of the component to the transport housing is then achieved by detaching, for example unscrewing, the lid from the canister and attaching, for example screwing, the lid onto the transport housing so as to provide a lid thereof. It will be appreciated that the lid may form a seal onto each of the canister and transport housing, thereby safely to contain the liquid therein.
The interengaging means may comprise a support member extending laterally of the canister for securing the transport housing to the canister. The support member may be generally planar, and may be attached to the canister, or to an enclosure thereof. Preferably the support member has an aperture therein for receiving the transport housing. The aperture may be such as to enclose the total periphery of the transport housing, or may comprise an open ended slot into which the housing may fit. Alternatively, the interengaging means may comprise a clamping member, which may be affixed to the transport housing, arr
Gowans Bruce S.
Rider Christopher B.
Eastman Kodak Company
Maust Timothy L.
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