JP3353569B2 - Automatic film conveyor - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film transporting apparatus applied to a film processing apparatus such as a negative mask, and more particularly to an automatic film transporting apparatus capable of loading and unloading a film to and from a cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Until now, when printing on photographic paper or the like, a form in which only a negative film taken out of a cartridge and processed is generally used. However, when a film transfer operation is performed between film processing apparatuses, the film is difficult to handle as it is because the film is large in flexibility, easily damaged, and easily adheres to dust and the like.

In recent years, it has been proposed to handle a film in a form housed in a cartridge. As a device using a cartridge containing a film as described above, a negative film transport device applied to a negative mask or the like is known. In this negative film transport device, a cartridge mounting portion is provided near the end of the film transport path. The operator mounts the cartridge in the cartridge mounting section, takes out the leading end of the negative film from the film entrance and exit of the cartridge, pulls it out to the transport roller in the film transport path, and activates the drive source. Thus, the transport roller is driven to transport the negative film toward, for example, a printing opening in the film transport path.

[0004]

However, in the above-described negative film transport apparatus, it is necessary to take out the leading end of the negative film from the cartridge at the time of print processing or the like, and further to pull out the negative film to the position of the transport roller in the film transport path. It is. In this case, a separate device for taking out the leading end of the film from the film entrance of the cartridge is required. On the other hand, if the negative film is to be transferred to another film processing device after the printing operation, etc., it is necessary to rewind the negative film to the original cartridge. Is required. Therefore, the cost for procurement of the equipment has to be provided, and a dedicated installation space has to be secured.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and automatically performs operations such as taking out, transporting, rewinding, and storing a film with respect to a cartridge. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic film transport apparatus which can improve the image quality and does not increase installation space and manufacturing cost.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an automatic film transporting apparatus according to the present invention comprises a film transporting path provided on an upper surface of an apparatus frame and a film transporting apparatus provided near an end of the film transporting path. A cartridge mounting portion for detachably holding a cartridge having a film take-up shaft for detachably engaging the film, a transport roller provided in the film transport path for transporting the film, and a transport roller coupled to the transport roller and a one driving source for driving the, via a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the conveying roller and the conveying direction and connects the conveying roller and the film winding shaft fill
In the automatic transfer system, the power transmission mechanism
Intermittent machine that intermittently connects the film and the film take-up shaft
It is configured to have a structure .

Further, an automatic film transporting apparatus according to the present invention.
The film transport path provided on the upper surface of the device frame
The film is provided near the end of the film transport path,
Cartridge with a film take-up shaft
Removable cartridge mounting section and film transport
A transport roller provided on the transport path for transporting the film;
One drive source connected to the rollers and driving the transport rollers.
Power to transmit the driving force in the same transport direction as the transport rollers
The transfer roller and the film take-up shaft are connected via the transmission mechanism.
The power transmission mechanism in the connected automatic film transporter
Is the film transport speed between the transport roller and the film take-up shaft.
It is provided with a speed difference absorbing mechanism for reducing the difference in speed .

Further, an automatic film transporting device according to the present invention.
The film transport path provided on the upper surface of the device frame
The film is provided near the end of the film transport path,
Cartridge with a film take-up shaft
Removable cartridge mounting section and film transport
A transport roller provided on the transport path for transporting the film;
One drive source connected to the rollers and driving the transport rollers.
Power to transmit the driving force in the same transport direction as the transport rollers
The transfer roller and the film take-up shaft are connected via the transmission mechanism.
The power transmission mechanism in the connected automatic film transporter
Connects the transport roller and the film take-up shaft intermittently
A power interrupting mechanism which is made and a speed difference absorbing mechanism to reduce the film transport speed difference between the conveying roller and the film take-up shaft.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic film transport apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the automatic film transport apparatus. In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes an automatic film transfer device for an auto-negative mask, which includes an apparatus frame 2 and a lid frame 3 provided on the upper surface of the apparatus frame 2 so as to be openable and closable. On the upper surface of the device frame 2, a film transport path 6 for transporting the negative film F is formed. A printing opening 7 is provided substantially at the center of the film transport path 6, and a cartridge mounting section 5 for detachably holding the cartridge 4 is formed near one end.

The cartridge 4 is formed as a hermetically sealed container, and has a film entrance 4a for taking in and out the negative film F. Further, in the cartridge 4, a film take-up shaft 4b (for example, a spool) is provided in which the end of the negative film F from the film entrance 4a is removably locked and can be taken up. Film winding shaft 4
“b” is provided in a state where one end thereof protrudes slightly outside from the side surface of the cartridge 4. In the film transport path 6, transport rollers 8, 9, and 10 for transporting the negative film F to and from the cartridge 4 are provided. These transport rollers 8, 9, 10 are connected to a motor drive shaft 12 of a drive motor 11 (drive source) via a belt 13, and are driven to rotate in synchronization with each other.

The transport roller 8 is fixed to a roller drive shaft 15 supported on the apparatus frame 2, and a pulley 14 is provided at one end of the roller drive shaft 15 to be in contact with the belt 13. In particular, the other end of the roller drive shaft 15 has a gear 1
6 is fixed. The gear 16 is connected to a pulley 18 via a gear 17. The pulley 18 is connected to a pulley 20 via a belt 19. The pulley 20 is fixed to one end of a gear drive shaft 21, and a gear 22 is freely rotatably fitted to the other end of the gear drive shaft 21. Gear drive shaft 21
Are rotatably supported by the device frame 2.

A gear plate 24 is also loosely fitted to the gear drive shaft 21 in a freely rotatable manner. The gear plate 24 rotatably supports a gear 23 meshing with the gear 22.
The gear plate 24 separates the gear 23 from the gear 26 about the gear drive shaft 21 (counterclockwise in the drawing).
At all times by a tension spring 28. The gear plate 24 is disposed at a position where the gear plate 24 can come into contact with a drive pin of the solenoid 30 via a transmission arm 31 pivotally supported by a fulcrum shaft 29 on the device frame 2.

On the other hand, the gear 26 is pivotally supported by the apparatus frame 2 and meshes with the gear 25 fixed to one end of the cartridge drive shaft 27. Further, the other end of the cartridge drive shaft 27 has a structure capable of detachably engaging with the tip of the film winding shaft 4b. However, the cartridge drive shaft 2
Alternatively, the gear 25 of the cartridge drive shaft 27 may be meshed with the gear 26 when the cartridge 7 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 5.

Gears 16, 17, gear 22, gear 23, gear 26, and gear 25 are set to a gear ratio at which the film winding speed of the film winding shaft 4b is faster than the film conveying speed of the conveying roller 8. The film transport direction of the transport roller 8 and the film take-up shaft 4b is configured to be the same direction by a combination of these gears.

In the vicinity of the tip of the gear drive shaft 21,
As shown in FIG. 3, a circumferential flange 32 protruding outward over the entire circumference is formed. Further, a friction plate 33, a gear 22, a friction plate 34, a ring plate 35, a leaf spring 36, a spring receiving plate 37, and a retaining ring 38 are loosely fitted in order on the distal end side of the peripheral flange portion 32 of the gear drive shaft 21 in order. The gear 22 is a leaf spring 36
Is fixed to the gear drive shaft 21 by the urging force. The friction plates 33 and 34 are made of a material or a structure that generates an appropriate frictional force with the gear 22 surface. The urging force of the leaf spring 36 is smaller than the transmission torque applied to the gear 22 when a speed difference between the film conveyance speed of the conveyance roller 8 and the film winding speed of the cartridge drive shaft 27 is generated.
The static friction force between the gears 3 and 34 and the gear 22 is set to be smaller.

That is, the speed difference absorbing mechanism C of the present invention is constituted by the peripheral flange 32, the friction plate 33, the friction plate 34, the ring plate 35, the leaf spring 36, the spring receiving plate 37, and the retaining ring 38. . The gear plate 24, the tension spring 28,
The fulcrum shaft 29, the solenoid 30, and the transmission arm 31 constitute a power intermittent mechanism B of the present invention. The speed difference absorbing mechanism C, the power interrupting mechanism B, the roller drive shaft 15, the gear 16, the gear 17, the pulley 18, the belt 19,
The pulley 20, the gear drive shaft 21, the gear 22, the gear 23, the gear 26, the gear 25, and the cartridge drive shaft 27 constitute a power transmission mechanism A of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a control system of the automatic film transport apparatus 1. In the figure, a control system of the automatic film transporting apparatus 1 is mainly configured by a control unit 44 embodied by a microcomputer or the like, and an input unit 45 embodied by a keyboard or the like, and a sensor 40 on its input side.
An amplifier 42 that processes a signal from the sensor 41 and an amplifier 43 that processes a signal from the sensor 41 are connected in signal. On the other hand, a driver 46 for driving the drive motor 11, a driver 47 for driving the solenoid 30, and a driver for driving a light source for printing and other devices are connected to the output side of the control unit 44 by signals.

The sensors 40 and 41 are composed of, for example, light receiving elements, and receive light from light emitting elements respectively disposed at positions facing the closed lid frame 3 to receive the light from the film transport path 6.
The presence of the upper negative film F is detected. After the signal from the sensor 40 is amplified by the amplifier 42, the signal is compared with a reference signal set in advance by the control unit 44 to determine whether or not the negative film F exists near the cartridge 4. After the signal from the sensor 41 is amplified by the amplifier 43, the signal is compared with a reference signal set in advance by the control unit 44 to determine whether or not the negative film F exists near the transport roller 8. ing.

Next, the operation of taking out, carrying, and storing the negative film F by the automatic film carrying device 1 will be described. First, the cartridge 4 containing the negative film F is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 5, and the front end of the film winding shaft 4b is engaged with the cartridge driving shaft 27. Next, when a start switch (not shown) of the input unit 45 is turned on, the drive motor 11 starts to drive the belt 13, the pulley 14, and the roller drive shaft 15. Thereby, the transport rollers 8,
9 and 10 are rotated forward to prepare for film transport.

After a certain period of time, the control unit 44
Start. Then, the solenoid 30 is moved to the transmission arm 3.
By swinging 1, the lower portion of the gear plate 24 is pushed to rotate the gear plate 24 clockwise in the drawing. As a result, the gear 23 of the gear plate 24 meshes with the gear 26 to drive the cartridge drive shaft 27 and the film take-up shaft 4b to rotate forward.

Thus, the leading end of the negative film F in the cartridge 4 is automatically taken out from the film entrance 4a. When the tip of the negative film F passes over the sensor 40, a film detection signal from the sensor 40 is output to the amplifier 4
2, the control unit 44 turns off the driving of the solenoid 30 based on the input. Then
Due to the urging force of the tension spring 28, the gear 23 on the gear plate 24 side is released from the gear 26 on the apparatus frame 2, and the drive of the cartridge drive shaft 27 is stopped. At this time, since the leading end of the negative film F has reached the transport roller 8, the negative film F is continuously transported in the film transport path 6 toward the printing opening 7.
It is subjected to the printing process for each frame.

As described above, according to the automatic film transport device 1, the transport roller 8 and the film winding shaft 4b are connected via the power transmission mechanism A, so that the negative film F can be automatically transferred from the cartridge 4. Thus, the negative film F can be transported to the film transport path 6.

On the other hand, when the negative film F having undergone the printing process is fed back to the cartridge 4 and rewound into the cartridge 4, when the rewind switch (not shown) of the input section 45 is turned on, the drive motor 11 is turned on. The belt 13, the pulley 14, and the roller drive shaft 15 are driven to rotate in the reverse direction. Accordingly, the transport rollers 8, 9, and 10 rotate in the reverse direction, and transport the negative film F toward the cartridge 4. At the same time, the control unit 44 activates the driver 47 to drive the solenoid 30 and thereby the gear plate 24
The gear 23 on the side meshes with the gear 26 on the side of the apparatus frame 2, and drives the cartridge drive shaft 27 in the reverse direction. When the end of the negative film F sent back through the film transport path 6 (the end in the reverse feeding direction) enters the cartridge 4 from the film entrance 4a, the end of the negative film F is connected to the film winding shaft 4b. It is locked and taken up in the cartridge 4.

At this time, since the film winding speed by the film winding shaft 4b is faster than the film conveying speed by the conveying roller 8 as described above, the negative film F between the conveying roller 8 and the cartridge 4 may be loosened. Or clogging. In addition, the transmission torque applied to the gear 22 overcomes the static friction force between the friction plates 33 and 34 and the gear 22 and causes the gear 22 to idle with respect to the gear drive shaft 21. The speed difference from the speed is absorbed. This can prevent the negative film F from being excessively stretched or broken.

Thereafter, the tip of the negative film F is
When the sensor 41 no longer detects the negative film F after passing through the control unit 1, the control unit 44 transmits the predetermined time (the time when the leading end of the negative film F is expected to be completely housed in the cartridge 4). The driving of the drive motor 11 is stopped, and at the same time, the solenoid 30 is turned off. in this way,
According to the automatic film transport device 1, the negative film F can be fixed without causing any trouble such as jamming in the negative film F.
In a reverse direction and automatically wound up in the cartridge 4.

[0026] [Another embodiment] Incidentally, in place of the power transmission mechanism A of the above embodiment, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the power having a power interrupting mechanism B ₁ and the speed difference absorbing mechanism C ₁ it is also possible to use a transfer mechanism a _1. In the power interrupting mechanism B ₁ , the drive pin of the solenoid 30 faces directly near the lower end of the gear plate 24 without using the fulcrum shaft 29 and the transmission arm 31. Also, the speed difference absorbing mechanism C _1, no peripheral flange portion 32 to the gear drive shaft 21a, instead, the bearing 32a pivotally supporting the gear plate 24 is fixed to the gear drive shaft 21a, further ring plate 3
9 supports the friction plate 33 and others in the thrust direction. To simplify the description, in the power transmission mechanism A _1, the pulley 18 near the gear (previous gear 16, 17 in the embodiment of) or a cartridge driving shaft 27 near the gear (gear 25 in the previous embodiment) Is omitted. Even with the power transmission mechanism A ₁ having such a configuration, the can achieve an embodiment the same operation and effects of the previous course.

The present invention is not limited to the power transmission mechanisms A, A ₁ , the power intermittent mechanisms B, B ₁ , and the speed difference absorbing mechanisms C, C ₁ of the above-described embodiments. Naturally, a configuration in which conceivable mechanical elements (for example, gears, belts, chains, and the like) are appropriately combined is also included.

In each of the embodiments described above, the form using a negative film is exemplified. However, the film of the present invention is not limited to the negative film. For example, a reversal film used for direct printing, or another film may be used. Is also applicable.

[0029]

As described above, according to the automatic film transporting apparatus of the present invention, since the transporting roller and the film winding shaft are connected via the power transmission mechanism, they are accommodated in the cartridge. Work such as taking out, transporting, rewinding, and storing the film can be automatically performed. Therefore, these workability can be improved. In addition, since the film winding shaft can be driven by one drive source, space saving and manufacturing cost can be reduced as compared with a case where such a function is obtained by a separate and independent device.

Further, since the power transmission mechanism is provided with a power intermittent mechanism, the film unloading and loading operations with respect to the cartridge can be intermittently performed as necessary. Therefore, for example, when the film is unloaded from the cartridge, the transport roller and the film winding shaft are connected, and after the film reaches the transport roller, the power transmission between the transport roller and the film winding shaft is cut off. Can work.

Further, when there is a difference in the film transport speed between the film winding shaft of the cartridge and the transport roller,
For example, even when the film winding speed is set to be faster to prevent the film from being loosened or clogged at the time of film rewinding, the speed difference is reduced by the speed difference absorbing mechanism, so that the film is excessively pulled. And the like can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic film transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the automatic film transport device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a speed difference absorbing mechanism of the automatic film transport device.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram showing a control system relating to the automatic film transport device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a main part of an automatic film transport apparatus according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a speed difference absorbing mechanism in another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film automatic conveyance apparatus 2 Device frame 4 Cartridge 4b Film take-up shaft 5 Cartridge mounting part 6 Film conveyance path 8 Conveyance roller 11 Drive motor 15 Roller drive shaft 16, 17, 22, 23, 25, 26 Gear 18, 20 Pulley Reference Signs List 19 belt 21, 21 a gear drive shaft 24 gear plate 27 cartridge drive shaft 28 tension spring 29 fulcrum shaft 31 transmission arm 30 solenoid 32 peripheral flange 32 a bearing 33, 34 friction plate 36 leaf spring A, A ₁ power transmission mechanism B, B ₁ Power intermittent mechanism C, C ₁ Speed difference absorption mechanism

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A detachable cartridge having a film transport path provided on an upper surface of an apparatus frame and a film winding shaft provided near an end of the film transport path and capable of engaging and disengaging a film. A cartridge mounting portion to hold,
Comprising a conveying roller for conveying the film provided in the film transport path, and one of <br/> driving source for driving the conveying roller is connected to the conveying roller, power transmission for transmitting the driving force of the conveying roller and the same conveying direction In an automatic film transport device that connects the transport roller and the film take-up shaft via a mechanism ,
Force transmission mechanism intermittently connects transport roller and film take-up shaft
An automatic film transporting device comprising a power intermittent mechanism operably connected . 2. A film transporter provided on an upper surface of an apparatus frame.
Provided near the end of the film transport path and the film transport path.
Car with a film winding shaft for detachably locking the system
A cartridge mounting section for detachably holding the cartridge,
A transport row that is provided in the film transport path and transports the film
And a drive roller connected to the transport roller to drive the transport roller.
A drive source is provided to transmit the driving force in the same transport direction as the transport rollers.
The transfer roller and film winding
In the automatic film feeder connected to the take-up shaft,
The force transmission mechanism is provided between the transport roller and the film take-up shaft.
No speed difference absorption mechanism to reduce the
An automatic film transport device , characterized in that: 3. A film transporter provided on an upper surface of an apparatus frame.
Provided near the end of the film transport path and the film transport path.
Car with a film winding shaft for detachably locking the system
A cartridge mounting section for detachably holding the cartridge,
A transport row that is provided in the film transport path and transports the film
And a drive roller connected to the transport roller to drive the transport roller.
A drive source is provided to transmit the driving force in the same transport direction as the transport rollers.
The transfer roller and film winding
In the automatic film feeder connected to the take-up shaft,
Force transmission mechanism intermittently connects transport roller and film take-up shaft
Power intermittent mechanism that can be connected as well as transport rollers and film
Speed difference suction to reduce the film conveyance speed difference with the winding shaft
An automatic film transport device comprising a collecting mechanism .