JPH04140740A - Photographic film cartridge and photographic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To securely record a sort mark by detecting a head or tail mark recorded previously at the head end or tail end of a negative film and deciding the end of each order. CONSTITUTION:The respective frames of the negative film 11 are exposed for printing. After the printing exposure of one film ends, its end mark is detected by a mark sensor 45, a puncher 58 is driven in response to the detection to record the sort mark on color paper 40. Then a new negative film 11 is set in a film carrier 30 and the printing of a next order is performed. When an end mark is detected, the sort mark is recorded automatically on the color paper 40, so a sort signal need not be inputted manually. The paper 40 after the printing exposure is developed by a processor part 60 and then cut, frame by frame, by a cutter 63 and the cut sheets are sent into the shelf of a sorter part 65.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a photographic film cartridge and a photographic printer.

[Conventional technology]

When creating printed photographs by printing and exposing images recorded on negative film onto color paper such as photographic paper, roll paper is used to process multiple orders at once and print them. I try to do it efficiently. For this reason, sorting marks indicating the separation of each order are recorded on printed and exposed color paper. This sort mark is a mark to separate prints equivalent to one roll of negative film (one order), and is a mark made by a small hole punched by a puncher between prints between each order, or an inset mark. It consists of back marks, etc. In the case of a long film made by splicing together a large number of orders of negative film, this sort mark is recorded on the color paper by detecting the splice tape that joins the films together. In addition, in the case where printing is performed individually without making the film long, the operator manually records a sort mark at the time when the printing operation for one negative film is completed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, many of the photo printers known as minilabs print individual prints without making them long, and the sort marks are recorded by hand using keys, which can lead to input errors or forgotten entries. The subsequent sorting causes confusion during work.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to reliably record sort marks using the same detection means even when the length is long, without having to rely on manual labor. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a photographic film cartridge and a photographic printer.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a photographic film cartridge in which photographic film is wound up and stored, in which marks for identifying the leading and trailing ends of the film are formed in advance. Another invention provides means for detecting a leading edge identification mark formed in advance on a photographic film to identify the leading edge or trailing edge, and recording a sorting mark on color paper based on an identification mark detection signal from the means. This means that there is a means to do so.

[Operation] When printing an image recorded on a negative film, a leading or trailing edge mark recorded in advance on the leading or trailing edge of the negative film is detected. Based on the detection of this mark, the delimitation of each order is determined, and a sorting mark is recorded on the photosensitive material that has been printed and exposed.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the negative film 11 before development is wound onto a spool 12 in a photographic film cartridge 210 and stored in a cartridge main body 13. The photographic film cartridge 0 has a film cue function in which the leading end 11a of the film emerges from the film opening 14 of the cartridge main body 13 by rotating the spool 12 in the feeding direction opposite to the film winding direction. For this reason, the film storage chamber 15 of the cartridge main body 13 is formed to be approximately the same or slightly larger than the maximum winding diameter of the film when the entire film 11 is wound onto the spool 12. Thereby, by rotating the spool 12 in the feeding direction, the rotation of the spool 12 is transmitted to the film leading end 11a, and the film leading end 11a exits from the film entrance/exit port 14.

The film leading end 11a has a shape in which both side edges are cut off diagonally, so that the film feeding resistance at the time of starting the film is reduced. Further, a perforation llb for feeding the leading end of the film is formed at the leading end of the film. Furthermore, a perforation lid for positioning is formed in the image recording section 11c, one for each frame, and by mechanically or optically detecting this perforation lid, the film can be placed in the exposure frame of a camera or printer. Each frame 11e is cented. Further, a transparent magnetic recording layer is formed over the entire surface of the film 11 on the surface opposite to the photosensitive emulsion surface,
Film information, photographing information, print instruction information, etc. are magnetically recorded in this at the time of film production, I-most shadow time, and DP reception time.

Furthermore, a start mark 23 and an end mark 24 are formed on the leading and trailing ends of the film 11 to identify the end of each order during printing after the film is developed. These marks 23 and 24 are formed in a rectangular shape using a light-shielding ink layer. Each mark 23, 24 is detected from the difference in light transmittance or light reflectance between the ink layer forming surface and the other surfaces, and the delimitation of each order is determined based on this. Further, the start mark 23 and the end mark 24 are located in the magnetic recording area 20.
It is also used to cut the leading and trailing ends of the film at the cutting lines 25 and 26 of the outer non-recording areas 21 and 22, thereby reducing the magnetic field of the magnetic recording layer formed over the entire surface of the film 11. This prevents the leading or trailing edge of the film from being accidentally cut in the recording area (indicated by hunting in the figure).

In this embodiment, the start mark 23 and the end mark 2
4 is constructed by arranging two rectangular marks at a predetermined interval, thereby preventing erroneous detection of perforations 11b and 11d. Note that each mark may be formed by using a small hole or a nonch in addition to the ink layer.

The magnetic recording area 20 is divided into a general information recording area 27 for recording information for the entire film, and an individual information recording area 28 for recording information for each frame individually. The overall information recording area 27 is located from the leading edge of the film to before the first frame, and the individual information recording area 2
The sun is located at a position that approximately corresponds to the image recording area of each frame.

In the overall information recording area 27, in addition to film information such as film sensitivity, film maker, film type, number of film frames, etc., deterioration development instruction information is also written. Further, in addition to individual information at the time of photography such as the photography light source, strobe photography, subject position, photography distance, etc., trimming instruction information, pseudo-zooming information, etc. are also written in the individual information recording area 28.

This photographic film cartridge 10 is set in the camera, and it receives light source type information and subject information as well as taking pictures.

Various photographic information such as virtual image zooming information and trimming information is recorded on the magnetic recording layer. After photographing, the cartridge 10 is submitted to a DP dealer, and if necessary, user identification information and dealer information are recorded on the magnetic recording layer, and then sent to a photofinishing laboratory. In small-scale photo labs, films are bonded to a leader and developed one or two films at a time, and then set in a printer for printing exposure.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a minilab type printer processor used in small-scale photo labs. film carrier 30
The frame to be printed on the negative film 11 is set at the printing exposure position. A light source section 31 is arranged below the film carrier 30. The light source section 31 includes a light source 32;
It is composed of a light quality adjustment section 33 and a diffusion box 34.

The light quality adjustment section 33 includes color filters 35 to 37 in the printing optical path.
is inserted to adjust the quality of the printing light according to the printing exposure amount. The diffusion box 34 uniformly diffuses the light quality-adjusted light,
Illuminate the frame to be printed. Above the film carrier 30, a color paper 4 is used to print the image of the frame to be printed.
A printing lens 41 for forming an image on the photosensitive emulsion surface of 0 and a shutter 42 are arranged.

Further, on the entrance side of the film carrier 30, a mark sensor 45 for detecting the start mark 23 and the end mark 24 is arranged. The mark sensor 45 is composed of a light emitting/receiving type optical sensor consisting of a light emitter 45a and a light receiver 45b, and detects the start mark 23 and end mark 24 from changes in the amount of light by detecting the transmitted light of the film. , sends this detection signal to the controller 50.

Further, a scanner 51 is disposed diagonally above the film carrier 30, and performs three-color separation photometry on each point of the image of the frame to be printed. This photometric data is stored in the characteristic value calculation section 5.
Here, characteristic values necessary for determining the printing exposure amount are calculated and sent to the exposure amount calculation section 53. The exposure calculation section 53 calculates the printing exposure from the characteristic values using a well-known exposure calculation formula, and sends this to the controller 50.

Color paper 40 is stored in a roll in a magazine 55, and is set at a printing position by a pair of paper feed rollers 56 and 57. A puncher 58 is arranged near the paper exit at the printing position to form a small hole-like sort mark on one side edge of the paper and a small hole-like cut mark on the other side edge.

The controller 50 is composed of a well-known microcomputer, and includes a keyboard 50a for inputting various commands, etc., and a display 50b for displaying the commands, etc.
It is equipped with This controller 50 determines the cent position of each color filter 35 to 37 from the printing exposure amount using a well-known filter calibration curve, and controls the light quality adjustment section 33 based on this, and also controls the shutter 42.
is also controlled to print and expose the image of the frame to be printed onto the color paper 40.

In addition to the printing exposure control, the controller 50 also determines the delimitation of each order based on the mark detection signal from the mark sensor 45, operates the puncher 58 based on this, and records a sort mark on the color paper 40. Further, cut marks are recorded on the color paper 40 after each frame is exposed to light. It should be noted that a sorting mark is not recorded at the leading mark when the film is set on the film carrier 30, and the sorting mark is recorded based on a mark detection signal after printing.

The processor unit 60 uses a color paper 40 that has been printed and exposed.
Develop and process. At the paper outlet of the processor section 60,
A pair of paper feed rollers 61, a mark sensor 62 for detecting sort marks and cut marks, and a cutter 63 are arranged. The cutter 63 cuts the paper 40 frame by frame at the cant mark forming position based on the cut mark detection signal. The sorter part 65 moves each column by one shelf based on the detection signal of the sort mark from the mark sensor 62, and accumulates printed photographs 66 for each order.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. The developed film 11 is set on a film carrier 30 of a printer. The film carrier 30 advances the negative film 11 frame by frame by operating the frame advance key on the keyboard 50a. This frame-by-frame feeding is performed by feeding the film a predetermined amount after a perforation lid for frame positioning is detected by a perforation sensor (not shown). For the positioned frame to be printed, the three-color density of each point of the frame is photometered by the scanner 51, and after the characteristic value is extracted by the characteristic value calculation section 52, the exposure amount is calculated based on this. When calculating this exposure amount, input negative verification data is used as necessary. Next, the light quality adjustment section 33 is controlled based on the exposure amount, and a negative image is printed and exposed on the color paper 40 at a predetermined exposure amount.

Thereafter, each frame of the negative film 11 is printed and exposed by repeating the same process. When the printing exposure for the film is finished, the end mark 24 is detected by the mark sensor 45, and based on this, the puncher 5ER+<WifJ is performed, and a sort mark is recorded on the color paper 40. Thereafter, a new negative film 11 is loaded onto the film carrier 30, and the next order of printing is performed. In this way, since the sorting mark is automatically recorded on the color paper 40 when the end mark 24 is detected, there is no need to manually input the sorting signal as in the past. After the printed and exposed paper 40 is developed in the processor section 60, it is cut frame by frame by a cutter 63.
The sorter portion 65 is fed into a shelf. And paper 4
When a zero sort mark is detected by the mark sensor 62, the sorter part 65 moves by one shelf in each column based on this. This allows for 66 printed photos for each order.
are sorted.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is implemented in a mini-lab type printer, but the present invention may also be implemented in a large-lab printer.

In this case, first, a large number of films are joined together using a film processor to form a long film and then wound into a roll. Next, this is subjected to development processing using a film processor. The developed film is set in a printer. A mark sensor and a puncher are arranged in the printer in the same way as in the above embodiment, and sort marks are recorded on color paper based on the detection signal of each mark. Note that two marks, the end mark of the previous order and the start mark of the next order, are placed consecutively on the splice part, so it is not possible to record the sort mark based on the mark detection signal. is activated twice, which is not desirable.

To avoid this, the next mark detection signal is not used for recording the sort mark while the film is being advanced by a distance equivalent to the length of this splice after the first mark is detected.

Further, in the above embodiments, the start mark 23 and the end mark 24 are formed on the optical emulsion side, but they may be formed on the magnetic recording layer side or on both sides. Furthermore, although the mark 2324 is formed on the edge of the film in one example, it may be formed on both side edges. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a start mark 71 and an end mark 72 may be formed at the center of the film 70 in the width direction.

In addition to the ink layer, the marks 23, 24, 71, and 72 may be formed by small holes, or by removing a portion of the photosensitive emulsion surface or magnetic recording layer surface to leave only the film base. Good too.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, non-cheer marks 5 may be used as the start and end marks 73 and 74. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the same components as in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.
4 In addition, although the above embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a photographic film cartridge which has a magnetic recording layer and is capable of starting the film, it is also possible to apply the present invention to a photographic film cartridge having a magnetic recording layer and a film starting function. The present invention may be implemented in conventional type photographic film cartridges.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the start mark and end mark are recorded on the film in advance, and the sort mark is recorded on the photosensitive material based on these mark detection signals. This eliminates the need for manual input of keys, eliminating mistakes or forgetting to input sort signals. Also, in the case of long films,
The same detection means can be used, and the detection mechanism can be simplified. In addition, 6 called peace negatives
Even if the film is cut frame by frame, sorting marks can be automatically recorded on the photosensitive material by detecting these marks.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a photographic film cartridge of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a printer processor embodying the present invention. 3 and 4 are front views showing other photographic film cartridges. 10...Photographic film cartridge 11...Film 20...Magnetic recording area 21.22...No recording area 23...Start mark 24...End mark 45...Mark sensor 58... Pancha.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A photographic film cartridge in which photographic film is wound and stored, characterized in that marks are formed in advance to identify the leading and trailing ends of the film. (2) A means for detecting a leading edge identification mark formed in advance on a photographic film to identify the leading edge or a trailing edge, and a means for recording a sorting mark on color paper based on an identification mark detection signal from this means. A photo printer characterized by: