JPH04366954A - Method and device for miniaturizing developing part of integrated system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize the developing part of a printer for photograph, a developing machine integrated system, and especially a high-speed integrated system. CONSTITUTION:The developing part 15 is constituted of plural courses. The length of an exposed roll photographic paper is controlled, and the photographic paper is cut and distributed to the empty developing course by a distributing device 4, and then developed. By constituting the developing part of four courses, for example, the length of the developing part 15 becomes about 1/4 and the developing part 15 is miniaturized, then a carrying speed also becomes 1/4, so that the mechanism becomes simple enough. The distributing device 4 is constituted of an automatic take-up device 6 and a distributor which transfers the exposed roll photographic paper taken up to the automatic take-up device 6 to the empty developing feeder of plural developing feeders of the developing part 15.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an integrated photographic printer/developer system, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for downsizing the developing section of a high-speed integrated system.

002]

2. Description of the Related Art A "printer/processor integrated system" which integrates an automatic photographic printer and an automatic processor has become widely used. Its biggest feature is that the printed roll of photographic paper is automatically developed and cut as it is, allowing prints to be completed in a short time and without much effort. However, it has only one developing section, and its processing capacity for both printing and development is small. On the other hand, in photo labs designed for mass processing, high-speed automatic printers print, and the printed rolls of photographic paper are taken out of the printer and developed in high-speed, large-scale automatic processors. This large automatic developing machine has double rows and processes rolls of photographic paper printed by multiple high-speed automatic printers in parallel. Therefore, although the total processing capacity is large, since it is done in units of lots, the time required from the start of printing to the completion of development is long. In other words, printing is done by connecting many negative films, so if we assume that there are 50 negative films, if we look at one of the negative films, it will be stagnant while the other 49 negative films are being printed. There is. After all 50 rolls have been printed, the printed roll of photographic paper is taken out of the printer and transferred to a developing machine for development.
Although the development time for the main prints is short, the development time for the other 49 prints is stagnant until all development is completed.

003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In recent years, there has been a demand for quick finishing even for photo processing laboratories that process large quantities. However, it is difficult to achieve both large-volume processing and short-time finishing using conventional technology. In other words, if you directly connect a high-speed automatic printer with a high-speed 1-line automatic developing section commensurate with its capabilities, the print finish will certainly be faster, but
The length of the developing section is extremely long and requires space.
And it's expensive. Furthermore, in order to develop a long roll of photographic paper at high speed, a mechanism for pulling the roll of photographic paper is required, and automation of this becomes complicated. Furthermore, if the developing capacity is lowered in order to downsize the developing section, an adjustment mechanism will be needed when the printing capacity exceeds the developing capacity, and the overall processing capacity will decrease. The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for downsizing a high-speed printer/developer integrated system.

004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a mechanism for controlling and cutting the length of exposed roll photographic paper in a printer/developing unit integrated system in which the developing section has multiple courses, and a mechanism for controlling and cutting the length of exposed roll photographic paper. This problem was solved by a mechanism that distributes paper to the inlet of an empty developing section, and a mechanism that receives the exposed roll of photographic paper at the inlet of the developing section and sends the leading end of it to the developing section.

005]

[Operation] When the developing section has multiple courses, for example 4 courses, the length of the developing machine is reduced to nearly 1/4 compared to a single course developing machine with the same processing capacity, but the width is not quadrupled. Therefore, it is compact, and the processing speed is reduced to 1/4, so the mechanism is simple and the number of parts is reduced, making it cheaper. To develop the exposed roll of photographic paper from the print section in each course of the developing section, the exposed photographic paper is temporarily stocked, cut, and distributed to the vacant courses of the developing section. By adjusting the length and time of the roll of photographic paper, the developing section can be operated almost at full capacity, and since the length of each roll used for development is not very long, a simple method such as a roller transport type developing section can be used. This eliminates the need for a traction mechanism for roll photographic paper. Further, since it is easy to make the processing capacity of the developing section slightly higher than that of the printing section, there is no need for an adjustment mechanism based on the difference in processing capacity between the printing section and the developing section.

006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory front view of the printer/developing unit integrated system of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view thereof. The left side of Figures 1 and 2 is the high-speed printer section 1;
On the right side are four rows of roller conveyance type developing sections 15, and in the center is a distribution device section 4. 3, 4, and 5 show the distribution device section 4
FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of an exposed roll of photographic paper taken up by an automatic winder, and FIG. FIG. 5 shows a developer feeding device. High speed printer section 1
In this example, each image of the negative film 2, which is a strip of connected plural 35 mm negative films, is sequentially and continuously transferred to a roll of photographic paper 3'.
The exposed roll photographic paper 3 (hereinafter referred to as “roll 3
”. ) is the automatic winder 6 of the distribution device section 4.
When it reaches , it is automatically wound up by the winding guide 5. The width of this winding guide 5 is narrower than the width of the roll 3.
When the roll 3 is wound up, the back side of the roll 3 in the figure is made to protrude outside the winding guide 5. When the printer prints a certain number of sheets (described later), the cutter 7 of the printer section 1 operates to cut the roll 3, and the automatic winder 6 cuts the cut end of the roll 3 a little as shown in Figure 3. Leave it there and wind it up. Next, the transfer motor 12 of the distributor 8 is activated, and the chuck 10 at the tip of the pickup arm 9 pinches the end of the roll 3 wound up by the automatic winder 6 on the back side in the figure, and the plunger (not shown) grip it firmly by
The transfer motor 12 rotates in the opposite direction to pull out the roll 3 from the automatic winder 6, and then transfers it to the vacant position of the developer feeder 13, where there is no roll, and the pickup motor 11 moves the pickup arm in half. Place the rotated and gripped roll 3 on the set table 21 of the developer feeder,
Press roller 14 drives the tip of roll 3 to drive roller 1
After pressing against roll 9, chuck 10 releases roll 3. This drive roller 19 is driven by a drive motor 20, but its linear speed is slightly slower than the conveyance speed of the developing section, so that the tip of the roll 3 sent out by the drive roller 19 is conveyed by the conveyance system of the developing section. As the drive motor 20 and drive roller 19 are connected via a one-way clutch (not shown),
The roll 3 is transported and developed by the transport system of the developing section, not by the drive motor 20. The roll 3 that has undergone the development process is sequentially cut into prints one by one by a cutter 16, and when all of the rolls have been cut, the roll 3 is stocked in a stocker 18 by a pickup head 17. Earlier, it was stated that ``a certain range of sheets are to be printed,'' but this may be fixed at 50 or 100 sheets, or it may be set for each negative film regardless of the number of sheets. In the case of this setting for each negative film, the order in which the cutter 16 finishes cutting is not necessarily in the order in which it was printed, so it is possible to stock the rolls in the stocker in the order in which they are printed = in the order in which they started cutting each roll. Desirable for later work.

007]

Effects of the invention: The high-speed printer/developing unit integrated system using this method has a developing section with multiple courses, and the length of the exposed roll photographic paper is controlled, cut, and distributed to vacant developing courses by a distribution device. Therefore, if the developing section has 4 courses, the length of the developing section will be approximately 1/4
It is compact and requires only 1/4 the conveyance speed, so it requires a simple mechanism, and it automatically develops and cuts a single negative in a short time after printing is completed, making it possible to finish in a short delivery time. .

008

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory front view of a printer/developing unit integrated system that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view of a printer/developing unit integrated system that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an automatic winding machine which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a distributor that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a developer feeder that is an embodiment of the present invention. 1 Printer section 2 Negative film 3 Exposed roll photographic paper 3' roll photographic paper 4 Distributor section 5 Winding guide 6 Automatic winder 7 Cutter 8 Distributor 9 Pick-up arm 10 Chuck 11 Pick-arm motor 12 Transfer motor 13 Developing device Feeder 14 Press roller 15 Developing section 16 Cutter 17 Pick-up head 18 Stocker 19 Drive roller 20 Drive motor 21 Set table

Claims (2)

[Claims] [Claim 1] In a printer/developing unit integrated system, the developing section has a plurality of courses, the exposed roll photographic paper is cut by controlling the length, and the exposed roll photographic paper is cut into an open section of the developing section. A method for downsizing a developing section of an integrated system characterized by distribution into courses. 2. An integrated printer/developing system in which the developing section has a plurality of courses, comprising: a mechanism for controlling and cutting the length of exposed roll photographic paper; and a developing section for cutting the cut roll photographic paper into an empty developing section. A device for reducing the size of the developing unit of an integrated system, characterized by having a mechanism for distributing the paper to the inlet of the developing unit, and a mechanism for receiving exposed rolled photographic paper at the inlet of the developing unit and feeding the leading end of the paper to the developing unit. .