JPS62238560A - Cassette for processing sheet-shaped recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize a device and to process a small number of sheet-shaped recording media with a simple method by providing a shielding space to store at least one piece of sheet-shaped recording media and the supplying and discharging port of a processing liquid. CONSTITUTION:A cassette main body 30 has a space to store one at least sheet- shaped photograph film, and the number of the sheet-shaped photograph film stored is preferably plural within 10 films. For a supplying port 40 and a discharging port 41 of the processing liquid, it is preferable to provide the valve at the pipe near them, make a part of the pipe into a shading structure, for example, by the spiral and the labyrinth, arrange the fiber, sponge, etc., in the internal part of the pipe and make the internal part of the pipe into the shading structure. Further, for the supplying port 40 of the processing liquid, it is preferable to provide plural ports corresponding to the type of a photograph processing liquid supplied into the cassette main body 30. Thus, the device can be miniaturized and a small number of sheet-shaped recording media can be processed with a simple method.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a cassette used when processing a sheet-like recording medium, and more specifically, to a cassette that is used when processing a sheet-like recording medium, and more specifically, for example, when a sheet-like recording medium is removed from a cartridge in a storage box or the like. , regarding cassettes used in processing.

Here, the sheet-like recording medium refers to light, electromagnetic waves, radiation,
It refers to a substrate in which one or more reactive agents such as electron beams are prepared, and its planar shape may be disc-shaped or rectangular. Specific examples include: , so-called disc film commercially available from Kodak Company, such as X-ray film for X-rays, and X-ray film for elbows.

The cartridge stores the sheet-like recording medium, and means a shielding structure that prevents the sheet-like recording medium from being exposed to light, fttlia waves, radiation, electron beams, and the like.

[Background of the invention]

First, we will discuss sheet-like photographic films that are currently being reprinted as an example of sheet-like recording media (for example, the so-called disk film typified by Kodak Co., Ltd.), and then analyze the current state of services such as development processing. .

In FIGS. 6 to 8, 10 is a cartridge;
The exposure window side plate 11 includes an exposure window 12 and a central opening 13.
．． Window for opening/closing operation of light shielding plate 14. Pin insertion hole for opening/closing the light shielding plate 15. Openings 16 for destroying the cartridge are provided.

Inside the exposure window 12, a light shielding plate 17 is arranged concentrically with a sheet of photographic film 20.

By inserting a pin into the pin insertion hole 15 for opening and closing the light shielding plate and rotating it using the protrusion of the light shielding plate 17 exposed at the window 14 portion for opening and closing the light shielding plate while pressing, a sheet of photographic film is inserted into the exposure window 12 portion. 20 will be exposed.

A hub 21 of a sheet of photographic film 20 is exposed in the central opening 13.

Regarding the photographic (processing) technology using the above-mentioned sheet-like photographic film, many conventional roll film technologies have been reused, but there are some unique to sheet-like photographic films, such as those used in Osenkawa cameras.

U.S. Patent No. 4,202,614; Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-113526, JP-A-55-146437, JP-A-55-146438.

0 film or film unit, U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,873.

US Pat. No. 4,264,169.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-113525, Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-101940, Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-101942.

0 Regarding photo processing.

U.S. Patent No. 4,112,453; U.S. Patent No. 4,132,469; U.S. Patent No. 4,188,106; Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-110829, Regarding the O cartridge opener.

US Pat. No. 4,208,116.

US Pat. No. 4,248,564.

Regarding 0 print.

U.S. Patent No. 4,203,684; U.S. Patent No. 4,204,773; Regarding 0 in general.

The complete details of the Kodak Kai Disc Film System (Shashin Kogyo, April 1982 issue, pages 26-41) are known.

The dedicated camera is equipped with an exposure window opening/closing mechanism that operates in conjunction with the loading and unloading of the cartridge, as well as a sheet-shaped photographic film cue and frame advance mechanism.When the TI shadow is completed, the cartridge is removed from the camera. , DPE
It is sent to a laboratory through a distributor for processing.

In the lab, we first use a special cartridge opener.
The cartridge 10 is destroyed in a darkroom operation using the 400 .ANG., and the sheet-like photographic film 20 is taken out.

To destroy the cartridge 10, insert a pin through the opening 1B-16 for cartridge destruction provided in the exposure window side plate 11 of the cartridge IO, and insert the pin into the label side plate 1.
This is done by pushing out 7 and breaking the joint between the exposure window side plate 11 and the label side plate 18.

A large number of sheets of photographic film 20 taken out from the cartridge 10 are stored in a carrier with a light-shielding structure, and set in a processing machine with a darkroom structure to undergo color development and ? 2 white,
Each process of fixing (or bleach-fixing) and washing (or stabilization) is performed automatically.

The amount of disc film consumed in Japan is only 2 to 3% of the amount of amateur photography film, mainly 35-inch roll film, and therefore, the amount of processing processed at camera stores is extremely small, no more than a few sheets per day. It is not profitable to install processing machines at camera stores and provide processing services, so laboratories are forced to perform intensive processing.

This (tR'F, 35m roll film) results in turning our backs on consumer needs such as shortening processing (waiting) time, such as one day, several hours, or even one hour from reception at the store to delivery. It has become.

Conventional processing equipment for sheet-like photographic film has the advantage of being able to process many sheets of photographic film at once, but the processing tank is unnecessarily large, the replenisher tank,
Because it is equipped with a processing liquid replenishment device, waste liquid tank, and flush water piping, etc., it is not only an unnecessarily large device, but also complicated to operate and requires a certain level of specialized knowledge, including darkroom operation in case of trouble. This obstructs the installation of cameras at camera stores and the like to provide in-store development processing services, and goes against the goal of shortening the time from order receipt to delivery.

This also hinders the spread of sheet photographic film.

Photo processing equipment manufacturers are responding to the so-called mini-lab trend of 351 Kame roll film, which enables over-the-counter service with no water washing, no piping, table size, and short processing time (within 1 hour). Alternatively, it offsets the advantages of the dedicated camera, such as ease of operation, ease of handling, compactness, and ease of organizing #M shadow film, and this results in hindering the spread of disc film, resulting in the aforementioned vicious cycle. is generated.

In recent years, as electronic devices such as videos have become popular, people are no longer satisfied with just looking at prints as before, but there is a strong desire to view them on a large screen such as a television with a large number of people, including family members.

Rapid progress in electronic devices in recent years has made it possible to electronically read out color image information from developed films, and display it on all types of displays, not just televisions. Not only that, but the ability to freely enlarge and modulate color tones has made it possible to view the film you have shot under optimal or most favorable conditions.

One of the advantages of such electronic devices is that images can be obtained immediately from the film without printing, and compared to conventional simultaneous printing systems, the development process is just as simple as the printing process is unnecessary. It will only take half. This brings us one step closer to the original demand of wanting to see images as soon as they are taken, but to a certain extent.

Even in the case of sheet-shaped photographic film, there is an increasing demand for shortening the time from ordering to delivery, and there is even a demand for in-store developing and printing services, and even for in-house processing.

As mentioned above, it is clear that the processing machines currently available on the market cannot meet these demands.

A processing machine that satisfies this requirement can be used at most once or twice.
It is sufficient if it is possible to process sheets of photographic film, and the size of the processor must be as small as possible, such as a desktop type, and the operation must be even simpler. .

In addition, in order to satisfy the demand for shortening the time from ordering to delivery, it is possible to process photos at familiar locations other than the laboratory, such as camera stores, conventional DPE distributors, film retail stores, etc. Furthermore, it is desired to enable in-house processing.

In order to be able to install it in a narrow space such as an ordinary camera store, conventional automatic processing machines require a considerable amount of installation space even if they are small. With the exception of camera shops that also process photographs, in order to install in a place that does not have darkroom equipment, a bright room or a simple light shielding device is used, considering the installation space and cost of adding new darkroom equipment. It is desirable to be able to perform photographic processing using

Furthermore, in photographic processing, the photographic performance tends to vary depending on the developing processing conditions such as temperature and time, and considerable skill is required, but there is a limit to the availability of skilled personnel, and each task is complicated. It is desirable to automate at least the important parts of photographic processing to achieve uniform and high-quality development with simple operations that do not require skill.

Furthermore, in conventional automatic processing machines, the photographic processing solution is discharged from the processing tank by overflowing by newly supplying replenisher, but the photographic processing solution is expected to be scattered at various locations. In consideration of the delivery of photographic processing liquid, the treatment of photographic processing waste liquid (overflow liquid), etc., it is desirable to be able to carry out photographic processing with a small amount of developing processing liquid including washing water.

In addition, in conventional large-scale automatic processing machines, the components consumed during photographic processing or the eluted and concentrated components are regenerated by replenishing the replenisher. Because of the differences in quality, there may be differences in the finish depending on the laboratory or season, but it is desired to eliminate this situation and improve the stability of the finish.

In view of the above, the inventors of the present application have proposed a photographic processing method and apparatus capable of developing a sheet of photographic film while it is stored in a cartridge, in Japanese Patent Application No. 60-2978.
No. 47, Japanese Patent Application No. 61-21857 to 21863, Japanese Patent Application No. 61-23333, and Japanese Patent Application No. 23334. The main purpose of the invention is to reveal a cassette for processing sheet-like recording media that can reduce the size of the device, is easy to handle, and is optimal for processing a small number of sheet-like recording media in a simple manner. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cassette for processing sheet-like recording media that can satisfy the above-mentioned requirements and is optimal for developing sheet-like photographic film. It's about doing.

[Means for solving problems] The present invention achieves the above object.

A cassette for processing sheet-like recording media, characterized by having a shielded space for storing at least one sheet-like recording medium, and a processing liquid supply and discharge port.

[Example 1 Next, details of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment, and 30 is a cassette body, which has a space for storing at least one sheet of photographic film, and the number of sheets of photographic film to be stored is preferably 10. The number of sheets is less than or equal to one. It is also preferable to prepare several different sizes of one body, such as one for storing one sheet of photographic film, one for storing two to four sheets, one for storing five or more sheets, etc.

Reference numeral 31 denotes a lid member, and in the illustrated embodiment, a groove portion 32 provided at the upper part of the cassette body 30
It is used to shield the inside of the cassette body 30 from light after storing the sheet-like photographic film taken out from the cartridge.

The light-shielding structure of the sheet-like photographic film entrance/exit by the lid member 31 is not limited to what is shown in the drawings, but may be, for example, a cap-shaped structure that is placed over the top of the cassette body 30.
Other configurations are permitted.

Furthermore, the location of the sheet-shaped photographic film entrance is not limited to the top of the cassette body 30, but may be located on the side, or may be provided on the bottom.

Further, the external shape of the cassette body 30 is not limited to that shown in the drawings, but may include a disk-shaped one, a semi-cylindrical shape, etc.
The presence of various irregularities that are arbitrary and are based on the configuration for mounting on a processing device, which will be described later, is also allowed.

40 is a supply port for supplying photographic processing liquid into the cassette main body 3o, and 41 is a discharge port thereof.

The processing liquid supply port 40 and discharge port 41 may be simply pipes that protrude from the kayak main body 30 with a certain length, but it is preferable that light enters the cassette main body 30 through these pipes. do not have.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a valve in the pipe near the supply port 40 or the discharge port 41, to make a part of the pipe have a light-shielding structure, for example, by a spiral or labyrinth as shown in FIG. It is preferable to make the inside of the pipe a light-shielding structure.

Further, the supply port 40 and the discharge port of the processing liquid are connected to the cassette main body 3.
It doesn't have to be something that stands out from 0.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, it may be formed into four parts of a light shielding structure.

Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a plurality of processing liquid supply ports 40 corresponding to the types of photographic processing liquids to be supplied into the cassette body 30.

In the case of such an embodiment, the treatment liquid supply port 4 located
0 preferably have different cross-sectional shapes, sizes, placement positions, etc. By doing so, when the processing liquid is supplied in cassettes, errors in cassette installation, supply order, etc. can be prevented. It becomes possible to do so. In addition to such a configuration, it is also preferable to form a guide recess or protrusion on the side surface of the cassette main body 30 to avoid mistakes in mounting the cassette main body 30 on the apparatus.

FIG. 4 shows a processing liquid flow mechanism 5 on the side wall of the cassette body 30.
This shows an embodiment in which 0 is placed. This mechanism is
A bearing 51 is arranged at the center of the side wall of the cassette body 30, and a rotary plate 52. A drive transmission mechanism 53 such as a gear is disposed on the outside, and by rotating the drive transmission mechanism 53 manually or by a motor, etc., the inner rotary plate 52 is rotated and the stored photographic processing liquid is caused to flow. 6
The rotating plate 52 may be a simple disk-shaped flat plate, but 1
It may be provided with a notch on the periphery or on the flat surface, preferably with a wing-shaped portion bent in the direction of the wall surface of the cassette main body 3o.

Next, processing using the sheet-shaped recording medium processing cassette of the present invention will be explained according to FIG.

The inside of the cassette contains one or more sheets of photographic film that have been removed from the cartridge using a conventional cartridge opener, a simple improved opener, or manually in a dark box. Then, the lid member 31 is closed and the inside is shielded.

When the storage of the sheet-like recording medium in the cassette is completed in this manner, the cassette is taken out from the r@ chamber and incorporated into the processing apparatus schematically shown in FIG.

The processing apparatus is provided with a processing liquid supply means 60, a processing liquid stirring or flowing means 50, and the like.

The processing liquid is preferably supplied automatically or manually for each processing liquid using a processing liquid cassette.

In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of processing liquid supply ports 40 provided on the cassette main body 30 have different cross-sectional shapes, sizes, and arrangement positions, as shown in the figure, so that a cassette can be set for each processing liquid. Ru.

The processing liquid cassette may be attached directly to the processing liquid supply port 40 or may be attached via a guide tube, holder, etc. If the processing liquid cassette is not directly attached to the supply port 40, the processing liquid cassette or Connect a single or multiple guide tubes from the liquid tank to the processing liquid supply port 4 of the cassette body 30.
0, and the processing liquid may be supplied into the cassette body 30 in a predetermined order by operating a valve or the like.

Further, it is preferable that the processing liquid to be supplied be heated to a predetermined temperature in advance, and at the same time, it is preferable that means for heating the processing liquid stored through the cassette body 30 is provided.

When the driving means 61 is operated, the rotary plate 52 rotates, and the stored processing liquid flows, speeding up the chemical reaction on the emulsion surface of the sheet-shaped recording medium. It is also preferred to reverse the direction.

The processing liquid can be stirred or flowed by spouting the processing liquid into the cassette body 40 from the supply port 40 without relying on the rotary plate 52 as shown in FIG.
This can also be done by blowing air out of one of the.

Further, when the sheet-shaped recording medium is a sheet-shaped photographic film, since the sheet-shaped photographic film does not require light shielding after bleaching or bleach-fixing processing is completed, subsequent processing is performed with the lid member 31 open. You can do it like this.

When the processing is completed, the sheet-like recording medium is transferred to the cassette main body 30.
It is taken out and dried. The drying may be done naturally, or by blowing hot air, etc., by blowing warm air into the cassette body 30 from the processing liquid supply port 40 or from a separate port. Drying may also be performed.

Note that the structure of the sheet-like recording medium and its cartridge to be processed according to 1 of the present invention may be commercially available as mentioned in 1 above, but it may be easy to open as described in the specification and drawings of the patent application filed at the same time as this application. Cartridge (adhesive tape that makes it easy to peel off the front and back plates of the cartridge)
Alternatively, if a sheet-like recording medium is used (such as one bonded to a flexible structure using adhesive or adhesive), the sheet-like recording medium can be taken out from the cartridge without using a cartridge opener and easily processed with the cassette of the present invention. be.

〔effect〕

According to the cassette for processing sheet-like recording media of the present invention, the sheet-like recording medium taken out from the cartridge can be easily processed by simply transferring it to the cassette of the present invention by a simple operation in a simple light-shielding structure such as a dark box. It is ideal for use in devices that solve the above-mentioned problems.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment, FIGS. 2 to 4 are sectional views, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a processing apparatus. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a conventional cartridge. FIG. 7 is a rear view, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of the sheet-like photographic film. It is. In the figure, each symbol indicates the following. 10-Cartridge 11-Exposure window side plate. 12-exposure window, 13-central opening. 14-Window for opening and closing the light-shielding plate, 15-Bottle hole for opening and closing the light-shielding plate, 16-Hole for destroying the cartridge 2, 17-Light-shielding plate. 18-Label side plate. 20-Sheet photographic film. 21-Hub. 30-cassette body, 31-lid member. 40-Processing liquid supply port 1. 41-processing liquid discharge port, 50-processing liquid flow mechanism, 52-rotating plate, 60-processing liquid supply means, 61-driving means. Patent Applicant: Konishi Roku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. Agent, Patent Attorney: Makoto Sakaguchi, Akote Itokanne Ichisho A3 (voluntary), August 8, 1986, 4 Ying 1, Commissioner of the Office, Black III I! II Yu Tono 2 Title of the invention Cassect for processing sheet-like recording media 3 Person making the amendment Relationship to J19 Applicant name (127) Roku Konishi Photo Industry Co., Ltd. 4 Agent 160 Address Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 7th Exit 10 II No. 2 Itto Building 5th floor 'r11. (03):l[i+-0055 (generation) F
AX:l [1l-010:1 Name (7321) Patent Attorney Nobuyoshi Sakaguchi Φ (1 idiot) 5 Date of amendment order 11 issues 6 Number of inventions increased by amendment 7 Specification subject to amendment (Details of invention 8 Contents of the amendment (+) IJll, 1111, page 18, line 2:
``speed forward'' is corrected to ``promote''.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A cassette for processing sheet-like recording media, which has a shielded space for accommodating at least one sheet-like recording medium, and has processing liquid supply and discharge ports. (2) A cassette for processing a sheet-like recording medium according to claim 1, characterized by having a mechanism for flowing the supplied processing liquid. (3) A cassette for processing a sheet-like recording medium according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the processing liquid supply/discharge port has a shielding structure. (4) A cassette for processing sheet-like recording media according to claims 1, 2, and 3, characterized in that a means for heating the stored processing liquid is incorporated.