Device and method for illuminating, developing and cutting photographic material in the form of a roll

• US 20040041991A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Durst Phototechnik AG
• Original Assignee: Durst Phototechnik AG
• Inventors: Obertegger, Franz
• Granted Patent: US 6,879,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/29
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/32 Projection printing apparatus, e.g. enlarger, copying camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 13/003 Film feed or extraction in development apparatus

Abstract

A device (10) for exposing, developing and cutting photographic reeled material (9), comprises:

an exposure unit (22) with associated transport mechanism (20),

a cutting unit (34) with associated fixable transport mechanism (42),

a developer unit (40) with associated fixable transport mechanism (54),

a first buffer container (36), which can be closed and opened, between the exposure unit (22) and the cutting unit (34) and

a second buffer container (48), which can be closed and opened, between the cutting unit (34) and the developer unit (50).

As part of a method for exposing, developing and cutting photographic reeled material, the following processes are run:

continuously exposing and transporting the reeled material,

immobilising the reeled material at an appropriate point alongside the cutting unit and then buffering ahead of the cutting unit,

cutting the reeled material whilst the exposure process and buffering continues,

transporting the reeled material to a developer unit once the buffered length is greater than or the same as the distance between the developer unit and the cutting unit,

immobilising the reeled material at an appropriate point alongside the developer unit and buffering ahead of the developer unit,

feeding the reeled material along, immobilising the reeled material at a predetermined point alongside the cutting unit, cutting the reeled material and feeding it on to the developer unit and

feeding the reeled material on to the developer unit as soon as a buffer container ahead of the developer unit has been emptied.

Claims

1. Device (10) for exposing, developing and cutting photographic reeled material (9), with:

an exposure unit (22) with associated transport mechanism (20),

a cutting unit (34) with associated fixable transport mechanism (42),

a developer unit (40) with associated fixable transport mechanism (54),

a first buffer container (36), which can be closed and opened, between the exposure unit (22) and the cutting unit (34) and

a second buffer container (48), which can be closed and opened, between the cutting unit (34) and the developer unit (50).

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the first (36) and/or the second (48) buffer container has a catchment capacity of several metres, in particular up to 5 metres of reeled material (18).

3. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the first (36) and/or the second (48) buffer container can be closed and opened by means of a flap (38, 52).

4. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it has a cut marker printing device (32) on the exposure unit and a cut marker sensor (40) on the cutting unit (34).

5. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cutting unit (34) has a dual-cut cutting mechanism.

6. Method of exposing, developing and cutting photographic reeled material, comprising the following processes:

continuously exposing and transporting the reeled material,

immobilising the reeled material at an appropriate point alongside the cutting unit and then buffering ahead of the cutting unit,

cutting the reeled material whilst the exposure process and buffering continues,

transporting the reeled material to a developer unit once the buffered length is greater than or the same as the distance between the developer unit and the cutting unit,

immobilising the reeled material at an appropriate point alongside the developer unit and buffering ahead of the developer unit,

feeding the reeled material along, immobilising the reeled material at a predetermined point alongside the cutting unit, cutting the reeled material and feeding it on to the developer unit and

feeding the reeled material on to the developer unit as soon as a buffer container ahead of the developer unit has been emptied.

7. Device as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the feed to the developer unit is operated at a higher speed than the feed alongside the exposure unit.

8. Device as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterised in that a buffer container is opened to enable buffering and closed to enable a free leading edge of the reeled material to be transported to the next unit.

9. Device as claimed in one of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that a cut marker is applied at the exposure unit and this is detected at the cutting unit.