Method for determining whether film is developed or undeveloped

• US 5,923,914 A
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takuji, Michiue, Noboru, Nakamura, Shigetaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chizmar, John
• Application Number:
  US08/731,981
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 396/207, 396/210, 396/515, 396/516, 396/567, 396/392
• US Class Current: 396/515
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/008 using holders for the photographic material
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/6285 Handling strips G03B1/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 13/003 Film feed or extraction in development apparatus

Abstract

Determination is made whether a film stored in a new type of film cartridge is developed or not before the film is processed. A detection sensor detects whether or not there is a nail on an outer wall of the new type of film cartridge to judge whether the film stored in the cartridge is developed or not. Infrared sensors and visible light sensors detect whether or not the film fed from the cartridge under the instruction of a control circuit is developed or not. If both the nail detection sensor and the infrared and visible light sensors give the same result, the result is judged to be correct.

Claims

1. A method of determining the type of film in a film cartridge, said method comprising:

detecting whether or not a case wall of said cartridge has a nail as a first judgement of whether said film is an undeveloped film or a developed film;

operating a film feeder for the purpose of feeding said film slightly out of a film feed outlet leading from said cartridge;

if said first judgement is that said film is a developed film, emitting visible light toward a film feed passage along which said film is fed from said outlet and thereby determining the presence or absence of said film at said film outlet, while also emitting infrared light toward said film passage and thereby making a second judgement of whether said film is an undeveloped film or a developed film; and

if said first judgement is that said film is an undeveloped film, not emitting said visible light, and emitting said infrared light toward said film passage and thereby determining the presence or absence of said film at said film outlet and also making said second judgement of whether said film is an undeveloped film or a developed film.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if said first and second judgements agree that said film is a developed film, final judgement is made that said film is a developed film.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if said first and second judgements agree that said film is an undeveloped film, final judgement is made that said film is an undeveloped film.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if said first judgement is that said film is a developed film and said second judgement is that said film is an undeveloped film, final judgement is made that said film is an undeveloped film.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if said first judgement is that said film is an undeveloped film and said second judgement is that said film is a developed film, final judgement is made that the film type is undeterminable.

6. An apparatus for winding a film from a film cartridge, said apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting whether or not the cartridge has a nail as a first judgement of whether the film is an undeveloped film or a developed film and for producing a first signal representative thereof;

a film feeder for feeding the film out of a film feed outlet leading from the cartridge;

an infrared light emitter to be positioned adjacent the outlet for emitting infrared light toward a film feed passage along which the film is fed from the outlet;

a visible light emitter to be positioned adjacent the outlet for emitting visible light toward the passage;

an infrared light receiver positioned relative to said infrared emitter to receive therefrom infrared light crossing the passage and to produce a second signal representative of the amount of received infrared light; and

a visible light receiver positioned relative to said visible light emitter to receive therefrom visible light crossing the passage and to produce a third signal representative of the amount of received visible light.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a controller operable in response to receipt of said first, second and third signals to control operation of said film feeder, said infrared light emitter and said visible light emitter.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said controller is operable, in response to receiving said first signal indicative of the film being a developed film, to activate said film feeder for the purpose of feeding the film slightly out of the outlet and to activate said visible light emitter, whereby said third signal will be indicative of the presence or absence of the film at the outlet, and if the film is present, said second signal will be a second judgement of whether the film is an undeveloped film or a developed film.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said controller is operable, in response to receiving said first signal indicative of the film being an undeveloped film, to activate said film feeder for the purpose of feeding the film slightly out of the outlet and to not activate said visible light emitter, whereby said second signal will be indicative of the presence or absence of the film at the outlet and also will be a second judgement of whether the film is an undeveloped film or a developed film.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said controller is operable, in response to receiving said first signal indicative of the film being an undeveloped film, to activate said film feeder for the purpose of feeding the film slightly out of the outlet and to not activate said visible light emitter, whereby said second signal will be indicative of the presence or absence of the film at the outlet and also will be a second judgement of whether the film is an undeveloped film or a developed film.