Method of and apparatus for processing photographic photosensitive film

• US 6,427,306 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Susumu, Karaki, Hideyuki, Suzuki, Chiaki, Kambara, Takayuki, Misumi, Yoshinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omgba, Essama
• Application Number:
  US09/906,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20020000030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 294/070.1, 294/070.4, 294/071, 297/05, 297/10, 298/06, 53/54, 532/842, 532/844, 534/30, 534/35, 535/13, 531/18, 242/534, 242/563, 83/72, 83/74, 83/75, 833/60, 833/64, 833/65, 833/68, 833/70, 833/71
• US Class Current: 29/407.04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/26 Holders for containing light sensitive material and adapted to be inserted within the camera holders for X-ray films G03B42/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49718 Repairing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49764 with testing or indicating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49769 Using optical instrument [excludes mere human eyeballing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49771 Quantitative measuring or gauging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5142 and means to sever work from supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5145 to sever product to length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53022 with means to test work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53043 including means to divert defective work part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53052 including position sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53061 Responsive to work or work-related machine element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53465 Film or tape cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/15 Responsive to condition of work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/141 With means to monitor and control operation [e.g., self-regulating means]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/531 With plural work-sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/533 With photo-electric work-sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/541 Actuation of tool controlled in response to work-sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/543 Sensing means responsive to work indicium or irregularity

Abstract

When any of facilities of a film producing and packaging system suffers a failure, a film processing controller shuts off the film producing and packaging system. The operator repairs a failing facility and manually discharges a length of an elongate film which may possibly be defective. After the failing facility is repaired, the film processing controller is restarted to operate the film producing and packaging system, which then automatically discharges a length of the elongate film corresponding to a preset number of sized films. It is possible to easily and quickly discard a portion of the elongate film which has been made defective by the facility failure.

Claims

1. A method of processing a film, comprising the steps of:

unreeling an elongate photosensitive photographic film from a film roll;

feeding the photosensitive photographic film by a predetermined cut length and stopping the photosensitive photographic film in a cutting position;

applying first and second inspecting beams to a passage along which the photosensitive photographic film moves, while said photosensitive photographic film is being stopped in said cutting position, said first and second inspecting beams being applied to a top side of the photosensitive photographic film and to a plurality of holes disposed in a side edge of the photosensitive photographic film, said first and second inspecting beams being disposed in predetermined spaced intervals from each other;

detecting the individual first and second inspecting beams passing through respective ones of said holes or not, from a bottom side of the photosensitive photographic film, while said photosensitive photographic film is being stopped in said cutting position; and

deciding whether any of the holes is positioned in said cutting position or not, based on detected results from said first and second inspecting beams.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining that none of the holes is positioned in said cutting position only if said first and second inspecting beams pass through respective ones of said holes.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining that none of the holes is positioned in said cutting position only if said first inspecting beam is blocked by said photosensitive photographic film and said second inspecting beam passes through one of said holes.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

automatically discharging a defective film cut from said photosensitive photographic film if either one of the holes is judged as being positioned in said cutting position.

5. The method according to claim 1, further step of:

forming perforations as said holes at spaced intervals in the side edge photosensitive photographic film as unreeled from said film roll.

6. A method of processing a film, comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a cap is mounted on a cartridge or not in synchronism with holding said cartridge after a photosensitive photographic film wound around a spool is placed in said cartridge;

detecting a pulling load on a film end which is being pulled from said cartridge thereby to inspect a processed state of said film end, said step of detecting the pulling load on the film end being performed substantially simultaneously with said step of detecting whether the cap is mounted on the cartridge; and

judging a resistance to pulling said film end as acceptable only if said pulling load is smaller than a first pulling load determined immediately after the film end starts being pulled out, and smaller than a second pulling load determined after the film end is pulled out by a pre-determined length, said second pulling load being smaller than said first pulling load.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

automatically discharging said cartridge without being delivered to an encasing process if the processed state of said film end is judged as being unacceptable.

8. A method of processing a film, comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a cap is reliably staked on a cartridge or not in synchronism with holding said cartridge after a photosensitive photographic film wound around a spool is placed in said cartridge;

detecting a pulling load on a film end which is being pulled from said cartridge thereby to inspect a processed state of said film end, said step of detecting the pulling load on the film end being performed substantially simultaneously with said step of detecting whether the cap is reliably staked on the cartridge; and

judging a resistance to pulling said film end as acceptable only if said pulling load is smaller than a first pulling load determined immediately after the film end starts being pulled out, and smaller than a second pulling load determined after the film end is pulled out by a predetermined length, said second pulling load being smaller than said first pulling load.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

automatically discharging said cartridge without being delivered to an encasing process if the resistance to pulling said film end is judged as being unacceptable.

10. A method of processing a film, comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a cap is mounted on a cartridge or not in synchronism with holding said cartridge after a photosensitive photographic film wound around a spool is placed in said cartridge;

detecting whether the cap is reliably staked on the cartridge or not; and

detecting a pulling load on a film end which is being pulled from said cartridge thereby to inspect a resistance to pulling said film end, said step of detecting the pulling load being performed substantially simultaneously with said step of detecting whether the cap is mounted on the cartridge and substantially simultaneously with said step of detecting whether the cap is reliably staked on the cartridge; and

judging a resistance to pulling said film end as acceptable only if said pulling load is smaller than a first pulling load determined immediately after the film end starts being pulled out and smaller than a second pulling load determined after the film end is pulled out by a pre-determined length, said second pulling load being smaller than said first pulling load.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

automatically discharging said cartridge without being delivered to an encasing process if the resistance to pulling said film end is judged as being unacceptable.

12. A method of processing a film, comprising steps of:

detecting whether a cap is mounted on a cartridge or not in synchronism with holding said cartridge after a photosensitive photographic film wound around a spool is placed in said cartridge;

detecting a pulling load on a film end which is being pulled from said cartridge thereby to inspect a processed state of said film end, said step of detecting the pulling load on the film end being performed substantially simultaneously with said step of detecting whether the cap is mounted on the cartridge; and

judging a resistance to pulling said film end to inspect a processed state of said film end, by determining a pulling load immediately after the film end starts being pulled out, and then after the film end is pulled out by a predetermined length.