Method of cleaning container for photographic treatment composition and apparatus therefor

• US 6,491,047 B2
• Filed: 11/15/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Abe, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/440,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20020162583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 134/166.R, 134/167.R, 134/168.R, 134/169.R, 134/166.C, 134/169.C, 134/169.A, 134/62
• US Class Current: 134/166.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/093 by the force of jets or sprays B08B9/0813 , B08B9/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for cleaning treatment composition containers are disclosed which are capable of taking out photographic treatment compositions in the form of powder, granules, tablets or slurry from the containers without adhesion of the components to the inner wall of the container and residue of the coagulated and solidified substances and as well as cleaning the inside portions of the containers. The method and apparatus for cleaning the containers for the photographic treatment compositions have the steps of mounting containers filled with treatment compositions in the form of powder, granules, tablets or slurry and comprising as a resin, only high-density polyethylene (HDPE) having a density of 0.941 to 0.969 g/cm³ and a melt index of 0.3 g/10 min to 5.0 g/10 min to a cleaning apparatus; opening an opening portion of the container to inject the treatment material into a dissolving tank, and spraying cleaning water into the empty container from a nozzle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning a container for a photographic treatment composition such that the photographic treatment composition is taken out from the container for the photographic treatment composition to dissolve the photographic treatment composition in water and the empty container is cleaned,

wherein the apparatus comprises:

a mounting portion for receiving a treatment composition cartridge, the cartridge comprising a plurality of containers filled with a photographic treatment composition; and

an outer case for receiving the containers,

wherein the containers include a neck portion protruding from a lower part of the outer case, and the treatment composition cartridge is mounted in the mounting portion by holding the neck portion of the containers with a holder,

a dissolving tank to which the photographic treatment composition is injected after opening of a container, and

a cleaner by which cleaning water is sprayed to an inside portion of an empty container, so as to clean the container.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaner is an intermittently operated sprayer for repeated spray cleaning of the containers.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaner is a sprayer that forms a spraying angle of 60°

or smaller.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaner is a sprayer that forms a spraying angle of 10°

to 50°

.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaner is a sprayer that forms a spraying angle of 15°

to 45°

.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a replenishing tank is positioned below the containers, and discharged cleaning water is introduced into the replenishing tank so that discharged cleaning water is used as a portion of diluting water.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dissolving tank is positioned below the containers and also serves as a replenisher accumulating tank.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the containers are mounted in the mounting portion in a state in which the containers are upside down.