JPS5913007B2 - photographic equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to photographic apparatus, and more particularly to an improved photographic apparatus for dispersing processing liquid in a layer between a pair of stacked sheet materials.

In processing to form a visible image from an exposed self-developing film unit, a liquid processing agent is spread in a uniform thin layer between a pair of overlapping photographic sheet elements forming part of the film unit.

The processing liquid is contained in a pressure-ruptured container that forms an integral part of the film unit, located adjacent to the leading edge of the exposed area, and releases its contents between the sheet elements under the influence of applied pressure. I'm starting to do that. US Patent No. 254
Such film units, as described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,181 and U.S. Pat. The physical composition of these components defines the structure of the specially designed film unit, which cooperates with the processing liquid device to determine the thickness distribution of the processing liquid over the exposed areas of the film unit. Similarly, the processing liquid device, in conjunction with the structure of the film unit, ensures that the interaction between the two ensures proper distribution of the processing liquid after the processing liquid device and film unit are brought into contact. It is configured like this. This interaction is functionally classified into two stages. The first step is to create sufficient pressure within the liquid container to rupture the liquid container and release its liquid contents. The second step is to distribute the liquid over the exposed areas of the film unit as it advances through the processing device. In both of these stages, complex liquid flow phenomena occur that ultimately determine the quality of the final visible image. Experience has shown that because of the complexity of this sequence, reliable practical results can only be achieved by conducting well-controlled experiments. The results of such experiments have shown that the fundamental flow characteristics as a function of the interaction between film units and processing equipment can be varied to determine the selection of design solutions to eliminate various problem areas associated with this processing. I was able to obtain the required accuracy. Examples of these problem areas include the following:

(1) Insufficient initial distribution of liquid within the container. (2)′/f! I. Undesirable changes in the distribution of the liquid as it diffuses between the sheeting elements. (3) Non-uniform release of liquid from the container. (4) There is excess liquid after the processing action is completed. The first three of these problems result in improper fluid distribution over the exposed areas of the film device; the last one is
If not properly resolved, excess liquid, which is corrosive, may adhere to the user of the camera or to other elements of the camera equipment. Various solutions to such problems are found in the prior art.

For example, a flow retardation device as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,703, a film unit with a liquid container with integral flow direction regulating means as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,600, or a sloped isolation device as in U.S. Pat. There is a film assembly that includes components.

These prior art techniques disclose special selection of controllable parameters in the design soil that affect the liquid distribution thickness and aid in attachment to the film unit. However,
The present invention recognizes the advantages of the prior art, but further provides improvements that have substantial advantages over the prior art, as will be apparent from the following description. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved photographic apparatus for dispersing processing liquids between a pair of sheet elements.

Another object of the present invention is to simplify the structure of the film unit and to provide a liquid treatment device which itself has a simple structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a photographic device of the type described above in which liquid distribution and flow control is facilitated by means of a specially shaped pressure applying member.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device of the aforementioned type, in which the initial distribution of liquid within the container is controlled by a specially shaped pressure applying member.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent and clear from the following description.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention is described as an apparatus for dispersing processing liquids in a layer between a pair of photographic sheet elements.

In this case, at least one of the photographic sheet elements forms part of a self-developing film unit. This device is
It consists of a pair of adjacent rollers rotatably mounted between a pair of spatially spaced vertical portions of a U-shaped support bracket.

The vertical portions each have an elongated slot that serves to facilitate relative displacement between the rollers. A torsion spring is attached to the base of the support bracket to elastically force the rollers together. Further, the rotation shaft of the roller is held at both ends of the torsion spring so as to be displaceable within the elongated slot. Spaced circular collars adjacent the ends of one roller extend into contact with the surface of the other roller, and are thereby determined by the dimensions of the extended collar. Separate the rollers by a minimum space.

This spacing facilitates the introduction of the film unit between the rollers prior to its processing. One of the rollers is generally cylindrical in shape and rigid. Other rollers consist of a layer of a suitable elastomeric material, such as urethane, on a rigid support member whose external shape is convexly curved. The resilient layer has an internal shape similar to the external shape of the support member and has an external sheet contacting surface that is generally cylindrical in shape. Due to this structure, the thickness of the elastic layer on the support member changes in the longitudinal direction such that both ends thereof are thicker than the central part, and therefore the sheet contact surface that contacts the film unit of the support member is the film unit. When pressure is applied to the structure, both ends undergo larger deformation than the center. This problem of liquid flow control can be solved by carefully selecting the deformation characteristics of the sheet contact surface, and by considering the sensitivity to fluid pressure exerted on the processing liquid during the diffusion of the liquid between the sheet elements. It is possible to provide a simplified device and structure of the film unit that provides an economical solution to the problems of size and size of the film unit. Additionally, this selectively deformable surface can be used, incidentally, as a means to control the initial distribution of the processing liquid within its reservoir, which generally forms part of the film unit.

One of the rollers also has a gear which, when engaged by a suitable drive means, provides a tractive force that allows the roller to rotate and advance the film unit through the device.

In this respect, it is clear that the indexing force depends on the frictional properties between the contact surfaces of the sheet element and the device. Therefore, the coefficient of friction of the elastic layer can be of great assistance if the device is utilized with a device that includes automatic film advancement means. The novel features considered characteristic of the invention are particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention, both as to organization and method of operation, as well as other advantages and objects thereof, will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Note that the same numbers in different figures indicate the same parts. In photographic science, a latent image is defined as an invisible record of the position and intensity of light incident on a light-sensitive emulsion. In order to convert the latent image into a visible image, the exposed emulsion must be subjected to photographic processing consisting of a series of chemical and mechanical operations. Such treatments can be classified using various criteria appropriate to the particular purpose. One classification method classifies processes based on the time it takes to produce a usable picture.

When compared to conventional processing equipment as a standard, "rapid processing" requires much less time to visualize the latent image. A rapid process that is very familiar in this field is known as diffusion transfer. The present invention relates to this process, and more particularly to the problems and nature of the mechanical process and associated equipment. A particularly interesting mechanical aspect is that of spreading processing liquids over a pair of overlapping photographic sheets as one layer over time. wherein at least one of the pair of superimposed photographic sheet elements forms a portion of a self-latent image film unit exposed to actinic radiation. In this case, the processing liquid chemically assists in the visualization of the image on the receiver sheet by developing the latent image, and then, as a developing action, an imaging element is formed from the developing emulsion and transferred to the receiver sheet. do.

The quality of the final image depends critically on the uniformity of the processing liquid thickness between the sheet elements over the areas corresponding to the exposures. )C device for dispersing the liquid between the film unit and the sheets determines the uniformity of the liquid thickness.

In order to ensure that the requirements for high-quality photographs are fully met, these relationships must be fully understood, or the divisions must be made uniform by appropriate organizational means. It is clear that it would be sufficient to use something as defined in . The above-mentioned complexities are based on the fact that the physical relationship between the film unit and the device for mechanically dispersing the processing liquid is difficult, if not impossible, to analyze with purely mathematical methods. .

Experimental methods are far superior to reliable methods despite the problems associated with designing processing equipment. Since the physical relationships involved are characterized as complex fluid flows in nature, the experimental approach usually chosen is dimensional analysis. This technique has been found to be very effective in organizing, correlating, and interpreting experimental data. Simply put, dimensional analysis is a quasi-mathematical method used to check equations, change units, determine preferred configurations of variables in physical relationships, and to design systematic experiments. Ru.

Therefore, dimensional analysis provides a reliable and ordered arrangement of the variable physical quantities involved in the problem. Experimental data must be used as a reference to obtain the necessary quantitative values of the variables defining the solution. It must be understood that the study of dimensional dimensions itself does not yield any information about physical phenomena or functional relationships between variables. However, it is often effective in providing an easy and understandable description of the phenomenon. The first step in dealing with a problem using this approach is to list all the variables involved.

The selection is generally made by experiment or judgment.
The next step is analysis, which follows a structured experimental design. The final solution to the problem based on the configuration of variables selected may not be as precise or complete as the initial selection of the variable number. In other words, although an incomplete or inappropriate selection of the initial variable numbers will not solve the problem, as mentioned above, through appropriate iterative correction, sufficient knowledge of the relevant physical functional relationships can be obtained.
Give to the public. The present invention was achieved by using this technique. In fact, it has evolved from the recognition of certain features of the basic flow patterns obtained from previous experiments using conventional equipment with no novel features. To gain a thorough understanding of what these features are and how they solve related problems, we will refer to the general design criteria for such fluid diffusion devices, conventional methods that describe their fluid flow patterns. It is necessary to know the structure of the experimental equipment, as well as the images that occur during the mechanical stages of photographic processing of exposed emulsions. Finally, in order, the construction of a typical film unit will be described, followed by a discussion of how it is handled after exposure.

First, refer to FIG.

Figure 1 shows Mr. Edwin H. Land, who received a patent on December 10, 1968.
Illustrated is a self-developing film unit 10 of the type disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,415,644. This discussion merely describes suitable mechanical characteristics of such film units and is not intended to limit the applicability of the invention in any way. Film unit 10 includes a generally rectangular photosensitive image-recording sheet element 12. A latent image is recorded on this sheet element 12.
A second, slightly longer image-receiving sheet element 14 is arranged so as to overlap and oppose the sheet element 12. Sheet element 14 is transparent and is adapted to transmit actinic radiation to sheet element 12 during exposure. Its increased length defines an enlargement 20, below which a pressure-bursting container 18 is arranged, which container 18 has its liquid content 19 ( (not shown in this figure). The generally rectangular element 16 has multiple functions.

First, element 16 is a generally rectangular opaque thin sheet, the dimensions of which are somewhat larger than those of element 14, and which further defines a generally rectangular hole 22, the dimensions of which are It is somewhat smaller than that of sheet element 12. Element 16 overlaps the surface of sheet element 14 such that holes 22 are arranged on sheet element 12 to delimit the area of the sheet element exposed to active radiation. After superimposing element 16 on sheet element 14, sheet element 1
Those parts of the element '16 extending beyond the lateral margins of 4 cover the lateral edges of the sheet and liquid container 18 and are fixed to the surfaces of the sheet element 12 and the liquid container 18.

This attachment is achieved by a suitable adhesive to form an integral structure and provide certain important physical characteristics. 1st
An important feature of this relates to the integrity of the film unit 10 thus constructed.

When the liquid content 19 is released and spread between the sheet elements 12, 14, it is adjacent to the leading edge 26 of the exposed area;
It is present as an elongated mass extending to the longitudinal edges 28 of the sheet elements 12,14. Those parts of the element 16 resting on the longitudinal edges 28 serve to confine the liquid 19 within the film unit 10 while the liquid is transferred from the film unit 10 to its leading edge 30 via suitable processing equipment. and continues to diffuse into the exposed area as it advances longitudinally towards the trailing edge 30. Similarly, excess liquid remaining after advancement is completed is located adjacent trailing edge 32. The film unit 10 is confined within a region 34 . and on the surface of sheet element 14 below the inward enlargement of element 16. Another important feature concerns the mechanism where the element 16 overlaps the longitudinal edge 28.

This structure defines spaced apart longitudinal edges 36 that extend longitudinally from the leading edge 30 to the trailing edge 32. The edge 36 provides a pressure-bearing surface as it passes between the pressure impression members, holding the edges 28 in face-to-face contact relationship and keeping the element 16 in the thickness of the sheet element.
The present invention provides means for creating a gap between the pressure application members by a predetermined distance determined by the thickness plus the thickness of the pressure applying member. It will be appreciated that such spacing of the pressure applying members causes sheet elements 12, 14 to be separated when liquid 19 is introduced between them. This separation occurs over the entire exposed area intermediate the longitudinal edges 36. Other important features concern the mechanical characteristics of the sheet elements 12,14.

Due to their photographic properties, they are composed of materials that can deform under pressure. This means the following. That is, if sufficient hydraulic pressure is applied to the liquid as it diffuses between the sheets, the sheets will structurally tend to conform to the resistance they have to separation. The meaning of this characteristic will become clear from the later explanation. Following exposure of film unit 10, it is photographically processed by advancing it through suitable mechanical devices.

This mechanical device ruptures the liquid container 18, releases its liquid contents 19, and then continues to spread the liquid between the sheet elements 12, 14 as it advances. Advancement of film unit 10 in this regard may be accomplished manually or by suitable automatic devices, such as automated index drive rollers. It can thus be seen that the liquid handling device performs two functions. The structure of such a processing device can take any arbitrary form, but generally consists of several basic structural elements.

That is, the elements are biased relative to each other by a pair of elongate, adjacent pressure applying members, typically stiff rollers, and resilient devices. Usually these rollers are initially separated by a pre-gap device to facilitate the introduction of the film unit between them, and a biasing device also creates a pressure-generating gap suitable for advancing the film unit. has come to be defined between the two.
As an exposed film unit, such as film unit 10, advances between such rollers, a force is generated that presses the rollers together, thereby creating sufficient pressure on liquid container 18 to burst it. It releases its liquid contents 19 in a single mass extending adjacent to the leading edge 2611C of the exposed region. The exposed area is then moved longitudinally as the film unit advances through the pressure generating gap formed by such rollers. Experiments conducted using the device described above, which includes only basic structural elements, have revealed some interesting flow patterns. These flow patterns shown in FIG. 2 indicate that other design approaches, such as those proposed in the present invention, are needed when considering other design requirements for self-developing film units. There is. Important variables in the basic equipment dimensional analysis include those associated with film units and processing equipment. Briefly, these include the force pushing the rollers further, the stiffness of the rollers, the gap separating the rollers provided by the longitudinal edges 36 of the film unit, the viscosity of the liquid, and the pressure of the film unit through the device. speed of advancement and flexibility of the sheet elements of the film unit.

As may be recalled, the performance of this device is to provide a uniform liquid layer thickness between the sheet elements over the exposed area. Furthermore, the dimensions of the film unit must be as small as possible and, since the liquid is corrosive, must be such that it is contained therein. Experimental data indicates that some control of the liquid flow pattern is possible by adjusting the magnitude of the variables as described above. However, in the film unit or basic apparatus, without the use of auxiliary flow control devices, the flow pattern is substantially the same. Referring to FIG. 2, the flow pattern can be seen at three different locations along the exposed area. This pattern is for liquid container 1
First shown next to the ruptured front seal 38 of 8. The masses are distributed in a curvilinear pattern, with the liquid concentration being higher in the center of the exposed area and decreasing and tapering towards the longitudinal lines 28. Around about half the length of the exposed area, the pattern is slightly more diffused. Toward the end of the exposed area, the pattern becomes significantly different from the initial one. From a design perspective, this flow pattern is not possible.

This is because it requires excess liquid in the container to completely cover the exposed area, and this also requires a trap area of the film unit to retain the excess liquid. This increases the possibility of liquid leakage from the film unit and requires a larger film unit. This increases the cost and size of the film unit. There are various explanations for the existence of flow patterns with such characteristics, as well as various prior art solutions for dealing with them.

For example, one explanation is that poor initial distribution within the container, uneven rupture of the front seal 38 creates an initial curvature pattern. Other explanations are possible with reference to FIG.

That is, the high pressure generated in the liquid mass 19 during processing becomes greater than the force pressing the rollers 40, 42 together, causing the rollers to bend or the gap between them to increase, resulting in the above-mentioned problems. This results in not only poor distribution but also non-uniform thickness of the liquid layer. According to the solutions proposed in the prior art, characteristic flow patterns are compensated for in two general ways.

The first method takes into account the possibility of poor initial distribution of liquid within the container 18 and problems associated with uneven rupture of the front seal 38. According to the approach taken here, the container 18 is compartmentalized, and these compartmentalized parts are used as chambers for containing a predetermined amount of liquid at a specific location in the container, thereby allowing the flow of water from each chamber. The liquid mass becomes more evenly distributed as each chamber ruptures. Furthermore,
These chambers are geometrically designed to control the initial distribution of the liquid immediately after its release from the container and to act as a directional regulator of its flow. This clearly increases the complexity and price of the container design and manufacture. Another approach consists of two sets of longitudinally spaced rollers, the front rollers having a low bias force insufficient to rupture the container 18, and the rear rollers having a bias force that is insufficient to rupture the container 18. Equipped with seal rupture function.

By doing so, the front roller acts as a liquid retardation device that retards the forward movement of liquid in the middle of the exposed region.
Although this device is successful in these respects, the extra parts required add to its size and cost. Another approach is to vary the structure of the film unit 10 by providing a variable thickness longitudinal edge 36 to control the liquid 1 thickness layer.

This has the disadvantage that the production and control of the film unit is complicated by the need for accurate positioning of the spacing members. The invention was made by understanding one of the functional relationships that characterize flow development.

In particular, during the diffusion phase, the pressure induced in the liquid is significant and varies as a function of the forward speed. In fact, the characteristic flow pattern does not seem to be much different from the typical parapolytic velocity distribution when a viscous liquid flows in a laminar manner in a closed pipe. This is particularly the case when the pressure is applied in conjunction with a selectively pressure-deformable surface of at least one of the pressure-applying members 4. This pressure deforming surface property compensates for the non-uniform pressure distribution exemplified by the characteristic flow pattern. As another advantage, such selectively deformable surfaces further control the initial distribution of liquid within the container immediately prior to liquid outflow.

This change, based on an understanding of the fundamental characteristics of the physical interaction between the film unit and the diffuser, simplifies both the film unit and the diffuser while providing cost reduction while improving design flexibility. Satisfy all requirements. Two rollers 44, 46 are shown schematically in FIG.

Note that roller 44 consists of a rigid support member 45 covered with an elastic layer 48 formed of a material that deforms under pressure. The modified flow pattern that would occur with this device is shown in FIG. Compare this with the flow pattern in Figure 2. The latter modification as well as the initial distribution better aligns with the basic design requirements for completely uniform coverage with minimal film device dimensions. The concept of the present invention is considered to be as follows.

A resilient biasing device which serves to press the pressure applying members together maintains contact of the members with the longitudinal edges 28 of sheet elements 12 and 14, while initially properly distributing the liquid mass and maintaining initial stability during spreading. Maintaining the distribution pattern provides enough to deform one surface of the pressure application member in a predetermined manner to control liquid flow. Preferred Embodiment FIG. 6 shows a liquid handling apparatus 43 incorporating features of the present invention.
This is a preferred embodiment.

The device consists of a rigid U-shaped support bracket 50;
A pair of adjacent pressure application members 52 and 54 are rotatably mounted to the support bracket. Both members each have a sheet contacting surface defining a pressure gap therebetween. Member 52 is illustrated as a roller that is displaced relative to member 54 as film unit 10 advances across this pressure generating gap. in this regard,
Bracket 50 has a portion defining a pair of elongated slots 56 located in a vertical tab portion 57 thereof. This slot 56 facilitates relative movement of member 52 with respect to member 54 by acting as a linear guide to define translational displacement. The member 52 is elastically pressed toward the member 54 by a torsion spring 58 .

This torsion spring 58 is attached to the base 60 of the bracket 50, which has an end 62 that holds the shaft 61 of the member 52. Member 54 is a roller structure consisting of a rigid support member 64, which is generally convex.

Disposed in mounting relationship on the support member 64 is an elastic layer 6 formed of a suitable elastomer such as urethane.
It is 6. Layer 66 has an internal shape similar to the external shape of support member 64, and further, its external sheet contacting surface is generally cylindrical. Therefore, the thickness of the layer 66 is thicker at the ends than at the center, and its sheet contact surface can undergo greater deformation at the ends than at the center. Member 54 has a pair of spaced apart circular collars 70 located opposite the ends of member 54 .

These collars extend from member 54 and contact the surface of member 52. Therefore, a predetermined distance is provided between these members to facilitate introduction of the film unit 10. Additionally, member 54 has at least one elongated shaft 72.

A gear 74 is mounted on this shaft for engaging an automatic device (not shown) that provides rotational movement to member 54. As long as the material of layer 66 has high friction properties, member 54
device 43 of film unit 10 in cooperation with the rotational movement of
Gives an indexical force to move forward through. However, the present invention
It is possible to implement without this feature, for example use with a film unit as described in US Pat. No. 3,765,887. Incidentally - with this device the film unit can be advanced manually. Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.

The present device is functionally the same as the previous embodiment, except that the pressure application members 76 and 78 are elongated rods that are not rotatably mounted. member 76
The elastic layer 801ζ of the film must be a low friction surface that functions properly in the sense of facilitating advancement of the film. In other respects, this embodiment is similar to that shown in FIG. That is, the embodiment of FIG.
, biasing spring 84 , elongated guide slot 86 , and member 7
6 rigid support members 88. These similarities in photography can be seen as a subtlety of the present invention and why it simplifies both the device and film device construction while reducing cost.

The invention may be practiced or carried out in other ways without departing from its spirit.

The embodiments described above are illustrative and do not limit the invention. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, and all modifications that fall within the scope of the claims are considered to be within the scope of the invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a self-developing film unit used in the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the film unit of FIG. 1, illustrating the liquid flow pattern in question. It is partially broken. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film unit and a pair of adjacent rigid rollers to illustrate the relationship between the film unit and the rollers that causes the liquid flow pattern shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram similar to that of FIG. 2 and is for explaining the liquid flow pattern that seems to occur in the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram similar to that of FIG. 3. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the liquid handling device of the invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of symbols: 52, 54...Pressure applying member, 58...Torsion spring, 64...Supporting member, 66...Elastic layer, 70... ...Circular color.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A photographic apparatus comprising means for spreading a processing liquid in a layer between a pair of sheet elements, the spreading means comprising: a first member having a first sheet contact surface;
a second member disposed in parallel relationship with the member and having a second sheet contacting surface, the second sheet contacting surface of the second member being in contact with the first sheet contacting surface of the first member. a pressure-generating gap defined by the second member, the pair of sheets being advanced between the pressure-generating gaps during which processing liquid is diffused between the sheets; and the second member generally comprises: A rigid support member is provided, over which is superimposed a layer of elastic material, the layer varying in thickness longitudinally such that the ends are thicker than the center, thereby cooperating with said support member. . The photographic apparatus, wherein the second sheet contact surface is configured to undergo larger deformation at both ends than at the center.