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EP0355876A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Process for controlling the curl of photographic film

Assignee: Agfa Gevaert NV
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Filing: 1989-06-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-06-15
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Abstract

Abstract A process of making biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate photographic film having a controlled amount of curl in the longitudinal direction, where the longitudinal stretching of the film is done while the film is asymmetrically heated across its thickness, and the stock roll of produced film is heat-tempered. The stock roll of film thus produced may further be longitudinally slit, cut and rewound on small cores in a direction in which the core-set curl opposes the longitudinal curl induced in the film during the longitudinal stretching.

Inventors

  • 👤 Marc Petrus Stevens
  • 👤 Gery Vancoppenolle

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 12:57
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03C; G03C1/00; G03C1/76; G03C1/795; G03C1/7954; B; B29; B29C; B29C48/00; B29C48/03; B29C48/07; B29C48/08; B29C55/00; B29C55/02; B29C55/04; B29C55/06; B29C55/10; B29C55/12; B29C55/14; B29C61/00; B29C61/06; B29C71/00; B29C71/02; B29C35/00; B29C35/02; B29C35/08; B29C35/0805; B29C2035/0822; B29K; B29K2067/00; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/25; B29K2105/253; B29K2105/256

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 147 words
A process for making biaxially oriented photographic polyethylene terephthalate film having a controlled amount of longitudinal curl, comprising extruding molten polyethylene terephthalate polymer through a flat die onto a cooling drum, subjecting the film to molecular orientation by stretching the cooled film longitudinally and transversely while heating the film to a temperature above the Tg (glass transition temperature), the heating of the film during the longitudinal stretching occurring asymmetrically thereby to establish a temperature gradient across the thickness of the film and to introduce into the film a given amount of curl, then heat-setting the film, winding the film to a stock roll of film, and subjecting the film to a heat-tempering treatment by heating it for a period of about 0.1 to about 1500 hours at a temperature ranging from about 30°C up to the Tg and at an ambient relative humidity less than 100 %.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 147 words
A process for making biaxially oriented photographic polyethylene terephthalate film having a controlled amount of longitudinal curl, comprising extruding molten polyethylene terephthalate polymer through a flat die onto a cooling drum, subjecting the film to molecular orientation by stretching the cooled film longitudinally and transversely while heating the film to a temperature above the Tg (glass transition temperature), the heating of the film during the longitudinal stretching occurring asymmetrically thereby to establish a temperature gradient across the thickness of the film and to introduce into the film a given amount of curl, then heat-setting the film, winding the film to a stock roll of film, and subjecting the film to a heat-tempering treatment by heating it for a period of about 0.1 to about 1500 hours at a temperature ranging from about 30°C up to the Tg and at an ambient relative humidity less than 100 %.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the film is heat-tempered during a period between 24 and 240 hours at a temperature ranging between 50° and 80 °C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 41 words
A process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature gradient across the film thickness during the longitudinal stretching is larger than 10°C, and that the longitudinal tension of the film during the longitudinal stretching is less than 10 N/sq.mm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
A process according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the temperature gradient is larger than 15°C.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
A process according to claim 3, wherein the longitudinal tension of the film during said stretching is less than 7 N/sq.mm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 38 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the longitudinal stretch-heating of the film occurs by exposing one film side to medium wave IR-radiation and the opposite side of the film to short wave IR-radiation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
A process according to claim 6, wherein the medium wave IR-radiation produces the highest of the two film surface temperatures.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the longitudinally stretched film is cooled by the conveying of the film through a body of cooling liquid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 64 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heat-set film is heat-relaxed prior to the winding to a stock roll of film. 10. A process according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the heat-set film is wound to a roll with the film side that was subjected to the highest longitudinal stretching temperature, facing inwardly of the roll.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 57 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 10, comprising rewinding the stock roll of film on rolls of a diameter that is smaller than that of the stock roll of film and in a direction that causes a core-prone curl that is opposite to the curl which the film has obtained during the longitudinal stretching.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 55 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 11, comprising unwinding and coating the stock roll of film, slitting and cutting the film, and winding the different film strips thus obtained each separately onto small rolls, the film surface that was subjected to the highest longitudinal stretching temperature facing outwardly of the small rolls.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE2207157A1 Cited
US3806574A Cited
DE2439985A1 Cited
US3939000A Cited
DE2514352A1 Cited

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