Photographic film unit

Claim 1

A PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM UNIT COMPRISING: (A) A FIRST ELEMENT HAVING A PHOTOSENSITIVE PORTION ADAPTED TO BE EXPOSED AND THEREAFTER PROCESSED: (B) A SECOND ELEMENT HAVING A PORTION ADAPTED AFTER EXPOSURE OF SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE PORTION TO BE SUPERPOSED WITH AT LEAST SAID EXPOSED PHOTOSENSITIVE PORTION OF SAID FIRST ELEMENT, WHEREBY A PROCESSING FLUID MAY BE DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN SAID ELEMENTS; (C) AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE RUPTURABLE CONTAINER RELEASABLY CARRYING SAID FLUID AND LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ELEMENT SO AS TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY THEREACROSS; (D) A FRANGIBLY-CLOSED MOUTH EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID CONTAINER THROUGH WHICH SAID FLUID IS DISCHARGED FROM SAID CONTAINER IN RESPONSE TO THE PROGRESSIVE APPLICATION OF A COMPRESSIVE FORCE TO THE WALLS THEREOF; (E) SAID CONTAINER BEING MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS WITH SAID MOUTH FACING SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE PORTION OF SAID FIRST ELEMENT; AND (F) MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SAID FLUID BETWEEN SAID ELEMENTS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A SHEETLIKE MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS THE WIDTH OF SAID FILM UNIT AND OVERLYING AT LEAST THE MOUTH OF SAID CONTAINER AND A PORTION OF SAID ONE ELEMENT UPON WHICH SAID CONTAINER IS MOUNTED, SAID MEMBER BEING SECURED TO SAID ONE ELEMENT AT A CENTRAL AREA OF GIVEN CONFIGURATION AND AT ITS EXTREME TRANSVERSE MARGINAL AREAS WHEREBY, DURING SAID PROGRESSIVE APPLICATION OF A COMPRESSIVE FORCE, SAID FLUID, UPON RELEASE FROM SAID CONTAINER, IS OBSTRUCTED AGAINST PASSAGE AT SAID SECURED AREAS, IS FIRST TUNNELED BY SAID OVERLYING SHEET-LIKE MEMBER AND SAID ONE ELEMENT TO WHICH IT IS SECURED ALONG TWO PATHS, ONE AT EACH SIDE OF SAID SECURED CENTRAL AREA, AND IS MERGED INTO A CONTINUOUS MASS IMMEDIATELY BEYOND SAID SECURED CENTRAL AREA PRIOR TO INTRODUCTION THEREOF TO SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE PORTION OF SAID FIRST ELEMENT, WHEREBY SAID FLUID IS PREDOMINANTLY ADVANCED IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THEDIRECTION OF PROGRESSIVE COMPRESSION WITH A FLUID FRONT SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID DIRECTION AND IS DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN AND COMPLETELY THROUGHOUT THE SUPERPOSED FACING UNSECURED PORTIONS OF SAID ELEMENTS.