Apparatus for drying a photographic material

Claim 2

Apparatus for drying a photographic material, comprising: means defining a drying chamber in which a photographic material can be located for drying by a heated gas; means defining a holding chamber for storing a heated gas; means for heating a gas in said holding chamber; a gas supply duct connecting said drying chamber and said holding chamber; means for urging a heated gas from said holding chamber, along said supply duct, to said drying chamber; valve means actuatable from a closed mode, for blocking such urging of a heated gas by said urging means, to an open mode, for allowing such urging of the heated gas by said urging means; and means for detecting the presence of a photographic material in said drying chamber and, in response thereto, for actuating said valve means from said closed mode to said open mode, thereby to effect drying of the photographic material.

Claim 3

Apparatus for drying a photographic material, comprising: means defining a drying chamber in which a photographic material can be located for drying by a heated gas; means defining a holding chamber for storing a heated gas; and means for detecting the presence of a photographic material in said drying chamber and, in response thereto, for moving a heated gas from said holding chamber to said drying chamber and, after a sufficient period of time has elapsed to generally dry the photographic material, for ceasing movement of the heated gas from said holding chamber to said drying chamber.

Claim 4

Apparatus for drying a photographic material, comprising: means defining a drying chamber in which a photographic material can be located for drying by a heated gas; means defining a holding chamber for storing a heated gas; and means for detecting the presence of a photographic material in said drying chamber and, in response thereto, for moving a heated gas from said holding chamber to said drying chamber and, after a sufficient period of time has elapsed to generally dry the photographic material, for ceasing movement of the heated gas from said holding chamber to said drying chamber.

Claim 5

Apparatus for drying a photographic material comprising: means defining a drying chamber in which a photographic material can be located for drying by a heated gas; means defining a holding chamber for storing a heated gas; means for heating a gas in said holding chamber; a gas supply duct connecting said drying chamber and said holding chamber; a gas return duct connecting said drying chamber and said holding chamber; blower means for circulating a heated gas in said holding chamber and, alternatively, for urging the heated gas from said holding chamber, along said supply duct, to said drying chamber and from said drying chamber, along said return duct, to said holding chamber; valve means effective in a closed mode for causing such circulation of a heated gas by said blower means and effective in an open mode for causing such urging of the heated gas by said blower means; means for detecting the presence of a photographic material in said drying chamber and, in response thereto, for effecting said open mode of said valve means; and means for effecting said closed mode of said valve means after a sufficient period of time has elapsed to generally dry a photographic material in said drying chamber.

Claim 6

Apparatus for drying a photographic material comprising: means defining a drying chamber in which a photographic material can be located for drying by a heated gas; means defining a holding chamber for storing a heated gas; means for heating a gas in said holding chamber; a gas supply duct connecting said drying chamber and said holding chamber; a gas return duct connecting said drying chamber and said holding chamber; blower means for circulating a heated gas in said holding chamber and, alternatively, for urging the heated gas from said holding chamber, along said supply duct, to said drying chamber and from said drying chamber, along said return duct, to said holding chamber; valve means effective in a closed mode for causing such circulation of a heated gas by said blower means and effective in an open mode for causing such urging of the heated gas by said blower means; means for detecting the presence of a photographic material in said drying chamber and, in response thereto, for effecting said open mode of said valve means; and means for effecting said closed mode of said valve means after a sufficient period of time has elapsed to generally dry a photographic material in said drying chamber.

Claim 7

Apparatus for drying a photographic material, comprising: means defining a drying chamber in which a photographic material can be located for drying by a heated gas; means defining a holding chamber for storing a heated gas; a heater disposed in said holding chamber for heating a gas in said holding chamber; a gas supply duct connecting said drying chambed and said holding chamber; a gas return duct connecting said drying chamber and said holding chamber; a valve disposed between said holding chamber and said gas supply duct, and actuatable respectively for opening and closing said holding chamber to said supply duct; a blower disposed in said holding chamber for circulating a heated gas in said holding chamber, in the event said holding chamber is closed to said supply duct, and for urging the heated gas from said holding chamber, along said supply duct, to said drying chamber and from said drying chamBer, along said return duct, to said holding chamber, in the event said holding chamber is open to said supply duct; means disposed in said drying chamber for detecting the presence of a photographic material and for generating a signal indicative of the same; means energizable for actuating said valve to open said holding chamber to said supply duct and de-energizable for actuating said valve to close said holding chamber to said supply duct; and means coupled to said detecting means and said valve actuating means, for receiving such a signal generated by said detecting means and energizing said valve actuating means, and for de-energizing said valve actuating means after a sufficient period of time has elapsed to generally dry a photographic material in said drying chamber.

Claim 8

Apparatus for drying a photographic material, comprising: means defining a drying chamber in which a photographic material can be located for drying by a heated gas; means defining a holding chamber for storing a heated gas; a heater disposed in said holding chamber for heating a gas in said holding chamber; a gas supply duct connecting said drying chambed and said holding chamber; a gas return duct connecting said drying chamber and said holding chamber; a valve disposed between said holding chamber and said gas supply duct, and actuatable respectively for opening and closing said holding chamber to said supply duct; a blower disposed in said holding chamber for circulating a heated gas in said holding chamber, in the event said holding chamber is closed to said supply duct, and for urging the heated gas from said holding chamber, along said supply duct, to said drying chamber and from said drying chamBer, along said return duct, to said holding chamber, in the event said holding chamber is open to said supply duct; means disposed in said drying chamber for detecting the presence of a photographic material and for generating a signal indicative of the same; means energizable for actuating said valve to open said holding chamber to said supply duct and de-energizable for actuating said valve to close said holding chamber to said supply duct; and means coupled to said detecting means and said valve actuating means, for receiving such a signal generated by said detecting means and energizing said valve actuating means, and for de-energizing said valve actuating means after a sufficient period of time has elapsed to generally dry a photographic material in said drying chamber.

Claim 9

Apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising: means disposed in said holding chamber for sensing the actual temperature of a heated gas in said holding chamber and for generating a signal indicative to that temperature; and means coupled to said heater and said sensing means for receiving such a signal generated by said sensing means and, if the actual temperature of a heated gas in said holding chamber is lower than a desired temperature of the heated gas, controlling said heater to raise the actual gas temperature to the desired gas temperature and, if the actual gas temperature is higher than the desired gas temperature, controlling said heater to lower the actual gas temperature to the desired gas temperature.

Claim 10

Apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said photographic material detecting means includes a light emitting diode and a phototransistor arranged with respect to each other such that a beam emitted by said diode is normally impinged on said phototransistor, said phototransistor generating a signal in response to interruption of the beam, wherein said valve actuating means includes a solenoid coupled to said valve, said solenoid energizable and de-energizable respectively to actuate said valve to open and close said holding chamber to said supply duct, and wherein said means for energizing and de-energizing said valve actuating means includes a timing circuit coupled to said solenoid, said timing circuit energizable to energize said solenoid and, after a sufficient period of time has elapsed to generally dry a photographic material in said drying chamber, de-energizing to de-energize said solenoid, and a control logic coupled to said phototransistor and said timing circuit for receiving a signal from said phototransistor and, thereupon, changing state from an original one to energize said timing circuit and, after said timing circuit has de-energized and a sufficient period of time has elapsed to allow removal of the photographic material from said drying chamber, returning to its original state.