Film cassette conditioning mechanism

Claim 1

In a processor/projector apparatus having plural operating modes and adapted to receive a film cassette having an integral, spring-loaded pressure plate over which the film is movable, a conditioning mechanism for conditioning the film cassette for plural operating modes comprising: a housing providing a slot for receiving said cassette and a film gate surface for cooperating with said pressure plate to closely confine the film therebetween during a projection mode; an inlet light port in said housing for the passage of a projection lamp light beam to said cassette during a projection mode; an outlet light port in said housing for the passage of the projection lamp light beam from said cassette during said projection mode; a first blinder mounted externally of said cassette in proximity to said inlet light port and movable between a closed position for preventing the passage of light through said inlet light port and an open position for permitting the passage of light through said inlet light port; a second blinder mounted externally of said cassette in proximity to said outlet light port and movable between a closed position for preventing the passage of light through said outlet light port and an open position for permitting the passage of light through said outlet light port; pressure plate displacing means movable in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said film gate surface between an active position and a retracted position, said spring-loaded pressure plate displacing means being effective in moving to said active position to displace said pressure plate away from said film gate surface; slide cam means movable in a direction parallel to the plane of said film gate surface for camming the movement of said pressure plate displacing means between said active position and said retracted position; and actuator means including a single rotary timing cam and a cam follower means spring-biased into engagement with the cam surface of said rotary timing cam for translating rotary motion of said timing cam surface into reciprocal motion transmitted to said first and second blinders and to said slide cam means for effecting correlated movement of said first and second blinders to their respective closed positions and said slide cam means to its active position for a development mode and for effecting correlated movement of said first and second blinders to their respective open positions and said slide cam means to its retracted position for a projection mode.