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US4688917A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Device for wet processing of photographic films

Assignee: Agfa Gevaert AG
•
Filing: 1986-09-24
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Granted: 1987-08-25
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Expires: 2006-09-24
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Abstract

Abstract A device for wet porocessing of photographic films comprises a film processing device and a storage container for storing a processing liquid supplied to the film processing device. The film processing device has a housing which is formed as a container in which a bath of the processing liquid is located and through which a film base is guided by means of rotary inlet rollers, rinsing rollers and squeezing rollers. The pair of rinsing rollers are each positioned in a cage which is extended to form a liquid-distributing channel connected to a respective feeding conduit leading from the storage container. A conduit system for continually renewing the processing liquid in the device is provided.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jurgen Muller
  • 👤 Francois P. Loots
  • 👤 Remi Vanhorebeek

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 00:08
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03D; G03D3/00; G03D3/08; G03D3/13; G03D3/132

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 168 words
In a device for wet processing of photographic films, comprising a a bath-like container filled with a processing liquid and forming a bath through which a film base is guided; an inlet roller pair admitting the film base into the device; a squeezing roller pair discharging the film base from the device; and a pair of rinsing rollers positioned between said inlet roller pair and said squeezing roller pair and receiving the film base guided in said container to wet the film base with the processing liquid, the improvement comprising rollers (7a, 7b) of said rinsing roller pair being positioned in housing cages (9b, 10b), said cages being open toward a path of the film base guided in the device, each housing cage been formed with a liquid distributing channel (10f, 9f) at a side of a respective rinsing roller, facing away from said bath; and liquid supplying conduits (16a, 16b) each connected to a respective distributing channel to supply the processing liquid to a respective rinsing roller.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 168 words
In a device for wet processing of photographic films, comprising a a bath-like container filled with a processing liquid and forming a bath through which a film base is guided; an inlet roller pair admitting the film base into the device; a squeezing roller pair discharging the film base from the device; and a pair of rinsing rollers positioned between said inlet roller pair and said squeezing roller pair and receiving the film base guided in said container to wet the film base with the processing liquid, the improvement comprising rollers (7a, 7b) of said rinsing roller pair being positioned in housing cages (9b, 10b), said cages being open toward a path of the film base guided in the device, each housing cage been formed with a liquid distributing channel (10f, 9f) at a side of a respective rinsing roller, facing away from said bath; and liquid supplying conduits (16a, 16b) each connected to a respective distributing channel to supply the processing liquid to a respective rinsing roller.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 45 words
The device as defined in claim 1, wherein each liquid-distributing channel extends at least over the entire width of the device and a maximal width of the film base, each liquid-distributing channel having a cross-section which narrows outwardly from a middle plane of the device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
The device as defined in claim 2, wherein each liquid-distributing channel has approximately the shape of truncated cone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 27 words
The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said supplying conduits open into respective liquid-distributing channels in the highest or the lowest region of the respective channel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 49 words
The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said container has side guide walls (9d, 9e; 10d, 10c) positioned in the direction of transportation of the film base, respectively between the inlet roller pair and the rinsing roller pair, and the rinsing roller pair and the squeezing roller pair.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 36 words
The device as defined in claim 5, wherein said inlet roller pair and said squeezing roller pair are positioned above said rinsing roller pair, said guide walls ascending from said housing cages in an outward direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 41 words
The device as defined in claim 6, wherein said container has further housing cages (9d, 9e; 10d, 10e) opening toward the path of the film base and enclosing rollers of said inlet roller pair and of said squeezing roller pair, respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 42 words
The device as defined in claim 7, and further including discharge conduits (17a, 17b), and wherein the housing cages (9a, 9c) for lower inlet and squeezing rollers (6a, 8a) open into respective discharge conduits for discharging the processing liquid from said container.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 94 words
The device as defined in claim 8, wherein said container has an upper portion forming the cages for accommodating upper rollers of each pair and a lower portion forming the cages for accommodating lower rollers of each pair, said lower portion having an upper edge (9g) which is positioned higher than lower edges of the housing cage (10b) of an upper rinsing roller one of said guide walls (10d) being connected to the upper rinsing roller so that said rinsing roller operate as transport rollers to move said film base through a splashing bath.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 25 words
The device as defined in claim 9, wherein planes of contact of the inlet rollers and the squeezing rollers lie above said upper edge (9g).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 28 words
The device as defined in claim 10, wherein a plane of contact of said squeezing roller pair lies above a plane of contact of said inlet roller pair.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 47 words
The device as defined in claim 8; and further including a processing liquid storage container (3) and a pump (15), said supplying and discharging conduits (16, 17) being connected to said storage container from which the processing liquid is pumped by said pump into said supplying conduits.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3682082A Cited
US3662660A Cited
US3833918A Cited
US4123769A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-08-24 1991-02-23 1991-08-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-08-24 1995-02-23 1995-08-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-08-24 1999-02-23 1999-08-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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