Method and system for photographic processing
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsAnthony Earle, Leslie Wells
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photographic processing system has a first processing stage to process photographic material. A second processing stage is also provided to further process the photographic material. A storage device is provided between the first processing stage and the second processing stage to receive and store photographic material output from the first processing stage prior to output to the second processing stage. This enables the photographic material to be output from the first processing stage at a different rate than that at which it is input to the second processing stage. Accordingly, the first processing stage can be vacated for use by subsequent photographic material before processing in the second processing stage is complete.
Claims20
A photographic processing system, comprising:
- a first processing stage to process photographic material;
- a second processing stage to further process the photographic material;
- and, a storage device provided between the first processing stage and the second processing stage to receive and store photographic material output from the first processing stage prior to output to the second processing stage, to thereby enable said photographic material to be output from the first processing stage at a different rate than that at which it is input to the second processing stage.
A method of photographic processing comprising the steps of:
- processing photographic material in a first processing stage;
- storing the photographic material output from said first processing stage in a storage device, the storage device being adapted to receive and store a variable amount of said photographic material;
- and
- providing the stored photographic material to a second processing stage after a predetermined time interval.
A photographic processing system, comprising:
- a processing stage to process photographic material;
- a drying stage to dry the photographic material after it has been processed by said processing stage;
- a storage device provided between the processing stage and the drying stage to receive and store photographic material output from the processing stage to enable said photographic material to be output from the processing stage at a different rate than that at which it is input to the drying stage, wherein heat from the processing system is provided to the storage device to at least partly dry the photographic material therein;
- and
- a detector to detect a parameter related to the photographic material in the storage device and control the drying stage in dependence thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.