Thermal processor

A thermal processor for gas heat development of a photographic image on a strip of photographic film passing through the processor comprising:

• a housing arranged to receive said gas under pressure, said housing including a gas chamber,
• thermally conductive porous gas distribution means in fluid communication with said housing for uniformly distributing said gas to said film through the pores at a given pressure, said gas distribution means being supported by said housing and disposed adjacent opposite surfaces of said film at a spacing such that said pressure of gas at said film is sufficient to support said film when passing through said processor, and
• gas heating means thermally conductively coupled to said distribution means for heating said distribution means at an elevated temperature with respect to the ambient to thereby uniformly heat said gas as it passes through said pores,
• said gas heating means including heater element means disposed in said chamber, said element means having gas passages for passing said gas through said element means to said distribution means, said element means including an apertured thermally conductive flexible heat transfer means in thermal conductive contact with said gas distribution means and electrical heater means thermally conductively mounted on said heat transfer means for heating said gas distribution means through said heat transfer means,
• said heater element means further including resilient pressure means disposed in said chamber for providing mechanical pressure to said heat transfer means for urging said heat transfer means in said thermally conductive contact with said gas distribution means.