Photographic film cleaner
AssigneePako Corporation
InventorsJohn A. Wedel, Robert L. Skubic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A film cleaning apparatus cleans photographic film while the film is clamped at the print gate aperture of a photographic printer. When the film is clamped at the print gate, and before a print exposure is initiated, high velocity ionized air is directed onto both the top and bottom surfaces of the film to remove dust and other foreign materials from the film surfaces. When the exposure is commenced, the flow of ionized air is reduced to a low velocity which is sufficient to prevent dust from settling on the film surfaces during exposure.
Claims17
Photographic film cleaning apparatus for cleaning an image area of photographic film at a print gate aperture of a photographic printer, the apparatus comprising:
- clamping means at the print gate for clamping the photographic film with the image area aligned with the print gate aperture prior and during an exposure cycle of the printer;
- means for directing a first higher velocity gas onto the image area of the clamped photographic film prior to the exposure cycle to remove particles from a surface of the image area;
- and
- means for directing a second lower velocity gas onto the image area of the clamped photographic film during the exposure cycle to prevent particles from settling on the surface of the image area.
Photographic film cleaning apparatus for cleaning an image area of photographic film at a print gate aperture of a photographic printer, the apparatus comprising:
- clamping means at the print gate for clamping the photographic film with the image area aligned with the print gate aperture;
- first nozzle means for directing a first gas stream at an acute angle onto a first surface of the clamped image area of the photographic film;
- second nozzle means for directing a second gas stream at an acute angle onto a second surface of the clamped image area of the photographic film;
- and
- gas supply means for supplying gas to the first and second nozzle means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.