Photographic printer

Abstract

An improved photographic printer having a plurality of lens assemblies with each lens assembly including a plurality of optical elements spaced from each other along the general direction of the printer optical path. The optical elements of each lens assembly are movable relative to each other between first and second positions with one of the first and second positions being within the optical path and the other being without the optical path. A plurality of positioning elements are adapted to cooperate with different ones of the optical elements to selectively position them in the first or second position. Specifically, the plurality of lens assemblies are movably supported to alternatively position each with its optical elements in conjunction with the positioning elements for movement of the optical elements between the first and second positions. In a preferred embodiment, the lens assemblies are supported by a carrousel and the optical elements may include lenses and baffles. Preferably, the positioning elements are plungers with the carrousel rotatably supporting the lens assemblies about the plungers. The optical elements may be supported on tracks carried by the lens assemblies with the plungers being operatively aligned with the tracks of that lens assembly which has its optical elements in conjunction with the plungers. The location of the optical elements within the optical path is alterable without affecting the alignment between the tracks and the plungers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.