Process and device for the feeding of fluid additives, and in particular the feeding of replenishers to a photographic processing fluid
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsGerhard Ueffinger, Andrew Green
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Process and device for the feeding of fluid additives and, in particular, of replenishers to a photographic processing fluid. Fluid additives are supplied to the processing fluid contained in a photographic processing tank by a feeding duct. The feeding duct is filled with processing fluid before different fluid additives are introduced into the feeding duct. The volume of the fluid additive supplied is measured by a flow meter which is arranged in an area of the feeding duct which during the measuring operation carries only processing fluid and not the fluid additive being fed into the feeding duct.
Claims16
A process for the feeding of fluid additives to a photographic processing system fluid contained in a photographic fluid processing system, wherein the fluid additive is supplied at a first end of a feeding duct connected with the fluid processing system and discharged to said system fluid from a second end of said feeding duct, comprising the steps of:
- a) supplying different fluid additives successively into the feeding duct, and
- b) prior to the feeding of a fluid additive which differs from the preceding fluid additive, at least the first end of the feeding duct is filled with system fluid.
A device for feeding fluid additives to a photographic processing system fluid contained in a photographic fluid processing system, said device comprising a feeding duct having a first end connected with supply vessels containing the fluid additives to be supplied and a second end connected with the system fluid to be replenished, at least one feed pump is provided for circulating the system fluid, a valve arrangement is provided which can be actuated by a control circuit for selectively clearing and blocking the feeding duct, said device further comprising:
- a) said supply vessels contain different fluid additives,
- b) the valve arrangement comprises a feed valve for controlling the flow of additives from each supply vessel,
- c) a feedback duct connected in parallel with the feeding duct is provided through which system fluid can be withdrawn from the fluid processing system by means of at least one feed pump and returned to the first end of feeding duct, and
- d) the valve arrangement further includes a controllable feedback valve which is arranged in the feedback duct and serves for selectively clearing and blocking the feedback duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.