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US 5,352,863 AGranted
Flat bed thermophotographic film processor
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorJohn Svendsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A developer for sheets of dry silver media includes an oven having a film entrance and a film exit. A bed of spaced rollers of low thermal conductivity foam material is positioned within the oven between the entrance and exit. A roller drive mechanism rotates the rollers causing the film to be transported through the oven and developed without visible patterns.
Claims38
A developer for sheets of thermophotographic film, including:
- an oven having a film entrance and a film exit:
- a generally flat and horizontally oriented bed of film support material within the oven along a film transport path between the film entrance and film exit, for engaging and supporting the film;
- wherein the bed of film support material includes at least three spaced rollers, each of said rollers comprising a cylindrical tube comprising polymeric foam having low density and low thermal conductivity, said tube surrounding a support rod, said rollers rotatably mounted within the oven along the film transport path;
- a drive mechanism for driving the bed of material to transport the film through the oven along the transport path, wherein the drive mechanism includes a roller drive mechanism for rotating the rollers and causing the rollers to transport the film through the oven along the transport path;
- and
- the film support material having a sufficiently low heat capacity to enable visible pattern-free development of the film as the film is transported through the oven.
3 more elements
A method for developing sheets of thermophotographic film having an emulsion on one side, including:
- supporting the film in a hot oven on a generally flat and horizontally oriented bed of material including at least three rollers, each of said rollers comprising a cylindrical tube comprising polymeric foam having low density and a low thermal conductivity, said tube surrounding a support rod, said foam having a sufficiently low heat capacity to enable visible pattern-free development of the film;
- and driving the bed of material by rotating the rollers to transport the film through the oven as the film is being developed.
A developer for sheets of thermophotographic film, including:
- an oven having a film entrance and a film exit:
- a generally flat and horizontally oriented bed of film support material within the oven along a film transport path between the film entrance and film exit, for engaging and supporting the film;
- wherein the bed of film support material includes at least three spaced rollers, each of said rollers comprising a cylindrical tube having low density and thermal conductivity below about 0.25, said tube surrounding a support rod, said rollers rotatably mounted within the oven along the film transport path;
- a drive mechanism for driving the bed of material to transport the film through the oven along the transport path, wherein the drive mechanism includes a roller drive mechanism for rotating the rollers and causing the rollers to transport the film through the oven along the transport path;
- and
- the film support material having a sufficiently low heat capacity to enable visible pattern-free development of the film as the film is transported through the oven.
3 more elements
A method for developing sheets of thermophotographic film having an emulsion on one side, including:
- supporting the film in a hot oven on a generally flat and horizontally oriented bed of material including at least three rollers, each of said rollers comprising a cylindrical tube having low density and thermal conductivity below about 0.25, said tube surrounding a support rod, said tube having a sufficiently low heat capacity to enable visible pattern-free development of the film;
- and
- driving the bed of material by rotating the rollers to transport the film through the oven as the film is being developed.
A developer for sheets of thermophotographic film, including:
- an oven having a film entrance and a film exit:
- a generally flat and horizontally oriented bed of film support material within the oven along a film transport path between the film entrance and film exit, for engaging and supporting the film;
- wherein the bed of film support material includes at least three spaced rollers, each of said rollers comprising a cylindrical tube having a density below 48 kg/cm.sup.2 and low thermal conductivity, said tube surrounding a support rod, said rollers rotatably mounted within the oven along the film transport path;
- a drive mechanism for driving the bed of material to transport the film through the oven along the transport path, wherein the drive mechanism includes a roller drive mechanism for rotating the rollers and causing the rollers to transport the film through the oven along the transport path;
- and
- the film support material having a sufficiently low heat capacity to enable visible pattern-free development of the film as the film is transported through the oven.
3 more elements
A method for developing sheets of thermophotographic film having an emulsion on one side, including:
- supporting the film in a hot oven on a generally flat and horizontally oriented bed of material including at least three rollers, each of said rollers comprising a cylindrical tube having density below 48 kg/m.sup.3 and low thermal conductivity, said tube surrounding a support rod, said tube having a sufficiently low heat capacity to enable visible pattern-free development of the film;
- and
- driving the bed of material by rotating the rollers to transport the film through the oven as the film is being developed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.