Photosensitive medium cassette and method of use

A cassette which can receive and rotatably mount a roll of photosensitive medium web, comprising:

• (a) a housing having a first section and a second section with respective, mating margins extending in a transverse direction between opposite ends of the cassette, the second section being movable with respect to the first section between a closed position of the cassette in which the margins abut one another so that the housing is maintained light tight, and an open position of the cassette in which the margins are spaced apart, and which margins can define between them a slit through which the web of photosensitive medium can pass;
• (b) a lock assembly having:
• at least two lock members disposed at different positions along the margins and each movable between a locked position in which it restrains the margins from moving from the closed position, and a released position;
• a handle adjacent a first end of the cassette;
• and
• a controller connected between the handle and the at least two lock members so that the at least two lock members can be moved between locked and released positions by manual movement of the handle.

A method of exposing a photosensitive medium web in a printer having a housing, a light emitting print engine within the housing, and having at least one access which allows access to an interior of the housing through a first side of the printer housing, comprising:

• (a) dispensing the web through a slit of a first cassette from a roll of photosensitive web material rotatably mounted within the first cassette, wherein the first cassette includes a first handle associated with a first lock member, the first handle being oriented such that it is adjacent an end of the first cassette which is furthest from the first side of the printer housing;
• (b) feeding the web past the print engine;
• (c) exposing at least a portion of the web at the print engine;
• and
• (d) receiving the exposed web through a slit of a second cassette and winding it onto an intercore rotatably mounted within the second cassette, wherein the second cassette includes a second handle associated with a second lock member, the second handle being oriented such that it is on an end of the second cassette which is closest to the first side of the printer housing.