Photographic film processor and method of developing film
AssigneePhototrader, Inc.
InventorsNando Alfonso Mastrodicasa, David Bradley Marett
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Abstract
A compact and energy efficient apparatus for processing and drying an elongated strip of photographic film having a succession of film processing tanks containing selected processing liquids; drive system which advances the film strip endwise through the tanks to selected depths in liquids corresponding to required exposure times of the film to the different liquids while reducing the tank to tank contamination caused by the transport of treatment of liquids from tank to tank, and a heater system which reuses the waste heat generated by the mechanical and electrical components of the apparatus to dry the film strip as it emerges from the successive processing tanks.
Claims7
Apparatus for processing and drying an elongated strip of photographic film, comprising:
- a plurality of successive treatment tanks containing film processing liquids;
- a film drive system which advances the film strip endwise through said treatment tanks to selected depths in said film processing liquids corresponding to required exposure times of the film to the film processing liquids, said film drive system having electronic control circuitry;
- a heater system for drying the film strip in a drying zone;
- a waste heat air flow passage which serves to convey waste heat generated by the film drive system electronic control circuitry to the drying zone.
A method reducing energy consumption during processing of an elongated strip of photographic film using an integrated film processing apparatus comprising the steps of:
- attaching the film strip to a film processing and drying drive system;
- advancing the film strip endwise through a succession of treatment tanks containing film processing liquids wherein the film is advanced to selected depths in said film processing liquids corresponding to required exposure times of the film to the film processing liquids;
- and
- circulating air through a waste heat air channel defined within said film processing apparatus, across heat generating equipment utilized within said film processing apparatus, and into a film drying zone within said film processing apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.