Apparatus and a method for preparing a processing bath, a manifold, and a use of a manifold
AssigneeGlunz & Jensen A/S
InventorsTommy Jensen, Jens Havn Thorup, Henrik Wegge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for the preparation of a bath (15) for processing photographic material comprises a tank (14) adapted for holding the bath, a container (18) for holding a feedstock fluid and a separator (1) in fluid communication with the container to receive feedstock fluid from the container. The separator comprises a fluid inlet port (2), a liquid outlet (4), a vent opening (3) and means adapted for separating liquid and gas by a cyclone action. The separator provides a manifold for merging inlet flow connections from several containers. The invention provides an apparatus, a method, a manifold, and a use of a manifold.
Claims21
An apparatus for the preparation of a bath for processing photographic material, comprising a tank adapted for holding the bath, a container for holding a feedstock fluid and a separator in fluid communication with said container by first fluid conduit means and in fluid communication with said tank by second fluid conduit means, said separator comprising a fluid inlet port communicated with said first fluid conduit means, a liquid outlet communicated with said second fluid conduit, a vent opening, means for skimming excess foam away from said separator and flow diversion means adapted for engaging a stream of feedstock fluid introduced through said inlet port and for guiding the stream along a curved path in order to separate the fluid into gas and liquid by a cyclone action and for conveying the liquid through a laminar flow regimen into a collection region, communicated to said liquid outlet.
A method for preparing a bath for the processing of photographic material, comprising feeding a feedstock fluid from a container in a stream and into a separator, skimming any excess foam away from the stream of fluid inside said separator and guiding the stream of fluid inside said separator along a curved path in order to strip any gas or foam from the fluid by a cyclone action and leave a residue of liquid, conveying the liquid through a laminar flow regimen into a collection region, and discharging the liquid from there through fluid conduit means into said tank so as to prepare the bath.
A manifold comprising at least two inlet ports, a liquid outlet, a vent opening and flow diversion means adapted for engaging a stream of fluid introduced through one of said inlet ports and for guiding the stream along a curved path in order to separate the fluid into gas and liquid by a cyclone action and for conveying the liquid through a laminar flow regimen into a collection region communicated to said liquid outlet, wherein said inlet ports are mutually spaced and arranged to minimize the likelihood that liquid introduced through any one of said inlet ports could accidentally splash into any other one of said inlet ports.
The use of a manifold comprising at least two inlet ports, a liquid outlet, a vent opening and flow diversion means adapted for engaging a stream of fluid introduced through one of said inlet ports and for guiding the stream along a curved path in order to separate the fluid into gas and liquid by a cyclone action and for conveying the liquid through a laminar flow regimen into a collection region communicated to said liquid outlet, wherein said inlet ports are mutually spaced and arranged to minimize the likelihood that liquid introduced through any one of said inlet ports could accidentally splash into any other one of said inlet ports for the purpose of preparing a bath for the processing of photographic material, the use comprising feeding successive portions of feedstock fluids from respective containers through said inlet ports, separating the respective portions of feedstock fluids into respective gas and liquid fractions and communicating the liquid fractions through said liquid outlet into said tank so as to prepare the bath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.