Electronically controlled film transport methods and systems
AssigneeIMAX Corporation
InventorsGary James Mahony, George Mario Dalle Ave
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electronically controlled film transport methods and systems are described. One system described comprises a film transport path for transporting film, an input drive assembly for advancing film through the film transport path, an output drive assembly for advancing film out of the film transport path, an aperture positioned in the film transport path, at least one registration pin capable of engaging at least one perforation in the film to secure a portion of the film in the aperture, wherein the at least one registration pin is capable of retracting to a non-engaging position, and a controller for controlling the retraction of the at least one registration pin.
Claims26
A film transport system comprising:
- a film transport path for transporting film;
- an input drive assembly for advancing film through the film transport path;
- an output drive assembly for advancing film out of the film transport path;
- an aperture positioned in the film transport path;
- at least one registration pin capable of engaging at least one perforation in the film to secure a portion of the film in the aperture, wherein the at least one registration pin is capable of retracting to a non-engaging position;
- and
- a controller for controlling the retraction of the at least one registration pin.
A film transport system comprising:
- a film transport path for transporting film;
- an input drive assembly for advancing film through the film transport path, wherein the input drive assembly comprises (i) a variable speed drive assembly, (ii) a variable speed sprocket, and (iii) a constant speed sprocket;
- an output drive assembly for advancing film out of the film transport path;
- an aperture positioned in the film transport path;
- at least one registration pin capable of engaging at least one perforation in the film to secure a portion of the film in the aperture;
- a rotor having at least one rotor gap, wherein the film forms a film loop in the rotor gap and the rotor gap is capable of moving the film loop to engage and disengage the film from the at least one registration pin;
- a controller for controlling a speed profile of the variable speed sprocket to control a speed at which the film is fed into the rotor gap to form the film loop;
- and
- a loop gap between the variable speed sprocket and the constant speed sprocket that is sized based on a difference in film speed between the variable speed sprocket and the constant speed sprocket.
A method of auto loading film in a film transport system, comprising:
- engaging the film with an input drive assembly;
- threading film through a film transport path automatically by the input drive assembly;
- receiving the film at an output drive assembly;
- automatically engaging at least one perforation of the film by at least one registration in extending into the film transport path from a retracted position with respect to the film transport path;
- and
- automatically creating at least one film loop by the input drive assembly.
A film transport system comprising:
- a film transport path for transporting film;
- an input drive assembly for advancing film through the film transport path, wherein the input drive assembly comprises (i) a variable speed input drive assembly, (ii) a variable speed sprocket, and (iii) a constant speed sprocket;
- an output drive assembly for advancing film out of the film transport path;
- an aperture positioned in the film transport path;
- a film loop transport in which a loop of film is capable of forming, the film loop transport being configured for moving the loop of film;
- at least one registration pin capable of engaging at least one perforation in the film to secure a portion of the film in the aperture;
- a controller for controlling a speed profile of the variable speed sprocket to control a speed at which the film is fed into the film loop transport;
- and
- a loop gap between the variable speed sprocket and the constant speed sprocket that is sized based on a difference in film speed between the variable speed sprocket and the constant speed sprocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.