The invention refers to an integrated photographic processing system as well as a procedure for operating the system.
Integrated photographic processing systems, known as micro labs, combine the functions of film development, copying the negatives onto photographic paper, and paper development in a compact apparatus. Such compact apparatuses are typically used in decentralized manner directly at photo sales locations where not many photo orders are placed. These locations can be supermarkets that run the photo business as a secondary business, for example, or photo and electronics shops that are primarily oriented toward the hardware business (films, cameras) and only process a relatively small portion of customers' orders themselves. Since these apparatuses are in many cases operated by operating personnel with only little experience, a method of processing the photo orders that is as fully automatic as possible and takes place in only one working step is desired. With the known apparatuses of this type, the customer's not yet developed, exposed film in the original film magazine is inserted into the apparatus and the operator obtains as primary product the developed film and the completely copied and developed pictures. All processing steps required for this, from retrieving the film from the film magazine, through developing the film, to exposing the negatives onto photographic paper and developing the exposed photographic paper, are carried out in fully automatic manner inside the apparatus.
Such a single-step, integrated photo processing apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,354, for example. In this single film processing apparatus, the output of the film processor is closely linked to the film stage of the projection printer, i.e., what is known as the printer. In particular, the copying light source and the photographic filter installation for producing color copies are arranged immediately after the output of the film processor. The light coming from the copying light source and transmitted by the negative is deflected with the help of two minors and directed onto the still unexposed photographic paper. This paper is provided at the input of the paper processor, which is arranged parallel to the longitudinal extent of the film processor. This arrangement with deflecting mirrors is highly sensitive to soiling and jolts, and this can have a negative effect on image sharpness.
Because of the required compactness of integrated photographic processing apparatuses, the individual component groups are very difficult to access. This is all the more true for this known apparatus. Because of the close coupling of the film stage of the printer with the output of the film processor, in particular the optic component groups are very difficult to reach for maintenance and adjustment. For example, the mirrors with which the copying light is directed onto the photographic paper must be periodically cleaned. In addition, it may be necessary to readjust these mirrors from time to time. The close linking of the film stage of the printer to the output of the film processor also makes it necessary to have the conveyance systems of the printer and the film processor linked very closely with one another. Of course, a loop buffer is provided at the input of the printer, which serves to compensate variations in the processing speed of the printer, for example due to longer exposure times for optically denser negatives. Yet this loop buffer does not constitute a proper decoupling of the two conveyance systems. While it is being processed, the film is always guided either by the conveyance system of the film processor or of the printer, and by both conveyance systems for a certain time. If a customer only wants his film developed, there is therefore no possibility with this known apparatus to simply withdraw the developed film from the apparatus at the output of the film processor; rather the film must be conveyed through the printer section. In the process, the operating personnel must make sure to control the printer in timely manner in such a way that no copies will be produced. If this controlling is carded out properly and in timely manner, the capacity of the printer is still unnecessarily occupied by the conveyance of the film through it while the printer is "idling".
This close linking of the film stage of the photographic printer with the output of the film processor is particularly disadvantageous in that it makes a two-phase mode of operation much more difficult, i.e., the processing of subsequent orders, enlargement orders or corrections of the first run through the system. With these known apparatuses it is indeed also possible to process subsequent orders or enlargement orders, but this requires complicated film insertion systems and relatively costly constructions of the projection lens, to be able to set the different enlargement scales. For this reason, the known apparatuses are typically only configured for processing a single paper format. A previously developed film strip of the subsequent order is loaded into the apparatus via the film output opening at the printer portion. For this, the film conveyance system of the apparatus must be operated in an inverse direction until the film strip arrives at a loop buffer provided at the input of the printer. Then the conveyance mechanism is operated in the usual conveyance direction again. While the copies are being produced, the operating personnel cannot verify the proper position of the negatives and they are unable to correct this position. Since, when processing a subsequent order, further processing of the developed film of a first run ejected at the output of the film processor would obviously be delayed, one must wait until the film processor is empty before inserting already developed film strips of a subsequent order. Otherwise, the film of the first run would remain in the film processor too long and would be destroyed.
A further disadvantage with the known apparatuses lies in the fact that they are only designed to produce a single image per negative. If a customer wants several prints of a negative, with the known apparatuses the film strip must be inserted with the concerned negative into the apparatus a corresponding number of times. This operation is highly unsatisfactory since it clearly limits the capacity of the apparatuses.
All of these disadvantages of the apparatuses of the prior art require considerable attention on the part of the operating personnel, in such a way that the actual purpose of such integrated photographic processing apparatuses, namely the ability to also operate them with less experienced operating personnel, is lost. In addition, because of the very close spatial linking of the film processor to the film stage of the photographic printer, corrosion caused by the chemicals of the film processor can occur in the sensitive printer section.