Abstract:
A film fixing instrument for fixing films of different scales comprises: a loader for loading said films and comprising a loader window, said loader comprising a plurality of couplers on the sides of said loader window; an adjuster for adjusting said loader window, said adjuster comprising a plurality of fixers coupled with said a plurality of couplers, said loader selectively installed on said loader; a film clip for securing said films on said film fixing instrument. The films of different scales can be fixed on said film fixing instrument by adjusting the coupling method between said adjuster and said loader.

Description:
This application incorporates by reference Taiwanese application Serial No. 90200246, Filed Jan. 05, 2001. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a film fixing instrument, particularly to the film fixing instrument capable of fixing films of different scales. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The technologies of the computer and the instruments related to the computer have been greatly advanced. For example, consider the scanner. The resolution and the realistic degree of the image have been greatly improved because of the advancements in the imaging tool and method. Nowadays, we can obtain film data of digital type by scanning the film with a scanner, and storing the image data in the computer. The user can obtain images of better quality, from digital image data with finer and more realistic color. To illustrate the image processes, the traditional methods of scanning and film fixing are briefly described below, and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, it shows the traditional method by which the film is scanned by the scanner  100 . The film  102  to be scanned is put on the transparent plate  108 , and the transparent plate  108  is covered by the upper plate  104  to block the light from the outside. While scanning, the light source  106  on the upper plate  104  emits light. The light passes the film  102  to the reflector  110 , then through the lens  112 , and arrives at the image processor  114 . After the image processor  114  completes processing the image, the image data “data_out” is the resulting output. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, it shows the film fixing instrument  200  according to the traditional method. A film  102  is fixed on the transparent plate  108 , properly positioned by the film fixing instrument  200 . The film fixing instrument acts to prevent the film  102  from sliding on the transparent plate  108 , and to prevent additional loss in the quality of the scanning result. Traditionally, the film fixing instrument  200  comprises a loader  204  to load the film  102  and a film clip  206  to secure the film  102  on the transparent plate  108 . There are windows centered both on the loader  204  and on the film clip  206 , so that the light from the light source  106  on the upper plate  104  could pass through the window on the film clip  206 , the film  102 , and the window on the loader  204 , and arrive at the scanner. 
     However, for the versatility of the traditional film fixing instrument is limited by the size of the film it can support. Depending on the variable sizes of the film to be scanned, the loader and the film clip also have to be designed for the different sizes. Thus, the user must prepare several film fixing instruments of different sizes to facilitate the scanning process for films of diverse sizes, which can increase the cost for the user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a film fixing instrument capable of fixing films of different scales using the same film fixing instrument, and thereby, lower the cost for the user. 
     The film fixing instrument for fixing films with different scales comprises a loader for loading the film, an adjuster for adjusting the loader window, and a film clip for securing the film on the film fixing instrument. Both the clip and the loader have windows, and the loader window comprises a plurality of couplers that are coupled with a plurality of fixers on the adjuster. Films of different scales are fixed on the film fixing instrument by adjusting the shape of the adjuster and the coupling method of the fixer on the adjuster and the couplers on the loader. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows the traditional method by which the film is scanned by the scanner, as described above; 
     FIG. 2 shows the film fixing instrument according to the traditional method; 
     FIG. 3A shows the top view of the adjuster with the front upward, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3B shows the top view of the adjuster with the rear upward, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 shows the top view of the loader, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5A shows the top view of the coupling relation between the adjuster and the loader, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5B shows the top view of the film fixing instrument, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6A illustrates the top view of another coupling relation between the adjuster and the loader, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6B illustrates another top view of the film fixing instrument, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 shows the top view of the loader, according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8A shows the top view of the coupling relation between the adjuster and the loader, according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8B illustrates the top view of another coupling relation between the adjuster and the loader, according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9A shows the top view of the adjuster, according to the third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9B shows the top view of the adjuster, according to the third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10A shows the top view of the coupling relation of the adjuster and the loader, according to third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10B illustrates the top view of another coupling relation of the adjuster and the loader, according to third embodiment of the present invention; 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention discloses a film fixing instrument wherein an adjuster is applied on the instrument by coupling the adjuster and the loader. Various loader windows can be achieved, and therefore, films of different scales can be fixed on the film fixing instrument by adjusting the shape of the adjuster and the coupling method of the adjuster and the loader. 
     The First Embodiment 
     Referring to FIG. 3A, it shows the top view of the adjuster  302  with the front  303  upward, according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The adjuster  302  is rectangular, and comprises two fixers  306 , on the upper edge  304  and lower edge  305 , respectively. The fixer  306 , for instance, is a protrusion. The position of the fixers  306  are not centered on the upper edge  304  nor on the lower edge  305 , but are shifted to one side of the upper edge  304  and the lower edge  305 . As shown in FIG. 3A, the fixers  306  on the upper edge  304  and the lower edge  305  are both closer to the first edge  308  than to the second edge  310 . Therefore, while the adjuster  302  of the FIG. 3A is turned over and the bottom surface  307  of the adjuster  302  is upward, as shown in FIG. 3B, the fixers  306  of the adjuster  302  are positioned on the other side compared to those in the FIG.  3 A. 
     Referring to FIG. 4, it shows the top view of the loader  402 , according to the first embodiment of the present invention. There are two couplers  408  on the two sides  406  of the loader window  404 . The coupler  408 , for instance, is a recess. The fixers  306  on the adjuster  302  are coupled with the couplers  408  on the loader  402 . 
     Next, referring to FIG. 5A, it shows the top view of the coupling relation between the adjuster  302  and the loader  402 , according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The user can adjust the loader window  404  (shown in FIG. 4) by selecting the coupling method between the adjuster  302  and the loader  402 . In this example, the loader window  503  (shown in FIG. 5A) is smaller than the loader window  404  without the adjuster  302  (shown in FIG.  4 ), while the adjuster  302  with the front  303  upward is coupled with the loader  402 . Then, as shown from the top view in FIG. 5B, the film of the first scale  501  is fixed on the film fixing instrument  500  using the film clip  502 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6A, it shows the top view of the coupling relation between the adjuster  302  and the loader  402 , according to the first embodiment of the present invention. While the user turns over the adjuster  302  in the FIG. 5A, the adjuster  302  with the bottom  307  upward is coupled with the loader  402 , as shown in the FIG.  6 A. The loader window  601  is not only smaller than the loader window  404  without the adjuster  302  (shown in FIG.  4 ), but is also smaller than the loader window  503  with the adjuster  302  of the front  303  upward (shown in FIG.  5 A). As shown from the top view in FIG. 6B, the film of the second scale  603  is fixed on the film fixing instrument  602  using the film clip  604 . 
     Comparing the films of the first scale  501  (shown in FIG.  5 B), the second scale  603  (shown in FIG.  6 B), and the third scale  202  (shown in FIG. 2) by the traditional film fixing instrument  200 , the sequence of the films in decreasing size is the film of the third scale  202 , the film of the first scale  501 , and the film of the second scale  603 . According to the invention, three film scales can be fixed using on the fixing instrument, using the adjuster  302  or the coupling relation between the adjuster  302  and the loader  402 , as illustrated in the following examples. 
     As an example, the loader window  404  is sized at 6 cm by 9 cm and the adjuster is sized at 6 cm by 2 cm. For the adjuster  302  with the front  303  upward, shown in FIG. 3A, the fixer  306  on the upper edge  304  is nearer to the first edge  308 , for instance at 0.5 cm, than to the second edge  310 , for instance at 1.5 cm. In FIG. 4, the coupler  408  of the loader  402  to the right edge of the loader window  404  is 1.5 cm. Therefore, there are three ways of coupling. Firstly, a film sized at 6 cm by 9 cm could be fixed on the film fixing instrument  200  without the adjuster  302 , as in FIG.  2 . Secondly, as shown in FIG. 5B, a film sized at 6 cm by 7 cm could be fixed on the film fixing instrument  500  while the adjuster  302  is coupled with the loader  402  according to the method in FIG.  5 A. As shown in FIG. 6B, a film sized at 6 cm by 6 cm could be fixed on the film fixing instrument  602  while the adjuster  302  is coupled with the loader  402  according to the method in FIG.  6 A. Consequently, films of the three sizes (6 cm by 9 cm, 6 cm by 7 cm, and 6 cm by 6 cm) can be all used on the scanner by the same film fixing instrument. 
     The Second Embodiment 
     Referring to FIG. 7, it shows the top view loader  702  according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the couplers  706   a,    706   b  are positioned every proper distance on the two sides  705  of the loader window  704 . As shown in FIG. 7, the couplers comprise the first coupler  706   a  and the second coupler  706   b.  Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B simultaneously, they show the top view of the coupling relation between the adjuster  302  and the loader  702 , according to the second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the fixers  306  are centered on the edges  304  and  305  of the adjuster  302 . Firstly, the film of the third scale  202  (shown in FIG. 2) is fixed while the adjuster  302  is not on the loader  702  (as shown in FIG.  7 ). Secondly, while the fixers  306  of the adjuster  302  are coupled with the first coupler  706   a,  the film of the first scale  501  is fixed on the film fixing instrument, as show in FIG.  8 A. Finally, as shown in FIG. 8B, the film of the second scale  603  is fixed on the film fixing instrument, while the fixers  306  of the adjuster  302  are coupled with the second coupler  706   b.  Therefore, the user could fix films of different sizes on the film fixing instrument by changing different parts of the couplers  706  of the loader  702  to couple with the adjuster  302 . The couplers  706   a,    706   b  on the loader  702  are not limited to two on the side  705 . The number of the couplers  706   a,    706   b  on the side  705  could be increased such that films of various scales could be fixed on the film fixing instrument. 
     The Third Embodiment 
     Besides the films of different scales in one dimension, the films with different scales in both two dimensions could be also fixed on the film fixing instrument by changing the shape of the adjuster. Referring to FIG. 9A, it shows the top view of the adjuster  902  according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The adjuster  902 , a L-type structure comprises a first outer edge  903 , a second outer edge  904 , a first inner edge  906 , a second inner edge  908 , a first edge  912  and a second edge  914 . The first outer edge  903  is parallel to the first inner edge  906  and the second outer edge  904  is parallel to the second inner edge  908 . Additionally, the fixers  910  of the adjuster  902  are on the first edge  912  and the second outer edge  904 . The fixer  910 , for instance, is a protrusion. Please note that the fixer of the present invention can be replaced by a recess, and the coupler of the present invention, by a protrusion. 
     Referring to FIG. 9B, it shows the top view of the adjuster  916  according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Comparing the adjuster  916  in FIG.  9 B and the adjuster  902  in FIG. 9A, both distances, from the first outer edge  903  to the first inner edge  906  and from the second outer edge  904  to the second inner edge  908 , of FIG. 9B are larger than those respective distances of FIG.  9 A. 
     Referring to FIG. 10A, it shows the top view of the coupling relation of the adjuster  902  and the loader  1002  according to the third embodiment of the present invention. While the adjuster  902  is coupled to the loader  1002 , the size of the loader window  1004  is determined by the distances from first outer edge  903  to the first inner edge  906  and from the second outer edge  904  to the second inner edge  908 . 
     Referring to the FIG. 10B, it shows the top view of the coupling relation of the adjuster  916  and the loader  1002  according to third embodiment of the present invention. Because the distances from the first outer edge  903  to the first inner edge  906  and from the second outer edge  904  to the second inner edge  908  in FIG. 9B are larger than their respective distances in the FIG. 9A, the loader window  1006  in FIG. 10B is smaller than the loader window  1004  in FIG.  10 A. 
     From the above description, various loader windows can be achieved by adjusting the size of the adjuster and the coupling method of the adjuster and the loader. Therefore, films of various scales can be fixed on the same film fix instrument. The user does not need to prepare several film fixing instruments, and thus, the user&#39;s cost is lowered. 
     Once given the above disclosure, many other features, modifications, and improvement will become apparent to the skilled artisan. Such other features, modifications, and improvements are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, and the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims.