Apparatus for cleaning an x-ray developing machine

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for cleaning residue from a transport unit of an x-ray developing machine. The transport unit has inner and outer walls which form a path for multiple film chips to travel during development of the film chips. V-grooves in the walls can become clogged with residue during normal operation of the x-ray developing machine. The apparatus includes a body and a plurality of projections extending outward from the body. The projections clear the V-grooves of residue while the apparatus is inserted between the walls and moved along the path.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to x-ray developing machines. More specifically, the 
invention relates to the cleaning of x-ray developing machines. 
X-ray developing machines are widely used in dental offices. An x-ray 
developing machine can develop as many as eight film chips simultaneously 
and quickly, typically in about four to six minutes. Such speed allows a 
dentist to provide a quick diagnosis and immediate care to a patient. 
Additionally, the x-ray developing machine take up little office space. A 
space as small as a closet can be used as a darkroom for developing the 
film chips. 
FIG. 1 shows an x-ray developing machine 10 that is commonly used in dental 
offices for developing film chips. The x-ray developing machine 10 
includes a transport unit 12 having inner and outer walls 14 and 16 that 
provide a curved path for the film chips to travel. One or more film chips 
are inserted through an entrance passageway 18 and into the transport unit 
12. Each film chip is moved along the path by a combination of gravity 
(during downward travel) and transfer drives 20 (during upward travel). 
During its travel along the path, the film chip is immersed in a first 
tank 22 filled with developer solution, a second tank 24 filled with a 
fixing solution, and a third tank 26 filled with a rinsing solution. After 
leaving the transport unit 12, the film chip enters a drying compartment 
28 and passes through a series of rollers 30. Exiting the x-ray developing 
machine 10 is fully developed film. 
FIG. 2 shows V-grooves 32 in the walls 14 and 16 of the transport unit 12. 
A function of the V-grooves 32 is to guide the film chips along the path, 
yet to minimize contact with the walls 14 and 16 so as not to damage the 
emulsion on the surfaces of the film chips. 
However, with each film chip that passes through the transport unit 12, 
residue from solution accumulates in the V-grooves 32. The residue can 
cause the film chips to become jammed in the transport unit 12 or hop off 
the path and fall into one of the tanks 22, 24 or 26. If a film chip 
becomes jammed or falls off the path, it will become crumbled, 
overdeveloped or otherwise ruined. Consequently, x-rays will have to be 
retaken at great expense to the patient, who will be exposed to additional 
radiation, and to the dentist or x-ray technician, who will have time 
taken away from his or her routine. To avoid these problems, the transport 
unit 12 is cleaned of the accumulated residue on a daily basis. 
Cleaning the transport unit 12 can be messy and cumbersome. The transport 
unit 12 is removed from its housing and held over the tanks 22, 24 and 26 
for a few seconds in order to allow excess solution to be drained. Care 
must be taken not to splash the solution; otherwise chemistry 
contamination might result. Additionally, the solution might drip on the 
floor or clothing, the latter of which would be stained permanently. After 
being drained, the transport unit 12 is placed on a service tray and 
carried over to a large sink. The transport unit 12 is rinsed in warm 
soapy water and hand-brushed to remove the dried residue. Once dried, the 
transport unit 12 is reinstalled in the housing of the x-ray developing 
machine 10. 
There is a need for a less cumbersome, less messy way of removing residue 
from the transport unit 12 of an x-ray developing machine. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A transport unit having first and second walls that define a film chip path 
and that include a plurality of V-grooves can be cleaned conveniently, 
quickly and cleanly by the present invention. The present invention can be 
regarded as an apparatus including a body and a plurality of projections 
extending outward from the body. The projections match the V-grooves in 
dimension and contour such that the projections engage at least some of 
the V-grooves when the apparatus is inserted between the walls. The 
projections clear the V-grooves of residue while the apparatus is inserted 
between the walls and moved along the path. Because the apparatus can 
clean residue from the x-ray developing machine conveniently, quickly and 
cleanly, it encourages frequent cleaning, which improves the reliability 
of the x-ray developing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 3 shows a cleaning cartridge 34 for cleaning residue from the 
transport unit 12 of the x-ray developing machine 10 described above in 
connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. One such x-ray developing machine 10 is 
described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,525. 
The cleaning cartridge 34 includes a body 36 and a plurality of projections 
38 extending outward from the body 36. The body 36 has a height H and 
width W equal to the height and width of a standard film chip for the 
transport unit 12. A standard #2 x-ray film chip has a height H of 
approximately 1 and 19/32 inches and a width W of approximately 1 and 1/8 
inches. 
The projections 38 match the V-grooves in dimension and contour such that 
the projections 38 engage at least some of the V-grooves 32 when the 
cleaning cartridge 34 is inserted into the transport unit 12, between the 
inner and outer walls 14 and 16 (see FIG. 4). The cleaning cartridge 34 is 
moved along the film path during a cleaning operation in the same manner 
that multiple film chips would be moved simultaneously along the film path 
during development. As the cleaning cartridge 34 is moved along the film 
path, the projections 38 engage the V-grooves 32 and clear the V-grooves 
32 of residue. The residue crumbles into harmless powder and is pushed 
aside. 
Length L of the cleaning cartridge 34 is determined by the number of 
projections 38. The cleaning cartridge 34 can have a number of projections 
38 that engage all of the V-grooves 32 in the walls 14 and 16. Each 
projection 38 could circumscribe the body 36 to fit into a V-groove 32 on 
the inner wall 14 and a V-groove 32 in the outer wall 16. 
For a typical x-ray developing machine 10 that accepts up to eight #2 x-ray 
film chips, the cleaning cartridge 34 has eight projections 38 
circumscribing the body 36. Overall length L is approximately 2 and 5/16 
inches, overall height H is approximately 1 and 11/16 inches, and overall 
width W is approximately 1 and 2/16 inches. 
Not all of the V-grooves 32 need to be engaged during a cleaning operation. 
Therefore, the cleaning cartridge 34 for the typical x-ray developing 
machine 10 could have fewer that eight projections 38 circumscribing the 
body 36. 
To clean residue from the transport unit 12, a lid of the entrance 
passageway 18 of the x-ray developing machine 10 is lifted, and the 
cleaning cartridge 34 is inserted through the entrance passageway 18 and 
into the transport unit 12 such that the projections 38 engage the 
V-grooves 32. The x-ray developing machine 10 is turned on, whereby the 
cleaning cartridge 34 is moved along the film path by a combination of 
gravity (during downward travel) and transfer drives 20 (during upward 
travel). During its travel along the path, the cleaning cartridge 34 is 
immersed in the first tank 22, the second tank 24 and the third tank 26. 
After leaving the transport unit 12, the cleaning cartridge 34 enters the 
drying compartment 28, passes through the rollers 30 and exits the x-ray 
developing machine 10. 
The body 36 can be made hollow, which would allow for flexibility as the 
cleaning cartridge 34 travels along the film path. The body 36 and the 
projections 38 can be integrally formed from molded plastic. 
The body 36 and the projections 38 can be made of a heat-retaining 
material, whereby the cleaning cartridge 34 is heated prior to insertion 
into the x-ray developing machine 10. Heating the cleaning cartridge 34 
could help remove residue. 
Thus disclosed is a cleaning cartridge 34 that can clean residue from an 
x-ray developing machine conveniently, quickly and cleanly. The cleaning 
cartridge 34 can eliminate chemistry contamination and staining due to 
splashing and dripping. The ease of use encourages frequent cleaning, 
which improves the reliability of the x-ray developing machine. 
A specific embodiment of the invention have been described and illustrated 
above. However, the invention is not limited to the specific form so 
described and illustrated. Instead, the invention is construed according 
to the claims that follow.