A lighttight film package

Abstract: A lighttight package of a rolled light-sensitive material, which comprises a core (12), a light-sensitive film (10) wound on the core, a light-shielding circumferential wrapper (17) to shield the circumferential surface of the wound film from ambient light and a pair of light-shielding flanges (13, 14) to shield the side surfaces of the wound web, wherein the light-shielding flanges have a circumferential groove (20, 21) into which folded margins (18, 19) of the circumferential cover are seated and withheld.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to a lighttight package of a rolled light-sensitive material. Description of the prior art. In the packaging of light-sensitive material for use in e.g. phototypesetters or X-ray imagers, disposable film roll cassettes as well as daylight loading film roll packages are used. Daylight loading film packages are cheaper than disposable film cassettes, and are also preferred for ecological reasons. Several types of daylight loading film roll packages are known that comprise a circumferential wrapper and two end covers light-tightly sealed to the circumferential cover. In one embodiment, the circumferential wrapper has lips that are folded over the end covers and are sealed thereto (see US-A-4,505,387 of Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) In another embodiment the end covers have lips that are folded over the circumferential cover and are sealed thereto (see US-A-4,148,395 of E.Kodak Cy.) In still another embodiment marginal portions of the circumferential and the end covers are sealed to each other at their inside faces (see US-A-4,733,777 of Agfa-Gevaert N.V.) These, and similar packages have the advantage that their length is neglectably larger than the width of an unwrapped film roll so that their use in so-called machine-dedicated cassettes that are originally designed for being loaded in a darkroom with a roll of unwrapped film, does not raise problems. However, sealing the circumferential wrapper to the end covers at the respective marginal zones requires a great precision in the location of the respective elements in order to obtain a light-proof seal. Other types of daylight loading film packages are known that comprise two flanges and a circumferential wrapper sealed to the peripheral edge of the flanges. The flanges must have a substantial thickness to obtain a sufficiently strong seal. An example of suchlike package is disclosed in EP-A-03 26 260 of Sony Corp. A similar daylight loading film package with two end discs is disclosed in DE 41 33 530 C1 of Du Pont de Nemours GmbH, DE. This latter invention comprises the use of end discs with an annular recess at their outside and of a flexible circumferential wrapper that is tensioned during its winding around the wound film roll so that its lateral, free margins will shrink and fold, and become located in wrinkled form in the annular recesses of the flanges. The light-tightness of this package leaves to desire since the wrinkled margins inevitably comprise overlapping portions, the most outer portions being not in contact with the end disc and giving in this way rays of incident light direct access to the contact area between the edge of the end cover and the wrapper tensioned thereover. If, for one reason or another, this tension is locally unsufficient to ensure good contact, light may reach the photographic material and cause fogging. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION. Object of the invention. It is an object of the present invention to provide a package of a rolled light-sensitive material which comprises a core, a light-sensitive web wound on the core, a light-shielding circumferential cover to shield the circumferential surface of the wound web from ambient light, and a pair of light-shielding flanges to shield the side surfaces of the wound web, which offers an improved light-tightness over the packages known in the art, and which is less critical to manufacture, to transport and to manipulate. Statement of invention. In accordance with the present invention, a lighttight package of a rolled light-sensitive material, which comprises a core, a light-sensitive web wound on the core, a light-shielding circumferential cover to shield the circumferential surface of the light-sensitive web from ambient light and a pair of light-shielding flanges to shield the side surfaces of the wound web, is characterised thereby that the flanges have a circumferential groove into which a folded margin of the circumferential cover is seated and withheld. The advantage of the inventive package resides in the fact that sealing from ambient light occurs by a true labyrinth, viz. a first light path between the outside wall of the groove and the folded margin of the cover, which stops at the bottom of the groove, and a second path between the inside wall of the groove and the folded margin of the cover, which path is reversed over 180 degrees and which stops at the circumferential edge of the inside wall of the groove. The term "web" stands in the present specification for photographic film as well as paper. The term "groove" stands for openings having in fact a radial dimension only, which are comparable with a slit because both opposite wall surfaces contact each other in the absence of a folded margin of the circumferential wrapper, but also for openings having a radial as well as an axial dimension in case opposite wall surfaces are well separated from each other. It is preferred that both surfaces of the circumferential cover are light-absorbing so that light-absorption will be maximal in the circumferential groove. The circumferential cover is suitably made of black pigmented low-density polyethylene, but other suitable polymers either in monolayer form or as laminates can be used as well. For the same reason of light interception, the flanges are preferably black coloured. The flanges can be made of plastics by injection-moulding, and suitable materials for them are high-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. A lighttight package according to the present invention can be used in two ways. Either as a darkroom loading package for loading a machine-dedicated cassette, or as a daylight loading package for loading a roll of film directly in the apparatus or for loading the film by daylight in a machine-dedicated cassette that then is put in the apparatus. In the case of daylight loading, the circumferential cover is preferably attached to the leading edge of the rolled web so that it is operative as a leader for pulling the film through the lighttight slot of the cassette into which it has been loaded. In an alternative embodiment the leading end of the film itself, or of a separate film strip attached to the leading edge of the wound film can be used as a leader protruding through the slot of the cassette for starting the unwinding of the circumferential cover and next the unwinding of the film. For darkroom loading, the circumferential wrapper must not be attached to the wound film since the operator will remove it by hand before loading the film roll in a cassette. The following are preferred features of a package according to the present invention. The folded margins of the package may comprise an inwardly and an outwardly folded portion. This has the advantage that, based on the inherent elasticity of the wrapping material, both folded portions will be urged against the corresponding wall of the circumferential groove whereby an improved lighttightness is obtained. A chord can be provided in the bottom of the groove formed by the inwardly and outwardly folded portions of the margins of the circumferential wrapper. Such chord allows the circumferential wrapper to be tightly fitted to the package and constitute thereby an extra measure preventing undesired unwinding of the wrapper, in addition to the usual sealing or security label which attaches the leading edge of the wrapper to the last winding, and signals inadvertant opening of the package. The described chord is preferably arranged for easy removal prior to the first use of the roll package. The outside wall sections of the flanges determining the circumferential groove are sufficiently deformable to allow their flexing away from the corresponding inside wall sections for widening the groove and facilitating thereby insertion of a folded margin of the circumferential cover into the groove. The mentioned flexure can be obtained by using for the flanges two parts of different flexibility, viz. a plain part which is relatively rigid, and a ring-like part at the outside of the plain part which is relatively flexible, both parts being suitably connected to each other. Alternatively, the flanges can be one-part members, the greater flexibility of the outside wall of a circumferential groove being obtained by suitable weakening of the cross-section of such wall as compared with the inside wall of the groove. The circumferential groove of the flanges is wider near the bottom. This has the advantage that the fold of a folded margin will less readily stick to the bottom of the groove. The circumferential groove of the flanges has a widened inlet. This has the advantage that insertion of the folded portion(s) of the margins of the circumferential wrapper is facilitated. The outside wall sections determining the circumferential grooves have a larger diameter than the inside wall sections. This has the advantage that the light-shielding wrapper and the wound photographic web are better protected against undesired mechanical contacts and that manipulation damage is minimized. A further advantage is that the outside wall sections of the grooves may be easily pulled away from the corresponding inside sections thereof to facilitate insertion of the margins of the wrapper into the grooves. It will be understood that a lighttight package according to the present invention can raise difficulties if it is used as a daylight loading package for daylight loading cassettes of phototypesetters, X-ray imagers, and the like that closely match the format of the wound film, more in particular its width. As a matter of fact, the end flanges of the inventive package add from one to some millimeters to the width of the package, and this can prevent loading of the package in a cassette that originally is designed for a determined netto film width. However, there are types of cassettes that are less critical in this respect and that allow loading with slightly longer film rolls. The latter situation is particular the case for so-called minilabs which are being used on an ever growing scale for the quick printing of amateur colour pictures, and the present invention is particularly intended for use in this kind of apparatus without, however, being limited thereto. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS. The invention will be described hereinafter by way of example with reference to the drawings, wherein : Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a package according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a detail view of a wrapper margin in a groove of a flange, which comprises an inwardly and an outwardly folded portion, as well as a chord for fixing it in the groove, Fig. 3 is a detail view of a wrapper margin comprising a single fold in a circumferential groove of a flange. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the circumferential wrapper prior to its winding on the film roll, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a finished package in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the winding of the circumferential wrapper around a film roll and the insertion of its margins in the grooves of the flanges, and Fig. 7 is detail 7 of fig. 6. Detailed description of the invention. Referring to Fig. 1, one embodiment of a package according to the invention is shown which consists of a roll 10 of light-sensitive photographic film wound on a hollow core 12 having a length equal to the width of the film, and two circular end flanges 13 and 14 provided with hubs 15 and 16 that fit into the ends of the core. A light-shielding circumferential wrapper 17 is wound around the film roll and has lateral margins 18 and 19 folded and fitted in circumferential grooves 20 and 21 of the flanges. The core of the film roll may be made of any material usual in the art such as cardboard, injection moulded or extruded plastic, etc. The flanges are rigid members capable of maintaining good contact with the lateral ends of the film roll during transport and manutention of the package. Yet the outside wall sections 22, 23 of the flanges determining the circumferential grooves are suitably sufficiently flexible to allow their bending away from the corresponding inside wall sections 24, 25 as will be described hereinafter. One suitable embodiment of a flange is shown in Fig. 2, which is an enlarged view of detail 2 indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. Flange 14 comprises a plain section which has a central portion 26 and a wall section 25, and a co-axial ringlike wall section 23. Wall sections 23 and 25 determine a circumferential groove designated generally by numeral 21. The groove has a widened inlet 28 and an enlarged bottom 29. The folded margin 19 of the circumferential wrapper 17 has an inwardly folded portion 30 and an outwardly folded one 31. A chord 32 is wound in the groove 35 formed by both folded portions and holds folded margin 19 tightly in the groove. Both surface portions of groove 21 running parallel to each other can perform a clamping action on margin 19 extending therebetween as is shown in the drawing, but these surfaces may as well be remote from each other and not perform a clamping action, the retaining of the margin as such occurring by chord 32. Chord 32 preferably has a loose end engageable by hand from the outside of the flange to facilitate its removal prior to the unwinding of the film roll. It should be understood that the presence of chord 32 is not indispensable. It has been shown that the fold between folded portions 30 and 31 of a margin of the wrapper has a substantial thickness or width, namely up to 10 times and more than the thickness of the wrapper itself, so that it forms a circular bead which resists easy withdrawal of the wrapper margin from groove 21. A further feature of flanges 13 and 14 is that the diameter of their outside wall sections 22 and 23 is slightly larger than that of sections 24 and 25. This feature has the advantage that shocks and the like occurring during inadvertent handling of the package are absorbed by these protruding wall sections, rather than directly by the film roll. The flanges are suitably made of plastic, e.g. by injection-moulding. Increased flexibility of wall portions 22 and 23 with respect to the main portion of the flanges can be obtained in different ways. According to one embodiment, wall portions 22 and 23 can be made as separate components, made of a relatively flexible plastic, and fitted to the opposed wall portions 24, 25 of the main portion of the flanges by suitable techniques known in the art such as ultrasonic or microwave welding, either over a circular zone or on spaced spots only, bonding by means of quick setting adhesives, rivetting, etc. According to a different embodiment, wall sections 22, 23, 24 and 25 are made of the same material but increased flexure of the outside sections is obtained by appropriate reduction of the wall thickness of these sections, such as by coaxial ring-like grooves. Fig. 3 shows a different embodiment of a circumferential groove. The flange is arranged for receiving the folded margin 19 of the circumferential wrapper without backfold and for that reason no widened bottom of groove 21 is provided. Since there is no bead like fold 35 in Fig. 2 for retaining the wrapper margin in the groove, it will be understood that it may be interesting that the opposed walls of sections 23 and 25 defining groove 21 perform some clamping on the folded wrapper margin. In this respect it should be noted that the folded margin of the wrapper is not a single ply as illustrated in the figure but, on the contrary, comprises at a plurality of angularly spaced locations at least three plies constituted by overlapping portions of the wrapper margin as a consequence of its radially inward folding. The width of groove 21 may thus easily amount to at least three times the thickness of the wrapper foil. Fig. 4 shows the film roll package just prior to the winding of the circumferential wrapper. Wrapper 17 may be removably attached to the leading edge 36 of film 9. The width a of the wrapper is slightly larger than the width b of the film, whereas the length of the wrapper equals at least 1.25 times the circumference of the wound film roll. A self-adhesive sealing strip 37 fixes the leading edge of the wrapper to the packed roll and can serve as a warranty label, see Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows the winding of the circumferential wrapper. The film roll being mounted on a shaft, not shown, for rotation in the direction of arrow 40, two rotatable discs 38 and 39 are located in mutually slighly converging positions so that they urge the outside walls of the circumferential grooves in the flanges away from the inside walls, and simultaneously progressively fold and next insert the wrapper margins into the opened grooves, as shown in detail in Fig. 7 for flange 14.

Claims: A lighttight package (10) of a rolled light-sensitive material, which comprises a core (12), a light-sensitive web (9) wound on the core, a light-shielding circumferential wrapper (17) to shield the circumferential surface of the wound web from ambient light and a pair of light-shielding flanges to shield the side surfaces of the wound web, characterised in that the light-shielding flanges (13, 14) have a circumferential groove (20, 21) into which a folded margin (18, 19) of the circumferential cover is seated and withheld. A lighttight package according to claim 1, wherein said outside wall sections (22, 23) have a larger diameter than said inside wall sections (24, 25). A lighttight package according to claim 2, wherein the outside wall sections (22, 23) of the light-shielding flanges determining the circumferential grooves are sufficiently deformable to allow their urging away from the corresponding inside wall sections (24, 25) for widening the grooves (20, 21) and facilitating insertion of a folded margin of the circumferential cover. A lighttight package according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said circumferential grooves have a widened inlet opening (28). A lighttight package according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said circumferential grooves have a widened bottom (29). A lighttight package according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said circumferential grooves have opposed wall sections that perform a clamping action on the folded margin of the circumferential cover. A lighttight package according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said folded margin (19) comprises an inwardly (30) and an outwardly (31) folded portion. A lighttight packaging according to claim 7, wherein a chord (32) is provided in the groove (35) formed by the inwardly and outwardly folded portions of the margins of the circumferential wrapper. A lighttight package according to claim 8, wherein said chord (32) is removable prior to the first use of the package. A lighttight package according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein said flanges comprise a plain section (26) and a coaxial ring-like section (23) at the outside thereof, said ring-like section defining with a corresponding portion (25) of the plain section the circumferential groove (21). A lighttight package according to claim 10, wherein said ring-like part (23) is more flexible than said plain part. A lighttight package according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein said flanges have a hub (15, 16) fitting in the core. A lighttight package according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the fitting of the hubs (15, 16) of the flanges in the core (12) is rotatable. A lighttight package according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the circumferential cover has a trailing edge which is attached to the leading edge (36) of the rolled web, and a leading end which is not attached and is operative as a leader for starting the unwinding of the wound web, thereby to enable the package to be used as a daylight loading package.

Inventors: CORNELISSEN HERMAN, WOUTERS PAUL, CORNELISSEN, HERMAN, WOUTERS, PAUL, CORNELISSEN, HERMAN AGFA-GEVAERT N.V.,, WOUTERS, PAUL AGFA-GEVAERT N.V.,
Applicants: AGFA GEVAERT NV, AGFA-GEVAERT NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G03C3
IPC codes: B65D85, G03B27, B65H75, G03C3