Abstract:
A film handling apparatus having a carrier, wherein the carrier is provided with a film size sensor disposed near a film entrance opening, a transport path capable of changing a transport width while maintaining a constant center position, a mask provided with opening opposite a film and designed for use with various sizes of film and a controller for changing the transport path width and selecting the mask opening in accordance with the film size detected by the film size sensor.

Description:
This application is based on Patent Application No. 2000-137000 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a film handling device such as a film scanner used in mini labs and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a general-purpose film negative carrier for various sizes of film, and a film handling device provided with this film carrier. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     FIG. 1 is a brief perspective view of a film scanner  1  used in a mini lab, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of film negative carrier  25  used in the film scanner  1  of FIG.  1 . 
     Light from an illumination lamp  21  passes through an optical path within an illumination unit  20 , through an opening  26  formed in the top surface of the film negative carrier  25 , and passes through the film  27 . An opening (not illustrated) is formed in the in the top surface of the device body  30 , such that the light passing through the film  27  also passes through the opening and enters the device body  30 . A linear CCD (not illustrated) is fixedly mounted within the device body  30 , such that the image recorded on the film  27  is captured by the formation of the image on the linear CCD. 
     The scanning method used for image capture may be a mirror scanning method wherein the film is fixed and a reflective mirror is moved, or a film scanning method wherein the mirror is fixed and the film is moved. 
     In the example of the conventional art shown in the drawing, the negative carrier  25  is used specifically for a particular size film such as, for example, 135 mm film, 240 mm film and the like, and the film transport width of the negative carrier  25  cannot be changed. Accordingly, when scanning a film of a different size, the negative carrier must be replaced by another negative carrier. Since this replacement operation is complex, and requires many negative carriers, the system itself becomes disadvantageously expensive. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a film handling device capable of capturing image data of film of a plurality of sizes without carrier replacement. 
     The carrier of the present invention is provided with a film size sensor disposed near the film entrance opening; a transport path capable of changing the transport width while maintaining a constant center position; a mask provided with opening opposite the film and designed for use with various sizes of film; and a controller for changing the transport path width and selecting the mask opening in accordance with the film size detected by the film size sensor. 
     The carrier of this construction can be used for general purpose with films of a plurality of sizes since the transport path width and mask opening are selected in accordance with the film size detected by the film size sensor. Since the width of the transport path is modified while maintaining a constant center position, enlargement of the device can be prevented as much as possible. 
     The specific structure of the transport path desirably provides two guide bars positioned in parallel. In this instance, each guide bar is arranged in contact with a force applying means relative to a cam positioned on the outside of the transport path and connected by a link mechanism at equal spacing. In the transport path the width of the transport path is controllable by controlling the cam rotation position. 
     In the carrier of the present invention the exit opening of the light transmitted through the carrier has a multilateral shape to include all openings having a mask. 
     The present invention provides a film scanner integratedly provided with the aforesaid carrier. 
     This film scanner can capture general-purpose image data on film of a plurality of sizes without exchanging the carrier. Furthermore, since a plurality of carriers for film of a plurality of sizes are not required, the total cost of the device can be reduced, and the complexity and space requirements for storage of the multiple carriers can be eliminated. 
     These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate specific embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following description, like parts are designated by like reference numbers throughout the several drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a brief perspective view of a conventional film scanner. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a film negative carrier used in the film scanner of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a brief perspective view showing an example of the film scanner of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross section view of the carrier integratedly formed with the film scanner of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the opening formed on the bottom surface of the carrier of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of a mask used in the film scanner of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view showing another example of a mask used in the film scanner of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The embodiments of the present invention are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a scanner  50  of the present invention. The construction of the illumination unit and illumination lamp are identical to the construction of the conventional example shown in FIG.  1 . 
     A device body  60  is integratedly provided with a carrier  70  universally usable for film of a plurality of types. FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross section view showing the internal structure of the carrier  70  viewed from the top. An opening  81  shown in FIG. 4 is formed on the bottom surface of the carrier  70 , and is positioned directly below the opening  71  shown in FIG.  3 . Light emitted from an illumination lamp  21  is transmitted through an illumination unit  20 , passes through opening  71  formed on the top surface of the carrier  70 , film  27 , and opening  81  formed on the bottom surface of the carrier  70 , and moves within the device body  60 . Within the device body  60  is provided a fixedly mounted linear CCD identical to the conventional example shown in FIG. 1, and image capture is accomplished by a mirror scanning method or a film scanning method. 
     Within the carrier  70 , two guide bars  73  arranged opposite one another are provided. Each guide bar  73  comprises mutually flexible rod  73   a  and rod  73   b . The guide bars  73   b  comprise a film transport path since the guide bars  73   b  move so as to change the spacing therebetween while maintaining mutually parallel. The guide bars  73   a  function as guide means for guiding film into the transport path. Furthermore, a plurality of pressure rollers  78  are arranged within the transport path to transport the film  27 . 
     Each guide bar  73   b  is forced toward the outer side by a force applying means such as a spring  74  or the like. On the other hand, each guide bar  73   b  abuts two cams  85   a  and  85   b  connected by a linkage mechanism  8 , such that the center position is normally maintained constant regardless of the transport width. According to this construction, the size of the device is restrained to a minimum limit in accordance with the film sizes of a plurality of types. 
     When film is inserted from a film insertion slot  72  of the carrier  70 , the film size is detected by a sensor  88  disposed near the insertion slot. When the rotation position of the cam  85   a  is controlled by a control mechanism not shown in the drawing based on this detection value, the cam  85   b  connected by the linkage mechanism  86  is synchronously rotated in conjunction therewith. Since the guide bar  73   a  is pressed toward the cams  85   a  and  85   b  by the spring  74 , both guide bars  73   b  are maintained in mutual parallel while the spacing is changed. In this way a transport path width can be automatically realized in accordance with the film size. At this time whether or not to use an opening having a mask can be selected as previously mentioned. When the film size is known beforehand, a construction may be used to change the transport path width a button operation by the operator. 
     An inserted film moves through the transport path stipulated by the guide bar  73   b  in the arrow A direction. This direction is the arrow A direction also shown in FIG.  3 . The film insertion slot  72  has a size capable of receiving 60 mm Brownie film. Even when film wider than Brownie film is inserted, the film is guided by the guide bars  73   a  in a center direction, so as to ultimately advance to the transport path stipulated by the guide bars  73   b . Thus, in the carrier of the present invention, a single insertion slot corresponds to a plurality of types of film sizes. 
     The opening  81  formed in the bottom surface of the carrier  70  is extracted and shown in FIG.  5 . This opening comprises two combined quadrilaterals  81   a  and  81   b . The quadrilateral  81   a  is a rectangle approaching a relatively square shape, and the quadrilateral  81   b  is a relatively narrow rectangle. The rectangle  81   a  corresponds to the largest frame sizes of films  135 ,  240 ,  126 ,  110 , and has a breadth including all these frame sizes. On the other hand, the long edge of the rectangle  81   b  has a length corresponding to the width direction of Brownie film, and has a breadth corresponding to Brownie film. In this way the opening  81   a  has a multilateral shape including frame sizes of all film which might be expected to be used. In other words, the opening  81  has a multilateral shape including all openings and having masks  100  and  200  described later. Accordingly, when any of these films are used, the light transmitted through the film suitably arrives within the device body  60 . 
     On the other hand, within the carrier  70 , a mask corresponding to each film must be positioned above the previously mentioned linkage mechanism and directly below the top surface opening  71  (refer to FIG.  3 ). FIGS. 6 and 7 show examples of masks used for this purpose. The mask  100  shown in FIG. 6 is a turret rotating type mask, ands the mask  200  shown in FIG. 7 is parallel moving type. Both masks are respectively provided with a Brownie film opening  13 ,  240  film opening  14 ,  126  film opening  15 ,  135  film opening  16 , and  110  film opening  17 . An opening is suitably selected in accordance with the film size detected by the sensor  88 , and desirable opening position is controlled to a suitable position by a well-known drive mechanism. This control is desirably accomplished simultaneously with the control of the transport path width described above. 
     In the film scanner of this construction, after the size of a film is detected relative to a plurality of types of film sizes, the transport path width is adjusted and a mask opening is selected, and thereafter the pressure rollers feed in the film. Then, after image top position detection, perforation detection, and DX code detection is accomplished by various types of sensors, the top frame is transported by the pressure roller to the scanning position. Thereafter, image data are captured using a normal mirror scanning method or film scanning method. In the case of Brownie film, since the shape of the opening  81  corresponds only to the width direction, and the opening  81  has a length corresponding to the frame size in the scanning direction, the scanning method is limited to the film scanning method. 
     Although a film scanner has been described in the aforesaid embodiments, the present invention is similarly effective for carriers loaded in an enlarger, a printer which print a recorded image on a printed sheet, and an image projector which project images. 
     Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in the foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to encompass such rearrangements, modification and substitutions of parts and elements as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.