Patent Publication Number: US-2002001473-A1

Title: Film pocket adapted for receiving an image recording medium, and process of making a storage film package

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001] This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Serial No. 00 113 743.9, filed Jun. 29, 2000, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates, in general, to a film pocket adapted for receiving an image recording medium, such as a photographic negative filmstrip. The present invention also relates to a process of making a storage film package for combining a filmstrip with an index print.  
       [0003] An index print has recorded thereon in small size the positive images corresponding to the negative images on the filmstrip. In this manner, the index print enables a person to clearly see the exact image content on the filmstrip and thereby facilitate reorder of images. The size of the index print depends on the image size which is normally about 10×15 cm or 13×18 cm, and is determinative for the image size on the index print.  
       [0004] Proper reorders require a safekeeping of the film or cut filmstrips to protect them from contamination as a result of dirt, dust, fingerprints etc. Proposals have been made to provide a storage envelope which contains the index print and the filmstrip and is configured in the form of a flat bag. Thus, the storage envelope has a size which approximately corresponds to the size of the index print. This type of storage envelope suffers many shortcomings. Fabrication of such a storage envelope requires much material, significantly increasing the costs. Moreover, it is necessary to insert the filmstrips already in the photographic laboratory into the storage envelope. As the envelope is fairly large, the stacked filmstrips tend to shift relative to one another within the envelope during handling and may become damaged in the package as a result of friction between stacked sides. Also, the filmstrips may easily fall out of the package.  
       [0005] It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved storage film package to obviate prior art shortcomings, and to provide an improved process of making a film package in a material-saving and cost-efficient manner to optimize protection of the filmstrips.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a process of making a storage unit for several filmstrips, includes the steps of placing in a photographic laboratory several photographic filmstrips, having recorded thereon a plurality of images, in a film pocket; and sealing the film pocket on all sides.  
       [0007] In contrast to prior art film pockets, which received only one filmstrip and remained open so that the protection of the filmstrip was compromised, the present invention provides for a film pocket which contains all the filmstrips of a film and is then sealed all around. Thus, much less material is required so that the film pocket can be produced in a more cost-efficient manner, and the sealed pocket not only optimizes the protection of the filmstrips but also prevents an inadvertent mix-up of filmstrips of different films. Combining the filmstrips of a film can be carried out in a careful manner by a suitable device, which ensured that the filmstrips of a film are safely placed in the film pocket. As the dimension of the film pocket is suited to the size of the filmstrips, a relative shifting of the filmstrips is prevented.  
       [0008] According to another feature of the present invention, the film pocket can be combined with an index print to form a storable film package unit. Suitably, the film pocket is permanently attached to the associated index print.  
       [0009] Although it is basically possible to unite the sealed film pocket with the associated index print in the photographic laboratory, the customer may also combine the film pocket and the index print after receiving these items. In this way, the photographic laboratory saves one processing step, further reducing the overall costs. However, even when the index print is united with the film pocket, the material amount is minimized as the film pocket is only insignificantly greater than the dimensions of the filmstrips.  
       [0010] Joining of the film pocket with the index print can be simplified by providing a layer of the film pocket on the outside with at least one adhesive layer which is self-sticking and suitably covered by a removable masking tape. Before attachment of the film pocket onto the index print, the customer removes the masking tape and sticks the film pocket to the non-image backside of the index print. Suitably, the film pocket has two adhesive layers located in end regions thereof and extending from one longitudinal edge to the other longitudinal edge. This prevents that the end regions or one end region of the film pocket can detach from the index print.  
       [0011] According to another feature of the present invention, the film pockets is made of transparent material, preferably a plastic film.  
       [0012] In the photographic laboratory, the films of several customers can be joined together through an adhesive. In order to be able to differentiate between successive films, the successive films are suitably joined together by an adhesive label which has a film-proximal side provided with an adhesive layer for attachment to the film, and a film-distal side containing a code such as a barcode. Through provision of the code, each film is individualized so that cut filmstrips of one film can be united and associated to a customer&#39;s order. A suitable film packaging device is hereby used in the photographic laboratory and includes a cutter to cut a film, reeled off a roll receiving a plurality of successively wound films, into filmstrips. Suitably, the filmstrips have a length corresponding to four negative frames or less. The filmstrips are then stacked by a sorter of the device on top of one another and together inserted through a feed opening into a prefabricated film pocket which has one open side and is reeled off from a drum. After insertion of the filmstrips into the film pocket, the feed opening is sealed by the device and separated from the following, still empty web of film pockets. Normally, the films are cut into filmstrips of four negatives. Occasionally, it may happen that the filmstrip cut last has a shorter length than the other filmstrips.  
       [0013] Combining the filmstrips of a film must be implemented in such a manner that the filmstrip provided with the adhesive label is on the outside and the code faces to the outside. To ensure a control at any time after joining the sealed film pocket with the index print, the filmstrip carrying the adhesive label is so inserted into the film pocket that this filmstrip is positioned adjacent the wall surface so that the code of the adhesive label is visible through the wall surface. Suitably, the web of film pockets is wound on a roll and suitably provided with the adhesive layers and masking tapes, before being filled with filmstrips.  
       [0014] Although it is principally possible to make the sheets of the film pocket in a cost-efficient manner of transparent plastic, it may be suitable to provide one sheet of opaque film whereas the other sheet, adjacent the adhesive label, may be made of a transparent plastic. The sheet of opaque film forms the backside of the film pocket and has on the outside the adhesive layer or layers.  
       [0015] Suitably, the film pockets are prefabricated and wound on a roll which is then attached in the photographic laboratory onto a suitable film packaging device, whereby the film pockets are open at the feed side. This feed opening is then sealed by the device after introduction of the filmstrips, thus optimizing the overall production of the closed film pockets, whereby the prefabrication of the film pockets can be implemented by a suitably dimensioned machine. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
     [0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred exemplified embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:  
     [0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a storage film package unit according to the present invention; and  
     [0018]FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of a film packaging device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0019] Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals.  
     [0020] Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective illustration of a storage film package unit according to the present invention, generally designated by reference numeral  10  and including a film pocket  11  attached onto an image-free backside of an index print  12 , whereby the film pocket  11  and the index print  12  are placed in back-to-back relationship. The film pocket  11  is made of two sheets joined together by a welding process along three sides at formation of a feed opening for allowing insertion of filmstrips. For convenience and sake of simplicity, much of the following description is made only in relation to a photographic negative filmstrip. However, it will be understood that the principles described in the following description are equally applicable to other image recording media which generally follow the concepts outlined here and thus are considered to be covered by this disclosure.  
     [0021] The sheets of the film pocket  11  may be made of transparent material, such as plastic films of e.g. polyethylene. It is also conceivable that only one sheet, which faces away from the index print  12 , may be made of transparent material, whereas the other sheet, i.e. the backside, may be made of opaque material and may have information applied thereon through vapor deposition.  
     [0022] The index print  12  has recorded thereon in small size a plurality of positive images corresponding to the negative images on the filmstrips. The filmstrips are cut from a film and inserted into the film pocket  11  which is then sealed along all sides to protect the filmstrips against dirt, dust or other contamination. The film pocket  11  has a substantially rectangular configuration and has dimensions which are only slightly greater than the dimensions of the inserted filmstrips. The number of filmstrip depends on the length of the film, i.e. on the number of exposures on the film. One of the filmstrips is provided with an adhesive label  15  (FIG. 1) which contains a code, such as a barcode, and is attached to the filmstrip. This filmstrips are so placed into the film pocket  11 , that the filmstrip with the attached label  15  is located outermost, with the code of the label  15  facing outwards to be visible through the wall surface of the transparent sheet, when the film pocket  11  is attached to the index print  12 .  
     [0023] Although the film pocket  11  is shown in the non-limiting example as having a rectangular configuration, the configuration of the film pocket  11  depends, of course, on the size of the cut filmstrips. However, a film is suitably cut into filmstrips of a four negative frames, thereby accounting for the rectangular configuration of the film pocket  11 .  
     [0024] As further shown in FIG. 1, the film pocket  11  is provided on opposite end regions with two self-sticking adhesive layers  13  which extend from one longitudinal edge  11   a  to the other longitudinal edge  11   b . The adhesive layers  13  are each covered by a masking tape  14  which can be removed when attaching the film pocket  11  to the backside of the index print  12 .  
     [0025] In the photographic laboratory, the filmstrips are placed into the film pocket  11  and the film pocket  11  is handed together with the associated index print to the customer. The customer can then remove the masking tapes  14  and stick the film pocket  11  to the image-free backside of the index print  12  to establish a film package. Of course, the attachment of the film pocket  11  to the index print  12  may be carried out also by the personnel in the photographic laboratory. In any event, the filmstrips are protected in an optimum fashion and later reorders can easily be implemented by selecting the desired pictures on the index print and associating these pictures with the negative on the filmstrips, normally via corresponding frame numbers. The film pocket  11  is opened in the photographic laboratory, and after completing the order, the filmstrips are placed into a new film pocket  11  and combined with the associated index print  12  to return the film package to the customer.  
     [0026] Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown a perspective illustration of a film packaging device, generally designated by reference numeral  17  as used in the photographic laboratory. A roll of developed photographic films having recorded thereon a plurality of images is mounted onto a roll-off spool  16  of the film packaging device  17 . Normally, the adhesive label  15  is applied in the laboratory onto the film, when the individual films of different customers are wound onto the spool  16 , whereby the adhesive labels  15  are also drawn from a roll. The film is routed around pulleys  22  into a cutter  18  for cutting the film into filmstrips  23  which are stacked by a sorter  20  and inserted in superimposed disposition through a feed opening into a film pocket  11  which is reeled off from a drum  19  holding a continuous web of film pockets  11 . After insertion of the filmstrips  23  in the film pocket  11 , the feed opening is sealed, suitably through a welding process, and the film pocket  11  is separated from the remaining film pockets and discharged through opening  21  of the device  17 . The filmstrip carrying the adhesive label  15  is so placed in the film pocket  11  that the code is visible from outside.  
     [0027] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the film packaging device  17  must contain much mechanical apparatus which does not appear in the foregoing Figures, e.g. means for applying heat for welding purposes, sorting mechanism etc. However, this apparatus, like much other necessary apparatus, is not part of the invention, and has been omitted from the Figures for the sake of simplicity.  
     [0028] The film pockets  11  can be pre-fabricated by a suitable machine and wound onto a roll, whereby initially one of the narrow sides of each film pocket  11  remains open for formation of the feed opening for the filmstrips. After placement of the filmstrip in the film pocket  11 , the feed opening is sealed by the apparatus  17 .  
     [0029] While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a film pocket adapted for receiving an image recording medium, and process of making a storage film package, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
     [0030] What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims: