Polaroid Corporation

Sterling Dry Imaging, Inc.

Margaret A Obermiller

Bruce K Johnson

Alfredo G Kniazzeh

Walter C Lamb, Jr

Francis A Ricci

George D Whiteside

Richard A Rosenthal

Charles W Triggs

A photographic processing fluid spread system, for use with integral type self-processable film unit, by which the thickness of a layer of processing fluid is controlled and restricted in a uniform manner as the processing fluid is spread across preselected portions of the film unit, while the film unit is also simultaneously being progressively exposed and advanced.

Processing fluid spread system for an electronic photographic printer and camera and related method thereof

A readily portable imaging system for use in the field and, more particularly, to an electronic camera and electronic printer housed and readily connectable with respect to each other in the field, and wherein the electronic printer comprises a photographic processing fluid spread system, for use with integral type self-processible film unit, by which the thickness of a layer of processing fluid is controlled and restricted in a uniform manner as the processing fluid is spread across preselected portions of the film unit, while the film unit is also simultaneously being exposed and advanced.

Processing fluid spread system for a detachable electronic photographic printer and camera

A system for sheetwise dry processing thermographic print media is disclosed. The media is a laminate of a substrate with an attached frangible tab, a peel sheet and an adhesive image forming layer. A feeder feeds the sheets one at a time from a first position and orientation to a second position and orientation with the tab at a trailing end. A print roller is mounted for reversible rotation in infeed and outfeed directions. The print roller has clamps for engaging the sheet as received from the sheet feeder. A thermal printer cooperates with the print roller for thermally exposing the substrate. A peeler receives the sheet from the print roller with the tab at the leading edge. The peeler captures the film and engages the tab bending the substrate about the score line causing it to fracture. The peeler pulls the substrate and adhered image layer apart from peeler sheet to thereby produce a peeled substrate with an image layer and a waste peeler sheet. A thermal laminator receives the substrate and image layer for thermal laminating engagement with a thermosensitive film having a thermosensitive layer transferrable to the image layer of the substrate. The film is thereafter stripped from the structure and the substrate transferred to a discharge receptacle.

Apparatus for dry processing of optical print media

A film package including sheets of imaging media or film sandwiched between upper and lower stiffeners and enclosed by an envelope. Adhesive strips secure the stiffeners together at overlapping tabs formed on opposite sides of the stiffeners. The stiffeners with the film sheets are removed from the envelope by opening one side of the envelope. The adhesive strips also have tear strips for allowing removal of the upper stiffener after the package has been placed in a drawer of a printer with the aid of offset tabs on the stiffeners which indicate and assure proper orientation. A notch in the corner of the lower stiffener allows a signal to be passed to indicate whether the upper stiffener has been removed. The lower stiffener is also apertured to receive a signal for indicating whether any film sheets remain on the stiffener while in the drawer of the printer.

Film package and method

Film package

An apparatus and method for feeding single sheets of laminated thermographic print media are disclosed. The apparatus includes a traveling vacuum roller reciprocatable between pickup and discharge positions under suitable control so as to engage an end of the sheet near the pickup end and roll the sheet thereabout to a selected first angular position and then releasing the sheet end at such position. The vacuum roller continues to engage the sheet and applies a vacuum to engage the other end of the sheet so as to carry it to a second angular position and then releasing the sheet by releasing the vacuum as the roller approaches the discharge position. A wrapping roller engages the vacuum roller for directing the end of the rolled sheet towards the discharge after releasing it. A lift mechanism near the discharge position lifts the vacuum roller as it approaches the discharge.

Growing community of inventors

Wayland, MA, United States of America

Margaret A Obermiller