JP2005278005A - Film transport monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To set a monitoring distance capable of reducing damage to a film when monitoring a film conveyance state when a film is wound on a spool in a cartridge.
SOLUTION: A first drive mechanism D1 for pulling out and winding a film with respect to a cartridge C, a clutch 42 provided between a spool S and a first motor 40, and a first transporting film for image reading. The two drive mechanism D2 and the film take-up are performed at the first speed by the second drive mechanism D2, and the take-up by the first drive mechanism D1 is set to a second speed higher than this, and the difference between these speeds is determined by the clutch 42. And a first generating means for detecting a film conveyance abnormality based on whether or not a state in which a pulse signal is not generated for a predetermined determination level or higher continues. 53, a control unit 52 for stopping the conveyance of the film when a conveyance abnormality is detected, and when winding the film on the spool S, Second detection means 54 for detecting the scraping amount and level changing means 53a for changing the determination level according to the winding amount are provided.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention is connected to a spool in a cartridge in which a developed photographic film is accommodated, a first drive mechanism for pulling out the photographic film from the cartridge, and winding the photographic film on the spool, the spool A speed absorbing mechanism provided between the drive sources of the first drive mechanism and a first for transporting the photographic film along a predetermined transport path in order to perform an image reading process on the developed photographic film drawn out from the cartridge. When the photographic film is wound on the spool with the second driving mechanism, the photographic film is transported at the second speed by the second driving mechanism, and the photographic film is wound by the first driving mechanism at a speed higher than the second speed. Film transport set to be a fast first speed, and the difference between these speeds is absorbed by the speed absorption mechanism It relates to the visual system.

  A frame image formed on the developed photographic film is read by a film scanner, and a photo print is created based on the image data of the read frame image. In the case of a film called an APS film among photographic films, image reading processing by a film scanner is generally performed as follows. A schematic configuration of the film scanner is shown in FIG.

  In the case of an APS film, the photographic film is contained in a film container called a cartridge C. The developed photographic film is also accommodated in the cartridge C. A rotatable member called a spool S is provided in the cartridge C, and a photographic film is wound around the spool S and stored. A cartridge is loaded into a predetermined cartridge loading unit 100 of a film carrier (film transport unit) constituting the film scanner. The film carrier is provided with a first drive mechanism D1 connected to the spool S of the cartridge C. The first drive mechanism D1 includes a motor 101 as a drive source and a drive transmission unit 102 connected to the motor 101. Consists of. A clutch 102 a is provided between the drive transmission unit 102 and the spool S.

  A plurality of conveyance roller pairs 103 are arranged in the conveyance path of the photographic film, and these conveyance roller pairs 103 are driven by a second drive mechanism D2, and the second drive mechanism D2 is a motor 103 as a drive source. And the drive transmission unit 104. A film sensor 105, a magnetic head 106, and a slit-shaped reading opening 107 are provided from the side closest to the cartridge C in the transport path. The film sensor 105 detects that a photographic film has entered the conveyance path. The magnetic head 106 reads magnetic data recorded on the magnetic recording layer of the photographic film. An optical system for reading a film image is configured through the reading opening 107, and a reading light source 108 and a reading sensor 109 (CCD line sensor or the like) are arranged on the optical axis. A film take-up unit 110 is provided at the end of the transport path.

  On the other hand, there are two types of scanning of photographic film images: press scanning and main scanning. In press scanning, an image is read with a rough number of pixels, and the read frame images are displayed on the monitor screen in the form of thumbnail images. The operator performs color / density determination and other determination processing (print size setting, number of prints setting, other special processing, etc.) for each frame image while looking at the monitor screen. To do so). For color / density, input color / density correction values as necessary to obtain an appropriate photo print. The image data acquired by press canning is provided for the pre-judge as described above.

  After the pre-judgement is performed, the main scanning is performed, and the image is read with a high number of pixels. The image data of the frame image read at this time is used for creating an actual photo print. Image processing is performed based on the read image data and the correction value input at the time of pre-judgement, and image data for printing is generated. The operation of the photographic film in the press scanning and the main scanning will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, after setting the cartridge C in the loading unit 100, the photographic film is pulled out from the cartridge C by driving the motor 101. When the leading edge of the photographic film is detected by the film sensor 105, the motor 103 is activated and the photographic film is conveyed by the conveying roller pair 103. Further, the motor 101 stops driving. The photographic film is conveyed in the direction of arrow E along the conveyance path, and press canning is performed. The photographic film is gradually wound around the winding unit 110.

  When the press canning is completed, this time, the second motor 103 is rotated in the reverse direction, the photographic film taken up by the take-up unit 110 is pulled out, and conveyed in the direction in which it is stored in the cartridge C (arrow F direction). Go. The main scanning is performed during the conveyance. At the time of this scanning, since it is necessary to take up the photographic film on the cartridge C, the first motor 101 is also driven. That is, both the first motor 101 and the second motor 103 are driven.

  7 (a), (b), and (c) show how the photographic film is wound on the spool S. (a) Immediately after the start of winding (b) Intermediate winding point (c) Winding Each of the states immediately before the end of taking is shown. Here, the rotational speed of the spool S is always constant regardless of the winding state, but the peripheral speed of the spool S increases as the winding diameter increases. That is, in FIG. 7, V1a <V1b <V1c. On the other hand, in order to wind up the photographic film on the spool S so that it does not sag, the peripheral speed of the spool S must always be higher than the conveyance speed V2 of the photographic film on which the main scanning is performed. That is, it is necessary to satisfy V2 <V1a. In order to absorb this speed difference, a clutch 102a (for example, a powder clutch) is provided.

  In the above configuration, the image capture by the scanning must be performed with high accuracy. Therefore, stable photographic film conveyance accuracy is required, and it is necessary to monitor the conveyance state. For this purpose, an encoder 111 is provided as shown in FIG. 10 to monitor the rotation state of the spool S. For example, when trouble occurs in the cartridge C and the winding of the photographic film by the spool S is stopped despite the first motor 101 being driven, the spool S is stopped even though the spool S is stopped. First, the photographic film is continuously fed into the cartridge by the second motor 103, which causes a problem of photographic film breakage. Thus, as described above, the rotation of the spool shaft is detected by the encoder 111, and when an abnormality occurs, both the first motor 101 and the second motor 103 are stopped.

  Specifically, the encoder 111 has a shape as shown in FIG. 5 and is formed with a notch that is divided into 24 equal parts in the circumferential direction. However, the VEI detector 111a is provided in a part of the circumferential direction, and no notch is provided here. When performing rotation detection, the rotation pulse signal periodically generated from the encoder 111 is compared with the drive pulse signal supplied to the first motor 101, and the encoder is output while a predetermined number of drive pulses is output. If the rotation pulse signal from 111 does not come, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred.

Here, the winding diameter of the spool S changes from (a) to (c), specifically, 7.5 to 15 mm. When the winding diameter is 15 mm, which is the maximum, the detection distance by the encoder 111 is maximum (the photographic film feed amount per encoder rotation is maximum). Therefore, the film transport distance for one rotation of the encoder 111 when the winding diameter is maximum is
15 × π = 47.12 mm (Formula 1)
In addition, the VEI detection unit 111a does not have a notch, and uses this as three pulses. That is, the state where the pulse signal from the encoder 111 does not come for three pulses is not determined to be abnormal. These 3 pulses are
(47.12 / 24 equally) × 3 = 5.89 mm (Expression 2)
Furthermore, if the margin is doubled to account for component errors and assembly errors,
5.89 × 2 = 11.8 mm (Formula 3)
That is, even if the rotation of the spool shaft of the cartridge C is stopped, the photographic film is transported by about 11.8 mm until it is actually determined to be abnormal. As described above, in order to reliably detect the occurrence of an abnormality, the monitoring distance at the time when the winding diameter of the spool S becomes the maximum must be based on 11.8 mm in any state. It was designed to carry a minute film.

  However, considering the change in the winding diameter of the spool S, it is considered that it is not always necessary to convey 11.8 mm. It is preferable that the transport distance of the photographic film with the spool S stopped is as small as possible because damage to the photographic film is reduced.

A technique for detecting the rotation of the spool of the APS film by the rotation detection means is also disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.
JP 2000-3013 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the task is to set a monitoring distance that can reduce damage to the photographic film when monitoring the film conveyance state when the photographic film is wound around the spool in the cartridge. It is to provide a film conveyance monitoring system.

A first drive mechanism coupled to a spool in a cartridge containing developed photographic film, for drawing out the photographic film from the cartridge, and winding the photographic film on the spool;
A speed absorbing mechanism provided between the spool and a drive source of the first drive mechanism;
A second drive mechanism for transporting the photographic film along a predetermined transport path in order to perform image reading processing on the developed photographic film pulled out from the cartridge;
When the photographic film is wound on the spool, the first speed is higher than the second speed while the photographic film is conveyed by the second driving mechanism at the second speed and the photographic film is wound by the first driving mechanism. A film conveyance monitoring system in which the difference between these speeds is absorbed by the speed absorption mechanism,
Pulse generating means for generating a rotation pulse signal in conjunction with the rotation operation of the spool;
A first detection means for detecting a conveyance abnormality of the photographic film based on whether or not a state where the rotation pulse signal is not generated is continued at a predetermined determination level or higher;
Drive control means for stopping the conveyance of the photographic film when an abnormality in the conveyance of the photographic film is detected by the first detection means;
A second detecting means for detecting a winding amount when winding the photographic film on a spool;
Level change means for changing the determination level according to the detected winding amount is provided.

  The operation and effect of the film conveyance monitoring system having this configuration will be described. The spool of the cartridge in which the photographic film is accommodated is driven by a drive source, and a speed absorbing mechanism is provided between the drive source and the spool. The spool is driven by a first drive mechanism including this drive source. The photographic film drawn out of the cartridge is conveyed along the conveyance path for image reading processing, and the conveyance at this time is performed by the second drive mechanism. In order to wind up the photographic film without slack on the spool, the winding speed (first speed) by the first driving mechanism is set to be higher than the second speed by the second driving mechanism, and the difference between these speeds is Absorbed by the velocity absorption mechanism.

  In addition, pulse generation means for outputting a rotation pulse signal in conjunction with the rotation operation of the spool is provided, and a photographic film conveyance abnormality is detected based on the continuation level (determination level) of this pulse signal. When conveyance abnormality is detected, conveyance of the photographic film is stopped. Furthermore, a means for detecting the amount of winding when the photographic film is wound on a spool is provided. The determination level is changed according to the winding amount. According to the equations 1 to 3 described above, the monitoring distance corresponding to the spool winding diameter can be set, and the monitoring distance is shortened when the winding amount is small. Therefore, even if a spool stop trouble occurs, the transport distance of the subsequent photographic film can be made as short as possible. When monitoring the film conveyance state when the photographic film is wound around the spool in the cartridge, a film conveyance monitoring system in which a monitoring distance capable of reducing damage to the photographic film can be provided.

  It is preferable that the 2nd detection means which concerns on this invention detects the number of the frame images of the wound photographic film. The amount of winding can be detected based on the number of frame images wound. This is because the number of frame images is associated with the amount of winding approximately one to one.

  The second detection means according to the present invention is a sensor that detects perforations formed on the photographic film, and preferably detects the amount of winding based on the number of perforations detected. Since both perforations and frame images are formed on the photographic film at predetermined intervals, the number of perforations and the number of frame images can be associated one-to-one.

In the present invention, a pulse motor used as the drive source of the first drive mechanism;
A drive circuit for supplying drive pulses to the pulse motor;
The drive pulse is set to have a higher frequency than the rotation pulse signal, and the determination level is preferably set based on the number of drive pulses.

  A pulse motor is used as a drive source, and a drive pulse is supplied thereto. The frequency of the drive pulse is set higher than the frequency of the rotation pulse signal. Therefore, the determination level can be set based on the number of drive pulses.

  The pulse generating means according to the present invention is a rotary encoder mounted on a spool shaft and formed with slits at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and a specific area in the circumferential direction is accommodated in the cartridge. In order to set the usage state display of the photographic film being set to a specific display position, it is set as an area where no slit is formed, and the determination level is set based on the film transport distance corresponding to this specific area Is preferred.

  As a pulse generation means, it can be simply configured by using a rotary encoder. In the encoder, slits are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. The specific area in the circumferential direction of the encoder is used for displaying and setting the usage state of the photographic film. In the case of an APS film, it corresponds to the VEI detector, and no slit is formed here. In this specific area, no pulse signal is output, but it is not due to an abnormality. Therefore, in order to determine that this specific area is not abnormal, a determination level is set based on the film transport distance corresponding to this specific area. Thereby, conveyance abnormality can be detected reliably.

  A preferred embodiment of a film transport monitoring system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a photographic processing system in which a film conveyance monitoring system is used.

<Photo processing system configuration>
FIG. 1 is a photographic processing system that reads a frame image formed on a developed photographic film, converts it into digital data, and prints the image on a paper (photosensitive material) by digital exposure operation to create a photographic print. An image reading apparatus 1 (film scanner) and a printer processor PR are provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the image reading apparatus 1 includes an illumination optical system 2, an imaging optical system 3, and a film transport unit 4 (film carrier).

  The illumination optical system 2 is provided for irradiating light to the photographic film F (negative film or positive film) conveyed along the conveyance path in the film carrier 4. The illumination optical system 2 includes a light source unit 5, a light control filter 6, and a mirror tunnel 7. The light source unit 5 is, for example, a halogen lamp, and includes light in a wavelength region corresponding to each of the three colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). The light control filter 6 is for adjusting the color distribution of the radiated light from the light source part 5 as needed. Accordingly, the light emitted from the light source unit 5 is applied to the photographic film F after its color distribution and intensity distribution are adjusted by the light control filter 6 and the mirror tunnel 7.

  The imaging optical system 3 includes a lens unit 8 including a zoom lens and a CCD line sensor 9 (hereinafter abbreviated as a CCD sensor) that receives light that has passed through the photographic film F. The lens unit 8 is provided in order to form an image of light that has passed through the photographic film F on the CCD sensor 9. In FIG. 1, only one lens is shown as the lens unit 8, but it may be composed of a plurality of lenses.

  The CCD sensor 9 is a linear sensor arranged along a direction (corresponding to the main scanning direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction of the photographic film F (the arrow direction in FIG. 1 and corresponding to the sub-scanning direction). Here, the CCD sensor 9 has a large number of pixels arranged in parallel with the main scanning direction, that is, the width direction of the photographic film F. The CCD sensor 9 includes three line sensors 9a, 9b, and 9c that are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance from the upstream side in the sub-scanning direction to the downstream side in order to acquire color image data.

  One of R, G, and B color separation filters is attached to each imaging surface of each line sensor 9a, 9b, and 9c, and is assigned to correspond to each of R, G, and B colors. . That is, a color filter that passes only the red component of the light transmitted through the photographic film F is passed through the imaging surface of the line sensor 9a corresponding to red, and similarly, a green color is applied to the imaging surface of the line sensor 9b corresponding to green. A color filter that allows only the component to pass through is attached to the imaging surface of the line sensor 9c corresponding to blue.

  The data processing unit 10 samples and holds the pixel signals output from the pixels of the line sensors 9a, 9b, and 9c, thereby converting the pixel signals into continuous image signals and converting the pixel signals to predetermined bits. After being converted into a number of digital signals, it is sent to the image processing unit 11. The image processing unit 11 has a function of executing image processing based on color / density correction data input by an operator and various image correction processing required for creating a photo print. The image data of the frame image that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 11 is transferred to the exposure engine 13.

  Next, the configuration of the printer processor PR will be described. Paper magazines M1 and M2 contain paper, which is a photographic photosensitive material, in the form of a roll. One of the paper magazines M1. A long paper is pulled out from M2, and is cut into a print size by a paper cutter 14 provided on the conveyance path. The sorting conveyance mechanism 15 switches the conveyance state of the paper from one row to multiple rows.

  The exposure engine 13 prints and exposes an image on paper based on the image data transferred from the image processing unit 11. The exposure engine 13 can employ various structures such as a laser engine and a PLZT engine. The paper on which the image is printed and exposed is transported by the transport mechanism 16 and sent to the development processing unit 17. After the development processing is performed in the development processing unit 17 and the drying processing is performed in the drying processing unit 18, the finished photographic print is discharged from the paper discharge unit 19 to the outside of the apparatus.

<Configuration of film transport unit>
Next, the configuration of the film transport unit will be described. In this embodiment, the film transport unit is used as an apparatus (film scanner) for reading a frame image formed on a developed photographic film (negative film and positive film) and converting it into digital data. FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a main cross-sectional view regarding the APS film processing system. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the cover that can be opened and closed of the unit is removed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first transport path R1 for transporting the APS film and the second transport path R2 for transporting the 135 film are arranged in parallel. The APS film is in a state of being accommodated in the cartridge C, and a cartridge driving unit 20 for pulling out the APS film from the cartridge C is provided. Details of the drive unit 20 will be described later. In the first transport path R1, a transport roller pair 21 is disposed along the transport path and has a function of transporting a photographic film. A film sensor 22 is provided in the vicinity of the entrance of the transport path R1. A magnetic head 23 for reading magnetic data formed on the magnetic recording layer of the APS film is provided. A perforation detection sensor 24 for detecting perforations (holes) formed in the photographic film is provided near the end of the transport path R1. At the end of the first transport path R1, a winding unit 25 for temporarily winding and storing the photographic film is provided. A slit-shaped first opening K1 for reading an image is provided in the middle of the first transport path R1.

  On the other hand, in the second transport path R2, an insertion port 30 for inserting 135 film is provided at the most upstream part (the right end in FIG. 2), and further, a transport roller pair 31 for transporting the film is provided. Yes. A slit-shaped second opening K2 for reading an image is also provided along the second transport path R2. A sensor for detecting insertion of the film and a sensor for detecting perforations (holes) formed in the film are also provided along the second transport path R2. At the end of the second transport path R2, similarly to the case of the APS film, a winding unit 34 for temporarily winding and storing the photographic film is provided.

  As described above, the reading openings K1 and K2 are separately provided for the APS film and the 135 film, but since only one reading optical system is provided, any one of the openings K1 and K1 is provided. A moving mechanism is provided for positioning K2 on the reading optical axis. That is, the first transport path R1 and the second transport path R2 are unitized and constitute the movable transport unit 35. A drive mechanism for transporting the film is also mounted on the movable transport unit 35. The movable conveyance unit 35 is configured to be movable along the directions of arrows C and D (corresponding to the width direction of the film) shown in FIG. As a moving mechanism of the movable transfer unit 35, an electric motor 37 and a screw feed mechanism 38 are provided, and a pair of guide rails 36 are also provided. Therefore, the movable conveyance unit 35 can be moved in the directions of arrows C and D by driving the electric motor 37. The electric motor 37, the screw feed mechanism 38, and the guide rail 36 function as a unit moving mechanism.

  In addition, as a moving mechanism, it is not limited to this embodiment, You may employ | adopt another mechanism. For example, instead of a screw feed mechanism, a moving mechanism using a gear reduction mechanism may be employed. Further, the moving mechanism is not an electric type, and a configuration in which the movable conveyance unit 35 is manually moved may be employed.

<Configuration of cartridge drive unit of APS film>
Next, a configuration diagram of the cartridge driving unit in FIG. 3 will be described. In FIG. 3, a first drive mechanism for driving the spool in the cartridge C is shown. The first motor 40 as a drive source is a pulse motor (stepping motor) and is driven by supplying a predetermined drive pulse. A reduction gear train 41 is connected to the motor shaft of the first motor 40 and is constituted by several gears. The reduction gear train 41 is provided with a powder clutch 42 that functions as a speed absorbing mechanism.

  On the other hand, a spool drive shaft 43 that is detachably engaged with the spool is provided. One end of the spool drive shaft 43 is engaged with the spool, and the other end is connected to the powder clutch 42. A rotation encoder 44 that functions as a pulse generating means is provided at a substantially central portion of the spool drive shaft 43. As described above, the shape of the encoder 44 is shown in FIG.

  The encoder 44 has a notch divided into 24 equal parts in the circumferential direction. However, the VEI detector 44a is provided in a part of the circumferential direction, and no notch is provided here. The VEI detection unit 44a (corresponding to a specific area) is set so that the film usage state in the cartridge is determined. In the APS film standard, four states are defined: (1) unused state (2) photographing state (3) photographed state (4) developed state. The APS film from which the image is read is always in a developed state. When the photographic film is pulled out from the cartridge C and then rewound into the cartridge again, (4) it must be set in the developed state. In order to do this, the encoder 44 is provided with a VEI detector 44a.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, a detection sensor 45 (which also functions as a pulse generating means) is provided so as to sandwich the encoder 44, and is an optical sensor composed of a light emitting unit 45a and a light receiving unit 45b. is there. The first motor 40, the reduction gear train 41, and the powder clutch 42 function as the first drive mechanism D1.

<Configuration of film image reading processing system>
Next, the configuration of the APS film image reading processing system will be described with reference to FIG. As already described with reference to FIG. 2, the transport roller pair 21 is disposed along the first transport path R1. The conveying roller pair 21 is a combination of a driving roller 21a and a pressure roller 21b, and only the driving roller 21a is shown in FIG. The pressure roller 21b is attached to a cover (not shown) that can be opened and closed. The transport roller pair 21 is driven by a common second drive mechanism D 2, and the second drive mechanism D 2 includes a second motor 26 (using a pulse motor) and a reduction gear train 27. A film sensor 22, a magnetic head 23, a first opening K1, and a perforation detection sensor 24 are arranged in this order along the transport path R1. The image reading optical system is as shown in FIG. However, in FIG. 4, a part is omitted for convenience of illustration.

  The first motor 40 is driven by the first drive circuit 50 and has a function as drive pulse supply means 50a. The second motor 26 is driven by the second drive circuit 51 and similarly has drive pulse supply means. The controller 52 controls the first motor 40 and the second motor 26, and functions as a drive control means for stopping the motor when an abnormality occurs in film conveyance.

  The first detection means 53 has a function of detecting whether or not a film conveyance abnormality has occurred. For this purpose, the pulse signal from the encoder 44 and the drive pulse signal of the first motor 40 are input. A determination table for determining abnormality is stored in the determination table storage unit 55. If an abnormality occurs based on this determination table, the signal is sent to the control unit 52. Based on this, the control unit 52 controls the motors 40 and 26 to stop.

  The second detection means 54 detects and counts perforation movement. The number of perforations counted is data corresponding to the winding amount of the photographic film F wound on the spool S. The first detection unit 53 has a function as a level change unit 53a that receives data corresponding to the winding amount from the second detection unit 54 and changes the determination level according to the winding amount.

<Film conveyance monitoring>
Next, a control system relating to the conveyance monitoring of the photographic film F will be described. As described in the prior art, when the press canning is completed, the second motor 26 is rotated in the reverse direction, the photographic film F taken up by the take-up portion 25 is drawn out, and stored in the cartridge C (arrow F). Direction). The main scanning is performed during the conveyance. At the time of this scanning, since it is necessary to wind up the photographic film F around the cartridge C, the first motor 40 is also driven. That is, both the first motor 40 and the second motor 26 are driven.

  The manner in which the photographic film F is wound on the spool S is shown in the order of FIGS. In order to wind up the photographic film F so as not to sag on the spool S, the peripheral speed (corresponding to the first speed) of the spool S is the transport speed V2 (second speed) of the photographic film F on which the main scanning is performed. It must always be greater than (speed). That is, it is necessary to satisfy V2 <V1a <V1b <V1c. In order to absorb this speed difference, a powder clutch 42 is provided.

In the above configuration, the image capture by the scanning must be performed with high accuracy. Therefore, stable photographic film conveyance accuracy is required, and it is necessary to monitor the conveyance state. For example, if a trouble occurs in the cartridge C and the winding of the photographic film F by the spool S is stopped, the photographic film F is moved to the cartridge C by the second motor 26 even though the spool S is stopped. Since it will be continuously sent in, the problem of a photographic film breakage will generate | occur | produce. The cause of the problem is that the engagement key at the portion where the spool shaft and the spool drive shaft are engaged is damaged, or a large load acts on the cartridge C due to rubbing of the end portion in the width direction of the film.
Therefore, the rotation of the spool S is detected by the encoder 44 as described above, and when an abnormality occurs, both the first motor 40 and the second motor 26 are stopped. When performing rotation detection, the rotation pulse signal periodically generated from the encoder 44 is compared with the drive pulse signal supplied to the first motor 40, and the encoder 44 outputs a predetermined number of drive pulses. If no rotation pulse signal is received, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred.

  In the present invention, the conveyance monitoring distance of the film F is changed according to the winding amount (winding frame amount) of the photographic film F around the spool S. This will be described below with specific numerical values. First, the winding diameter of the spool S changes as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, and changes between 7.5 and 15 mm. Further, the feed amount by the first motor 40 is 0.021 mm / pulse. Using this numerical value, the number of drive pulses of the first motor 40 corresponding to one rotation pulse signal of the encoder 44 is as shown in Table 1.

回転パルス数１個分に対応する駆動パルス数は、巻き取り量、すなわち、カートリッジＣ内に巻き取られたコマ数（コマ画像の数）により変化する。そこで、表１では１０コマごとに、対応する駆動パルス数を求めている。

The number of drive pulses corresponding to one rotation pulse varies depending on the winding amount, that is, the number of frames (number of frame images) wound in the cartridge C. Therefore, in Table 1, the corresponding number of drive pulses is obtained every 10 frames.

  The encoder 44 is divided into 24 equal parts, and there is a VEI detection unit 44a in which notches are not formed. Furthermore, if the margin is doubled to take into account component errors and assembly errors, the calculation is as shown in Table 2.

これをまとめると表３のようになる。巻き取り量（巻き取りコマ数）に応じて、異常が生じた場合にフィルムＦが停止するまでの駆動パルス数を変えるようにしている。各駆動パルス数をフィルムＦの搬送距離（停止するまでの距離）に換算すると、表３の右欄に示すとおりである。これが、各巻き取り量におけるフィルムＦの搬送監視距離に相当する。

These are summarized in Table 3. The number of drive pulses until the film F stops when an abnormality occurs is changed according to the winding amount (number of winding frames). When each drive pulse number is converted into the transport distance of film F (distance to stop), it is as shown in the right column of Table 3. This corresponds to the conveyance monitoring distance of the film F at each winding amount.

従来技術においては、巻き取り量に関係なく１１．８ｍｍ（同じ監視距離）に設定されていたが、本発明においては、巻き取り量に応じて適切な監視距離となるように設定されている。すなわち、巻き取り量が少ない時は、監視距離を必要以上に長くする必要がなくなるため、異常が生じたときにもフィルムＦをできるだけ早く停止させることができる。従って、フィルムＦに与えるダメージも小さくなる。

In the prior art, it was set to 11.8 mm (same monitoring distance) regardless of the winding amount, but in the present invention, it is set to be an appropriate monitoring distance according to the winding amount. That is, when the winding amount is small, it is not necessary to make the monitoring distance longer than necessary, so that the film F can be stopped as soon as possible even when an abnormality occurs. Therefore, the damage given to the film F is also reduced.

<Scanning operation>
Next, an operation in the case of performing an image reading process using the film transport unit shown in FIG. 4 will be described. The film to be processed is an APS film. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation when press canning is performed.

  First, the cartridge C containing the developed photographic film F is loaded into the cartridge loading section (# 1). After the preparation for drawing out the photographic film F is completed, the first motor 40 is driven and the photographic film F is fed out from the cartridge C (# 2). When the leading edge of the photographic film F is detected by the film sensor 22, the second motor 26 is driven (# 3, # 4). Before and after this operation, the drive of the first motor 40 is stopped (# 5). Further, the powder clutch 24 is also in a disengaged state. Thereafter, the photographic film F is driven only by the second motor 26 along the first transport path R1.

  After the photographic film F reaches the first opening K1, image reading is performed (# 6). This image reading is press scanning, and reading is performed with a coarse number of pixels. The photographic film F is gradually taken up by the take-up unit 25 while image reading is performed (# 7). When the image reading is completed, the second motor 26 is stopped and the film F is stopped. The read image can be sequentially displayed on the monitor, and the operator performs work necessary for the printing process such as color / density determination (pre-judgement) while viewing the image. If necessary, color / density auxiliary data is input for each frame, and the print size and number of prints are set. The photographic film F is conveyed so that the conveyance speed is constant.

  Next, the operation when performing this scanning will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. After the operations such as the press canning operation and pre-judge are completed, the second motor 26 is driven (# 10). Thereby, the photographic film F is conveyed in the direction opposite to press canning (arrow F in FIG. 4). When the conveyance of the photographic film F is started, detection of perforation is also started by the perforation detection sensor 24 (# 11). By counting the number of perforations based on the function of the second detection means 54, the amount of film F wound around the cartridge C can be detected.

  When the photographic film F reaches the first opening K1, image reading is started (# 12). This image reading is the main scanning, and reading is performed with a high number of pixels. The read image data is used for creating a photographic print, and therefore, reading with a high number of pixels is performed. When the leading end of the photographic film F is inserted into the cartridge C, the driving of the first motor 40 is started (# 13). Insertion detection into the cartridge C can be detected based on a predetermined feed amount after the film sensor 22 detects the leading edge of the photographic film F, for example.

  With the start of driving of the first motor 40, the conveyance monitoring mode is started (# 14). The film monitoring distance (determination level) at the start of film winding is initially set to 372 pulses (0 to 10 frames) as shown in Table 3. Then, it is determined whether or not the determination level has been changed (# 15). This can be determined based on the detection result by the second detection means 54. If the amount of winding has shifted to the next stage, the determination level is changed (# 16). Then, it is determined whether or not there is a conveyance abnormality (# 17). For example, at the stage of the winding amount of 0 to 10 frames, it is determined that there is a conveyance abnormality if no rotation pulse signal is received from the encoder 44 while the number of drive pulses is 372 pulses. In this case, the driving of the first motor 40 and the second motor 26 is stopped, and the feeding of the photographic film F into the cartridge C is also stopped. With a winding amount of 0 to 10 frames, the transport distance until the photographic film F stops is 8 mm. Further, when a conveyance abnormality occurs, a warning is displayed on the monitor screen or the like. If no conveyance abnormality is detected, it is determined whether or not winding has been completed (# 18). If not completed, the process returns to step # 15 and the same procedure is repeated.

  According to the above configuration, conventionally, the film monitoring distance is set to 11.8 mm regardless of the stage where the conveyance abnormality occurs. However, according to the present invention, monitoring is performed step by step according to the winding amount. The distance changes. Thereby, the film conveyance distance when a conveyance abnormality occurs can be minimized. As a result, damage to the film can be suppressed.

<Another embodiment>
The specific configurations of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism can be changed as appropriate, and are not limited to a specific embodiment. A motor other than a pulse motor may be used as the motor. A clutch other than the powder clutch, a sliding mechanism, or the like may be used as the speed absorbing mechanism. Although the combination of the encoder and the optical sensor has been described as the pulse generating means, a configuration in which rotation is detected magnetically may be used. Although the example provided with the function of the VEI detector as the encoder has been described, the VEI detector and the encoder may be configured with separate components.

  As the second detection means for detecting the film winding amount on the cartridge, means other than the perforation detection can be used. For example, when an edge of a frame image is detected and there are two edges per frame, the edge can be detected based on this. Alternatively, the winding amount (or the number of frames) can be detected by counting the number of drive pulses supplied to the second motor 26. In addition, it may be detected based on the DX code formed on the photographic film. The DX code is formed by a one-dimensional bar code and records information about the film such as a frame number.

  The numerical values shown in Tables 1 to 3 are examples, and the settings can be changed as appropriate. Further, it is possible to appropriately determine how much margin is set. The level changing means and the drive control means can be configured by software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

  The present invention is a technique that can be applied to a film other than an APS film as long as it is a type of photographic film accommodated in a cartridge.

Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the photo processing system Plan view showing the configuration of the film transport unit The perspective view which shows the structure of the cartridge drive part of an APS film The figure which shows the structure of the image reading processing system of an APS film Diagram showing encoder shape Diagram showing cartridge shape The figure which shows the state where the amount of winding changes Flow chart explaining press canning operation Flowchart explaining this scanning operation The figure which shows the structure of the film conveyance unit which concerns on a prior art

Explanation of symbols

4 Film transport unit (film carrier)
21 Conveying roller pair 22 Film sensor 24 Perforation detection sensor 25 Winding portion 26 Second motor 27 Reduction gear train 40 First motor 41 Reduction gear train 42 Powder clutch 43 Spool drive shaft 44 Encoder 44a VEI detector 45 Detection sensor 50 First Drive circuit 50a Drive pulse supply means 51 Second drive circuit 52 Control section 53 First detection means 53a Level change means 54 Second detection means 55 Determination table storage section C Cartridge S Spool D1 First drive mechanism D2 Second drive mechanism F Photo Film R1 First transport path R2 Second transport path K1 First opening K2 Second opening

Claims (5)

A first drive mechanism coupled to a spool in the cartridge containing the developed photographic film, for drawing out the photographic film from the cartridge, and winding the photographic film on the spool;
A speed absorbing mechanism provided between the spool and a drive source of the first drive mechanism;
A second drive mechanism for transporting the photographic film along a predetermined transport path in order to perform an image reading process on the developed photographic film pulled out from the cartridge;
When the photographic film is wound on the spool, the first speed is higher than the second speed while the photographic film is conveyed by the second driving mechanism at the second speed and the photographic film is wound by the first driving mechanism. A film conveyance monitoring system in which the difference between these speeds is absorbed by the speed absorption mechanism,
Pulse generating means for generating a rotation pulse signal in conjunction with the rotation operation of the spool;
A first detection means for detecting a conveyance abnormality of the photographic film based on whether or not a state where the rotation pulse signal is not generated is continued at a predetermined determination level or higher;
Drive control means for stopping the conveyance of the photographic film when an abnormality in the conveyance of the photographic film is detected by the first detection means;
A second detecting means for detecting a winding amount when winding the photographic film on a spool;
A film conveyance monitoring system comprising: a level changing unit that changes the determination level according to the detected winding amount.   2. The film conveyance monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the second detecting means detects the number of frame images of the wound photographic film.   3. The film conveyance monitoring according to claim 2, wherein the second detection means is a sensor that detects perforations formed on the photographic film, and detects the winding amount based on the detected number of perforations. system. A pulse motor used as the drive source of the first drive mechanism;
A drive circuit for supplying drive pulses to the pulse motor;
The drive pulse is set to have a higher frequency than the rotation pulse signal, and the determination level is set based on the number of drive pulses. The film conveyance monitoring system according to Item 1.   The pulse generating means is a rotary encoder mounted on a spool shaft and formed with slits at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and a specific area in the circumferential direction is accommodated in the cartridge. In order to set the use state display of the film at a specific display position, it is set as an area where no slit is formed, and the determination level is set based on a film transport distance corresponding to the specific area. The film conveyance monitoring system of any one of Claims 1-4.

Images