Film feeding apparatus for a film scanner

Abstract

A film feeding apparatus for a film scanner includes a bottom plate, a top plate formed with a slide slot and a feed-in hole, a movable plate movable between the bottom plate and the top plate, and an actuator member co-movable with the movable plate. The movable plate cooperates with the actuator member to constitute a sliding seat that is movable between a non-feeding position whereat the actuator member is disposed in an end of the slide slot such that the movable plate is misaligned from the feed-in hole in the top plate, and a feeding position whereat the actuator member is disposed in an opposite end of the slide slot such that the movable plate is aligned with the feed-in hole. When the sliding seat is moved from the non-feeding position to the feeding position, a film is pushed into the film scanner.

1 . A film feeding apparatus for a film scanner, said film feeding apparatus comprising:
 a bottom seat including a bottom plate and a lower light-guiding hole formed through said bottom plate;   a top seat including a top plate disposed above and connected to said bottom plate, an upper light-guiding hole formed through said top plate and aligned with said lower light-guiding hole, a slide slot formed through said top plate and extending along a moving direction, and a feed-in hole formed through said top plate and between said upper light-guiding hole and said slide slot and adapted for receiving at least one film, said slide slot having a proximate end proximate to said feed-in hole, and a distal end distal from said feed-in hole and opposite to said proximate end; and   a sliding seat including a movable plate disposed movably between said bottom plate and said top plate, and an actuator member extending from said movable plate and through said slide slot in said top seat, said sliding seat being movable between a non-feeding position whereat said actuator member is disposed in said distal end of said slide slot such that said movable plate is misaligned from said feed-in hole in said top plate, and a feeding position whereat said actuator member is disposed in said proximate end of said slide slot such that said movable plate is disposed under said feed-in hole;   wherein, when said sliding seat is moved from the non-feeding position to the feeding position, the film is pushed and moved into the film scanner to align with said upper and lower light-guiding holes for subsequent scanning operation.   
     
     
         2 . The film feeding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said top seat further includes a film guiding unit disposed on a top surface of said top plate and adapted for guiding the film into said feed-in hole. 
     
     
         3 . The film feeding apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said film guiding unit includes two U-shaped flanges that define respectively two opposite sides of said feed-in hole. 
     
     
         4 . The film feeding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said top seat further includes at least one pressing member extending from said top plate toward said bottom plate and adapted for pressing the film against said bottom plate when said sliding seat is disposed at the feeding position. 
     
     
         5 . The film feeding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a side plate unit including two side plates flanking and interconnecting said top seat and said bottom seat. 
     
     
         6 . The film feeding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bottom seat further includes at least one guide slot formed in said bottom plate and extending along the moving direction, and said sliding seat further includes at least one guide rail extending from said movable plate and received movably within said guide slot in said bottom seat, said bottom seat further including a resilient member for biasing said sliding seat toward the non-feeding position. 
     
     
         7 . The film feeding apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said resilient member is configured as a coiled compression spring, is disposed within said guide slot in said bottom plate, and has an end abutting against an end of said guide rail of said sliding seat. 
     
     
         8 . The film feeding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a driving device, said actuator member having a threaded hole, said driving device including a motor disposed on said top plate, and a threaded rod engaging said threaded hole in said actuator member and driven by said motor to rotate said threaded rod to thereby move said actuator member along said slide slot.