Photographic processing agent cartridge and container usable therein

Abstract

A cartridge for photographic processing agents, which is formed of containers for photographic processing agents and a storage box for housing the containers in any selected dispositions in the box, in which at least one of the containers is provided with at least one recess on an outer side thereof, and at least one opening is formed on the storage box corresponding to the recess of the container housed in the storage box, and in which the cartridge having the recess in the container and the opening corresponding to recess in the storage box prevents the cartridge from being erroneously loaded to an automatic photo-processor; and a container for a photographic processing agent usable in the cartridge.

1 . A cartridge for photographic processing agents comprising: 
 plural containers each of which is filled with a different kind of photographic processing agent; and    a holding member for making a set of said plural containers;    said cartridge for photographic processing agents being capable of supplying said different kind of the photographic processing agents to an automatic photo-processor, by being loaded into a cartridge loading chamber mounted on said automatic photo-processor; wherein at least one of said plural containers has at least one recess formed on an outer surface of the container by partially deforming; and wherein said at least one recess is capable of fitting at least one guide protrusion arranged in said cartridge loading chamber.    
   
   
       2 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 1 , wherein said holding member is a box in which said plural containers are stored, said box having at least one opening corresponding to said at least one recess in said plural containers stored in said box.  
   
   
       3 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 2 , wherein said container having at least one recess can be stored in said box so as to have said at least one recess disposed to a predetermined direction selected from directions different in recess disposition.  
   
   
       4 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 1 , wherein said holding member is a tie binding said plural containers together.  
   
   
       5 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 1 , wherein each of said containers is a polygonal bottle or a cylinder.  
   
   
       6 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 5 , wherein said polygonal bottle is a tetragonal bottle having four outer side faces that are a part of said outer surface, and wherein said at least one recess is formed on at least one of said four outer side faces.  
   
   
       7 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 1 , wherein said plural containers have the same structure each other.  
   
   
       8 . A cartridge for photographic processing agents comprising: 
 at least one container in the shape of a bottle having an elongated body, a bottom, a shoulder, and a relatively narrow neck having a mouth at the terminating end thereof, said container having at least one recess on an outer side face of said container for preventing said cartridge from erroneously loading to an automatic photo-processor, and said container being filled with a photographic processing agent therein;    wherein said cartridge is capable of discharging and supplying said photographic processing agent to said automatic photo-processor, by being installed in a cartridge loading chamber of said automatic photo-processor by turning said mouth of said container down.    
   
   
       9 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 8 , wherein said mouth is sealed by a packing into which a washing nozzle mounted on said automatic photo-processor is penetrated so as to discharge and supply said photographic processing agent to said automatic photo-processor when said cartridge is installed in said cartridge loading chamber of said automatic photo-processor.  
   
   
       10 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 9 , wherein an inside of said container is washed by a washing liquid sprayed from said washing nozzle.  
   
   
       11 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 8 , wherein said at least one recess is disposed at a position above ⅓ of the height of an outer side face of said container measured from said bottom of said container, and said at least one recess has the maximum depth of ½ or less of the width of said container in the horizontal cross section.  
   
   
       12 . The cartridge for photographic processing agents as in  claim 8 , wherein said at least one recess has a curved surface in the vertical cross section.  
   
   
       13 . A container for a photographic processing agent, comprising: 
 a mouth; and    a packing by which said mouth is sealed,    in which said container is capable of discharging and supplying a photographic processing agent filled in said container to an automatic photo-processor when said container is installed in said automatic photo-processor by turning said mouth of said container down and into said mouth a washing nozzle mounted on said automatic photo-processor is penetrated through said packing, and an inside of said container is washed by a washing liquid sprayed from said washing nozzle,    wherein said container has at least one recess on an outer side face of said container for preventing said container from erroneously loading in said automatic photo-processor, said at least one recess being shaped on said outer side face of said container to form partially a concave portion, and    wherein said at least one recess is disposed at a position above ⅓ of the height of said outer side face of said container measured from a bottom of said container, and said at least one recess has the maximum depth of ½ or less of the width of said container in the horizontal cross section.    
   
   
       14 . The container for a photographic processing agent as in  claim 13 , wherein said at least one recess has a curved surface in the vertical cross section.