Media container and media protection apparatus
The invention discloses a media container (4) adapted to protect a medium (10) having an opening (12) adapted to allow that a medium (10) is put into the media container (4) ; and a closure (8) by which the opening (12) may be closed; wherein the closure (8) is adapted such that in its opened state air from the media container (4) may be exhausted, that in its opened state protective gas may flow into the media container (4) and that in its closed state entering and/or exiting of a fluid from the media container (4) and/or into the media container (4) is prevented.
This application claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. DE 20 2014 100 333.9, filed Jan. 27, 2014, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a media container and a media protection apparatus protecting media, such as film, a film on a film reel or the like against environment influences, particularly fungal infestation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mould poses a significant risk for books, arts on paper and film material. Mould is caused particularly by moistly building parts or in areas having a seasonally caused high humidity.
Mould is a popular expression for particular types of fungus. Person skilled in the art call the visible growth of a fungal film on paper, leather, textile and other organic material mould. A further type of fungus is mustiness or foxing. The category of fungus comprises a high number of species including also yeast bacteria, rust and edible mushrooms. More than 100,000 species are known. All fungal types need further organisms in order to survive. The group of fungus called mould fungus spawn by proliferating in numerous asexually generated spurs, so called conidia. Generally, they are mono cellular and are proliferated by air. Spurs can fix anywhere and may begin to grow under suitable conditions. This may be a matter of hours. These spurs generate cell spiremes so called hypha, which branch and develop the known hairlike thread web, called mycel. Mycelia generate spur pockets, which mature and burst, thereby further emitting spurs. They will be delivered by movements of air, insects, animals or humans to new carriers. Thereby, the cyclus continues, under suitable conditions even at an alarming speed. Mould fungus emit enzymes which enable them to decompose organic materials, wherein the enzymes change the material and thereby weakening it. Many fungi comprise colored substances, such as Melanin causing on film material, cloth and leather spot like discoloration. Mould poses both for humans and for the conservation of books, film and art on paper a significant thread. Some mould fungus species, such as aspergillus fumigatus, are poisonous. Further, mould fungi are strong allergenics. Contact with the mould fungi may trigger allergies even with persons which are not allergy prone. Fungi are inactive as long as the environment conditions prevent growth of the fungi. It is distinguished between exogenous inactivity, if the environment conditions prevent growth of the fungi, such as when the climate is dryer, and endogenous (self caused) inactivity, if a colony of fungi has reached a certain stage of growth and has to rest. Thus, fungi may be inactive even in conditions supporting their growth. In the stage of inactivity the mould spurs are also inactive and accordingly a lower risk for the culture good. Indeed, the resting time of fungi is reversible at any point of time. Under suitable conditions spurs awake to a new life and continue to grow, even if they have been frozen or dried before. Therefore, also inactive mould fungi still pose a risk for books, film material and art on paper. Numerous mould fungus species comprise pigments and cause discoloration when resting on material. It is assumed that even the generation of foxing, the rust-like discoloration on old papers, arises from the activity of mould fungi. Fungi spurs, whether active or not, are present everywhere. A diligent maintenance of the premises and a well operating air filter equipment cannot prevent that warehouses, archives, libraries and museums are not completely free of such organisms. Fungi spur can be found in any room on each collection object and each person entering the room. As long as the climatic conditions in the rooms for storing the cultural good correspond to the recommended climate guide lines (40 to 60% relative humidity, 16 to 20° C.), mould spurs are presumably inactive. The only strategy for defending mould fungi is to observe the climate guidelines, and to keep the premises as clean as possible, such as to avoid entering of new active fungus colonies. A proliferation may be reduced/avoided only by instant quarantine of the affected material.
Environment conditions supporting growth of fungi:
For their proliferation, fungus spurs need both nutrition and humidity. Any organic material may serve as nutrition for fungi. Indeed, different types prefer different nutrition sources, however books, film negatives and paper, particularly the substances comprised therein, such as starch or adhesives, are generally an attractive nutrition source for fungi. Mould may be recognized on the surface of film material by white snowflake shaped fungus mash. Once the material is affected by the fungus mesh, it is nearly impossible to recognize an image. During projection and after digitalizing a fungus infestation may be identified by dark snowflake shapes.
Fungi also attack leather and cellulose, wherein particular types rather avoid cellulose. The humidity necessary for growth of mould is found often in the atmosphere, but it can also be available in the nutrition source or in the fungus colony. The rate of humidity in the air is measured as relative humidity (rF). Generally, the higher the relative humidity, the better the conditions for growth of mould. If the relative humidity is for a longer period in direct influence of the material over 70%, it is almost impossible to avoid fungus growth. However, it is to be noted that a particular number of fungi can proliferate at moderate humidity (up to 45%). In such cases the humidity necessary for fungus growth may be present in the surface material on which the mould has grown or in the mould colony itself. As with all organic substances, humidity can be found also in binding material and paper and in the fungus colony itself in an equilibrium with the climate of the surroundings. However, the water content of a surface or fungus colony is not the same as in the atmosphere, it may be higher. Due to the different water solubility of materials the respective substances may also absorb in a different quantity of humidity.
Besides humidity and nutrients further factors play a role with mould formation:
Temperature:
Specific fungus types prefer different temperatures, however merely a temperature value between 0° C. and 36° C. is ideal for proliferation of spurs. The ideal temperature for fungus growth is a value of 26° C. Deep freezing of active fungus colonies will kill a large part of mycelia and germing spurs, however it cannot affect inactive spurs. Active spurs mortify, if the environment conditions are dry and the temperature ranges above 36° C.
Air circulation:
A good air circulation seems to reduce fungus growth, presumably because it acts drying. Air circulation may also promote spur growth, if active spurs are available that are transported to a new surface. Therefore, air circulation should be moderate and endangered materials should be stored in appropriate containers.
Light:
It has been proven that a significant number of fungus species grow better in the dark. Currently, there are no conclusive proves for this observation. Further, film material and paper is damaged under influence of light and therefore it is not advisable to use light against mould.
The chemical composition of the material affected by mould:
Up to date it is not proven scientifically whether fungi grow better on acidic or alkaline substrate, however it is known that some chemicals promote under certain conditions perforation of spurs.
Preventive measures for opposing formation of mould:
Once proliferation of mould has commenced, it is extremely difficult to eradicate it, since the possibilities for fighting against it are limited. Therefore, the principle is as in all other areas of conservation: Prevention is better than healing!
The following recommendations help to prevent mould infestation:
Temperature and relative humidity (rF) shall remain constant at middle values. The values may be monitored by suitable measuring equipment around the clock. The rF should not exceed 55%, lower values are ideal. Temperature appears to be less crucial in terms of mould infestation, but temperature should be constant and under 21° C., since to high temperatures accelerate the chemical decomposition of the sensitive material. Further, for avoiding mould infestation a moderate air circulation is desired.
Collectables should be stored in protective containers. For storing potentially endangered elements in a non-compartmentalized room, air tight covers should be considered for a reduced the risk of fast proliferation. Cleaning work is to be done thoroughly and regularly. Dust and dirt are a buzzle area for spurs, both active and non-active.
Vinegar syndrome (VS) on film material:
Vinegar syndrome is a term for the hydrolytic decomposition (hydrolysis=decomposition of a chemical compound by reaction with water) of cellulose acetate. The ethanoic acid generated thereby migrates gradually at the surface of the film and thereby emits the typical vinegar smell. The hydrolytic separation is always present, but is influenced by temperature and humidity. Often, the reaction is very tedious. However, the more acid is released, the faster this chain reaction, also termed autocatalytic reaction, is. The released acid accelerates thus the reaction—it can also infect further films. Therefore, such films shall be separated from other material. Sometimes it is possible to observe a deposit on the film surface of a film affected by the vinegar syndrome. These are softeners (triphenyl phosphate) crystallizing on the surface. By the loss of the softener and by separating of the acetate groups the film gets fragile and shrinks. In the very advanced stage of the vinegar syndrome the film can get up to 10% smaller. A further problem is also the different speed of decay of the film basis and the gelatin. Since the basis decays faster as gelatin the gelatin layer separates from the basis. The gelatin is hardly affected by the ethanoic acid. However, the colors may bleach gradually (not comparable with a red cast). The speed of reaction of the hydrolytic decomposition is also influenced by metal ions, therefore plastic cups and plastic boxes are to be recommended. Therefore, also magnet soundtracks can act intensifying, a steady control of such copies appears to be recommended. The vinegar syndrome cannot be stopped or reversed. An optimal storage depends mainly on temperature and humidity.
Recommendations in case of affection of highly sensible film material
The first thing to be done is to put such film into quarantine. The film shall be removed from the film collection as fast possible, since the danger of infection both for mould fungus spurs and the vinegar syndrome is very high. Even only a single film is affected by mould, the mould spurs can proliferate quickly to other film spools. In the ideal case the affected film is to be rolled on a new spool and put into a new film container. The ideal material for the spool and the container is zinc coated tin plate. If a new film spool or container are not at hand, the old can be cleaned thoroughly. Thereafter, the film is brought to a storage location having preferably ideal temperature conditions and humidity conditions. Generally, all films are to be verified. The aging process cannot be stopped but may be slowed down significantly. It is important to observe the correct storage, whereby temperatures ranging between 5° C. and 16° C. at a maximal humidity of 50% are ideal requirements.
It is an object of the invention to provide a media container and a media protection apparatus protecting a medium from environmental influences.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA media container according to the present invention adapted to protect a medium from aging includes an opening adapted to allow putting a medium into the media container and a closure for closing the opening. The closure is adapted such that in its open state air can be exhausted and vacuumed off, respectively from the container, that in its open state protective gas can flow into the container and that in its close state entering and/or exciting of a fluid from and into, respectively the container is prevented.
The media container may be a bag. A bag may be a flexible container.
The protective gas may have a proportion of the weight or a proportion of the volume form about 50% to 95%, preferably from about 60% to about 80%, most preferred from about 65% to about 75% of nitrogen. The protective gas may have a proportion of weight or a proportion of volume from about 5% to about 50%, preferably from about 20% to about 40%, most preferred from about 25% to about 35% carbon dioxide. Nitrogen removes quantities of humidity on the medium. Carbon dioxide slows down growth of bacteria or mould fungi on the medium.
The closure is adapted to be sealed. The closure may be welded. The closure may be a seal membrane and a foil seal, respectively that can be inflated and presses the seal rails by a high pressure against a counter pressure bar. A seal wire is heated by electric current and an electric impulse, respectively. Thereby the hot sealable inside of the closure are molten together.
The media container is fluid tight after closing of the closure. The media container is fluid tight up to a pressure of more than proximately 2 bar, preferably more than approximately 5 bar, most preferably up to approximately 10 bar. The medium may be a film, a film reel with film, a sound carrier or a data carrier.
The invention also relates to a media protection apparatus adapted to vacuum off a media container and to fill the media container with protective gas and inert gas, respectively. The media protection apparatus comprises a chamber adapted to accommodate the media container, an evacuation opening in the chamber connectable to a pump, wherein the pump is adapted to vacuum off the chamber and the media container, a protective gas opening in the chamber connectable to a connectable gas source, wherein the protective gas source is adapted to fill the media container with protective gas, and a closure device adapted to close the closure of the media container. The protective gas source may be a gas bottle or a gas tank in which pressurized gas is filled.
The evacuation opening and the protective gas opening may be formed integral. In other words, the evacuation opening and the protective gas opening may be the same opening. In the chamber a conduit may be arranged, heading from the protective gas opening to the opening of the media container. Thereby, protective gas can be passed aimed and under avoiding of losses to the media container.
The closure device may be adapted to close the closure of the media container by thermal energy, such as that the opposing areas of the closure are melted together, as has been described before. The chamber may further comprise a pressure compensation opening adapted to compensate a pressure for the chamber. The pressure compensation opening may be formed integrally with the evacuation opening and/or the protective gas opening. The pressure compensation opening may be the evacuation opening or the protective gas opening. The pressure compensation opening, the evacuation opening and the protective gas opening may be the same opening. The chamber may comprise a lid that may be opened and closed to put the media container into the chamber and/or to take the media container from the same. The lid may only be opened after the pressure has been compensated by the pressure compensation opening.
Mould and the vinegar syndrome damage films. Storing films in a humid or a warm cellar may contribute to the decay of the film material. The aging process of a film may be accelerated by humidity. If the humidity is higher than 50%, the film may be affected by mould or by the vinegar syndrome. Such humidity is reduced for each medium stored in a media container to an absolute minimum.
The experience of the inventor in the area of film media shows that material effected by mould fungus can only be repaired under significant costs and with a significantly reduced quality. If the infestation has proceeded too far, the material is often without any value and the arts may be lost forever. Besides a temperature controlled storage the invention provides a significantly reduced mould infestation and an avoidance of proliferation of spurs. The vinegar syndrome may be avoided by the invention.
Film elements to be stored are thoroughly controlled and, if necessary, cleaned from spurs and similar mould fungus promoting dust particles. Such cleaning may be done by industrial alcohol with a concentration of 98%, which has shown to be effective for cleaning the highly sensible material. Thereafter, the media is put into a special blister under vacuume substituting the remaining oxygen proportion by protective gas noxius for fungi, and thereafter the special blister is closed. The invention provides the advantage that humidity in the media container and the blister, respectively is reduced to a minimum. The media container is evacuated from oxygen as a nutrition basis for mould fungus and as a basis for the chemical reaction of the vinegar syndrome. A proliferation of spurs to non-affected material is impossible. The media is also protected from firewater, dust and similar harmful influences.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.
The invention is now described under reference to the accompanying
A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. Unless otherwise specifically indicated in the disclosure that follows, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”
The medium 10 is located in the media container. The medium 10 may be put through the opening 12 in a bag 6 into the media container 4. The media container 4 comprises a closure, closing the media container 4 fluid tight as soon as it is closed.
The media protection apparatus 2 comprises a lid 22 fixed by a hinge 24 at the base body 50. The lid 22 and the base body 50 form a chamber in which the media container 4 is located.
As soon as the media container 4 is put into the chamber 20 and the lid 22 is closed, the valve 30 is opened and by a pump 32 and an evacuation opening 46 the chamber 20 and the interior of the bag 6 is evacuated and vacuumed off, respectively, particularly from oxygen. Therefore, the closing device 38 holds the bag by a first closing element 40 and a second closing element 42 such that the closure 8 forms an opening 12 through which a gas may flow from the bag and from the media container for, respectively.
As soon as the bag 6 is evacuated and vacuumed off, respectively the first closure element 40 and the second closure element 42 are closed partly by a closure control device 44, such that protective gas may flow from the gas bottle 26 through a valve 28, a protective gas opening 48 and a protective gas conduit 34 and a protective gas port into the bag 6.
As soon as the bag 6 is sufficiently filled with protective gas up to a predetermined pressure, the first closing element 40 and the second closing element 42 are closed by the closure control device 44 and heated by a heating device in the area of the closure 8, such that the closure 8 is closed. The closure 8 may comprise a seal membrane at its interior. The first closure element 40 may form a seal rail and the second closure element 42 may form a counter pressure bar. In the seal rail 40 and the counter pressure bar 42 a seal wire may be arranged, heated by electric current and an electric impulse, respectively. Thereby, the hot sealable interior sides of the bag are melted together.
As soon as the bag 6 is closed at the closure 8, potential remaining protective gas may be released from the chamber 20 by opening the valve 5
The above described embodiments, while including the preferred embodiment and the best mode of the invention known to the inventor at the time of filing, are given as illustrative examples only. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above.
Claims
1. A media container adapted to protect a medium having wherein the closure is adapted such that in its opened state air from the media container may be exhausted, that in its opened state protective gas may flow into the media container and that in its closed state entering and/or exiting of a fluid from the media container and/or into the media container is prevented.
- an opening adapted to allow that a medium is put into the media container; and
- a closure by which the opening may be closed;
2. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the media container is a bag.
3. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the protective gas comprises a weight proportion of approximately 50% to approximately 95%, preferably from approximately 60% to approximately 80%, most preferred from approximately 65% to approximately 75% of nitrogen.
4. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the protective gas comprises a weight proportion from approximately 5% to approximately 50%, preferably from approximately 20% to approximately 40%, most preferred from approximately 25% to approximately 35% of carbon dioxide.
5. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the protective gas comprises a volume proportion of approximately 50% to approximately 95%, preferably from approximately 60% to approximately 80%, most preferably from approximately 65% to approximately 75% of nitrogen.
6. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the protective gas comprises a volume proportion of approximately 5% to approximately 50%, preferably from approximately 20% to approximately 40%, most preferred from approximately 25% to approximately 35% of carbon dioxide.
7. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is adapted to be sealed.
8. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is adapted to be welded.
9. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the media container is fluid tight.
10. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the media container is fluid tight up to an external pressure of approximately more than 2 bar, preferably more than approximately 5 bar, most preferably up to more than approximately 10 bar.
11. The media container according to claim 1, wherein the medium is a film, a film reel with film, a sound carrier or a data carrier.
12. A media protection apparatus, adapted to exhaust a media container according to claim 1 and to fill the media container according to claim 1 with protective gas, comprising
- a chamber adapted to accommodate the media container;
- an evacuation opening in the chamber connected to a pump, wherein the pump is adapted to exhaust the chamber and the media container;
- a protective gas opening in the chamber connected to a protective gas source, wherein the protective gas source is adapted to fill the media container with protective gas; and
- a closure device adapted to close the closure of the media container.
13. The media protecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the evacuation opening and the protective gas opening are formed integral.
14. The media protecting device according to claim 12, comprising a conduit, arranged from the protective gas opening to the opening of the media container.
15. The media protecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the closure device is adapted to close the closure of the media container by thermal energy.
16. The media protecting apparatus according to claim 12, comprising a pressure compensation opening adapted to perform the pressure compensation for the chamber.
17. The media protecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the pressure compensation opening is formed integral with the evacuation opening and the protective gas opening.
18. The media protecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the chamber comprises a lid which may be opened and closed to put the media container into the chamber and/or to remove the same therefrom.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 15, 2015
Publication Date: Jul 30, 2015
Inventor: Wolfgang Balga (Starnberg)
Application Number: 14/597,380
