EP0655650B1 - Gerät zur Entwicklung von fotografischen Material und Verfahren zur Regeneration einer darin verwendeten Flüssigkeit - Google Patents

Gerät zur Entwicklung von fotografischen Material und Verfahren zur Regeneration einer darin verwendeten Flüssigkeit Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0655650B1
EP0655650B1 EP19940203295 EP94203295A EP0655650B1 EP 0655650 B1 EP0655650 B1 EP 0655650B1 EP 19940203295 EP19940203295 EP 19940203295 EP 94203295 A EP94203295 A EP 94203295A EP 0655650 B1 EP0655650 B1 EP 0655650B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bath
liquid
container
photographic material
pump
Prior art date
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Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19940203295
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0655650A1 (de
Inventor
Patrick C/O Agfa-Gevaert N.V. Van Den Bergen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Agfa Gevaert NV
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Agfa Gevaert NV
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Publication date
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Priority to EP19940203295 priority Critical patent/EP0655650B1/de
Publication of EP0655650A1 publication Critical patent/EP0655650A1/de
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03D—APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03D3/00—Liquid processing apparatus involving immersion; Washing apparatus involving immersion
    • G03D3/02—Details of liquid circulation
    • G03D3/06—Liquid supply; Liquid circulation outside tanks
    • G03D3/065—Liquid supply; Liquid circulation outside tanks replenishment or recovery apparatus

Definitions

  • This invention relates to apparatus for the processing of exposed photographic material, and in particular for apparatus for developing colour proofs, and a method of regeneration of the process liquid used in such apparatus.
  • the photographic plate will pass through a development process in which the plate passes through in turn a developing section, a fixing section, a wash section and a drying section.
  • a plate In the developing and fixing sections a plate typically passes through a bath of process liquid.
  • the process liquid in the respective bath will degenerate due to chemical reaction with the photographic material, and oxidation due to contact with the air.
  • the process liquid in the bath will drop in level due to carry-over on the photographic materials and due to evaporation. It is therefore necessary to add fresh liquid to the bath. This addition thus depends on the amount of processed material but it will be time-dependent as well.
  • cubitainers i.e. a collapsable plastic bag in a rectangular cardboard box, which is in connection with a supply conduit through which liquid is withdrawn and pumped in the processing station under the control of a level sensor in the station, and a return conduit via which liquid can return to the cubitainer.
  • the return conduit is normally closed by a discharge valve. This valve is opened for certain periods to withdraw an amount of liquid from the bath and automatically produce thereby its replacement by fresh liquid, in order to compensate for oxidation of the bath.
  • the present invention provides an apparatus for processing photographic material, which includes a process bath filled with processing liquid and having discharge means for discharging a given amount of processing liquid from the bath which operates more accurately than known discharge means so that regeneration can be effected with improved accuracy.
  • apparatus for processing photographic material which includes at least one process bath, the or each bath in use being filled with processing liquid held in a sealed collapsible container, a delivery pump for removing liquid from said container and delivering it to said respective bath, a respective sensor for determining when the liquid has reached a predetermined level in said bath to control the delivery pump, and discharge means for removing predetermined volumes of liquid from the bath and returning them to said container, which is characterized in that said discharge means is formed by a volumetric pump in an exit of the bath.
  • the apparatus may have a second sensor means for monitoring the quantity of photographic material processed in the bath and/or processor, said second sensor means also controlling the discharge means.
  • the process bath may be for developing and/or fixing the photographic images on a plate.
  • a method of regenerating a process liquid in a photographic development process in which photographic material passes through a bath of said liquid, the liquid being fed to the bath to maintain the liquid level therein at a predetermined level and predetermined volumes of used liquid being discharged from the bath causing the new liquid to be fed to the bath to maintain said level, the process liquid fed to the bath being provided in an enclosed collapsible container, and discharged process liquid being received in said same collapsible container, characterised in that the discharge of said liquid occurs by means of a volumetric pump.
  • the process liquid when pumped from the container can cause the container to collapse.
  • processor 10 for processing photographic material and in particular for producing off-press colour proofs for accessing the quality of colour separations and colour rendition in printing.
  • the photographic proof will in the course of its development pass through a liquid developer which develops the silver image, a liquid fixer which removes silver from the proof, a wash to remove non hardened parts and a drier.
  • a proof will have to make four such passes to build up a full colour picture.
  • the processor 10 has a housing 11 which encloses a first process bath 12 and a second process bath 13.
  • the first bath 12 is a development bath and the second bath 13 is a fixing bath.
  • the development bath in particular, is as enclosed as possible to prevent oxidation of the liquid developer in the bath 12.
  • the process liquids are each supplied in a respective collapsible container 15.
  • Containers known as cubitainers which consist of a collapsible plastic cube inside a corrugated outer board are suitable.
  • the mouth 16 of each container is sealed by a cap (not shown) through which a supply conduit 17 and a return conduit 18 pass.
  • a cap not shown
  • the process liquid is delivered to the respective bath 12 or 13 through the supply conduit 17 by means of a delivery pump 19 located in the supply conduit between the respective bath and container.
  • the delivery pump 19 has a motor 22 connected to a controller 21 which controls the operation of the pump.
  • Each delivery pump 19 is preferably a bellows type pump.
  • a liquid level sensor 23 monitors the presence of liquid in each bath 12 or 13 and is connected to the controller 21 to cause the respective delivery pump 19 to supply the respective process liquid to the bath until the liquid level therein has reached a predetermined level. This will automatically compensate for loss of process liquid caused by evaporation and carry over.
  • a discharge means in the form of an exit pump 25 is located in the return conduit 18 between each respective bath 12 or 13 and its container 15.
  • Each exit pump 25 has a motor 26 connected to the controller 21 for operation of the respective exit pump 25.
  • Each exit pump 25 is preferably a peristaltic type pump which gives a good shut off when the pump is inoperative.
  • the controller 21 causes each exit pump 25 to operate for a predetermined time period after predetermined time intervals so that used liquid from the baths 12, 13 is regularly removed and returned to the respective container 15. This removes process liquid which may be degenerated due to both oxidation and use.
  • the time interval between operations of the exit pump, and/or the time period for which the pump is operational may be controlled by a timer control 27.
  • the developing bath 12 may have a second sensor 31 which monitors the quantity of photographic material passing through the processor 10.
  • a second sensor 31 can be of a type as described in EP 582 752-A.
  • the second sensor 31 will additionally cause the respective exit pump 25 to also operate after a predetermined quantity of photographic material has passed through the processor 10, to compensate for developer exhausted by chemical reaction with the photographic material.
  • a collapsible container 15 will hold approximately 6 - 10 times more process liquid than the bath.
  • the baths 12 & 13 have a capacity of about 3 litres and the supply container 15 holds about 20 litres of process liquid. Since the containers 15 are sealed then the bulk of the process liquid at any given moment is prevented from reacting with the surrounding atmosphere . This slows down the oxidation process.
  • the exit pumps 25 are caused to operate for 13 seconds per minute and have a pump capacity of 300mls/min.
  • the volume of the bath returned to the container causes consequent operation of the delivery pumps 19 under the control of level sensor 23 for regeneration of the liquid in the respective bath by delivering the same volume of fluid as that removed.
  • the exit pumps 25 could cause an increase in pressure within the containers.
  • the bellows delivery pumps 19 allow the high pressure to defuse through the delivery pump.
  • pressure sensitive safety valves could be provided.
  • the delivery pumps 19 remove more liquid from the containers 15 than is returned thereto by the discharge pumps (because of evaporation and carry-over), the plastic bag of the containers will progressively collapse, no air entering the container.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Photographic Processing Devices Using Wet Methods (AREA)
  • Photographic Developing Apparatuses (AREA)

Claims (7)

  1. Gerät zur Entwicklung von fotografischem Material, das wenigstens ein Entwicklungsbad (12 oder 13), wobei das oder jedes Bad (12 oder 13) in Betrieb mit in einem abgeschlossenen zusammenklappbaren Behälter (15) enthaltener Verarbeitungsflüssigkeit gefüllt ist, eine Zufuhrpumpe (19) zum Ansaugen von Flüssigkeit aus dem Behälter (15) und Zuführung zu dem dazugehörigen Bad, einen zu dem oder jedem Bad gehörenden Sensor (23), der ermittelt, wenn die Flüssigkeit einen vorbestimmten Stand im betreffenden Bad erreicht hat, und dementsprechend die Zufuhrpumpe steuert, und ein Abfuhrmittel (25) enthält, das vorbestimmte Volumen von Flüssigkeit aus dem Bad entfernt und zum Behälter zurückführt, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Abfuhrmittel aus einer volumetrischen Pumpe an einem Ausgang des Bads besteht.
  2. Gerät nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es weiterhin ein Zeitsteuergerät (27), das das Abfuhrmittel (25) für einen bestimmten Zeitraum mit regelmäßigen Zeitintervallen einschaltet, umfaßt.
  3. Gerät nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, das einen zweiten Sensor (31) zur Überwachung der Menge im Bad und/oder Entwicklungsgerät verarbeiteten fotografischen Materials und ebenfalls zur Steuerung des Abfuhrmittels (25) umfaßt.
  4. Gerät nach irgendeinem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es ein zweites Entwicklungsbad (13) umfaßt.
  5. Verfahren zur Regeneration einer Verarbeitungsflüssigkeit in einem fotografischen Entwicklungsverfahren, in dem fotografisches Material durch ein mit der Flüssigkeit gefülltes Bad (12 oder 13) geführt wird, wobei die Flüssigkeit dem Bad (12 oder 13) zugeführt wird, um den Flüssigkeitsstand im Bad auf einem vorbestimmten Wert zu halten, und vorbestimmte Mengen verbrauchter Flüssigkeit aus dem Bad entfernt werden, damit zwecks der Aufrechterhaltung des Flüssigkeitsstands frische Flüssigkeit zum Bad zugeführt werden kann, wobei die dem Bad zugeführte Verarbeitungsflüssigkeit in einem abgeschlossenen zusammenklappbaren Behälter (15) enthalten ist und abgeführte Verarbeitungsflüssigkeit in demselben zusammenklappbaren Behälter gesammelt wird, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Abführung der Flüssigkeit mittels einer volumetrischen Pumpe erfolgt.
  6. Verfahren nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Verhältnis des Badvolumens zum Behältervolumen zwischen 1:6 und 1:10 liegt und pro Minute etwa 2% des Badeinhalts zum Behälter zurückgeführt wird.
  7. Verfahren nach Anspruch 5 oder 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Flüssigkeit auch aus dem Bad entfernt wird, sobald eine vorbestimmte Menge fotografischen Materials durch das Bad befördert worden ist.
EP19940203295 1993-11-29 1994-11-11 Gerät zur Entwicklung von fotografischen Material und Verfahren zur Regeneration einer darin verwendeten Flüssigkeit Expired - Lifetime EP0655650B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19940203295 EP0655650B1 (de) 1993-11-29 1994-11-11 Gerät zur Entwicklung von fotografischen Material und Verfahren zur Regeneration einer darin verwendeten Flüssigkeit

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP93203328 1993-11-29
EP93203328 1993-11-29
EP19940203295 EP0655650B1 (de) 1993-11-29 1994-11-11 Gerät zur Entwicklung von fotografischen Material und Verfahren zur Regeneration einer darin verwendeten Flüssigkeit

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0655650A1 EP0655650A1 (de) 1995-05-31
EP0655650B1 true EP0655650B1 (de) 1999-10-13

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EP19940203295 Expired - Lifetime EP0655650B1 (de) 1993-11-29 1994-11-11 Gerät zur Entwicklung von fotografischen Material und Verfahren zur Regeneration einer darin verwendeten Flüssigkeit

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Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2570627A (en) * 1947-10-29 1951-10-09 Rca Corp Film processing device
US3000288A (en) * 1957-05-15 1961-09-19 Autolab Corp Apparatus and method for processing photographic elements
JPH02259757A (ja) * 1989-03-31 1990-10-22 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd 処理補充液補充装置

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EP0655650A1 (de) 1995-05-31

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