JP2000089436A - Development processing device for photographic sensitive material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To decrease a waste processing liquid amount. and to eliminate the defects of photographic characteristics by providing the device with pumps for feeding the washing water or stabilizing liquid of the tanks from the tanks exclusive of a first tank and final tank of washing or stabilizing bath tanks to processing liquid tanks having fixability. SOLUTION: The development replenishing tank 61 is connected to the developing tank, the bleach replenishing tank 62 to the bleaching bath, the fixing replenishing tank 63 to the fixing tank (or the bleach fixing tank) and the water storage tank (or the stabilizing liquid storage tank) 64 to the final washing tank (or the final stabilizing bath tank), respectively, by liquid feed pumps 12, 22, 34, 47 to be executed with the replenishing to the respective tanks. When development replenishment is executed by dividing, for example, the processing liquid to a main part replenishing liquid and a sub-part replenishing liquid, a sub-part replenishing tank 61a is disposed in addition to the replenishing tank 61 and the replenishment of the developing tank with the sub-part is executed by a bellows pump 12a. When the washing stage is executed by the stabilizing liquid, a thickening and stabilizing tank 64a is disposed on addition to the water storage tank 64 and the water and the thickening and stabilizing liquid are respectively supplied to the final washing tank by bellows pumps 47, 47a and are mixed with the components of the stabilizing liquid in the tanks.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, and more particularly to a processing apparatus for a photographic light-sensitive material which has a remarkably reduced amount of waste liquid for development processing and is preferable in terms of environmental protection and development work. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Not only from the viewpoint of environmental laws and regulations, but also from the viewpoint of environmental protection of general water quality, the waste liquid accompanying the development processing of silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is a development processing waste liquid and a washing waste water (hereinafter collectively referred to as "development waste"). Neither "process waste liquid" or simply "waste liquid") can be discharged to the sewer as well as to general rivers. Therefore, disposal of waste liquid has conventionally been outsourced to a developing station or other developing station. Therefore,
It is desired to reduce development processing waste liquid from the viewpoint of waste liquid management, work, and economy.

[0003] To reduce the amount of waste liquid, development, straying,
In each processing step such as fixing, the amount of replenisher (volume) per photosensitive material processed amount is reduced (hereinafter, referred to as low replenishment), and the amount of waste liquid is reduced by reusing the processed liquid. In the washing or stabilizing bath step, a so-called multi-stage countercurrent method, that is, this step is constituted by a plurality of processing tanks, and washing water or a stabilizing solution replenisher is replenished to a final tank in the direction of transport of the photosensitive material to prevent overflow. A method of successively flowing into the immediately preceding tank at the counter current is adopted to reduce the amount of waste liquid.

In the multi-stage countercurrent water washing system, as the number of processing tanks is increased, the replenishment amount of the washing water or the replenisher for the stabilizing solution can be reduced. So there is a limit. Particularly in a mini-lab, a printing shop, a hospital, and the like, where there is a restriction on the installation space of the developing device and the securing of skilled workers, the restriction is great.

Therefore, after a certain amount of water is saved by using a multi-stage countercurrent washing system with an appropriate number of bathtubs, a part or all of the overflow of the washing water or the stabilizing solution is transferred to the bath in the previous step, ie, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-235133 and 63-198 disclose a method of reducing the amount of waste liquid by introducing the waste liquid into a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability.
No. 055 and other publications. However, when the waste liquid is reduced by this method of reusing the washing water or the overflow of the stabilizing solution from the forefront tank of the multi-stage washing method, when developing a color negative film, a streak called silver streaking is formed on the film surface. Dirt tends to adhere, and in the case of color paper development, streak-like roller dirt is likely to be transferred on a white background, and in any case, practical difficulty is involved. Further, when the overflow is sent by a pump, the pump is clogged, and the accuracy of the pump is reduced. others,
Spot-like bleaching unevenness and fixing unevenness may occur on the surface of the photosensitive material to be developed.

As described above, it is desired from the market to further reduce the amount of wastewater beyond the reduction of the amount of washing water or the amount of wastewater of the stabilizing liquid by the multi-stage countercurrent washing method with an appropriate number of bathtubs. However, its implementation is accompanied by difficulties in process management and work represented by the above, and effective means has not yet been obtained.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and specifically, at least a developing tank, a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability, and washing or stabilizing at least three tanks. It is an object of the present invention to provide a photographic light-sensitive material processing apparatus which has a bath and can reduce the amount of processing waste liquid as compared with the conventional multi-stage countercurrent washing method, and does not cause a defect in photographic characteristics due to the reduction.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found that even if a multi-stage countercurrent washing method or a stabilizing solution treatment is carried out, the main waste liquid in the development treatment waste liquid is not washed out. In view of the fact that the wastewater is a stable liquid wastewater, the present inventor has arrived at the present invention as a result of focusing on devising means for reusing the wastewater without affecting the photographic characteristics. That is, the present invention has the following configurations.

1. At least a developing tank, a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability, and three or more multi-stage countercurrent washing or stabilizing baths, and a concentrated fixing replenisher is replenished to the processing liquid tank having the fixing ability. Developing processing for replenishing washing water or a stabilizing solution to the last tank of the washing or stabilizing bath, and immersing the photographic material in the developing tank, a processing solution tank having a fixing ability, and a washing or stabilizing bath sequentially. A device,
From one of the three or more multi-stage countercurrent type washing or stabilizing baths, excluding the first tank and the last tank, the washing water or the stabilizing liquid in the tank is sent to the processing liquid tank having the fixing ability. A developing device for a photographic light-sensitive material, comprising:

A pump for supplying washing water or a stabilizing solution in one of the washing or stabilizing baths, excluding the first and last tanks, of a washing bath or a stabilizing bath comprising at least three tanks to a processing solution tank having a fixing ability is used. 2. The photographic light-sensitive material development processing apparatus according to the above item 1, which operates according to the processing amount information from the material processing amount detecting means.

3. The amount of water evaporated from the processing liquid tank having the fixing ability is calculated based on the operation state information including the stop time, the pause time, and the photosensitive material processing time of the development processing apparatus and the work environment information including the temperature and humidity of the development work place. A control means, based on information on the amount of evaporated water from a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability provided from the control means, based on information on the amount of water evaporated from the first tank and the last tank of the washing or stabilizing bath, or 3. The developing apparatus for photographic light-sensitive material according to the above item 1 or 2, wherein a pump for feeding the stabilizing liquid to a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability operates so as to compensate for the amount of evaporated water.

4. One of the three or more rinsing or stabilizing tubs, except for the first and last tubs, which supplies rinsing water or a stabilizing liquid to the processing liquid tank having fixing ability, is directly from the rinsing water or the stabilizing liquid storage tank. A piping system for receiving a supply of washing water or a stabilizing solution, and sending an amount of washing water or a stabilizing solution from the washing or stabilizing bath to a processing solution tank having a fixing ability to compensate for an evaporation amount; 4. The developing apparatus for photographic light-sensitive material as described in any one of the above items 1 to 3, wherein an equivalent amount of the washing water or the stabilizing solution is directly supplied from the storage tank to the washing or stabilizing bath.

5. The amount of the washing water or the stabilizing solution to be pumped from the washing or stabilizing bath to the processing solution tank having the fixing ability is at least 50 times the amount of the washing water or the stabilizing solution replenisher supplied to the final tank of the washing or stabilizing bath. %, The developing apparatus for photographic photosensitive materials according to any one of the above items 1 to 4.

6. It has a developing tank, a processing liquid tank having bleaching ability, a processing liquid tank having fixing ability, and three or more washing or stabilizing baths. The concentrated bleaching replenisher is concentrated into the processing liquid tank having bleaching ability. 6. The developing apparatus for photographic light-sensitive material according to any one of 1 to 5, wherein the fixing replenisher is replenished to the processing solution tank having the fixing ability.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail. The basic features of the present invention will be described. That is, the washing or stabilizing bath in one of the washing or stabilizing baths (hereinafter referred to as an intermediate washing bath) excluding the first bath and the last bath is sent to a processing bath having a fixing ability. Is provided with a liquid sending pump. In the present invention, the concentrated fixing agent and, in some cases, the concentrated bleaching agent are also directly replenished in the processing liquid tank having the fixing ability, and the washing or stabilization supplied by the liquid feed pump is performed. The liquid is used for its dilution.

In this replenishing method, there is no occurrence of streak-like unevenness or dirt as seen in a conventionally known multi-stage countercurrent water washing system in which overflow of the first tank of a washing or stabilizing bath is used as dilution water. It has also been confirmed that photosensitive materials developed by this method also exhibit normal photographic characteristics. Further, (1) the case of the present invention in which the concentrated fixing agent and the washing water or the stabilizing solution in the intermediate washing bath are separately replenished to a processing solution tank having a fixing ability, and (2) the concentrated fixing agent is In the case of the conventional method of replenishing a replenisher prepared in advance by mixing with fresh water, and (3) in the case of replenishing a replenisher prepared by mixing the above fixing agent with washing water or a stabilizing solution of an intermediate washing bath (preparation of solution) (According to the present invention and replenishment according to the conventional method), there was no difference in photographic characteristics including desilvering property and adhesion of dirt between the three replenishment methods. That is, the fixing agent replenishment method of the present invention is equivalent in photographic characteristics to the case where a standard solution is prepared and replenished, and therefore, the washing solution or the stabilizing solution is reused without affecting the processing quality. The amount discharged as waste liquid can be reduced by the amount of reuse.

In this specification, the stabilizing solution also has a so-called rinsing function, and is often added with a component having an image stabilizing action and a water quality maintaining action, which is different from the rinsing water. However, it is a treatment liquid that substantially fulfills the function of washing with water. Therefore, for the purpose of the present invention, there is no need to distinguish between the washing water and the stabilizing solution, and the washing water may represent both of them.

In a conventionally known developing method in which washing water or a stabilizing solution in a first tank in a washing or stabilizing bath step is added as a diluting water for a replenisher to a processing tank having a fixing ability, a photosensitive material is used as described above. Although the streak-like silver streaking dirt and roller transfer dirt are generated on the surface, and the accuracy of the liquid feed pump is lowered, problems occur such as washing of the tank after the first tank or addition of a stabilizing solution. In the method using the device, the dilution water is replenished without such a problem. In addition, if a method of washing or feeding the stabilizing solution from the final tank is adopted, naturally, there is no much difference from a replenisher dilution preparing method in which dilution water is directly added to a processing solution tank having a fixing ability,
Does not lead to waste reduction. Therefore, it is possible to send the washing or stabilizing solution in the tank from one of the intermediate washing baths of the washing or stabilizing bath to the processing solution tank having the fixing ability, and there is provided a means for effectively and effectively reducing the waste liquid. Become. In the present invention, the number of washing or stabilizing baths is 3 or more and 6 or less, preferably 3 to 5, more preferably 3 to 4.

The present invention can be applied to any development processing apparatus for black-and-white photographic materials and color photographic materials. When the development processing apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for a black-and-white photographic light-sensitive material, the processing liquid tank having the above-mentioned fixing ability is a fixing tank, and the tank is replenished with a concentrated fixing replenisher. Further, when the development processing apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for a color photographic light-sensitive material, the configuration of the silver removing step including the processing having the fixing ability described above can take various forms as described later. The processing solution tank having the fixing ability may be a bleach-fixing tank, a fixing tank, or both of them, and may further include a bleaching tank in front of the processing solution tank having the fixing ability.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. (One Embodiment of Developing Apparatus) FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a color developing apparatus for showing a typical embodiment of the present invention. This structure is not limited to a color film apparatus, but will be described as a color film development processing apparatus. The color film F is joined to the leader at the loading section 2 and is introduced into the developing device casing 1. The film F is transported by a drive roller and a feed roller (illustrated in the transport path, but not indicated by a member number), and rollers of crossovers 14, 15, 16, and 17, and the developing tank 11, the bleach tank 21, the fixing tanks 31, 32, and the rinsing tanks 41 to 43 are immersed, dried in the drying unit 51, and sent to the take-up unit 3 in the order in which the processing is completed. Developing tank overflow 13, bleach tank overflow 23, fixing tank 3
The overflow 35 of 1 and the overflow 50 of the rinsing tank 41 are each subjected to silver recovery as a processing waste liquid or directly to commission disposal.

On the other hand, the overflow 33 of the fixing tank 32,
The overflow 44 of the washing tank 42 and the overflow 45 of the washing tank 43 correspond to the tanks 31, 41 and 4 just before that, respectively.
The structure which flows into 2 is taken. Heater H in drying section
The heated air is sent in to dry the film, and the waste air is discharged outside as indicated by the arrow. In the developing tank, a developing replenishing tank 61, in the bleaching tank, a bleaching replenishing tank 62,
A fixing replenishment tank 63 is provided in the fixing tank (or bleach-fixing tank), and a water tank (or stable liquid storage tank, hereinafter abbreviated) 64 is provided in the final washing tank (or the final stabilizing bath, hereinafter abbreviated).
The tanks are connected by 2, 22, 34 and 47, and each tank is refilled. The three-way cock 49 is opened to the second washing tank 42 when necessary, and the washing water is supplied from the water tank 64 through the three-way cock 49 and the liquid sending pump 46.
Further, a pump 48 is operated from the second washing tank 42 to send washing water to the fixing tank 32 when necessary.

This type of development processing system is roughly classified into two systems with regard to the construction of a bleaching tank and a fixing tank. A two-step desilvering method of bleaching / fixing separation in which the overflows of the bleaching tank and the fixing tank are discharged independently, and an overflow of the bleaching tank flowing into the first fixing tank 31 and overflowing from the second fixing tank 32. There is a bleaching / bleaching / fixing method in which a mixture is mixed in a tank to form a bleach-fixing solution. In some cases, the second fixing tank is substantially a bleach-fixing solution rather than a fixing solution depending on the amount of the photosensitive material adhering liquid brought from the first fixing tank. Also, the number of fixing tanks is not limited to two tanks, but may be one or three.
It may be a tank.

When it is convenient to carry out the development replenishment separately for the main part replenisher and the subpart (normal preservative part) replenisher, for example, a subpart replenisher 61a is provided in addition to the replenisher 61, and a bellows is provided. The sub-part is replenished to the developing tank by the pump 12a. In the case where the washing step is performed with a stabilizing solution, a concentrated stabilizing solution tank 64a is provided in addition to the water storage tank 64, and the bellows pump 47 and the bellows pump 47a respectively supply water and the concentrated stabilizing solution to the final washing tank. Then, the components of the stable liquid are mixed in the tank. In addition, an embodiment is also possible in which water and a concentrated stable liquid are mixed and a liquid prepared as a stable liquid is stored in 64.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a developing apparatus having no independent bleaching tank. A bleaching agent and a fixing agent are supplied to a processing bath 32 having bleaching ability. In FIG. 2, the first and second fixing tanks 31 and 32 in FIG. 1 function as bleach-fixing tanks. In another embodiment different from that of FIG. 2, the bleaching agent is supplied to a processing bath (actually, a bleach-fixing bath) 31 so that a liquid taken out of the photosensitive material to be processed flows into the tank 32 and the tank 32.
Both of the processing baths 31 and 32 may have a structure that substantially functions as a bleach-fixing bath when the overflow 33 flows into the bath 31. The processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is often used for a color negative film, and the processing apparatus shown in FIG. Further, a processing tank such as a first developing (black and white) and fogging bath is further added to the color reversal film developing processing apparatus, and a portion relating to the present invention is based on FIGS. 1 and 2. Although the bleaching agent is not included in the development processing of the black and white photosensitive material, an apparatus to which the method of the present invention is applied can be used.

FIG. 3 is shown for comparison, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a reference diagram in which the constituent parts of the present invention of the processing apparatus of FIG. The pipe for sending the washing water from the water storage tank 64 of FIG. 1 to the second washing tank 42 via the liquid sending pump 46 is not provided in FIG. Only the washing water pipe to the tank 43 is provided. Further, a pipe for sending washing water from the second washing tank 42 of FIG. 1 to the second fixing tank 32 via the liquid sending pump 48 is not provided in FIG.
From the first fixing tank 32 to the second fixing tank 32.

(Process Replenishment Mode) With reference to the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 1, the details of the washing water recycling method of the present invention when a color negative film is developed will be described. First, the replenishment amount of the fixing agent (and the bleaching agent) and the supply amount of the washing water or the stabilizing solution for dilution become substantially the same as the supply of the replenisher solution prepared by maintaining an appropriate ratio. The control of the amount of the washing water for dilution or the amount of the stabilizing solution sent will be described.

The preferred photographic light-sensitive material development processing apparatus of the present invention has a light-sensitive material processing amount detecting means 4 for detecting the processing amount of the light-sensitive material. The detecting means 4 reads the number of films to be loaded (inserted) into the developing unit and the length of each film by an infrared photoelectric system, a contact sensor system, or the like for each conveyance system, and processes the film (for example, a 35 mm film). (Converted length). In this embodiment, each time the film reader is sent to the developing tank, the contact sensor at the entrance of the developing tank detects the reader, and the film length is read from the length until the film passes. A contact sensor is provided for each film transport system. The processing agent having the fixing ability and the processing agent having the bleaching ability concentrated in accordance with the processing amount information from the detecting means 4 are replenished to the processing liquid tank 32 having the fixing ability, and at the same time, the second processing agent according to the processing amount information is used. A pump 48 for feeding the washing water or the stabilizing liquid in the washing tank 42 to the processing liquid tank 32 having a fixing function operates to supply the washing water or the stabilizing liquid for dilution. Therefore, the amount of the concentrated replenisher and the washing water for dilution or the stabilizing solution to be replenished to the processing solution tank having the fixing ability is linked to the amount of the photosensitive material to be developed, and the concentration in the processing tank is And the composition is stably maintained.

(Evaporation Compensation Mode) Next, washing water or a stabilizing solution for appropriately compensating for the evaporation of water from the tank having a fixing ability while the developing machine is stopped or the developing operation is stopped. The control of the liquid sending amount will be described. The processing liquid in each tank carries the liquid adhering to the photosensitive material with the transport of the photosensitive material from the previous tank or to the next tank, consumption due to reaction with the photosensitive material components, water evaporation, air oxidation, etc. But if standard daily routines are used, the effects of these variables will be leveled out by replenishment,
The liquid in the processing tank is maintained at a constant composition.

However, the daily processing amount of the photosensitive material varies depending on various factors such as the season, the day of the week, and the region.
Further, when the developing device is stopped, when it is in an operable state but is in a rest state (so-called standby) in which it waits for a photosensitive material to be developed, or when it is in an operating state in which the photosensitive material is actually being developed. Because the evaporation rate of the tank liquid from the processing tank surface differs due to differences in the temperature and the degree of agitation in the tank, it is not sufficient to standardize the processing liquid composition by replenishment corresponding to the processing amount during development processing. Often. For this purpose, the development processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with an evaporation compensation mechanism as a preferred embodiment.

In the preferred developing apparatus for photographic light-sensitive material of the present invention, the evaporated water is compensated for by washing water or a stabilizing solution in a washing tank or stabilizing bath other than the first or last tank.
Thereby, the amount of wastewater is reduced without adversely affecting the photographic performance. To do this, the amount of evaporated water to be compensated is first calculated, which is based on the time and environmental condition data related to the amount of evaporation of the tank liquid from the processing tank surface of the processing apparatus, that is, the stop time of the developing processing apparatus, the stop (standby) ) Working state data such as time and photosensitive material processing time and environmental data such as temperature and humidity of the working place are integrated and recorded on the time axis, and the amount of evaporation from the processing solution tank with fixing ability is calculated based on those data. Ask for it. The obtained evaporation amount has an accuracy sufficient for controlling the concentration of the processing solution, but the accuracy of the method in which a correction based on past results is further added to this calculation program is further improved.

The compensation of the actual evaporation is performed as follows. At the start of the development process on that day, the control unit 5 obtains the evaporation amount according to the work state data and the environmental data after the previous evaporation amount compensation, and the pump 48 that sends the liquid so as to compensate for the obtained evaporation amount is provided. In operation, the washing water or the stabilizing solution in the washing or stabilizing bath 42 is sent to the processing solution tank 32 having a fixing ability. Therefore, it is possible to stably measure the development processing operation for a long period of time by compensating for the scale, seasonal variation, and daily variation of the amount of evaporation in the developing station. This compensation for evaporation is usually made at the start of work on that day,
By washing the inside with water or feeding the stabilizing solution,
Even if the amount of liquid decreases, the washing water or the stabilizing liquid does not flow from the tank 41 by the countercurrent method at the subsequent stage before the start of operation. Therefore, it is preferable that the tank 42 has a mechanism in which the washing water or the stabilizing solution replenisher is directly replenished. 1 and 2, this direct replenishment is performed by a bellows pump 46.

The apparatus of the present invention employs a multi-stage countercurrent washing type washing or stabilizing bath step to reduce the amount of waste liquid relating to the washing or stabilizing solution, and further dilute the washing or stabilizing solution with a replenisher. , Or for compensating for evaporation loss, the effect of reducing the amount of waste liquid is remarkably high. This effect is due to the fact that the amount of the washing or stabilizing solution that is pumped from the washing or stabilizing bath to the processing solution tank having the fixing ability is smaller than the amount of the total washing water or the replenisher for the stabilizing solution supplied to the washing or stabilizing bath. If they are not clearly large, they have no practical value. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the amount of the washing water or the stabilizing solution used as the diluting water is at least 50 times the amount of the total washing water or the stabilizing solution replenishing solution to be supplied to the washing or stabilizing bath on the basis of the total amount per operation day. %, Preferably 60%
This is set as above. However, it is not preferable that this ratio exceeds 80% because it is necessary to secure the washing effect.

For the same reason, the amount of the washing or stabilizing solution to be pumped from the washing or stabilizing bath to the processing solution tank having fixing ability is larger than the overflow amount of the washing or stabilizing bath from the first bath. , Preferably 1.5 times or more the overflow amount. However, in order to maintain the washing effect as described above, the overflow amount does not exceed four times. In short, according to the present invention, 50% or more of a part of the washing or stabilizing liquid which is originally a waste liquid, which contributes most to the total amount of the development processing waste liquid, is used as dilution water of the processing agent concentrated or water for compensating the evaporation amount. It is reused and the amount of waste liquid is reduced accordingly.

(Other Embodiments) When the washing or stabilizing solution for dilution is supplied to a processing solution tank having a fixing ability, the washing water or the stabilizing solution may be directly supplied to the processing solution tank, or the water may be concentrated. The replenisher and the washing water or the stabilizing solution for dilution may be once introduced into the intermediate mixing tank, and if necessary, stirred and mixed using a static mixer or the like, and then supplied to the processing liquid tank.

Since the fixing replenishing tank 63 in FIG. 1 feeds the fixing processing agent directly to the fixing tank without diluting it, the fixing replenishing tank 63 is not necessarily a replenishing tank incorporated as a part of the developing processing apparatus. The container may be directly mounted as a replenishing tank.

Another preferred embodiment is a system in which containers such as a developing agent, a bleaching agent and a fixing agent or a bleach-fixing agent in a container are mounted and the container is automatically opened and automatically mixed. May be used in combination. In this apparatus, the treatment agent composition-filled container mounted in an inverted state is opened, and after the composition inside the container is discharged to a replenishment tank or directly to a treatment tank, the inside of the container is washed with a certain amount of water. Water used for washing is also introduced into a replenishing tank, used as water for preparing a replenishing solution, and development is performed using the replenishing solution thus obtained. This treatment operation method is a method that effectively utilizes the advantage of the combination of the container and the treatment agent composition that is less likely to adhere to the container wall and that is easy to clean. In order to wash the inside of the container with a certain amount of water, spray-type washing is particularly preferable. When a processing agent container is installed in the development processing device, if the container for each processing agent that constitutes the kit for development, bleaching and fixing, etc. is in a cartridge configuration, the mounting and unloading work will be performed at once. And a more labor-saving developing operation is performed.

When a container of the above-described processing agent composition is mounted on an automatic developing apparatus, the lid of the container is automatically opened, and a mechanism for smoothly discharging the fluid content and a spray of washing water inside the container. -Clean without human intervention
An apparatus and a method for easily recycling waste containers that can be handled by a user are disclosed in JP-A-6-82988 and JP-A-8-2207.
No. 22, etc. Since the washing water is used as a part of the preparation water such as the developing replenisher by this method, it does not become a waste liquid.

The mode of supplying the treating agent will be described in more detail. The processing agent containers such as the developing, bleaching, and fixing processing agents that constitute the kit are mounted in a cartridge in a batch in a processing agent container storage section of the development processing apparatus with the opening of the container facing down. The configuration of the bottle 300 as a container for a photographic processing agent will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottle 300 includes a bottle main body 302. The bottle main body 302 is formed in a hollow box shape by a resin material. The upper end of the bottle main body 302 has a tapered shape with a gradually reduced diameter, and a cylindrical neck 306 with a male screw 304 formed on the outer periphery. The upper end of the neck 306 is open, and the above-mentioned replenisher can be taken in and out through this opening. However, the upper end of the neck 306 is provided with a polyethylene (LDPE) sheet member 308 and is sealed until used. The sheet 308 member is provided with a cross-shaped thin notch, which is designed to be easily broken by a constricted hole nozzle for pouring out the contents of the bottle.

The bottle 300 has a cap 310 as a fixing member. This cap 310
It is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom opening toward the neck portion 306, and has a male screw 30 formed on the neck portion 306 on its inner peripheral portion.
The female screw 318 corresponding to 4 is cut and can be screwed to the neck 306. By screwing to the neck 306, the polyethylene sheet 308 can be pressed by the bottom 312 of the cap 310 and the polyethylene sheet 308 can be fixed to the neck 306. Further, a circular opening 314 is formed in the bottom 312 of the cap 310 so that the sheet 308 can be perforated with the cap 310 fitted.

The polyethylene sheet member 308 at the mouth of the bottle which is mounted upside down in the loading section of the developing apparatus.
Then, the constricted nozzle comes into contact with the lower part and breaks, and the contents are put into the replenishing tank. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the constricted nozzle has broken the polyethylene sheet member 308. Subsequently, washing water is sprayed from a spray nozzle 214 attached to the constriction nozzle to wash the inside of the container, and the washing wastewater is also charged into a replenishing tank to form one of diluting water for preparing a replenishing solution from a treating agent. Used as a part.

(Processing Step and Processing Solution) Next, the processing step, processing agent and processing liquid used in the developing apparatus of the present invention will be described. First, in the developing apparatus of the present invention, the fixing ability which is directly related The processing having the following will be described. When the development processing apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for a color photographic light-sensitive material, the configuration of the silver removing step including the processing having the above fixing ability can take various forms as shown below, The processing liquid tank having the fixing ability may be a bleach-fixing tank, a fixing tank, or both, and may further have a bleaching tank in front of the processing liquid tank having the fixing ability.

A typical desilvering step in color development processing comprises the following combination steps depending on the type of light-sensitive material and processing method, but the desilvering step to which the present invention is applied is not limited thereto. It is not done. (Step 1) Bleaching-Fixing (Step 2) Bleaching-Fixing (Step 3) Bleaching-Bleaching-Fixing (Step 4) Bleaching-Bleach-Fixing-Fixing (Step 5) Fixing-Bleach-Fixing Each step of the fixing step may be divided into a plurality of baths as necessary, and a cascade method may be employed. The method of diluting the fixing processing agent of the present invention is applied particularly to the dilution of the fixing processing agent among the above, but can be applied in principle to the bleaching agent. However, application to a bleaching agent having a low concentration due to the limitation of solubility is more difficult than application to a fixing agent having a high concentration.
Since the required amount of dilution water is small, the effect of the invention is reduced.

In the present invention, the washing water or the stabilizing solution from the washing tank or the stabilizing bath is usually sent to the tank having the fixing ability at the end of the silver removing step. This tank is replenished with at least a fixing agent (and optionally a bleaching agent), and is also replenished with water for dilution, which has the same effect as adding a previously prepared replenisher to the tank.

The fixing treatment agent diluted with the washing water or the stabilizing solution is constituted as follows. As the fixing agent, known fixing agents, that is, alkali metal salts and ammonium salts of thiosulfuric acid are used, and among them, ammonium thiosulfate, which can increase the concentration, is often used.

In addition, a secondary silver halide dissolving agent can be added as a fixing aid for the purpose of improving the fixing speed and preventing defective fixing. Fixing aids include thiocyanates such as sodium thiocyanate and ammonium thiocyanate, ethylenebisthioglycolic acid, 3,6
Thioether compounds such as -dithia-1,8-octanediol and water-soluble silver halide dissolving agents such as thioureas, which can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Also, a special bleach-fixing solution comprising a combination of a fixing agent described in JP-A-55-155354 and a large amount of a halide such as potassium iodide can be used. The amount of the fixing agent per liter is preferably 0.3 to 5 mol, more preferably 0.4 to 5 mol.
４4.0 mol. When a fixing aid is used in combination, the amount of addition does not exceed 50 mol% of the fixing agent, and is preferably 30 mol% or less, while the lower limit is a level at which the effect of the additive is exhibited. And at least 0.2 mol%.

The pH range of the fixing agent used in the present invention is preferably from 3 to 8, more preferably from 4 to 7.
When the pH is lower than this, the desilverability is improved, but the deterioration of the solution and the leuco formation of the cyan dye are promoted. Conversely, if the pH is higher than this, desilvering will be delayed and stain will easily occur. In the present invention, when a bleach-fixing processing agent is used as a processing agent having a fixing ability, its pH range is 8 or less, preferably 2 to 7, preferably 2 to 6, as in the case of the above fixing processing agent. Is particularly preferred. If the pH is lower than this, the deterioration of the solution and the leuco conversion of the cyan dye are promoted,
If it is higher than this, desilvering will be delayed and stain will easily occur.

In the present invention, the processing agents in which the washing water or the stabilizing solution is respectively directly replenished into the processing tank are a fixing agent and a bleach-fixing agent. Is substantially the same as the fixing processing agent component, and the following description includes both the fixing processing agent and the bleach-fixing processing agent. The bleaching agent of the bleach-fixing processing component is described in the section of the bleaching agent, which will be described later, and thus will not be described here.

The fixing processing agent and the bleach-fixing processing agent may contain other various types of fluorescent whitening agents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, and organic solvents such as polyvinylpyrrolidone and methanol.

Fixing agents and bleach-fixing agents include sulfites (eg, sodium sulfite, potassium sulfite, ammonium sulfite, etc.) and bisulfites (eg, ammonium bisulfite, sodium bisulfite, Potassium bisulfite, etc.), metabisulfites (eg, potassium metabisulfite, sodium metabisulfite,
It is preferable to contain a sulfite ion releasing compound such as ammonium metabisulfite and the like, and arylsulfinic acid such as p-toluenesulfinic acid and m-carboxybenzenesulfinic acid. These compounds are preferably contained in an amount of about 0.02 to 1.0 mol / liter in terms of sulfite ion or sulfinate ion.

As a preservative, in addition to the above, ascorbic acid, an adduct of carbonyl bisulfite, or a carbonyl compound may be added. Further, a buffer, an optical brightener, a chelating agent, an antifoaming agent, a fungicide, and the like may be added as necessary. The fixing agent is diluted 0.5 to 4.0 times, preferably 1.0 to 3.0 times, with independently supplied washing water or stabilizing solution in the fixing tank. Fixing or bleach-fixing processing time is 5 to 240 seconds, preferably 10 to 240 seconds.
60 seconds. The processing temperature is from 25C to 60C, preferably from 30C to 50C. The replenishing amount is ²⁰ ml to 250 ml, preferably 30 ml to 100 ml, particularly preferably 15 ml per m ² of the photosensitive material in total with the dilution water.
６０60 ml.

(Washing or Stabilizing Bath Step) After the processing step using a processing solution having a fixing ability, a washing or stabilizing bath processing step is performed. Since the purpose of this washing step is to remove the processing solution components adhering to the photosensitive material and to ensure the storability of the image after the development processing, simple water is used. A water softener may be added to remove the effects of metal ions dissolved therein, or a bactericide or disinfectant may be added to suppress the generation of algae or microorganisms. The main purpose of the stabilizing bath step is to replace the washing step, and in addition, an additive for improving the preservability of the image after the development processing is added. For the purpose of the present invention, both the washing water and the stabilizing solution can be used without distinction. The following description is common to both unless otherwise specified. Usually, the number of stages in the multi-stage countercurrent system is preferably 3 to 15, more preferably 3 to 10, and particularly preferably 3 or 4 from the viewpoint of satisfying both requirements of the washing effect and the simplicity of the apparatus.

To the washing water and the stabilizing solution, a hard water softener for reducing the content of calcium and magnesium described in JP-A-62-288838 is added to suppress the generation of the algae and microorganisms described above. Isothiazolone compounds and cyabendazoles described in JP-A-57-8542,
No. 45, chlorinated fungicides such as chlorinated sodium isocyanurate, benzotriazole, copper ions described in JP-A-61-26761, and others. Year) Sankyo Publishing Co., Sanitary Technology Association, "Microbial Disinfection, Sterilization, and Antifungal Technology" (1982) Industrial Technology Association, Japan Society of Antimicrobial and Fungicide, "Encyclopedia of Antimicrobial and Antifungal Agents" (1986) The described fungicides can be added.

The stabilizing solution includes an aldehyde compound represented by formalin as a compound having an image stabilizing function,
A buffer for adjusting the membrane pH suitable for dye stabilization,
Ammonium compounds. Also, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, which inactivates the remaining magenta coupler and prevents the fading of the dye and the generation of stain,
Aldehydes such as pyruvaldehyde, US Patent No. 4
No. 786,583, methylol compounds and hexamethylenetetramine, JP-A-2-153348, hexahydrotriazines, formaldehyde bisulfite adducts described in U.S. Pat. And azolylmethylamines described in the above item.

In addition, 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,
It is also a preferred embodiment to use a chelating agent such as 1-diphosphonic acid or ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid, or a magnesium or bismuth compound.

In particular, in the case of developing a color negative film, for example, either washing with water or stabilizing bath treatment may be selected, but the stabilizing bath process may be performed after the washing process. The preferred pH of the washing or stabilizing solution is 4 to
10, more preferably 5 to 8. The temperature can be set variously depending on the use, characteristics, etc. of the photosensitive material.
C. to 50C, preferably 25C to 45C.

A so-called rinsing bath may be provided between the washing and stabilizing bath steps used after the desilvering step. The rinsing bath is provided in order to increase the efficiency of recovering silver from the waste liquid of the development processing, or to reduce the environmental load of washing or stabilizing liquid wastewater. The processing steps having a fixing ability directly related to the development processing performed by the development processing apparatus of the present invention, the water-washing and stabilizing bath processing steps, and the processing agents and processing liquids used in those steps have been described.

(Other Processing Steps, Processing Agents, and Processing Liquids) Next, processing agents, processing liquids, and the like other than those described above will be described as supplementary explanations other than those described above of the development processing performed by the development processing apparatus of the present invention. . The color developing composition contains a color developing agent, and a preferred example is a known aromatic primary amine color developing agent, particularly a p-phenylenediamine derivative. Representative examples are shown below.

1) N, N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine 2) 4-amino-N, N-diethyl-3-methylaniline 3) 4-amino-N- (β-hydroxyethyl) -N-
Methylaniline 4) 4-amino-N-ethyl-N- (β-hydroxyethyl) aniline 5) 4-amino-N-ethyl-N- (β-hydroxyethyl) -3-methylaniline 6) 4-amino- N-ethyl-N- (3-hydroxypropyl) -3-methylaniline 7) 4-amino-N-ethyl-N- (4-hydroxybutyl) -3-methylaniline 8) 4-amino-N-ethyl- N- (β-methanesulfonamidoethyl) -3-methylaniline 9) 4-amino-N, N-diethyl-3- (β-hydroxyethyl) aniline 10) 4-amino-N-ethyl-N- (β -Methoxyethyl) -3 methyl-aniline 11) 4-Amino-N- (β-ethoxyethyl) -N-
Ethyl-3-methylaniline 12) 4-amino-N- (3-carbamoylpropyl-
Nn-propyl-3-methylaniline 13) 4-amino-N- (4-carbamoylbutyl-N
-N-propyl-3-methylaniline 15) N- (4-amino-3-methylphenyl) -3-
Hydroxypyrrolidine 16) N- (4-amino-3-methylphenyl) -3-
(Hydroxymethyl) pyrrolidine 17) N- (4-amino-3-methylphenyl) -3-
Pyrrolidine carboxamide

Among the above-mentioned p-phenylenediamine derivatives, particularly preferred active compounds are exemplified compounds 5), 6), 7),
8) and 12), among which compounds 5) and 8) are frequently used. Further, these p-phenylenediamine derivatives are usually in the form of salts such as sulfate, hydrochloride, sulfite, naphthalenedisulfonic acid and p-toluenesulfonic acid in a solid material state. The color developing composition is used in the form of a development replenisher (or a further diluted developer) by mixing it with water at a predetermined ratio at the time of use. The concentration of the secondary amine developing agent is preferably from 2 mmol to 2 mol / l of developer.
The amount is from 00 mmol, more preferably from 12 mmol to 200 mmol, even more preferably from 12 mmol to 150 mmol.

Usually, a hydroxylamine derivative or a salt thereof or an N-alkylhydroxylamine or a salt thereof is often added to a color developing solution, and as a preservative, alkanolamines, hydroxylamine derivatives, hydroxamic acids, Hydrazides, phenols,
α-hydroxy ketones, α-amino ketones, sugars,
Polyethyleneimines, monoamines, diamines, polyamines, quaternary ammonium salts, nitroxy radicals, alcohols, oximes, diamide compounds,
Condensed amines are particularly effective. These are JP-A-63-4235, JP-A-63-30845, JP-A-63-21647, and JP-A-63-446.
No. 55, No. 63-53551, No. 63-43140, No. 63-56654, No.
63-58346, 63-43138, 63-146041, 63-446
No. 57, No. 63-44656, U.S. Pat.Nos. 3,615,503, 2,49
No. 4,903, JP-A-52-143020, JP-B-48-30496 and the like. In the case of forming a color developing agent, the preservative may be a one-part processing agent having the same part as the developing agent or a two-part or more processing agent in another part.

A color developing solution (especially a developing solution for color printing materials) usually contains chloride ions at 3.5 × 10 ^{-2 to} 1.5 × 10 ^-1.
Although it often contains mol / liter, chloride ion is
Usually, it is released to the developer as a by-product of the development, so that it is often unnecessary to add it to the replenisher. Regarding the content of bromide ion, the situation is the same as in the case of chlorine ion. Bromine ions in the color developing solution are 1 to 5 × 10 ^{−3 in} the processing of the photographic material.
Mol / l, about 1.0 ×
10 ^-3 mol / l or less.

When the photosensitive material to be developed is color photographic paper, it is important that the white background of the screen is white. 4,4'-diamino-2,
A 2'-disulfostilbene-based fluorescent whitening agent may be added to the color developer. This stilbene-based fluorescent whitening agent can be added to any of a desilvering solution and a photosensitive material in addition to a color developing solution. When it is contained in a color developing solution, its preferred concentration is from 1 × 10 ^{-4 to} 5 × 10 ^-2 mol / l, more preferably from 2 × 10 ^-4 to 1 × 10 ^-2 mol / l. . The processing agent composition of the present invention is added in such an amount that the development in use contains the optical brightener at this concentration level.

The color developing solution and the developing replenisher are used at pH 9.5 or more, more preferably at 10.0 to 12.5.
In order to stably maintain the pH, it is preferable to use various buffers. Examples of the buffer include phosphate, borate, tetraborate, hydroxybenzoate, glycyl, N, N-dimethylglycine, leucine, norleucine, and guanine in addition to the above-mentioned carbonate. 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine salt, alanine salt, aminobutyrate,
2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol salt, valine salt, proline salt, trishydroxyaminomethane salt, lysine salt and the like can be used. The amount of the buffer is the concentration in the diluted color development replenisher,
It is added to the composition in an amount of 0.01 to 2 mol / l or more, particularly 0.1 mol / l to 0.5 mol / l.

The color developing composition may contain other components of the color developing solution, for example, various chelating agents which are precipitation inhibitors for calcium and magnesium or improve the stability of the color developing solution. . For example,
Nitrilotriacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, N, N, N-trimethylenephosphonic acid, ethylenediamine-N, N, N ', N'-tetramethylenesulfonic acid, ethylenediamine N, N-disuccinic acid, N , N-di (carboxylate) -L-aspartic acid, β-alanine disuccinic acid, transsilohexanediaminetetraacetic acid, 1,2-diaminopropanetetraacetic acid, glycol etherdiaminetetraacetic acid, ethylenediamine orthohydroxyphenylacetic acid, 2- Phosphonobutane-1,
2,4-tricarboxylic acid, 1-hydroxyethylidene-
1,1-diphosphonic acid, N, N′-bis (2-hydroxybenzyl) ethylenediamine-N, N′-diacetic acid,
1,2-dihydroxybenzene-4,6-disulfonic acid and the like. These chelating agents may be used as needed.
More than one species may be used in combination. The amount of these chelating agents may be an amount sufficient to block metal ions in the color developer. For example, it is added so as to be about 0.1 g to 10 g per liter.

An optional development accelerator can be added to the color developer if necessary. Examples of the development accelerator include known thioether compounds, p-phenylenediamine compounds, quaternary ammonium salts, amine compounds, polyalkylene oxides, other 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidones, imidazoles described in various publications. , Etc. can be added as needed.

Further, an optional antifoggant can be added to the color developing solution, if necessary. As the antifoggant, an alkali metal halide and an organic antifoggant can be used. Examples of the organic antifoggant include benzotriazole, 6-nitrobenzimidazole, 5-nitroisoindazole, 5-methylbenzotriazole, 5-nitrobenzotriazole, 5-chloro-benzotriazole, 2-thiazolyl-benzimidazole, Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds such as -thiazolylmethyl-benzimidazole, indazole, hydroxyazaindolizine and adenine can be mentioned as typical examples. Further, various surfactants such as polyalkylene glycols, alkylsulfonic acids, arylsulfonic acids, aliphatic carboxylic acids, and aromatic carboxylic acids may be added.

The processing temperature of color development is 30 to 55 ° C., preferably 35 to 55 ° C., and more preferably 3 to 55 ° C. when the photosensitive material to be developed is a color print material.
8 to 45 ° C. The development processing time is 5 to 90 seconds, preferably 15 to 60 seconds. Replenishment rate is desirably small, but the photosensitive material 1 m ² per 15~600m
l is suitable, preferably 15 to 120 ml, particularly preferably 30 to 60 ml.

On the other hand, in the case of color development of a color negative or color reversal film, the development temperature is 20 to 55, preferably 30 to 55 ° C., and more preferably 38 to 45 ° C. . The development processing time is from 20 seconds to 6 minutes, and preferably from 30 to 200 seconds. Also, in the case of color reversal, the time is preferably 1 to 4 minutes. While replenishing amount is desirably small, the photosensitive material 1 m ² per 100
800 ml is suitable, preferably 200-500 ml, particularly preferably 250-400 ml. The color developer for the processing used in the present invention and the development replenisher or developer prepared therefrom have been described above.

(Supplement of processing having fixing ability) The conditions such as the composition of the fixing processing agent and the bleach-fixing processing agent and the processing solution obtained therefrom, the temperature of the bleach-fixing step, and the processing time have already been described. A few supplements are made for The bleach-fixing solution used in the present invention is particularly preferably subjected to aeration during processing, since photographic performance is extremely stably maintained. Any means known in the art can be used for aeration, and air can be blown or absorbed using an ejector. When blowing air, it is preferable to discharge air into the liquid through an air diffuser having fine pores. Such a diffuser is widely used for an aeration tank in activated sludge treatment. Regarding aeration, Eastman Kodak Company, Z-121, Using Process C-41 Third Edition (1982), BL-1 to BL
Items described on page-2 can be used. In the processing using the processing solution having the bleaching ability of the present invention, it is preferable that the stirring is strengthened.
The contents described on page 8, upper right column, line 6 to lower left column, line 2 of JP-A-7 can be used as they are.

In the desilvering step, it is preferable that the stirring is strengthened as much as possible. As a specific method of strengthening the stirring, a method described in JP-A-62-183460, in which a jet of a processing solution is made to impinge on the emulsion surface of a light-sensitive material, or a method using a rotating means described in JP-A-62-183461, is used. A method for improving the effect, a method for moving the photosensitive material while bringing the wiper blade provided in the solution into contact with the emulsion surface, and making the emulsion surface turbulent to improve the stirring effect, and a circulation of the entire processing solution. There is a method of increasing the flow rate. Such a stirring improving means includes a bleaching solution, a bleach-fixing solution,
It is effective in any of the fixing solutions. It is considered that improving the stirring speeds up the supply of the bleaching agent and the fixing agent into the emulsion film, and consequently increases the desilvering speed. Further, the above-described means for improving the stirring is more effective when a bleaching accelerator is used, and can significantly increase the accelerating effect or eliminate the fixing inhibiting effect of the bleaching accelerator.

(Bleaching Step and Bleaching Processing) In the developing step performed by the developing apparatus of the present invention, when a bleaching step is added before the bleach-fixing step or the fixing step,
Known bleaching agents can be used as the bleaching solution and the bleaching agent. Among them, organic complex salts of iron (III) (for example, complex salts of aminopolycarboxylic acids) or citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, etc. Organic acids, persulfates, hydrogen peroxide and the like are preferably used.

Of these, organic complex salts of iron (III) are particularly preferred from the viewpoint of rapid processing and prevention of environmental pollution. Iron (III)
Examples of aminopolycarboxylic acids or salts thereof useful for forming an organic complex salt of the following are biodegradable ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (SS form), N- (2-carboxylateethyl) -L-asparagine Acid, beta-alanine diacetate, methyliminodiacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, 1,3
-Diaminopropanetetraacetic acid, propylenediaminetetraacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid,
Iminodiacetic acid, glycol ether diamine tetraacetic acid, and the like. These compounds may be any of the sodium, potassium, lithium or ammonium salts. Among these compounds, ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (SS form), N- (2-carboxylateethyl)
-L-aspartic acid, beta-alanine diacetate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 1,3-diaminopropanetetraacetic acid, and methyliminodiacetic acid are preferred because their iron (III) complex salts have good photographic properties. These ferric ion complex salts may be used in the form of complex salts or ferric salts such as ferric sulfate, ferric chloride, ferric nitrate, ferric ammonium sulfate, ferric phosphate. And a chelating agent such as aminopolycarboxylic acid may be used to form a ferric ion complex salt in a solution. In addition, the chelating agent may be used in excess of forming a ferric ion complex salt.

The addition amount of these organic complexes of iron (III) is 0.01 to 1.0 mol / l, preferably 0.05 to 0.50 mol / l, more preferably 0.10 to 1.0 mol / l in the replenisher. 0.50 mol / l and the bleach treating agent is designed to be replenished at this concentration upon dilution.

When the photosensitive material to be processed is color negative or color,
In the case of a reversal film, the bleaching time is usually 10 seconds to 6 minutes and 30 seconds, preferably 30 seconds to 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
The bleaching process for color print materials takes 10 seconds to 1 minute.

The other components of the bleaching solution and the components added to the fixing solution are substantially the same as those of the bleach-fixing agent of the present invention described above and the bleach-fixing solution prepared therefrom, and are therefore omitted here.

(Supplement of washing or stabilizing bath step) After desilvering such as fixing or bleach-fixing, washing with water or a stabilizing solution alternative to washing with water,
It is common to carry out a stabilizing solution treatment or both.
The relationship between the number of washing tanks and the amount of water in the multi-stage countercurrent method of washing or stabilizing bath treatment is described in the Journal of the Society of Moti
on Picture and Television Engineers) Volume 64, p.248
253 (May 1955).

(Drying Step) Drying is performed following the step of washing with water or treating with a stable liquid. From the viewpoint of reducing the amount of water brought into the image film, drying can be accelerated by absorbing water with a squeeze roller or cloth immediately after leaving the washing bath. As a means of improvement from the dryer side, as a matter of course, it is possible to accelerate the drying by increasing the temperature, changing the shape of the spray nozzle and increasing the drying air. Further, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-157650, drying can be accelerated by adjusting the blowing angle of the drying air to the photosensitive material or by removing the discharged air.

(Photosensitive Material) A color photographic photosensitive material to which a developing method using the developing apparatus of the present invention is applied will be described. The method of the present invention can be applied to color and black-and-white photographic materials in general, regardless of whether they are for photography or printing. That is, it can be applied to any development processing of a color negative film, a color reversal film, a color photographic paper, a black and white film and a photographic paper.
It can be applied to both movies and professionals.

The photosensitive material may have at least one photosensitive layer provided on a support. A typical example is
A silver halide photographic material having at least one photosensitive layer unit comprising a plurality of silver halide emulsion layers having substantially the same color sensitivity but different sensitivities on a support. The photosensitive layer unit is a unit photosensitive unit layer having color sensitivity to any of blue light, green light, and red light, and in a multilayer silver halide color photographic photosensitive material,
The unit photosensitive layer unit is overlaid. A non-light-sensitive layer may be provided between the silver halide light-sensitive layers and as the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer.

These may contain a coupler, a DIR compound, a color mixing inhibitor and the like described below. The plurality of silver halide emulsion layers constituting each photosensitive layer unit are DE1,
121,470, GB923,045, JP-A-57-1
No. 12751, No. 62-200350, No. 62-20
Various arrangements can be formed on the support as described in JP-A-6541 and JP-A-62-206543. As specific examples, from the farthest side from the support, a low-sensitivity blue photosensitive layer (BL) / a high-sensitivity blue photosensitive layer (BH) / a high-sensitivity green photosensitive layer (GH) / a low-sensitivity green photosensitive layer (GL) / a high-sensitivity red It is installed in the order of photosensitive layer (RH) / low-sensitivity red photosensitive layer (RL), or in the order of BH / BL / GL / GH / RH / RL, or in the order of BH / BL / GH / GL / RL / RH. be able to. In addition, JP-B-55-34932, JP-A-56-25738 and JP-A-62-6393.
As described in No. 6, each of the constituent layers of GL, RL, and BL does not necessarily have to be integrated into an integrated multilayer structure, and a low-sensitive layer or a high-sensitive layer may be separated.

As described in JP-B-49-15495, the upper layer is a silver halide emulsion layer having the highest sensitivity, the middle layer is a silver halide emulsion layer having a lower sensitivity, and the lower layer is a layer having a lower sensitivity than the middle layer. Further, there is an arrangement in which a silver halide emulsion layer having a low sensitivity is arranged and three layers having different sensitivities are sequentially reduced in sensitivity toward a support. Even in the case of such three layers having different sensitivities, different configurations are possible as in JP-A-59-202264. To improve color reproducibility, US 4,6
63,271, 4,705,744, 4,70
7,436, JP-A-62-160448, JP-A-63-160448.
A donor layer (CL) having a multilayer effect having a spectral sensitivity distribution different from that of the main photosensitive layer such as BL, GL, and RL described in the specification of 89850 may be arranged adjacent to or close to the main photosensitive layer.

The light-sensitive silver halide emulsion in the light-sensitive material as a positive material such as color paper has a silver chloride content of at least 95 mol%, the balance being silver bromide, and substantially no silver iodide. It preferably comprises silver halide grains. Here, "substantially free of silver iodide" means that the silver iodide content is 1 mol% or less, preferably 0.2 mol% or less, more preferably 0 mol%. From the viewpoint of rapid processing, the silver halide emulsion is preferably a silver halide emulsion having a silver chloride content of 98 mol% or more.
Among such silver halides, those having a silver bromide localized phase on the surface of silver chloride grains are particularly preferable since high sensitivity can be obtained and photographic performance can be stabilized.

The silver halide emulsion contained in at least one photosensitive silver halide emulsion layer has a coefficient of variation in grain size distribution (standard deviation of grain size distribution divided by average grain size) of 15% or less. Some are preferred and 1
Monodispersed emulsions of 0% or less are more preferred. It is preferable to use two or more of the above monodispersed emulsions in the same layer for the purpose of obtaining a wide latitude. At this time, the monodispersed emulsions preferably differ in average grain size by 15% or more, more preferably 20 to 60%, and even more preferably 25 to 50%. The sensitivity difference between the monodispersed emulsions is preferably from 0.15 to 0.50 logE, more preferably from 0.20 to 0.40 logE, even more preferably from 0.25 to 0.35 logE. .

In order to obtain a positive image, iron and / or ruthenium and / or osmium compounds are added to silver chlorobromide having a silver chloride content of 95 mol% or more, which does not substantially contain silver iodide, per mol of silver halide. 1 × 10 ^-5 to 1 × 10 ^-3
It is effective to use a silver halide emulsion containing the iridium compound in an amount of 1 × 10 ⁻⁷ to 1 × 10 ⁻⁵ mol per mol of silver halide in the silver bromide localized phase.

For a color photographic material for photographing purposes, for example, a multilayer color negative film or a color reversal film, tabular grains having a silver iodobromide internal structure or non-tabular multi-structure grains are mainly used. Preferred silver halide is about 30
Silver iodobromide, silver iodochloride, or silver iodochlorobromide containing not more than mol% of silver iodide. Particularly preferred is silver iodobromide or silver iodochlorobromide containing from about 2 mol% to about 10 mol% silver iodide. Silver halide grains in photographic emulsions include those having regular crystals such as cubic, octahedral and tetradecahedral, those having irregular crystalline forms such as spheres and plates, twin planes, etc. Or a composite form thereof. The silver halide may be fine grains having a grain size of about 0.2 μm or less or large grains having a projected area diameter of about 10 μm, and may be a polydisperse emulsion or a monodisperse emulsion. The silver halide photographic emulsion usable in the present invention is, for example, Research Disclosure (hereinafter abbreviated as RD) No. 17643 (December 1978), pp. 22-23, "I. Emulsion Production (Emulsion p.
reparation and types) ”and No. 18716
(November 1979), p. 648, ibid. 30710
5 (11/1989), pages 863 to 865, and Grafkid, "Physics and Chemistry of Photography", published by Paul Montell (P. Glafkides, Chemie et Phisique Photographique,
Paul Montel, 1967), "Photographic Emulsion Chemistry" by Duffin, Focal Press (GFDuffin, Photographi)
c Emulsion Chemistry, Focal Press, 1966), "Production and Coating of Photographic Emulsions" by Zeligman et al., Published by Focal Press (VLZelikman, et al., Making and Coating Ph.
otographic Emulsion, Focal Press, 1964).

US Pat. Nos. 3,574,628 and 3,655
Monodisperse emulsions described in 394 and GB 1,413,748 are also preferred. Tabular grains having an aspect ratio of about 3 or more can also be used in the present invention. Tabular grains are written by Gatoff, Photographic Science and Engineering (Gutoff, Photographic Sciencean).
d Engineering), Vol. 14, pp. 248-257 (197
0); US Pat. Nos. 4,434,226 and 4,414,31
0, 4,433,048, 4,439,520 and GB 2,112,157. The crystal structure may be uniform, or the inside and outside may be composed of different halogen compositions,
It may have a layered structure. Silver halides having different compositions may be joined by epitaxial joining, or may be joined to a compound other than silver halide, such as, for example, silver rhodanate or lead oxide. Also, a mixture of particles of various crystal forms may be used. The above emulsion may be either a surface latent image type in which a latent image is mainly formed on the surface, an internal latent image type in which the latent image is formed inside the grains, or a type having a latent image on both the surface and the inside. It is necessary to be. Among the internal latent image type emulsions, core / shell type internal latent image type emulsions described in JP-A-63-264740 may be used.
This preparation method is described in JP-A-59-133542. Although the thickness of the shell of this emulsion varies depending on the development process and the like, it is preferably 3 to 40 nm, particularly preferably 5 to 20 nm.

For the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material to be used in the present invention, conventional photographic materials and additives can be used. For the purpose of the present invention, polyethylene terephthalate,
Polyethylene naphthalate, a transparent film support such as cellulose triacetate, and a polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, cellulose triacetate, a reflection type support provided with a light reflecting layer on paper or the like are preferable, and in the latter, a plurality of polyethylene layers or polyester layers are used. A reflective support that is laminated and contains a white pigment such as titanium oxide in at least one of such water-resistant resin layers (laminated layers) is preferred.

It is preferable that the water-resistant resin layer contains a fluorescent whitening agent. The fluorescent whitening agent may be dispersed in the hydrophilic colloid layer of the light-sensitive material. As the fluorescent whitening agent, preferably, benzoxazole type, coumarin type,
A pyrazoline-based fluorescent whitening agent can be used, and a benzoxazolylnaphthalene-based or benzooxazolylstilbene-based fluorescent whitening agent is more preferable. The amount used is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 to 100 mg / m ² . The mixing ratio in the case of mixing with the water-resistant resin is preferably 0.0005 to 3% by weight with respect to the resin, and more preferably 0.1 to 3% by weight.
001 to 0.5% by weight.

The light-sensitive material according to the present invention can be decolorized on a hydrophilic colloid layer by a process described in EP 0,337,490 A2, pages 27 to 76, for the purpose of improving the sharpness of the image. Dyes (especially oxonol dyes) so that the optical reflection density at 680 nm of the light-sensitive material is 0.70 or more, or when dihydric alcohols are added to the water-resistant resin layer of the support. (E.g., trimethylolethane) or the like.
It is preferable that the content be at least 10% by weight (more preferably at least 14% by weight).

The light-sensitive material according to the present invention is protected against various molds and bacteria which propagate in the hydrophilic colloid layer and deteriorate the image as described in JP-A-63-271247. It is preferred to add a fungicide.

The light-sensitive material according to the present invention may be exposed to visible light or infrared light. The exposure method may be low-illuminance exposure or high-illuminance short-time exposure. In the latter case, a laser scanning exposure method in which the exposure time per pixel is shorter than 10 ^-4 seconds is preferred.

The silver halide emulsion and other materials (additives, etc.) and photographic constituent layers (layer arrangement, etc.) applied to the light-sensitive material according to the present invention, and the processing method applied for processing this light-sensitive material And processing additives, EP 0,355,660A2, JP-A-2-33144 and JP-A-62
Those described in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 215272 or those listed in Table 1 below are preferably used.

[0093]

[Table 1]

The photosensitive material to which the present invention is applied includes a color image preservability improving compound as described in European Patent EP 0,277,589 A2, a pyrazoloazole coupler,
It is preferable to use in combination with the above pyrrolotriazole coupler and acylacetamide type yellow coupler.

Examples of the cyan coupler include phenol type couplers and naphthol type couplers described in the publicly known documents listed in the above table, as well as JP-A-2-33144.
JP, EP 0333185 A2, JP-A-6
4-32260, European Patent EP 0 456 226 A1, European Patent EP 0 484 909, European Patent EP
You may use the cyan coupler of the specification of 0488248 and EP0491197A1. In particular, JP-A-5-150423, JP-A-5-255333 and JP-A-5-255333.
No. 202004, No. 7-048376, No. 9-189
Application to development processing of a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material containing a pyrrolotriazole derivative described in a publication such as 988 as a cyan coupler is also effective. But,
Of course, the method of the present invention can also be applied to a photosensitive material containing a cyan coupler other than the pyrrolotriazole type coupler.

Examples of the magenta coupler include 5-pyrazolone-based magenta couplers as described in the publicly known documents in the above table, as well as those described in WO92 / 18901, WO92 / 18902 and WO92 / 18903. Are also preferred. In addition to these 5-pyrazolone magenta couplers, known pyrazoloazole type couplers are used in the present invention. Among them, hue and image stability,
The pyrazolo described in JP-A-61-65245, JP-A-61-65246, JP-A-61-14254, and EP-A-226,849A and EP-A-294,785A in terms of coloring properties and the like. The use of azole couplers is preferred.

As the yellow coupler, known acylacetanilide-type couplers are preferably used.
07701, JP-A-5-113462, European Patent E
The couplers described in P-0482552A and EP-0524540A are preferably used.

The color negative film to which the present invention is applied preferably has a magnetic recording layer. The magnetic recording layer used in the present invention will be described. The magnetic recording layer used in the present invention is obtained by coating a support with an aqueous or organic solvent-based coating solution in which magnetic particles are dispersed in a binder. The magnetic particles used in the present invention are γF
ferromagnetic iron oxide such as e ₂ O ₃ , Co-coated γFe ₂ O ₃ , Co
Deposited magnetite, Co-containing magnetite, ferromagnetic chromium dioxide, ferromagnetic metal, ferromagnetic alloy and the like can be used.

The binder used for the magnetic particles may be a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, a radiation-curable resin, a reactive resin, an acid, an alkali or a biodegradable polymer, or a natural material described in JP-A-4-219569. Combinations (cellulose derivatives, sugar derivatives, etc.) and mixtures thereof can be used. For example, polyurethane resin, polyurethane
Examples thereof include polyester resins, vinyl copolymers, cellulose derivatives, acrylic resins, and polyvinyl acetal resins, and gelatin is also preferable.

In the magnetic recording layer, lubricity improvement, curl control,
It may have functions such as antistatic, antiadhesion, and head polishing, or may provide another functional layer to provide these functions. At least one of the particles has a Mohs hardness of 5 or more. Abrasives of the above non-spherical inorganic particles are preferred. As the composition of the non-spherical inorganic particles, oxides such as aluminum oxide, chromium oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, silicon carbide, carbides such as silicon carbide and titanium carbide, and fine powders such as diamond are preferable. US Pat. No. 5,336,589 and US Pat. No. 5,250,4 have disclosed a light-sensitive material having a magnetic recording layer.
04, 5,229,259, 5,215,874,
It is described in EP 466,130.

In the light-sensitive materials to be applied to these, antistatic agents are preferably used. Examples of such antistatic agents include polymers containing carboxylic acid and carboxylate and sulfonate, cationic polymers, and ionic surfactant compounds. Further, it is preferable that the photosensitive material has a slip property. The slip agent-containing layer is preferably used on both the photosensitive layer surface and the back surface. As a preferable slip property, the dynamic friction coefficient is 0.25 or less and 0.01 or more,
Preferred are polyorganosiloxanes, higher fatty acid amides, higher fatty acid metal salts, esters of higher fatty acids and higher alcohols, and the like.

The light-sensitive material preferably contains a matting agent. The matting agent may be on either the emulsion side or the back side, but is particularly preferably added to the outermost layer on the emulsion side. The matting agent may be soluble in the processing solution or insoluble in the processing solution, and preferably both are used in combination. For example, polymethyl methacrylate, poly (methyl methacrylate / methacrylic acid = 9/1 or 5/5 (molar ratio)), polystyrene particles, colloidal silica and the like are preferable.

[0103]

EXAMPLES The embodiments of the developing apparatus of the present invention will be further described with reference to the following examples. 1. 1 is a developing device for a color negative film, and the film is transported from the bleaching tank 21 to the fixing tank 31 through the crossover 15, but the overflow of the bleaching tank 21 is performed. In many cases, a method is adopted in which the ink does not flow into the fixing tank. The same applies to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG.
To a bleach-fixing tank. In the present embodiment, the bleaching tank 21 and the fixing tanks 31 and 32 are in the form of a two-liquid desilvering step of separating the bleaching tank and the fixing tank. Also,
The color negative film to be developed includes a commercially available Fuji color negative with an ISO sensitivity of 100 which has been subjected to almost standard exposure.
Using FUJICOLOR SUPER V 100, Fuji Color Negative with ISO sensitivity 400, and FUJICOLOR SUPER G ACE 400, 135-24EX (35 mm roll film, 2
4 shots) at a rate of almost 40/60 per day
Each book was developed 6 days a week for 6 weeks.

The replenishing amounts of the color developing tank 11, the bleaching tank 21, the second fixing tank 32, and the final stabilizing bath 43,
The supply amount of the washing water for dilution from the second washing tank 42 to the second fixing tank 32 per film is determined by each of the liquid feed pumps 12, 12a, 22, 34, 48, and 48 when replenishing each tank. 4
Table 2 shows the discharge times and discharge amounts of 7, 47a, and 46 (that is, the replenishment amounts for each drive of the pump) and the time intervals of pump drive. The pump used a bellows pump to maintain the required accuracy. With this replenishment system, the final stabilizing bath has a total of 30% of 28.4 ml of washing water and 1.6 ml of stabilizing solution per film.
Milliliter replenishment is provided by bellows pumps 47 and 47a. Therefore, an overflow of 30 ml flows from the final stabilizing bath to the second stabilizing bath and replenishment is performed, and 15 ml of the overflow is sent to the second fixing bath by the bellows pump 48 and fixed by the fixing agent bellows pump 34. Fixing replenisher used to dilute 7.5 milliliters of the processing agent into the second fixing tank, and thus dilute and prepare a three-fold concentrated fixing agent.
The same replenishment effect as when 5 ml are replenished is obtained. The overflow of the second fixing tank is sent to the first fixing tank. Since some bleaching liquid is brought in from the bleaching tank 21 in this tank, there is also a bleach-fixing action to some extent, which contributes to speeding up the desilvering process.

The developing apparatus for color negative in this embodiment is provided with a processing agent cartridge storage section at the upper part of the apparatus described in the specification, and a developing agent, a bleaching agent and a fixing agent are respectively provided in these portions. Of cartridges packaged in a lump. Each treatment agent container has the 3 shown in FIG.
1300ml plastic bottle (HDP
E) The bottles 300 are placed side by side with the mouth of the bottle down, and when the door of the dispensing unit is closed, the piercing nozzle 188 moves upward from below as shown in FIG. The sheet 308 is pierced and the composition solution contained therein is poured into the replenishing tank. Then the nozzle hole 2 of the squeezing nozzle
In this method, a certain amount of washing water is jetted from 14 to wash the inside of the bottle, and the washing water also flows down to the replenishing tank and is used as diluting water to prepare the replenishing solution. The developing replenisher is prepared by mixing the color developing agent discharged into the replenisher, washing water for the processing agent bottle, and a predetermined amount of dilution water for preparing the replenisher in the replenisher, and is stored in the developer replenisher 61. You. The bleach replenisher is similarly prepared and stored in the bleach replenisher 62, but the amount of dilution water for the preparation is designed to be smaller than in the case of the color developing replenisher. In the case of the fixing replenisher, the fixing replenisher is a mixture of the fixing agent discharged from the fixing agent bottle and the bottle cleaning water, and is stored in the fixing replenisher tank 63 without adding further dilution water. In addition, as a precautionary measure, the concentrated fixing replenisher in the fixing replenisher tank 63 is a mixture of 1320 ml of the fixing agent composition discharged from the bottle and 180 ml of washing water to make 1.5 liter. Since the concentration is substantially the same as the fixing agent composition and the concentration of the normal replenisher is reduced by the dilution water from the intermediate rinsing bath (second rinsing tub 42), the concentrated fixing replenishment in the fixing replenishing tub 63 in this specification. The liquid is also referred to as a fixing agent.

2. Compensation of Evaporated Moisture At the start of daily development processing, compensation of evaporation from the processing tank is performed as follows. (1) When the main switch of the developing device is turned on, the calculation program of the control unit 5 calculates the amount of evaporation while each tank is stopped together with the start of temperature adjustment and the like. (2) Temperature control of the final stabilization bath and circulation of the liquid are started. (3) The calculated amount of the stabilizing solution of the control unit 5 is supplied from the stabilizing solution replenishing tank 64 to the final stabilizing bath 43 through the three-way valve 49 and the stabilizing solution bellows pump 47 to compensate for the evaporation of the stabilizing bath. (4) Temperature control of the first and second fixing tanks and circulation of the liquid are started. (5) The calculated amount of the stable liquid from the second stabilizing bath 42 is supplied to the second fixing bath via the bellows pump 48 to supply the evaporated amount in the first and second fixing baths. At this time, even if the alarm "caution of low liquid level" of the second stable tub sounds, it is ignored. (6) Temperature control of the second stabilizing bath and circulation of the liquid are started. (7) The amount of evaporation in the first and second stabilizing baths and the amount of liquid sent to the fixing bath are supplied from the stabilizing solution replenishing tank 64 to the second stabilizing bath 42 via the three-way valve 49 and the bellows pump 46.

In addition, although not directly related to the present invention, reference will be made to the compensation for evaporation of a washing or stabilizing bath, which is an embodiment of the present embodiment associated with deserting treatment, for reference. Example (1)
In the case of low-volume processing such as 10 bottles per day)
The following operation is performed to further compensate for the evaporation amount and to compensate for the deterioration over time during suspension and stoppage. The compensation measures for maintaining the characteristics of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank during the deserted treatment are performed when the number of treatments per day is 20 or less in terms of 135-24Ex.

(A) Pause with power on (standby)
While the stabilizing solution replenishment tank 64 is placed in the stabilizing solution replenishing tank 64 every two hours.
5 ml is supplied to the second stabilizing bath 42 via the three-way valve 49 and the bellows pump 46. The compensation amount of “25 milliliters” adopted in the present embodiment is determined based on actually measured data, and is not always appropriate in all cases.

(B) At the start of operation the next morning, following the above procedure (7), the amount of the stable liquid determined by the following formula is transferred from the stable liquid replenishing tank 64 to the second stable liquid via the three-way valve 49 and the bellows pump 46. Additional replenishment to the bathtub 42 is performed. Calculation formula = 300 mL-(number of processed per day (weekly average) x 15 mL)-amount of water in (a) above (total for the previous day)

3. Replenishing Operation Next, the procedure of replenishing the second fixing tank during the development process is as follows. (1) The film processing amount detection means 4 reads the length and number of films to be inserted into the development processing device for each transport system, integrates them, and transmits the processing amount to the control unit 5. (2) The controller 5 controls each of the bellows pumps (development replenishment 12, bleach replenishment 22,
A driving start signal is given to the fixing replenisher 34, the stabilizer replenisher 47, and the diluent stabilizer feeder 48). (3) Each of the bellows pumps drives the bellows pump for the time shown in Table 2 for each drive start signal to discharge the replenisher, and replenishes the amount shown in Table 2 each time.
The replenishment amount expressed in Table 2 per 135-24Ex is given to each processing tank according to the driving frequency of the bellows pump and the discharge amount per operation.

[0111]

[Table 2]

Further, in the second fixing tank 32, replenishment of the concentrated fixing processing agent via the pump 34 and replenishment of the stabilizer for dilution via the pump 48 are performed, and they are mixed and substantially blended in the fixing tank. The same result is obtained when the supplied fixing replenisher is replenished. Further, as described above, the structure of the replenishing section may be such that the concentrated fixing agent and the stabilizing solution for dilution are mixed before being added to the fixing tank and then added.

4. Development Processing The development processing was performed using the following processing steps and processing solutions.

(Processing Step) Step Processing time Processing temperature Replenishment amount * Tank capacity Color development 3 minutes 5 seconds 38.0 ° C 15 ml 17 liter Bleaching 50 seconds 38.0 ° C 5 ml 5 liters Fixing (1) 50 seconds 38.0 ° C -5 Liter settling (2) 50 seconds 38.0 ° C 22.5 ml ** 5 liters stable (1) 20 seconds 38.0 ° C-3 liters stable (2) 20 seconds 38.0 ° C-3 liters stable (3) 20 seconds 38.0 ° C 30.0 Milliliters *** 3 liters Drying 1 minute 30 seconds 60 ℃ [Note] * Replenishment amount per photosensitive material 35mm width 1.1m (equivalent to 24 Ex. 1 bottle) ** Fixing replenisher 7.5ml and stability of the second stabilization bath Total volume of 15 ml of liquid. *** Stabilizer replenisher 1.6 ml combined with 28.4 ml water in the wash water reservoir.

The stabilizing bath step is a countercurrent washing method. The amount of the developer brought into the bleaching step, the amount of the bleaching liquid brought into the fixing step, and the amount of the fixing liquid brought into the washing step were 2.5 milliliters per 1.1 mm width of 35 mm photosensitive material, respectively.
2.0 ml and 2.0 ml. The crossover time is 6 seconds in each case, and this time is included in the processing time of the previous step.

The processing solution was prepared by the above-mentioned automatic opening and washing method in the apparatus using the processing agent composition filled in the processing agent container made of HDPE which can be loaded into the above-mentioned development processing apparatus. The details are as follows.

Color developing composition: filling amount 1320 ml diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid 8.0 g 4,5-dihydroxybenzene-1,3-disulphonic acid disodium salt 0.30 g potassium hydroxide 6.24 g sodium sulfite 0.109 Mordisodium-N, N-bis (sulfonatoethyl) hydroxylamine 13.6 g 4-Amino-3-methyl-N-ethyl-N- (β-hydroxyethyl) aniline sulfate 15.7 g Potassium carbonate 91.7 g Water was added and the total amount was 440 ml. Specific gravity (25 ° C) 1.100 pH 10.5

Bleach composition: filling amount 850 ml ammonium nitrate 29.4 g maleic acid 75.6 g succinic acid 63.5 g imidazole 35.3 g 1,3-diaminopropanetetraacetic acid ferric complex (1 ammonium salt) 208.2 g odor Ammonium chloride 81.1 g Add water to 850 ml

Fixing agent composition: Filling amount 1320 ml Ammonium thiosulfate 560.0 g Ammonium bisulfite 39.0 g Imidazole 35.0 g Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid 9.0 g Mercaptotriazole 2.0 g Add water 887.0 ml Specific gravity 1.307 pH7 .0

In addition to the above, a stabilizer and a development preservative were prepared by filling the following containers with a processing agent. Container: prismatic type 75 mm x 75 mm x 105 mm (height of columnar portion) x 125 mm (height to base of neck) x 155 mm (height to top of head) Stabilizer composition: filling amount 500 ml 1,4-bis (1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl) piperazine 75.0 g 1,2,4-triazole 130.0 g p-toluenesulfinic acid 3.0 g p-nonylphenoxypolyglycidol (glycidol average polymerization degree 10) 20. 0 g 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one 5.0 g 1 liter with water, pH 8.3 Developer preservative: filling amount 500 ml hydroxylamine sulfate 180.0 g 1 liter with water, pH 3.3

After the processing agent composition adjusted as described above was filled in a container, one of each of the color developing composition, the bleaching composition and the fixing agent composition was set as a set and loaded into a cardboard cartridge. . In addition, the stabilizer composition and the developer preservative were filled in a container, and then each was similarly loaded into a cardboard cartridge.

The treatment composition prepared as described above was loaded into a processor, opened, washed, and diluted to prepare a replenisher. The finished amount of the replenisher to which the water for washing and dilution has been added is as follows. Color developing replenisher 3.0 liter Bleaching replenisher 1.0 liter Fixing replenisher 1.5 liter Stable replenisher 1.9 liter Developer preservative replenisher 1.8 liter In addition, color developing replenisher 3.0 liter A mechanism is provided in which 180 ml of a developer preservative replenisher is automatically added. The stable replenisher was stored at 64a in FIG. 1, and the developer preservative replenisher was stored at 61a in FIG.

At the start of the six-week long-term test, each treatment tank was filled with a tank solution. The tank solution was prepared using a start-up kit as described below. Startup kit ・ Preparation of color developer start mother liquor Prepared in the processor color developer tank: 2.7 liters of the above color developer composition 105 ml of the above developer preservative 105 ml of the following starter 450 ml of water 9.0 L Starter: Potassium hydroxide 1.0 g Potassium carbonate 40.0 g Sodium bicarbonate 28.0 g Potassium bromide 9.6 g Potassium iodide 0.01 g Water is added and the total amount is 450 mL pH 9.6

Preparation of bleach start mother liquor Prepared in processor bleach tank 2.3 liters of bleach composition described above with water 4.0 liter Preparation of fixer start mother liquor Preparation of fixer start mother liquor Prepared in 1) and (2) 1.2 liters of the above fixing agent composition 4.0 liters by adding water • Preparation of mother liquor for start of stable solution Prepare the above stabilizer composition 20 ml Add water 2.0 liter

[0125] 4. Comparative Example As a comparative example, a developing apparatus shown in FIG. 3, that is, an apparatus having a known configuration by changing the following parts of the apparatus of the present embodiment was used. The same development processing was performed.

Modifications of Apparatus (1) As shown in FIG. 3, the piping for sending the washing water from the water storage tank 64 of FIG. Only the flush water pipe from 64 to the final flush tank 43 via the liquid feed pump 47 is used. (2) As also shown in FIG. 3, the second washing tank 42 of FIG.
A pipe for sending the washing water to the second fixing tank 32 from the first washing tank 32 via the liquid sending pump 48 was abolished, and a pipe for sending the washing water from the first washing tank 41 to the second fixing tank 32 via the liquid sending pump 48 was provided instead. .

-Operation change part (1) Evaporated moisture compensation operation (1) to (7)
Was not performed in the comparative example (normally, this compensation operation was not performed in the development processing in the market). (2) Among the replenishment operations described in the above item 3, the second fixing tank 3
2 instead of sending dilution water from the second washing tank 42 to the second
Dilution water was sent from the first washing tank 41 to the fixing tank 32. Both the fixing replenisher and the diluent (15 ml per film) have no change in the feeding amount and replenishment timing.

5. Test Results Comparison results of the quality of the developed sample, the liquid in the tank of the apparatus, and the operation state of the apparatus according to the present example and the comparative example are shown below.

(1) Adhesion of dirt on the surface of the developed film The dirt on the surface refers to the above-mentioned glossy streak-like unevenness called silver streaking, and the presence or absence thereof was visually observed. [Sample of the present invention]: No streaky unevenness was observed in all of the ten samples, and no abnormality was observed in the color prints printed from the negatives. [Sample of Comparative Example]: Four out of ten lines had clear streak-like unevenness, and the effect was also recognized in color prints printed from this negative.

(2) Liquid in Stabilizing Bath after 6 Weeks [Invention]: All of the first to third stabilizing baths were clear and transparent without any turbidity in the bath. [Comparative Example]: The liquid in the tank of the first stabilizing bath was black and turbid, and fine suspended particles were observed.

(3) Operational state of liquid feed pump 48 during 6 weeks [Invention]: No significant change was observed in the liquid feed amount of the pump even after 6 weeks. [Comparative Example]: After 6 weeks, it was confirmed that the amount of liquid sent was reduced by about 15%. From the above results, even in the present embodiment assuming the development processing during the off-period of the actual market, by using the development processing apparatus of the present invention, the quality of the developed photosensitive material is not affected and the processing apparatus is not affected. In addition to the conventional method of discharging used washing water or stabilizing liquid as waste liquid without causing any abnormality such as clogging of the piping system, the amount of washing water or stabilizing liquid wastewater discharged is reduced by at least 50%. It was shown that it could be done. On the other hand, in the apparatus of the known multi-stage countercurrent washing system of the comparative example, the use of part of the used washing water or the stable liquid wastewater as dilution water is the same as the present invention, but as described above. In the same long-term continuous operation test as in the example of the present invention, it was shown that the photographic quality, the liquid in the processing bath, and the stable operation of the apparatus were inferior, and were not practical.

[0132]

The present invention has at least a developing tank, a processing tank having a fixing ability, and three or more multi-stage countercurrent washing type washing or stabilizing baths, and a concentrated fixing replenisher is washed in an intermediate washing bath. The developing apparatus of the present invention, which is configured to be diluted with water or a stabilizing solution and used as a replenisher for a liquid having a fixing ability, can save water more than a conventional countercurrent washing type developing apparatus, and can perform development. The amount of waste liquid accompanying the treatment can be further reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a developing device structure showing a characteristic structure of a developing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a developing device structure according to another embodiment showing a characteristic structure of the developing device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the structure of a developing apparatus incorporating a known fixing agent dilution method in a comparative example with respect to the developing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a processing agent container (bottle) that can be conveniently applied to the development processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which a sealant of a processing agent container (bottle), which can be conveniently applied to the development processing apparatus of the present invention, is broken by a drilling nozzle to discharge the processing agent from the bottle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Developing device main body casing 2 Photosensitive material loading section 3 Photosensitive material take-up section 4 Photosensitive material processing amount detection section 5 Developing operation control section 11 Color developing tank 12 Bellows pump (for replenishing development) 13 Color developing overflow 14 Crossover (Development) 21 Bleaching tank 22 Bellows pump (for replenishing bleaching) 23 Bleaching overflow 15 Crossover (bleaching-fixing) 31 First fixing tank 32 Second fixing tank 33 Second fixing overflow 34 Bellows pump (for replenishing fixing) 35 No. 1 Fixing overflow 16 Crossover (fixing-washing or stabilizing bath) 41 1st washing tank 42 2nd washing tank 43 3rd washing tank 44 2nd washing overflow 45 3rd washing overflow 46 Bellows pump (for 2nd stable bath) 47 Bellows Pump (for the third stable bath) 4 8 Bellows pump (for fixing dilution water) 49 Three-way cock 61 Color developing replenisher reservoir 61a Color developing aid replenisher reservoir 62 Bleaching replenisher reservoir 63 Fixing replenisher reservoir 64 Rinse water reservoir 64a Stable fluid reservoir Tank 188 Squeezed nozzle 214 Nozzle hole 300 Bottle (photoprocessing agent container) 302 Container main body 304 Male screw (screw part) 308 Polyethylene sheet with cut groove 310 Cap (fixing member) 312 Bottom part (when loaded) 314 Opening

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A process having at least a developing tank, a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability, and three or more multi-stage countercurrent type washing or stabilizing baths, wherein a concentrated fixing replenisher having the fixing ability is provided. The rinsing water or the stabilizing solution is replenished to the last tank of the rinsing or stabilizing bath, and the photographic light-sensitive material is sequentially supplied to the developing tank, the processing solution tank having a fixing ability, and the rinsing or stabilizing bath. A developing apparatus for immersion treatment, wherein the washing water or the stabilizing solution in the tank is removed from one of the three or more multi-stage countercurrent washing or stabilizing baths except the first tank and the last tank. A developing apparatus for a photographic photosensitive material, comprising a pump for feeding a solution to a processing solution tank having a fixing ability. 2. A washing or stabilizing bath comprising at least three tanks.
A pump for feeding the washing water or the stabilizing solution in one of the tanks except the first tank and the last tank to a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability is operated in accordance with the processing amount information provided by means for detecting the processing amount of the photosensitive material. The developing apparatus for photographic photosensitive material according to claim 1, wherein 3. Evaporation from a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability based on operating state information including a stop time, a pause time, and a photosensitive material processing time of the developing processing apparatus and working environment information including a temperature and a humidity of a developing work place. A control means for calculating the amount of water, based on information on the amount of water evaporated from a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability provided by the control means, a first tank and a final one of three or more washing or stabilizing baths; The pump according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a pump for feeding the washing water or the stabilizing solution in one of the tanks excluding the tank to a processing liquid tank having a fixing ability is operated to compensate for the amount of evaporated water. The development processing apparatus for a photographic photosensitive material according to the above.