JP2002341500A - Developing process device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developing process device where crystallizing of process liquid is prevented and the process liquid inside a process liquid tank can be surely exhausted from a waste liquid valve. SOLUTION: In the developing process device provided with the process liquid tank pooling the process liquid and a circulating pipe to circulate the process liquid inside the process liquid tank, a branching circulation pipe is provided to the circulating pipe and a drain valve is made to intervene in the middle of the branching circulating pipe.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing apparatus provided with a processing liquid tank for storing various processing liquids, and for developing a photosensitive material such as a film in the processing liquid tank.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a development processing apparatus of this type is provided with a development processing chamber and a drying processing chamber adjacent to the downstream side of the development processing chamber in an apparatus main body. The drying processing chamber is provided with a drying processing section for drying the photosensitive material developed by the developing processing section with warm air.

In the above developing apparatus, a replenishing tank B for replenishing a processing solution and a replenishing solution stored in the replenishing tank B are supplied to a processing solution tank A, as schematically shown in FIG. Sub tank C is provided.

[0004] In order to equalize the temperature and the processing reaction of the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank A, the inner bottom of the sub tank C and the inner bottom of the processing liquid tank A are circulated by a circulation path E provided with a pump device D. And the sub-tank C
The processing liquid in the processing liquid tank A is forcibly fed into the processing liquid tank A, and the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank A and the sub tank C is circulated and stirred.

[0005]

By the way, in the above-mentioned developing apparatus, as shown in FIG.
A drain hose F is connected to the bottom of the processing solution tank A.
When the processing liquid in the tank is replaced, the opening operation of the drain cock G provided downstream of the drain hose F causes the processing liquid tank A to be opened.
The processing solution inside is discharged.

However, in the above-described developing apparatus, the processing liquid in the drain hose F remains circulated without being circulated. Therefore, for example, the air remaining in the drain hose F due to the opening operation of the drain cock G is removed. Due to the action, the processing liquid stored in the drain hose F is oxidized and crystallized, and in some cases, the drain hose F is clogged.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a developing apparatus capable of reliably discharging a processing liquid in a processing liquid tank from a waste liquid means.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is a processing liquid tank for storing a processing liquid, and a circulation for circulating the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank. In a developing apparatus provided with a passage, a waste liquid means for discharging the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank is provided in the circulation path.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a branch circulation path is provided in the circulation path according to the first aspect, and a waste liquid means is provided in the branch circulation path.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a film development processing apparatus. This film development processing apparatus comprises a housing 1 in which a development processing chamber 11 and a development processing chamber 1 are provided.
Drying processing chamber 12 adjacent to the downstream side of the developing processing chamber 1
1 and a film loading chamber 13 adjacent to the upstream side.

In the film loading chamber 13, a film loading section 3 for loading a film F that has been photographed is mounted.
The development processing section 11 is provided with a development processing section 4 for developing the film F fed from the film loading section 3, and the drying processing chamber 12 is provided with the film F developed by the development processing section 4. Drying section 5 for drying
Is installed.

A film storage section 50 for temporarily storing the film 2 dried in the drying section 5 is provided above the housing 1.

A transport roller 3a is provided in the film insertion section 3.
A film cutter 3b for cutting the rear end of the film F drawn from the patrone P, a film cutting solenoid 3c for slidingly moving one blade of the film cutter 3b, and a pressure contact for pressing the film F to the transport roller 3a. A roller 3d, and a pressure contact solenoid 3e for moving the pressure contact roller 3d up and down to switch the state in which the film F is pressed against the transport roller 3a and the state in which the pressure contact is released. F is transported while being sandwiched between the transport roller 3a and the idler roller 3d, and is sent to the developing unit 4. The development processing unit 4 includes a plurality of processing solution tanks 6 each filled with various processing solutions such as a developing solution, a bleaching solution, a fixing solution, and a stabilizing solution for sequentially performing processes such as development, bleaching, and fixing. A transport unit 40 for transporting the film F set in the processing liquid tank 6 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a replenishing tank 61 for replenishing the corresponding processing solution is provided in the processing solution tank 6.
And a sub tank 62 to which a replenisher stored in the replenisher tank 61 is supplied, and a waste liquid tank 63 for storing a waste liquid after the development processing.

The upper part of the sub tank 62 communicates with the upper part of the processing liquid tank 6, as shown in FIG.

A supply pipe 6 extending from the refill tank 61
4 is opened on the sub-tank 62 and this supply pipe 64
An electric pump 65 for feeding the replenisher stored in the replenisher tank 61 to the sub-tank 4 is provided in the middle of the processing liquid tank 6. Connected to the top.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the drying section 5 is provided with a blower fan 51 for sending air heated by a heater toward the film transport path as warm air. After being dried by the warm air blown out from the blower fan 51 while being conveyed in the film drying unit 5, it is carried out to the film storage unit 50.

In the developing apparatus having the above-described structure, in the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, flow ports 6 are provided near and at the bottom of the processing solution tank 6, respectively.
At the bottom of the sub-tank 62, a circulation pump device 9 composed of an electric pump is assembled, and the suction port of the circulation pump device 9 communicates with the inner bottom of the sub-tank 62.

The discharge port of the circulating pump device 9 is connected to one end of a first circulating hose 71 constituting a circulating path for circulating the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank 6, while the three circulating hoses 71 are connected to each other. First to third connection ports 81a, 82a, 8
A Y-shaped branch pipe 8a provided with 3a is separately prepared, the other end of the first circulation hose 71 is connected to the first connection port 81a of the branch pipe 8a, and the second connection port 82a is connected to the second connection port 82a. One end of the second circulation hose 72 is connected to this second circulation hose 7
2 is connected to a flow port 6 provided near the bottom of the processing liquid tank 6.
7 is connected.

A third connection port 83 in the branch pipe 8b is provided.
a has a first branch circulation hose 73 constituting a branch circulation path.
Three ends connected to each other and connected to each other
To the third circulation port-side branch pipe 8b having the third connection ports 81b, 82b and 83b, and the first branch circulation hose 7 is connected to the first connection port 81b of the branch circulation path-side branch pipe 8b.
The other end of the drain cock 70 is connected to the second connection port 82b of the branch pipe 8b.

Further, one end of a second branch circulation hose 74 is connected to the third connection port 83b of the branch circulation path side branch pipe 8b, and the other end of the second branch circulation hose 74 is connected to the processing liquid tank 6. The processing liquid in the sub-tank 62 is connected to the circulation port 68 provided at the bottom and is driven into the processing liquid tank 6 via the first circulation hose 71 and the second circulation hose 72 with the driving of the circulation pump device 9. , First circulation hose 71
Through the first branch circulation hose 73 and further through the second branch circulation hose 74 into the processing liquid tank 6.

In the developing apparatus having the above configuration, the circulating pump apparatus 9 is always driven during the operation of the developing apparatus. As the circulating pump apparatus 9 is driven, the processing liquid in the sub tank 62 is discharged. The processing liquid is continuously fed from the first circulation hose 71 through the second circulation hose 72 into the processing liquid tank 6, and a part of the processing liquid discharged from the circulation pump device 9 is transferred from the first circulation hose 71 to the branch pipe. After being sent to the first branch circulation hose 73 via the second branch circulation hose 74, it is sent to the second branch circulation hose 74 via the branch circulation path side branch pipe 8 b, and further into the processing liquid tank 6 through the second branch circulation hose 74. Accordingly, the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank 6 and the sub-tank 62 is circulated and agitated, and the temperature and the processing reaction of the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank 6 and the sub-tank 62 are made uniform. It is.

On the other hand, for example, when the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank 6 is exchanged, the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank 6 can be discharged by opening the drain cock 70. The processing liquid in the tank 6 is discharged to the outside from the outlet of the drain cock 70 via the second branch circulation hose 74.

Thus, the first and second circulation hoses 71, 72
Further, since the processing liquid in the first and second branch circulation hoses 73 and 74 is constantly circulating with the driving of the circulation pump device 9, the processing liquid is supplied to the hoses 71, 72, 73 and 7.
No crystallization occurs in 4. Therefore, when the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank 6 is discharged through the second branch circulation hose 74 by the opening operation of the drain cock 70,
Discharge of the processing solution can be performed smoothly at all times.

In the above embodiment, a branch circulation path composed of the first and second branch circulation hoses 73 and 74 is provided in the middle of the circulation path composed of the first and second circulation hoses 71 and 72. Although the drain cock 70 constituting the waste liquid means is provided in the middle of the branch circulation path, the invention is not limited to this, and the first and second circulation hoses 71 and 72 are provided without providing the branch circulation path. A waste liquid means may be provided in the middle of the circulation path.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a developing apparatus for developing a film. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the developing apparatus for developing a photographic paper may be used. May be applied.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, while the circulation of the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank can be reliably performed, the passage for discharging the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank is not blocked. Therefore, the processing liquid can be reliably discharged through the waste liquid means, and the workability at the time of maintenance and inspection of the development processing apparatus can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing an example of a developing processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a main part of the same.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a main part of the same.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a main part of a conventional developing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 4 development processing unit 6 processing liquid tank 61 sub tank 71 first circulation hose (circulation path) 72 second circulation hose (circulation path) 73 first branch circulation hose (branch circulation path) 74 second branch circulation hose (branch circulation path) 8a Branch pipe 8b Branch circulation path side branch pipe

Claims (2)

[Claims] In a developing apparatus provided with a processing liquid tank for storing a processing liquid and a circulation path for circulating the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank, the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank is supplied to the circulation path. A development processing device comprising a waste liquid means for discharging. 2. A developing apparatus, wherein a branch circulation path is provided in the circulation path, and a waste liquid means is provided in the branch circulation path.