JP2006126794A - Processing apparatus for silver halide photosensitive material, and control method of processing solution for the silver halide photosensitive material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a development processing apparatus that can maintain processing solution performance, without deteriorating the processing solution in a tank in a standby state and immediately perform development processing at an order request for development processing, even when the standby state becomes long. <P>SOLUTION: The processing apparatus a silver halide photosensitive material which stops stirring the processing solution upon detecting a predetermined elapsed time, after processing has ended and stirs the processing solution on detecting the temperature of the processing solution dropping lower than a predetermined temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  In particular, the present invention controls the processing of a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material capable of preventing deterioration of a standby processing solution by controlling at least the operation of a stirring means and providing a development processing service as soon as a processing order is received. Relates to the device.

  A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material represented by color photography (hereinafter also referred to as a light-sensitive material or a photographic light-sensitive material) is an automatic development processor (hereinafter referred to as a processing) having a processing tank storing various processing solutions such as a color developer. A color image is formed through a processing step in the apparatus or self-machine. In recent years, with the widespread use of minilab machines, general shopfront processing at general camera stores and DPE dealers has become very common. providing. And because of its convenience, recently, minilab systems have been installed in places such as supermarkets and convenience stores where photo processing services could not be provided on the spot.

  Processing equipment for photographic light-sensitive materials maintains the processing solution at a processable temperature even when the photosensitive material is not processed so that it can always meet the needs of the user. This may hinder the performance of the processing solution. For example, in a situation where the number of processed sheets is small, there are few opportunities for replenishment of the liquid accompanying the development process, and it is difficult to maintain performance. Recently, there is a tendency to reduce the replenishment amount of the treatment liquid itself for the purpose of reducing the environmental load, and the reduction of the replenishment amount also makes it difficult to renew the liquid in the treatment tank. If the processing liquid is continuously heated in such a state, components in the processing liquid are oxidized to cause deterioration of the liquid, and it becomes difficult to maintain image formation with a predetermined finish. Among them, since the color developer is directly related to image formation, it is necessary to prevent the occurrence or progress of deterioration in order to maintain good photographic finish performance.

  However, recently, in response to late-night user needs, the business hours of stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores have become longer, and the operating hours of the minilab system have also increased significantly. As a result, the standby time in which only the processing liquid is circulated and heated without processing the photosensitive material is lengthened, and the problem of air oxidation of the processing liquid during standby has become serious. For example, problems such as a decrease in color density due to air oxidation of the developing agent in the color developer and a white background contamination due to a stain increase have been raised, and these have become apparent.

  For example, measures to increase the amount of replenishment were taken as countermeasures for self-machines with a small amount of processing. However, since the amount of replenisher used increases and the amount of waste liquid also increases, this is a cost and environmental protection perspective. Therefore, it was not preferable. Therefore, in order to prevent the processing liquid from deteriorating in the standby state, a technique has been studied in which the processing liquid temperature is set lower during non-processing and the processing can be performed by returning to a predetermined temperature during processing.

  For example, the development processing apparatus is provided with a detection means for detecting the initial time when the photographic photosensitive material is carried in, a detection means for detecting the temperature of the processing liquid, and a control means for controlling the amount of heat generated by the heating means. In addition, there is a technique (see, for example, Patent Document 1) in which the processing solution temperature reaches the optimum temperature for the development processing within the time until the photosensitive material reaches the processing tank when the photosensitive material is processed. . Also, when processing photosensitive materials, the processing solution temperature is set to an optimum temperature for photosensitive material processing, and when not processing, it is set to a temperature that can be processed lower than the optimal temperature. There is a technique of a self-machine that sets the processing liquid temperature to be lower when a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

In these technologies, the temperature of the processing liquid is set lower than a predetermined temperature in a standby state where development processing is not performed, and the effect of suppressing the progress of the deterioration of the processing liquid due to air oxidation to some extent is achieved. Although it has been confirmed that the development standby time has been increasing due to the decline in development demand due to the recent spread of digital cameras and the trend of 24-hour business, further improvement measures have been demanded.
JP 2001-154326 A (see paragraph 0014, etc.) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-280157 (see paragraph 0010 etc.)

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is possible to maintain the processing solution performance without causing the processing solution to be oxidized by air in the standby state where the photographic light-sensitive material is not processed. An object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material.

  Further, the present invention can perform development processing immediately upon receiving a processing order request even if the processing apparatus has been in a standby state for a long time, and can provide a rapid processing service in any situation. An object is to provide a processing apparatus.

  In the prior art, in order to prevent the deterioration of the processing liquid, a method of suppressing the progress of the deterioration by maintaining the processing liquid temperature at the time of standby lower than the processable temperature has been adopted. However, in order to maintain a constant temperature even if the temperature is set low, it is necessary to repeatedly turn the heater on and off, and it is necessary to operate the circulation pump at the same time in order to keep the processing liquid temperature uniform. was there.

  The present inventor has found that the air oxidation of the developing solution is significantly accelerated not only by the temperature of the processing solution but also by stirring and circulation. That is, it was speculated that it was possible to suppress the air oxidation of the processing solution by making the stirring and circulation stop time during development standby as long as possible. Specifically, even if the heater is stopped, the temperature of the processing liquid does not drop rapidly, and if the cooling heater can be fully utilized, the processing liquid will be relatively In consideration of the fact that the temperature is quickly raised and that it is not necessary to operate the circulation pump in principle during cooling, it is only necessary to operate the circulation pump during heating.

  As a result, the present inventor has found that repeating the natural cooling and heating can shorten the total operation time of the circulation pump, rather than keeping the treatment liquid constant at a low temperature. It has arrived. That is, it has been found that the problems of the present invention can be solved by any of the configurations described below.

(1)
Stirring means for stirring or circulating the processing liquid in the tank;
First detection means for detecting an elapsed time after the processing is completed;
Second detection means for detecting the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank;
Control means for controlling the operation of the stirring means,
The control means includes
When the first detection means detects that a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of the stirring means is stopped,
When the second detection means detects that the processing liquid temperature in the tank is lower than a predetermined lower limit temperature, the stirring means is operated,
The operation of the stirring means is continued until the second detection means detects that the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank has reached a preset processable temperature,
An apparatus for processing a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, characterized by being controlled.

(2)
Stirring means for stirring or circulating the processing liquid in the tank;
Heating means for heating the treatment liquid;
First detection means for detecting an elapsed time after the processing is completed;
Second detection means for detecting the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank;
Control means for controlling the operation of the heating means and the stirring means,
The control means includes
When the first detection means detects that a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of the heating means and the stirring means is stopped,
When the second detection means detects that the treatment liquid temperature in the tank is lower than a predetermined lower limit temperature, the heating means and the stirring means are operated,
Until the second detecting means detects that the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank has reached a preset processable temperature, the heating means and the stirring means are continuously operated.
An apparatus for processing a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, characterized by being controlled.

(3)
The processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material as described in (1) or (2) above, wherein the lower limit temperature is 1 ° C. or more lower than the processable temperature.

(4)
4. The processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic material according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein at least one of the processing solutions is a color developer.

(5)
The control means includes
When the stirring means has stopped operating, the second detection means controls to detect the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank intermittently at regular intervals, and
Before the temperature detection by at least the second detection means, the stirring means is controlled to operate for a certain period of time.
The processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material as described in any one of (1) to (4) above.

(6)
The lower limit temperature is determined by a waiting time until the processable temperature is reached from the lower limit temperature by at least the operation of the stirring means,
6. The processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic material according to any one of (1) to (5), further comprising selection means for selecting the waiting time.

(7)
(1) to (6), characterized by further comprising selection means for selecting an elapsed time which is detected by the first detection means after the development processing is completed and until the operation of the stirring means is stopped. The processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material according to any one of the above.

(8)
By detecting that a predetermined time has elapsed after the processing is completed, stirring of the processing liquid in the tank is stopped,
When the treatment liquid falls below a predetermined lower limit temperature, stirring of the treatment liquid is started,
A method for managing a processing solution for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, wherein the stirring is continued until the temperature of the processing solution reaches a predetermined processing temperature.

(9)
By detecting that a predetermined time has elapsed after the end of the treatment, heating and stirring of the treatment liquid in the tank are stopped,
When the treatment liquid falls below a predetermined lower limit temperature, heating and stirring of the treatment liquid are started,
A method for managing a processing solution for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, comprising controlling the heating and stirring until the temperature of the processing solution reaches a predetermined processable temperature.

(10)
The method for managing a processing solution for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material as described in (8) or (9) above, wherein the lower limit temperature is 1 ° C. or more lower than the processable temperature.

  In the invention described in (1) or (8) above, the stirring of the processing liquid in the tank is stopped when a predetermined time has elapsed after the processing is finished, and then the temperature of the processing liquid is determined in advance. Agitation is resumed when the temperature becomes lower than the temperature, and the agitation is continued until the treatment liquid is ready for treatment.

  In the invention described in the above (2) or (9), the stirring and heating of the processing liquid in the tank are stopped when a predetermined time has elapsed after the processing is completed, and then the temperature of the processing liquid is set in advance. When the temperature becomes lower than the predetermined temperature, heating and stirring of the processing liquid are resumed, and heating and stirring are continued until the temperature of the processing liquid reaches a predetermined processable temperature.

  Furthermore, the invention described in the above (3) or (10) specifically shows how much the temperature of the processing liquid is lowered with respect to the temperature at which processing can be performed, and stirring is resumed. .

  In this way, in the present invention, by controlling at least the operation of the stirring means during standby during operation of the processing apparatus such as during business hours, the processing liquid is not circulated excessively during standby, and deterioration of the processing liquid is prevented. It has become possible to suppress the progress and maintain stable processing performance.

  In addition, since the temperature of the processing liquid during standby is between the predetermined lower limit temperature and the processable temperature, even if the processing apparatus is kept on standby for a long time, a urgent processing request is received from the customer. Sometimes processing can be resumed in a short time. As a result, a rapid processing service can be surely performed at any time, and the performance inherent in a minilab system that provides a customer in a short time after receiving a request for a printed photograph can be exhibited.

  Furthermore, since the stirring means is operated to the minimum necessary during standby, the power consumption of the processing apparatus is reduced, and the running cost associated with the operation is reduced, and a gentle processing apparatus that is friendly to the global environment can be provided.

  Further, according to the invention described in (4) above, it is possible to stably maintain the development processing performance with a color developer that is more prominently deteriorated by air oxidation, and white background contamination due to a decrease in color density or a stain increase. Can be suppressed.

  According to the invention described in (5), it is possible to accurately detect the temperature of the processing liquid even while the operation of the stirring means is stopped and the processing liquid is naturally cooled, and the temperature in the tank In addition to preventing false detection due to non-uniformity, unnecessary operation of the stirring means is suppressed as much as possible to prevent air oxidation of the treatment liquid.

  According to the invention described in (6) above, the maximum waiting time until reaching the processable state from the standby state can be arbitrarily set, so the optimum condition according to the business form and the processing amount is selected. I can do it now.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in (7), since the elapsed time until the processing apparatus shifts to the standby state can be arbitrarily set, it can be prevented that the standby mode is inadvertently shifted. Became.

  The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material and a method for managing a processing solution for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material. Specifically, regarding the control method of the processing apparatus in operation, even if the standby state becomes longer during operation, the progress of deterioration due to air oxidation of the processing liquid is prevented, and immediately after receiving an order from the customer It can be processed.

  The inventor pays attention to the influence of stirring and circulation performed during standby as a factor for promoting the air oxidation of the processing liquid in the standby state, and in the standby state, the circulation by the stirring means can be stopped for a long time. I thought to suppress the progress of the air oxidation of the treatment liquid at the time. At the same time, after the development processing apparatus enters the standby state, the temperature of the processing solution becomes too low to prevent the development processing service from being hindered. I thought to make it work according to.

  As a result, the present inventor causes the development processing apparatus to recognize the standby state, detects the temperature state of the processing liquid in the standby state, and controls at least the operation of the agitation unit based on the detection result. While preventing the progress of deterioration of the processing liquid, it is possible to find a development processing apparatus that can respond to a rapid development processing request from the user even after a long waiting time.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

  FIG. 1 shows an automatic developing machine equipped with a computer which is an embodiment of a developing processing apparatus according to the present invention. The automatic developing machine 1 is a development processing apparatus for creating a print photograph, and includes a magazine loading unit 15 for loading a magazine containing a photosensitive material on the left side surface of the main body 11, and the main body 11 has a photosensitive as a recording medium. A print produced by having an exposure processing unit 16 for exposing the material and a development processing unit 2 to 8 for producing a printed photograph through a process of developing and drying the exposed photosensitive material in the development process described above. The photograph is discharged to a tray 17 provided on the right side surface of the main body 11.

  The automatic processor 1 is equipped with a computer 10, and the computer 10 controls the operation of each part constituting the automatic processor 1, a display unit 60 such as a CRT, and the like. Although not shown, the storage unit 51 stores information such as the history of development processing in the self-machine and a communication unit that exchanges information with the outside via a network or the like. The control unit 50 corresponds to a control unit that controls the operation of the heating unit and the stirring unit of the development processing apparatus according to the present invention, and after the automatic developing machine 1 enters the standby state, the heating unit and the stirring unit. Controls the start and stop of

  In addition, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 4 to be described later, the control unit 50 detects corresponding to the first detecting means in the present invention for detecting whether or not the photosensitive material loaded in the magazine is supplied to the processing step. The member 18 is connected. Specifically, the detection member 18 includes a sensor and a timer. Alternatively, the control unit 50 may also serve as the role of the first detection unit.

  Next, an example of a development process performed in the development processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an example of the development processing step of the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material and explains the development processing step corresponding to the automatic processing machine 1 for paper processing of FIG. Here, although development processing of color photographic paper will be described as an example, it is given as an example of a typical automatic developing machine, and the development processing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to this. The silver halide photographic light sensitive material to which the processing technology according to the present invention can be applied includes color negative film, color photographic paper, color reversal film, direct positive photographic paper, X-ray film, printing film, monochrome negative film, monochrome printing. Examples include silver salt sensitive materials such as paper.

  The development process shown in FIG. 2 is used in a roller conveyance type automatic developing machine in which a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material is conveyed by a roller for development processing. The automatic developing machine 1 has a color developing tank 2, a bleach-fixing tank 3, and a stabilizing tank-1 (4 in the figure), -2 5) and -3 (6 in the figure) are arranged in this order from the left in the figure.

  In the color developing tank 2, a conveying roller 61 for conveying the photosensitive material S to a predetermined path in the tank is disposed. Also, similar conveying rollers 62 and 63 to 65 are arranged in the bleach-fixing tank 3 and the stabilizing tanks -1 to -3 (4 to 6), respectively.

  Further, a crossover roller 66 is installed between each of the treatment tanks 2 to 6 and a squeeze portion 7 described later. The crossover roller 66 removes the processing liquid adhering to the surface of the photosensitive material when the photosensitive material S is sandwiched, and suppresses the processing liquid from being brought into the next tank.

  Further, guides 67 for guiding the photosensitive material S to the next roller are provided between the rollers such as near the bottom of each of the processing tanks 2 to 6 and on both sides of the crossover roller 66.

  In addition, it is preferable that the conveyance rollers 61-65 and the guide 67 are loaded in the state assembled in the rack for every processing tank.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the photographic photosensitive material S first passes through a photosensitive material detection sensor 18 corresponding to the first detection means in the present invention. The photosensitive material detection sensor 18 detects the leading edge and the trailing edge of the photographic photosensitive material S, and the detected information is sent to the controller 50 as a signal.

  The photosensitive material S that has passed through the photosensitive material detection sensor 18 is sequentially conveyed through the color developing tank 2, the bleach-fixing tank 3, and the stabilizing tanks 4 to 6 by the rollers 61 to 65, and is immersed in each processing solution therebetween. Then, color development, bleach-fixing, and stabilization are performed.

  A squeeze portion 7 is provided on the upper right side of the stability-3 tank 6 in FIG. In the squeeze portion 7, a plurality of pairs of squeeze rollers 71 are installed along the conveyance path of the photosensitive material S, and the squeeze roller 71 sandwiches and conveys the photosensitive material S after the stabilization process so that the photosensitive material S is separated from the photosensitive material S. Remove moisture.

  A drier 8 is provided below the squeeze unit 7. The dryer 8 includes a casing 81 and hot air supply means 83 for supplying hot air for drying into the casing 81, and a transport roller 82 is provided along the transport path of the photosensitive material S inside the casing 81. Installed.

  The hot air supply means 83 includes a blower fan and a heater, and the hot air heated to a temperature of preferably about 35 to 100 ° C., more preferably about 40 to 80 ° C. through a duct communicating with the casing 81 is provided in the casing 81. Supply in. In the casing 81, the photosensitive material S that has passed through the squeeze portion 7 is transported by the transport roller 82, and is dried in contact with the supplied hot air. Through such processing steps, the developed silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material is developed in the development processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  In each of the processing tanks 2 to 6 of the automatic developing machine 1, the processing liquid is replenished according to the processing, and the overflow liquid from the processing tank is discharged out of the processing tank as a waste liquid.

  Further, a replenisher is supplied to each processing tank. For example, a replenisher for a color developer is supplied to the color developer tank 2 via a pipe 12, and the bleach-fix tank 3 is supplied. The replenisher for the bleach-fixing solution is supplied through the conduit 13, and the stabilizer replenisher for the stabilizers 4 to 6 is supplied through the conduit 14. These replenishers can be supplied as a completed replenisher, as well as in a form of a solid treatment agent or a method of supplying a concentrate or a concentrate kit consisting of multiple types of parts with dilution water to dilute to a predetermined concentration. It is supplied by a method such as supplying with dilution water. When using dilution water, it is preferable to provide a stock tank (not shown) in the automatic processor 1 and supply the dilution water from the stock tank.

  The color developing tank 2, the bleach-fixing tank 3 and the stabilizing tank 4 are each provided with a drain port (not shown), and a pipeline (also referred to as a replenishing pipe) 12 and the developing tank 2 and the fixing tank 3 are provided. When the replenisher is replenished via 13, the replenished amount of the same amount of fatigued and deteriorated developer and fixing solution are discharged from the drainage port to the outside of the tank. Further, when the replenisher is replenished to the stabilization tank 6 via the conduit 14, the overflow liquid is sequentially supplied to the stabilization tank 5 and the stabilization tank 4, and finally the overflow liquid in the stabilization tank 4 is discharged out of the tank. The

  The color developer in the processing tank 2 is preferably adjusted to a predetermined temperature by a heater (not shown) which is a heating means in the present invention, and other processing solutions such as a bleach-fixing solution and a stabilizing solution also improve processing performance. From the point of view, it is preferable that the temperature is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by a heater (not shown).

  In the present invention, a heater is provided only in the color developing tank 2 of the automatic developing machine 1, and a pipe is drawn from the color developing tank 2 to another processing tank so that the temperature of the other developing solution is set to the temperature of the color developing solution. It is also possible to perform temperature control called so-called follow-up temperature control. In this way, by performing the follow-up temperature adjustment using the temperature of the color developer, the temperature adjustment heater can be reduced and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced. Further, even in an inexpensive processing apparatus having only one heater, the color developing solution is repeatedly heated and allowed to cool between a lower limit temperature and a processable temperature, thereby following the bleach-fixing tank 3 and the stabilizing tank. 4 treatment liquid temperature can be maintained at a certain level. Therefore, if an order is received after a long waiting time, the temperature of the bleach-fixing solution and the stabilizing solution becomes too low, so that it does not take time to start the processing, and prompt provision of processing is promoted. .

  Next, the stirring means and detection means used in the development processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. In the drawings used so far, the agitation means and the detection means are not shown in the drawings in order to clearly explain each item.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the color developing tank 2 in the development processing step shown in FIG. 2 in more detail. Note that the processing tanks other than the color developing tank 2 are also provided with the following ones as in the color developing tank. As shown in FIG. 3, the color developing tank 2 includes a processing tank 20 for developing an exposed photographic photosensitive material, an auxiliary tank 21 for supplying a replenisher and filtering the processing liquid, and a processing tank 20 and an auxiliary tank. The circulation pipe 22 is connected to the circulation pipe 22. A replenishment pipe 12 is provided above the auxiliary tank 21, and an appropriate amount of replenisher according to the processing amount of the photographic photosensitive material is additionally replenished.

  Further, in the auxiliary tank 21, an electric heater 24 that is a heating means for the color developer in the processing tank, and a filtration filter 23 that removes dust, dust, and the like carried by adhering to the photographic material from the color developer. And a thermistor sensor 25 corresponding to the second detecting means in the present invention for detecting the temperature of the color developer stored in the processing tank.

  A circulation pump 26 corresponding to the stirring means in the present invention for circulating and stirring the processing liquid is provided in the path of the circulation pipe 22 that connects the processing tank 20 and the auxiliary tank 21. The color developer circulates between the processing tank 20 and the auxiliary tank 21. In this way, the color developer stored in the processing tank 20 is circulated and agitated in the color developing tank 2 to uniformize the liquid temperature and component concentration of the color developer. The performance of the solution is maintained so that the processing performance of the product is always expressed.

  In addition, although the example of the circulation direction of a process liquid is shown by the arrow in the figure, the circulation direction is not limited to this, For example, there is also a method of circulating in the direction opposite to the direction shown in FIG.

In the present invention, the natural cooling time in the standby state is long, and when the temperature rises, the processing temperature is quickly reached to minimize the operation of the stirring means, thereby suppressing the air oxidation of the processing liquid. In the processing apparatus according to the present invention, the volume of the processing tank is preferably 2 to 30 liters, and the opening area ratio (the ratio of the opening area to the volume of the processing tank) is preferably 30 cm ² / liter or less. . By making it within this range, the effect of the present invention that suppresses the air oxidation of the color developing solution in the standby state is more easily exhibited.

  In addition, providing the auxiliary tank 21 with a floating material such as a floating ball to reduce the air contact of the color developer on the liquid level also makes it possible to express the effects of the present invention more clearly.

  In addition, heat insulation is placed around the treatment tank and auxiliary tank, or these are made using a heat-insulating material to provide a heat retention effect to the treatment liquid, and the temperature of the treatment liquid once heated. It is also possible to make it difficult to lower.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the development processing apparatus 1 has a control unit 50 in the apparatus, and the control unit 50 controls the operation of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 based on signals from various detection means. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system in the development processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. In the development processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, a signal generated by detection means such as the power switch 31 and the timer 19 provided in the development processing apparatus 1 is transmitted to the control unit 50, and the control unit 50 receives the received signal. It collates with information stored in advance in the memory 51 and controls the operation of each component of the development processing apparatus 1 such as the electric heater 24 and the circulation pump 26 based on the collation result. In FIG. 4, means for providing a signal to the control unit 50 are shown on the left side of the control unit 50, and each means for controlling the operation of the control unit 50 is shown on the right side.

  Here, as an example of a control method performed by the control unit 50, an example of control performed by the control unit 50 from when the power switch 31 is turned on until the development process is possible will be described. When the power switch 31 is turned on, an on signal is sent from the power switch 31 to the control unit 50. Upon receiving this signal, the control unit 50 instructs the control unit 50 to transmit information on the liquid temperature in the color development processing tank 2 detected by the thermistor sensor 25, and circulates the liquid temperature to bring it to a predetermined temperature. The pump 26 and the electric heater 24 are operated. During this time, a message such as “The temperature is currently being controlled. Please wait for a while for the development process” is displayed.

  When a signal indicating that the liquid temperature has reached a predetermined temperature is transmitted from the thermistor sensor 25, the control unit 50 switches the operation of the electric heater 24 for heat retention. Further, a message such as “development is possible” is displayed on the display 60.

  Thus, in the development processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the control unit 50 controls the operation of each part constituting the self-machine. The memory 51 in the control unit 50 stores various types of information. For example, various programs for causing the development processing apparatus 1 to perform a predetermined operation (for example, the flow rate and the liquid supply amount of the circulation pump 26). , A program for controlling the heating condition of the electric heater 24, the conveyance speed of the drive motor 32, etc. to operate under predetermined conditions) and the operation history of the development processing apparatus 1 (for example, photosensitive material within a certain period) Information on the number of processed sheets, filtration filter 23, replenisher, update history of photosensitive material, etc.) is recorded.

  Next, a method for controlling the stirring means and the heating means when the development processing apparatus according to the present invention is in a standby state will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 also shows a control system in which the block diagram of FIG. 4 is further simplified.

  In the present invention, the control unit 50 of the development processing apparatus 1 detects that the development processing apparatus 1 has not performed the photosensitive material processing for a certain period, and recognizes that the development processing apparatus 1 is in a standby state. Then, control is performed so as to stop the operation of the circulation pump 26 as the stirring means so that the processing liquid stored in the color developing tank 2 is not deteriorated excessively (hereinafter, this state is also referred to as a standby mode). Specifically, first, in order to determine whether or not the photosensitive material S is supplied into the automatic machine 1, based on a signal from the photosensitive material detection sensor 18 or a signal from the photosensitive material detection sensor 18. From the signal from the timer 19 that operates, it is detected whether or not a certain time has elapsed since the development processing apparatus 1 finished the photosensitive material processing. Then, the control unit 50 determines that the own machine 1 is in a standby state by detecting that a predetermined time has elapsed from signals from these detection means (the photosensitive material detection sensor 18 and the timer 19).

  The control unit 50 controls the development processing apparatus 1 to shift to the standby mode by detecting that the development processing apparatus 1 has finished processing the photosensitive material for a certain period of time. A reference time used for determining the shift is set in advance and stored in a storage unit such as the memory 51. Then, the transition to the standby mode is determined by comparing and collating the elapsed time obtained by the timer 19 with the set time stored in the memory 51. It is preferable to have a selection means so that the user can arbitrarily select the elapsed time until shifting to the standby mode.

  When the control unit 50 determines that the development processing apparatus 1 is in a standby state, the control unit 50 stops the operation of the circulation pump 26. At this time, it is preferable to stop the operation of the electric heater 24 at the same time, but the control of the electric heater 24 is not necessarily synchronized with the operation of the circulation pump 26, and the operation and stop are appropriately performed so as to lower the temperature of the processing liquid. Control is sufficient. As a result, in the color development processing tank 2, the stirring by the circulation pump 26 and the heating by the electric heater 24 are stopped, and the processing liquid stored in the color developing tank 2 is suppressed from proceeding with air oxidation due to heating and stirring, The performance of the treatment liquid is maintained.

  Next, when the control unit 50 detects that the temperature of the processing liquid stored in the color developing tank 2 has become below a certain level due to the stop of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24, this time, the temperature of the processing liquid can be developed. The circulation pump 26 is operated until the temperature returns to a proper temperature. At this time, as a means for raising the temperature of the processing solution to return it to a temperature at which development processing is possible, heat generated by the circulation pump itself or residual heat from other processing tanks may be used by the above-described follow-up temperature control. It is preferable to heat the heater 24 at the same time by operating the heater 24 simultaneously with the circulation pump 26. By quickly returning to a temperature at which development processing is possible, the operation time of the circulation pump 26 can be shortened, and as a result, deterioration of the processing liquid can be more effectively suppressed.

  Specifically, first, the control unit 50 detects a signal from the thermistor sensor 25 provided in the auxiliary tank 21 in order to detect the temperature of the processing liquid stored in the color developing tank 2, and the temperature of the processing liquid is determined. Check if the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature (lower temperature). At this time, the thermistor sensor 25 may continuously detect the temperature of the processing liquid, but controls to detect the temperature of the processing liquid intermittently at regular intervals, and at least before detecting the temperature. It is preferable to control the circulation pump 26 to operate for a certain period of time. If the temperature of the processing liquid is detected while the circulation pump 26 is stopped, the processing liquid temperature becomes non-uniform in the processing tank 20 and the auxiliary tank 21, and the correct temperature cannot be detected. On the other hand, if the circulation pump 26 is left operating, the progress of air oxidation of the treatment liquid cannot be sufficiently suppressed. For this reason, for example, the detection temperature of the processing liquid is detected every 10 minutes and the circulation pump 26 is operated for 10 seconds immediately before the temperature detection, thereby achieving both the accuracy of the detected temperature and the suppression of air oxidation. It becomes possible.

  In this way, when it is confirmed by the signal from the thermistor sensor 25 that the temperature of the processing liquid in the color developing tank 2 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (lower limit temperature), the control unit 50 can develop the processing liquid in the color developing tank 2. Judge that it is necessary to return to temperature.

  Then, the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 are actuated to heat the processing liquid stored in the color developing tank 2 and raise the processing liquid at a stretch until the temperature reaches a level at which development processing is possible. The controller 50 uses the signal from the thermistor sensor 25 to detect whether or not the temperature of the processing liquid has returned to a level at which development processing can be performed while the processing liquid is being heated. Then, the operation of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 is stopped.

  Further, the controller 50 detects whether or not the processing liquid temperature in the color developing tank 2 has become a predetermined temperature (lower limit temperature) or less by a signal from the thermistor sensor 25 even after the operation of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 is stopped. When it is detected that the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature, the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 are operated to return the temperature of the processing solution to a level at which development is possible. The control unit 50 controls to repeat this operation while determining that the development processing apparatus 1 is in the standby mode.

  During this time, when an order for developing the photosensitive material is received from the customer, the control unit 50 controls the electric heater 24 and the circulation pump 26 to operate immediately according to a user (operator) development processing request operation, until the development processing temperature is reached. Heat the treatment liquid at once. The request for the development processing may be automatically transmitted to the control unit 50 by detecting insertion of the photosensitive material. Further, data on the time required for temperature adjustment from the processing solution temperature at the time of receiving the development processing request until reaching the development processing possible temperature is stored in advance, and the development processing can be performed from the time of receiving the development processing order. It is preferable to display the time up to the display unit 60 and count down.

  Based on the detection result from the thermistor sensor 25, the control unit 50 determines that the processing liquid temperature in the color developing tank 2 has become equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, or has reached a temperature at which development processing can be performed. Although the operation of the heater 24 is controlled, in the present invention, the processing liquid temperature (lower limit temperature) for starting the operation of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 is set in advance in the standby mode, and this is stored in the memory 51 or the like. It is memorized in the means. For example, when the thermistor sensor 25 detects that the temperature of the processing liquid has become 35 ° C. or less, the control unit 50 can store a program for operating the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 in the memory 51 in advance.

  The lower limit temperature is determined in advance by measuring the temperature adjustment time from the lower limit temperature to the development processing possible temperature by the operation of the heating means (electric heater 24, etc.) and the stirring means (circulation pump 26, etc.). It is preferably set based on data, such as allowing the user to arbitrarily select the adjustment time (waiting time until development processing is possible). In other words, when the user receives an order for development processing from the customer, the minimum temperature of the standby mode is automatically set by selecting the maximum waiting time until the user reaches the ready state for development processing from the standby mode. In addition, it is easy to predict the finish time until the order is completed.

  In addition, although the circulation pump was mentioned as a specific example of the stirring means which can be used for the development processing apparatus according to the present invention, other inert gas such as nitrogen gas used in the hanger type development processing apparatus is bubbled. The method and stirring means such as high pressure spraying and spraying are also included in the present invention.

  Thus, in the development processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, when the control unit 50 determines that it is in the standby mode, the operation and stop of the circulation pump 26 and preferably the electric heater 24 are controlled, and the processing liquid is supplied. The state which suppresses deterioration is maintained. This will be described with reference to a schematic diagram showing the temperature history of the treatment liquid in the treatment tank of FIG.

FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram showing the temperature history of the processing solution in the color developing tank 2 of the development processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the vertical axis shows the temperature change of the processing solution, and the temperature T ₁ is capable of development processing. in a liquid temperature, temperature T ₂ is the minimum temperature of the treatment liquid in the standby mode. The horizontal axis indicates the elapsed time from when the standby mode is entered until the next order for development processing is received. At time t _0, the controller 50 determines that the standby mode has been entered, and the electric heater 24 and the circulation pump 26 are determined. At the time t ₁ and t _{3, when} the processing liquid reaches the lower limit temperature and the electric heater 24 and the circulation pump 26 are started again, and at the time t _2, the liquid temperature becomes a temperature at which development processing is possible and electric heating is performed. Each time the heater 24 and the circulation pump 26 are stopped is shown. In addition, time t _d is the time that has received the order of the development process.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the development processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention operates the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 when the temperature of the processing liquid falls below a predetermined temperature by the control unit 50 during the standby mode. Since the operation is controlled to return to the temperature at which development processing is possible, the temperature history of the processing solution becomes a sawtooth shape as shown. Further, the temperature history indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the figure is the case where the color development processing tank 2 has a heat-retaining structure using a heat-insulating material such as a foam material, and the operation interval between the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24. In addition to being able to suppress the air oxidation of the treatment liquid more efficiently, it is possible to reduce the power consumption in the standby state.

On the other hand, FIG. 5B shows a temperature history in the conventional developing processing apparatus. In the standby mode, the standby temperature T ₃ set in advance by frequently repeating the operation and stop of the electric heater 24 and the circulation pump 26 is obtained. To maintain. In FIG. 5B, the operation time of the circulation pump 26 is lengthened in order to prevent the temperature difference between the treatment tank and the auxiliary tank, so that the effect of suppressing the air oxidation of the treatment liquid is insufficient. In the temperature history of FIG. 5B, it is necessary to always return from the stand-by liquid temperature T ₃ to the temperature T _{1 at} which development processing is possible when a request for development processing is received from the user, and this takes time. become. Therefore, the time from when an order is received until the temperature at which development processing can be performed becomes a bottleneck, and it becomes difficult to provide a rapid development processing service to the user.

  Next, the flow of detection of the standby state of the development processing apparatus by the control means in the present invention and the control of temperature control and stirring in the standby mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the flowchart of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the development processing apparatus 1 is already ready for development processing.

  After the photosensitive material detection sensor 18 detects the end of the photosensitive material during the development process, after a certain period of time (time until the processing up to the photosensitive material end) is completed, a new photosensitivity is further obtained for the fixed time. When the material is not detected, the control unit 50 determines that the development process in the development processing apparatus 1 has been completed (step S1). When the control unit 50 determines that the development process has been completed, it starts counting by the timer 19 (step S2).

  Next, the control unit 50 determines whether or not a predetermined time set in advance has elapsed since the timer 19 started counting (step S3), and determines that the predetermined time has passed (step S3). Yes), the controller 50 determines the transition of the development processing apparatus 1 to the standby mode (step S4). Then, control is performed so as to stop the operation of the circulation pump 26 which is the stirring means and the electric heater 24 which is the heating means constituting the developing processing apparatus 1 (step S5). As described above, in the present invention, when the control unit 50 determines that the development processing apparatus 1 is in the standby mode, it is preferable to perform control so that the operation of the heating unit is stopped in addition to the stirring unit. Suppresses the progress of deterioration.

  Even after the operation of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 is stopped, the control unit 50 detects the processing liquid temperature in the color developing tank 2 via the thermistor sensor 25 (step S6). The operation of the electric heater 24 is controlled. That is, when it is determined that the processing liquid temperature in the color developing tank 2 is higher than the lower limit temperature (No in step S7), the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 are stopped, but the processing liquid temperature is set in advance. When it is determined that the temperature has become lower than the lower limit temperature (Yes in step S7), the controller 50 causes the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 to return the processing solution in the color developing tank 2 to a temperature at which development processing is possible. Is operated (step S8). When the control unit 50 determines that the processing liquid temperature in the color developing tank 2 detected by the thermistor sensor 25 has returned to the predetermined temperature (Yes in step S9), the control unit 50 stops the operation of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24. (Step S5). On the other hand, if it determines with the process liquid temperature not having reached predetermined temperature (No of step S9), the operation | movement of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 will be continued. The control unit 50 repeats the operations from step S5 to step S9 while determining that the development processing apparatus 1 is in the standby mode.

  In any step of FIG. 6, when a request for development processing is received from the user, the standby mode is immediately canceled, the electric heater 24 and the circulation pump 26 are operated, and a preset development processing possible temperature is set. The temperature is controlled to maintain the temperature.

  According to the above flow, when the control unit 50 determines that the development processing apparatus 1 is in a standby state in which development processing is not performed in the present invention, the operation of the circulation pump 26 and the electric heater 24 is controlled to By reducing the influence of stirring and heating applied to the processing liquid by showing a sawtooth temperature history as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the processing liquid due to air oxidation.

  The effects of the embodiments of the present invention were confirmed by the following examples.

The processor (automatic development processing apparatus) used was a color negative film processor CL-KP46QA (manufactured by Konica Minolta), which was modified to incorporate the control means according to the present invention. Note that this apparatus is a follow-up temperature control system in which a heater is provided only in the color developing tank, and the temperature of the other processing tank is adjusted by drawing a pipe into a sub tank of the other processing tank via a circulation pump. The capacity of the color developing tank was 16.4 liters, the opening area ratio was 15 cm ² / liter, and the evaluation was performed under the condition of a temperature environment of 20 ° C.

  The used processing liquid prepared the tank liquid from the following processing agent kit by Konica Minolta, Inc. by a predetermined method, and put it into each processing tank.

Color developer tank CNK-4-52N1R and CNK-4-52N1S
Bleaching tanks CNK-4-52N2R and CNK-4-52N2S
Fixing tank CNK-4-52N3R
Stabilization tank CNK-4-52N4R
Experiment 1 (Comparative Example 1)
The temperature of the color developer was set to 38 ° C., which is a normal development processing temperature, and the temperature control was continued for 14 hours a day without performing film processing. During this time, the circulation pump was always operated, and the heater was controlled to maintain the set temperature (38 ° C.). And at night (10 hours), the operation of the circulation pump and the heater was stopped. After repeating this for 10 days, the color developing agent concentration in the color developer was measured, and the air oxidation constant per day was calculated to be 0.00854 (day ^-1 ). The air oxidation constant k is calculated from the following equation.

k = (lnC ₀ -lnC ₁₀ ) / 10
In the formula, k represents an air oxidation constant, ln represents a natural logarithm, C ₀ represents the first color developing agent concentration (g / liter), and C ₁₀ represents the color developing agent concentration (g / liter) after 10 days.

Experiment 2 (Comparative Example 2)
The temperature of the color developer was once raised to 38 ° C. (development processing temperature), then reset to 34 ° C. (standby temperature), and temperature control was continued for 14 hours a day without film processing. During this time, the circulation pump was always operated, and the heater was controlled to maintain the set temperature (34 ° C.). And at night (10 hours), the operation of the circulation pump and the heater was stopped. After repeating this for 10 days, the color developing agent concentration in the color developer was measured, and the air oxidation constant per day was calculated to be 0.00623 (day ^-1 ). Compared with the experiment 1 above, the air oxidation rate was suppressed to 73%.

  The time required to recover from the standby temperature of 34 ° C. to the development processing temperature of 38 ° C. was about 15 minutes. That is, in Experiment 2, a waiting time of about 15 minutes was always required before starting development processing from the standby mode.

Experiment 3 (present invention)
The temperature of the color developer was once raised to 38 ° C. (development processing temperature), and immediately thereafter, the circulation pump and the heater were stopped and allowed to cool naturally. During this time, the following operations were performed.

  First, after operating the circulation pump once every 5 minutes for 10 seconds, the temperature is measured and the circulation pump is stopped. Next, when the temperature of the color developer reaches 34 ° C., the circulation pump and the heater are operated, and the operation is continued until it reaches 38 ° C. Further, when the temperature of the color developer reaches 38 ° C., the operation of the circulation pump and the heater is immediately stopped.

This operation was repeated and continued for 14 hours a day without film processing. And at night (10 hours), the operation of the circulation pump and the heater was stopped. After repeating this for 10 days, the color developing agent concentration in the color developer was measured, and the air oxidation constant per day was calculated to be 0.00504 (day ^-1 ). Compared with Experiment 1 above, the air oxidation rate was suppressed to 59%.

  The time required for the liquid temperature to naturally drop from 38 ° C. to 34 ° C. was about 90 minutes, and the time required for the liquid temperature to recover from 34 ° C. to 38 ° C. was about 15 minutes. That is, in Experiment 3, the waiting time from the standby mode until the development processing is started is 15 minutes at the longest, but if it is during natural cooling, the time required for temperature recovery is shorter than 15 minutes. The waiting time will be shortened. For example, the time required for recovery from 37 ° C. during natural cooling to a development processing temperature of 38 ° C. was about 5 minutes.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, it is confirmed that the deterioration of the processing solution due to air oxidation is suppressed, and that the development processing can be performed immediately even if the standby time is long, and the effect of the present invention is exhibited. Was confirmed.

  As described above, in the present invention, as a factor for promoting the air oxidation of the waiting processing liquid, paying attention to the influence of stirring and circulation performed during the development processing standby, and by controlling the operation of the stirring means during the standby, The progress of air oxidation of the processing liquid during standby can be suppressed. At the same time, after the development processing apparatus enters the standby mode, the heating means and the agitation means are operated according to the temperature state of the processing liquid so that the processing liquid temperature does not become too low. So as not to cause any trouble.

  As a result, even if the standby time of the development processing unit becomes long, the performance of the processing liquid in the tank is not deteriorated during standby, and at the same time, rapid development without waiting for the customer who is the original design philosophy of the minilab system It has become possible to realize a development processing apparatus capable of providing a processing service.

It is a perspective view of the automatic processor which mounts a computer. It is the schematic which shows an example of the image development process of a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material. It is the schematic diagram which demonstrated the color developing tank in the image development process in detail. It is a block diagram of the control means which comprises the development processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is the schematic which shows the temperature history of the process liquid in a standby state. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control of temperature control and agitation in standby state detection and standby mode of the development processing apparatus according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Development processing equipment (automatic developing machine, self-processing machine)
2 Color development processing tank 3 Bleach fixing tank 4 Stabilization tank-1
5 Stabilizer-2
6 Stabilizer-3
10 Computer 12-14 Refilling pipe (pipe)
18 Sensitive material detection sensor (first detection means)
19 Timer (first detection means)
20 Treatment tank 21 Auxiliary tank 22 Circulation pipe 23 Filtration filter 24 Heating means (electric heater)
25 Thermistor sensor (second detection means)
26 Circulating pump 50 Control unit 51 Memory (storage unit)
60 Display S Photosensitive material (Sensitive material)
T ₁ Temperature of processing solution that can be developed t ₀ Time when standby status t _d Time when order for development processing was received

Claims (10)

Stirring means for stirring or circulating the processing liquid in the tank;
First detection means for detecting an elapsed time after the processing is completed;
Second detection means for detecting the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank;
Control means for controlling the operation of the stirring means,
The control means includes
When the first detection means detects that a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of the stirring means is stopped,
When the second detection means detects that the processing liquid temperature in the tank is lower than a predetermined lower limit temperature, the stirring means is operated,
The operation of the stirring means is continued until the second detection means detects that the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank has reached a preset processable temperature,
An apparatus for processing a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, characterized by being controlled. Stirring means for stirring or circulating the processing liquid in the tank;
Heating means for heating the treatment liquid;
First detection means for detecting an elapsed time after the processing is completed;
Second detection means for detecting the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank;
Control means for controlling the operation of the heating means and the stirring means,
The control means includes
When the first detection means detects that a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of the heating means and the stirring means is stopped,
When the second detection means detects that the treatment liquid temperature in the tank is lower than a predetermined lower limit temperature, the heating means and the stirring means are operated,
Until the second detecting means detects that the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank has reached a preset processable temperature, the heating means and the stirring means are continuously operated.
An apparatus for processing a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, characterized by being controlled. 3. The silver halide photographic light-sensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower limit temperature is 1 ° C. or more lower than the processable temperature. 4. The processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the processing solutions is a color developer. The control means includes
When the stirring means has stopped operating, the second detection means controls to detect the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank intermittently at regular intervals, and
Before the temperature detection by at least the second detection means, the stirring means is controlled to operate for a certain period of time.
The silver halide photographic light-sensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is processed. The lower limit temperature is determined by a waiting time until the processable temperature is reached from the lower limit temperature by at least the operation of the stirring means,
6. The silver halide photographic material processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising selection means for selecting the waiting time. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit that selects an elapsed time that is detected by the first detection unit and stops the operation of the stirring unit after completion of the development processing. 2. A processing apparatus for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material according to item 1. By detecting that a predetermined time has elapsed after the processing is completed, stirring of the processing liquid in the tank is stopped,
When the treatment liquid falls below a predetermined lower limit temperature, stirring of the treatment liquid is started,
A method for managing a processing solution for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, wherein the stirring is continued until the temperature of the processing solution reaches a predetermined processing temperature. By detecting that a predetermined time has elapsed after the end of the treatment, heating and stirring of the treatment liquid in the tank are stopped,
When the treatment liquid falls below a predetermined lower limit temperature, heating and stirring of the treatment liquid are started,
A method for managing a processing solution for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material, comprising controlling the heating and stirring until the temperature of the processing solution reaches a predetermined processable temperature. 10. The method for managing a processing solution for a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material according to claim 8, wherein the lower limit temperature is 1 ° C. or more lower than the processable temperature.

Images