JP2009103740A - Developing processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developing processor which hardly generates color irregularities in a photosensitive material P. <P>SOLUTION: The developing processor includes a plurality of processing chambers holding developing processing liquid and a conveying mechanism conveying the exposed photosensitive material in the processing liquid in each processing chamber. The conveying mechanism includes a liquid-level external roller 44 arranged above a processing liquid surface, to transfer the photosensitive material P pulled out of the processing chamber 31 on the upstream side to the processing chamber 32 on the downstream side. The developing processor is provided with a separation and introduction means 49 introducing the processing liquid L1 on the upstream side dropping from the surface of the liquid-level external roller 44 into the processing liquid of the processing chamber 32 on the downstream side, in a separation state from the photographic photosensitive material P supplied into the processing liquid of the processing chamber 32 on the downstream side by the liquid-level external roller 44. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes a plurality of processing tanks that hold a developing processing solution and a transport mechanism that transports an exposed photosensitive material in the processing liquid in each processing tank, and the transport mechanism includes upstream processing. The present invention relates to a development processing apparatus including an out-of-liquid level roller disposed above a processing liquid level in order to deliver a photosensitive material drawn out from the tank to a downstream processing tank.

  As prior art document information related to this type of development processing apparatus, there is Patent Document 1 shown below. The development processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a submerged rack that is detachably provided in a processing tank, and a crossover rack disposed above the submerged racks adjacent to each other. Are provided with a number of rotationally driveable roller pairs as a transport mechanism. In particular, the two sets of upstream and downstream roller pairs provided in the crossover rack constitute an out-of-liquid roller.

  For example, the photosensitive material that has undergone color development processing in the first color developing tank is drawn upward from the color developer by the upstream liquid level roller on the upstream side of the crossover rack, and then continuously by the downstream liquid level roller. Then, it is handed smoothly to the next bleach-fixing tank and fed into the bleach-fixing solution.

  The photosensitive material drawn upward from the color developer is squeezed (squeezed) by two sets of upstream and downstream liquid level rollers, so that it is attached to the surface of the photosensitive material, and then bleached and fixed. The amount of color developer brought into the bath is controlled. Part of the color developer squeezed from the surface of the photosensitive material by the out-of-surface roller is collected on the surface of the downstream-side out-of-surface roller (especially the lower roller in contact with the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive material) and bleached from there. It is introduced into the bleach-fixing tank in the form of falling into the fixing tank.

JP 2007-171632 A (paragraph number 0037, FIG. 3)

  However, in the development processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, uneven coloring may be observed in the photosensitive material that is output after completing the development process and the drying process. In particular, the above-mentioned tendency was strongly observed in a high-quality photosensitive material having a strong coloring action.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a development processing apparatus in which color unevenness is less likely to occur in view of the drawbacks of the conventional development processing apparatus exemplified above.

A first characteristic configuration of the present invention includes a plurality of processing tanks that hold a developing solution, and a transport mechanism that transports an exposed photosensitive material in the processing liquid in each processing tank. Is a development processing apparatus including an out-of-liquid level roller disposed above the processing liquid level in order to transfer the photosensitive material drawn from the downstream processing tank to the upstream processing tank,
The downstream processing tank in a state where the upstream processing liquid falling from the surface of the liquid level roller is separated from the photographic photosensitive material fed into the processing liquid of the downstream processing tank by the liquid level roller ( 32) is provided with a separation and introduction means for introduction into the treatment liquid.

  In the development processing apparatus according to the first characteristic configuration of the present invention, the upstream processing liquid brought in via the out-of-surface roller is separated from the photosensitive material fed into the processing liquid in the downstream processing tank. In the high-quality photosensitive material having a strong coloring effect, the separation introducing means for introducing into the processing tank on the side is newly provided so that the photosensitive material is not easily affected by the upstream processing solution near the liquid surface. The problem of uneven coloring was remarkably eliminated, and a development processing apparatus capable of stably outputting higher quality prints was obtained.

  That is, according to the applicant's observation and experimental reasoning, in the development processing apparatus according to Patent Document 1 described above, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the color developer L1 dropped from the surface of the downstream liquid level roller 144 as illustrated in FIG. Tends to stagnate on the surface of the bleach-fixing solution L2 in the next bleach-fixing tank, and the aforementioned color unevenness is further caused by the stagnation color developing solution with respect to the photosensitive material P already discharged from the color developing tank. It was understood that the developing action occurred.

  Therefore, as in the first characteristic configuration of the present invention, the applicant separates the upstream processing liquid falling from the surface of the outer liquid roller from the photographic photosensitive material fed into the downstream processing tank. Inferring that the photosensitive material can be protected from the action of the processing solution introduced into the downstream processing tank by providing the separation introduction means to introduce it into the downstream processing tank at an appropriate place, and realized by several methods As was guessed, the color unevenness of the image was eliminated as guessed.

  Another characteristic configuration of the present invention is provided with an inclined guide member for allowing the processing liquid accumulated on the surface of the outer liquid level roller to flow down toward the processing liquid level of the downstream processing tank, and A notch for deflecting the flow of the processing liquid flowing down above the processing liquid surface of the inclined guide member is formed as the separation introducing means.

  In this configuration, since the inclined guide member is provided, the processing liquid flows smoothly along the upper surface of the inclined guide member, so that it is easy to see when the liquid drops directly below the liquid surface. The splash of the liquid is eliminated, and the influence on the photosensitive material due to the splash of the liquid is prevented. Further, the flow of the processing solution flowing down along the inclined guide member is deflected by a notch to the back side of the inclined guide member, the end in the width direction of the photosensitive material, or the like. Therefore, the photosensitive material can be reliably protected from the direct influence of the processing solution brought in from the upstream side.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the notch is a slit formed so as to penetrate the inclined guide member, and the portion of the inclined guide member below the slit constitutes the partition member. In the point.

  In this configuration, the processing liquid flowing down through the inclined guide member passes through the slit, is guided to the space on the back side of the inclined guide member, and reaches the liquid surface of the downstream processing liquid stored in this space. Reach. However, since the upstream processing liquid that has reached the downstream processing liquid level in this way is separated from the photosensitive material by the portion of the inclined guide member below the slit, it is directly on the photosensitive material. Has no effect. The part of the inclined guide member below the slit constitutes the partition member so as to penetrate the liquid surface. In the case of this configuration, the problem can be solved with a simple configuration that can be realized at a very low cost, in which only a notch is provided in the inclined guide member.

  Another characteristic configuration of the present invention is that an auxiliary partition member extending from the vicinity of the lower side edge of the notch so as to intersect the surface of the inclined guide member is provided.

  With this configuration, the splash of the processing liquid flying in the air from the surface of the outer surface roller or the splashing when falling from the surface of the outer surface roller to the upper surface of the inclined guide member assists the phenomenon of reaching the photosensitive material. It can be suppressed by the partition member.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
〔overall structure〕
FIG. 1 shows a photographic printing apparatus commonly referred to as a digital minilab. This photographic printing apparatus mainly includes an operating block A and a printing block B. In the operating block A, the processing of the image data converted into a digital signal and the basic control of the entire system are performed, and the frame image of the developed photographic film F is also converted into a digital signal as necessary. In the print block B, exposure processing, development processing, and drying processing are performed on the silver salt type photographic paper P as a photosensitive material. The development processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to the development unit De of the print block B.

[Operate Block]
The operating block A is a film scanner 2 that captures the frame image of the photographic film F as a digital signal by photoelectric conversion to the console 1 and captures it as image data, a display 3 that displays various information, and various processes necessary for image processing and printing. And an image processing device 4 composed of a general-purpose computer. On the upper surface of the console 1, a keyboard 5 for inputting information to the image processing apparatus 4 and a mouse 6 functioning as a pointing device are provided.

  The image processing apparatus 4 includes a media drive 7 for acquiring image data from a disk-type medium such as a CD or MO, or a semiconductor-type medium (not shown). The image processing apparatus 4 includes an interface that realizes not only image processing such as color correction and density correction but also processing related to printing by operating the keyboard 5 and the mouse 6 according to the display on the display 3.

  On the upper surface of the light source section of the film scanner 2, film carriers 2A that meet various dimensional standards for photographic film F can be mounted. The film carrier 2A has a function of conveying the set photographic film F in the longitudinal direction at a constant speed. When scanning by the film scanner 2 is started, the photographic film F set on the film carrier 2A is conveyed in the longitudinal direction while being irradiated with the light beam from the light source unit. The light beam transmitted through the frame image of the photographic film F is guided to the upper photoelectric conversion unit through the zoom lens. In this way, in synchronism with the conveyance of the photographic film F, the frame image data of the photographic film F is color-separated into three primary colors R (red), G (green), and B (blue) by the photoelectric conversion unit. Is acquired as image data. The acquired image data is transferred to and stored in the image processing device 4.

[Print Block]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the print block B has a structure in which an exposure unit Ex, a development unit De, and a drying unit Dr are housed in a dark box-shaped housing 10. Further, at the outlet of the drying unit Dr, a conveying belt 12 that sends the dried photographic paper P delivered from the discharge unit 11 at the top of the housing 10 in the horizontal direction, and the photographic paper P in the tray 13A in order units. A sorter 13 is provided for sorting and collecting.

[Exposure part]
As shown in FIG. 2, the exposure unit Ex has two photographic paper magazines M arranged at the lower part, an advance roller 20 for pulling out photographic paper P from one of the two photographic paper magazines M, and a photographic paper P of print size. A cutter 21 to be cut, an exposure conveyance unit 23, and a sandwich conveyance unit 22 that delivers the photographic paper P whose rear end is cut by the cutter 21 to the exposure conveyance unit 23 are provided. The nipping / conveying unit 22 can reciprocate in the vertical direction.

  The exposure transport unit 23 performs exposure processing in the main scanning direction by the exposure head H while transporting the supplied photographic paper P in the sub scanning direction. On the downstream side of the exposure transport unit 23, a post-conveying unit 24 that sends out the photographic paper P that has been exposed by the exposure transport unit 23, and the photographic paper P that is sent out from the post-conveying unit 24 are distributed in a two-row transport state and then developed. A distribution unit 25 (distribution processing unit) that delivers to De and a relay conveyance unit 26 that sends the distributed photographic paper P to the developing unit De are provided. In the sorting unit 25, the chucker C that can be displaced in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction alternately sends the photographic paper P received from the exposure transport unit 23 to two transport lanes adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

  The exposure transport unit 23 includes a plurality of transport roller pairs that can be switched between a pressure-bonding state and a release state in which the photographic paper P is pressure-bonded, and can smoothly transport the plurality of transport roller pairs by switching between the pressure-bonding state and the release state. Is realized. The exposure head H can be appropriately selected from various types of exposure engines. Here, light beams from laser light sources of three primary colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) are reflected by a polygon mirror that rotates around the vertical axis and scanned in the main scanning direction. A laser-type exposure engine that realizes exposure is used.

  The drying block Dr is heated by a plurality of pressure-sensitive conveyance rollers 15 and the photographic paper P conveyed by the conveyance rollers 15 by a heater in order to convey the photographic paper P delivered from the development block De to the discharge unit 11. A blower 16 for supplying fresh air is provided.

[Development part]
The developing unit De includes one color development processing tank 31 for storing a color development processing liquid (CD liquid), one bleach-fixing processing tank 32 for storing a bleach-fixing processing liquid (BF liquid), and a stable processing liquid (STB). The development processing tank group 30 includes a total of six processing tanks of four stable processing tanks 33A, 33B, 33C, and 33D. These processing tanks are arranged in the order of the color development processing tank 31, the bleach-fixing processing tank 32, and the four stable processing tanks 33A, 33B, 33C, and 33D from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the photographic paper P. Adjacent to each other. Hereinafter, in this specification, the terms “upstream side” and “downstream side” basically mean the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the photographic paper P.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the sub tank 30S is provided in the side part of all the processing tanks 31, 32, 33A, 33B, 33C, 33D. Although not shown in the drawing, the sub tank 30S is provided with a liquid level management means, a treatment liquid temperature adjustment means, a filtration mechanism, and a treatment liquid replenishment mechanism. The bottom of the sub tank 30S and the upper part of the bottom of each processing tank are connected by a tube-like circulation path 36, and a circulation pump 35 is interposed in the middle of the circulation path 36. Further, each processing tank of the development processing tank group 30 and the sub tank 30S are connected in communication so that they can freely circulate in the vicinity of the liquid surface. Therefore, a circulation path CF is formed by forcibly supplying the processing liquid in the sub tank 30S to each processing tank by the circulation pump 35 and returning it to the sub tank 30S again.

  Cascade connection is adopted for the four stable treatment tanks 33A, 33B, 33C, and 33D. Specifically, it is set so that the liquid level in the most downstream stabilization processing tank 33D is the highest and the liquid level is lower in the upstream stabilization processing tank. With this configuration called cascade connection, fresh stabilization processing liquid supplied to the sub tank 30S of the stabilization processing tank 33D at the most downstream position is sequentially supplied to the sub tanks adjacent to the upstream side by overflow.

[Transport mechanism]
As illustrated in FIG. 2, in each of the color development processing tank 31, the bleach-fixing processing tank 32, and each of the stable processing tanks 33, the photographic paper P is directed from the upstream side to the downstream side in each processing solution. A transport mechanism for transporting is provided. This transport mechanism is constituted by a plurality of processing racks arranged adjacent to each other.

  The most upstream processing rack is an introduction rack 41 including a plurality of pressure roller pairs 40 that receive the printing paper P supplied from the relay conveyance unit 26 of the exposure unit Ex. On the downstream side of the introduction rack 41, the photographic paper P supplied from the upstream side is fed into the processing liquid in each of the processing tanks 31, 32, 33, and after the processing in the immersion state, six pieces are pulled up on the liquid level again. The submerged rack 43 is detachably inserted into each processing tank.

  A crossover rack 45 is disposed above the boundary between two submerged racks 43 adjacent to each other. The crossover rack 45 has two pairs of transport rollers 44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d for delivering the photographic paper P discharged upward from one submerged rack 43 to the submerged rack 43 of the next processing tank. Is provided. On the downstream side of the last submerged rack 43, a plurality of conveying roller pairs are arranged so that the photographic paper P discharged from the processing tank 33D is sent to the drying section Dr while removing the stable processing liquid adhering to the photographic paper P. A squeeze rack 47 having 46 is arranged.

  A U-shaped path is formed in each submerged rack 43 by a plurality of sets of pressure rollers 42. The two pairs of transport rollers 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d provided in the cross over rack 45 are liquid outer rollers disposed above the processing liquid surface. The front / back relationship of the photographic paper P being processed in the developing unit De will be described. When the photographic paper P is conveyed near the middle of the two pairs of conveying rollers 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d of the crossover rack 45, the emulsion of the photographic paper P The surface (an example of the photosensitive surface) faces downward.

[Inclined guide member]
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper end of the boundary between adjacent liquid racks 43 guides the processing liquid that collects and falls in the vicinity of the lower ends of the transport rollers 44a and 44c below the crossover rack 45. A pair of generally plate-shaped resin-made inclined guide members 48 are provided. Each inclined guide member 48 is formed with a flat and smooth inclined guide surface 48a extending at an angle of about 45 ° with respect to the horizontal. The inclined guide surface 48a extends from the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the lower transport rollers 44a and 44c to below the liquid level of the processing liquid in the processing tank to which the inclined guiding surface 48a belongs. Accordingly, the processing liquid taken out from the upstream processing tank and dropped from the transport rollers 44a and 44c gently flows down to the processing liquid levels through the inclined guide surface 48a. For this reason, a phenomenon that splashes occur when the conveying rollers 44a and 44c directly drop onto the liquid surface of the processing liquid and reach the emulsion surface of the photographic paper P is suppressed.

[Structure of separation and introduction means]
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, among the pair of inclined guide members 48 provided between the color development processing tank 31 and the bleach-fixing processing tank 32, the inclination disposed on the bleach-fixing processing tank 32 side. The guide member 48 ′ has a shape different from that of the inclined guide member 48 in other places. That is, a slit-shaped notch 49 (separation introducing means) extending linearly in the width direction of the conveyed printing paper P is formed above the processing liquid surface of the inclined guide member 48 '. Here, the slit shape means that the notch 49 is a through-hole penetrating the inclined guide surface 48a ′ of the inclined guide member 48 ′ from the front side to the back side.

  Further, a hook-shaped auxiliary guide member 50 (separation introducing means) extending linearly in the width direction of the photographic paper P is attached to the back side of the inclined guide member 48 '. The auxiliary guide member 50 is formed of a metal plate or the like. The first vertical portion 50a and the first vertical portion 50a are fixed to a part of the inclined guide member 48 'along the upstream inner wall of the downstream processing tank 32. A bottom portion 50b extending horizontally from the lower end of the vertical portion 50a, a second vertical portion 50c extending upward from the other end of the bottom portion 50b, and a notch 49 from the upper end of the second vertical portion 50c through the notch 49, the inclined guide member 48 ' It consists of the front-end | tip part 50d extended to the outer side. The liquid level of the bleach-fixing solution stored in the bleach-fixing treatment tank 32 usually reaches a level slightly higher than the bottom 50b of the auxiliary guide member 50.

  By the way, each processing tank is extracted by a circulation path C by a circulation pump 35 in which the processing liquid is extracted from the bottom of the sub tank 30S, injected from the bottom of each processing tank, and returned to the sub tank 30S from the vicinity of the upper surface of the processing liquid in each processing tank. In the vicinity of the upper surface of the processing liquid stored in the surface, a surface flow is formed along the width direction of the photographic paper P from the vicinity of the liquid surface separated from the sub tank 30S to the vicinity of the liquid surface adjacent to the sub tank 30S.

  On the other hand, a fixed length (for example, about 10 to 15 mm) is provided between both end surfaces of the auxiliary guide member 50 in the longitudinal direction (width direction of the photographic paper P to be conveyed) and the inner surface of the processing tank 32 on the downstream side. A small amount of the bleach-fixing solution located in the vicinity of the inner surface of the bottom 50b of the auxiliary guide member 50 is mostly stored in the bleach-fixing processing tank 32 through these two gaps. In communication with the bleach-fix solution. Therefore, in the vicinity of the bottom portion 50b of the auxiliary guide member 50, the auxiliary guide member 50 enters the auxiliary guide member 50 through one gap far from the sub tank 30S, moves toward the sub tank 30S along the inner surface of the auxiliary guide member 50, and enters the sub tank 30S. A flow of the bleach-fixing solution in a certain direction is created in which the auxiliary guide member 50 exits from the other gap on the side close to the surface and merges with the bleach-fixing solution in the main body of the bleach-fixing processing tank 32 and the sub-tank 30S. ing.

[Operation of separation introduction means]
When the photographic paper P that has been processed in the color development processing tank 31 is handed over to the next bleach-fixing processing tank 32 by the most upstream crossover rack 45, the color developer that adheres to the front and back surfaces of the photographic paper P Is squeezed out to a certain extent by two pairs of conveying rollers 44a, 44b, 44c and 44d provided in the crossover rack 45. Most of the color developer squeezed out by the pair of conveyance rollers 44c and 44d provided on the downstream side falls while forming a liquid pool near the lower end of the peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 44c located below.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the color developer dropped from the surface of the conveying roller 44c flows down the inclined guide surface 48a 'when reaching the inclined guide member 48', but is slit-shaped in the middle of the inclined guide surface 48a '. Since the notch 49 exists, the flow is deflected toward the back side of the inclined guide member 48 ′ through the notch 49, and merges with the flow of the bleach-fixing solution described above located near the bottom 50 b of the auxiliary guide member 50. In the vicinity of the other gap on the side close to the sub tank 30S, it is mixed and introduced into a large amount of the remaining bleach-fixing solution outside the auxiliary guide member 50 in the sub tank 30S and the like. Accordingly, the photographic paper P fed into the bleach-fixing solution in the bleach-fixing processing tank 32 by the conveying roller pair 44c and 44d does not directly encounter the color developer dropped from the conveying roller 44c. That is, since the notch 49 (separation introducing means) exists, the upstream processing liquid L1 falling from the surface of the outer liquid level roller 44 is separated from the photographic paper P sent to the downstream processing tank 32. In this state, it is introduced into the processing liquid in the downstream processing tank 32.

  Note that the front end portion 50d of the auxiliary guide member 50 extends from the vicinity of the lower side edge of the notch 49 so as to intersect with the virtual surface along the inclined guide surface 48a ′, so that the surfaces of the outer liquid level rollers 44c and 44d. An auxiliary partition wall member for suppressing the splash of the processing liquid flying from the air to the photographic paper P and the splashing of the processing liquid flying from the surface of the outer liquid rollers 44c and 44d onto the upper surface of the inclined guide member 48 '. It is composed.

[Another embodiment]
<1> The bottom 50b of the auxiliary guide member 50 may be provided at a level higher than the level of the bleach-fixing solution, and the bottom 50b may be inclined so as to gradually decrease toward the sub tank 30S. As a result, the color developer that has fallen from the surface of the transport roller 44c and entered the auxiliary guide member 50 flows from the side far from the sub tank 30S toward the sub tank 30S, and in the vicinity of the gap near the sub tank 30S. The remaining amount of the bleach-fixing solution outside the auxiliary guide member 50 is mixed. In this configuration, the side of the auxiliary guide member 50 far from the sub tank 30S is closed so that the color developer does not fall from the same portion of the auxiliary guide member 50.

<2> As illustrated in FIG. 6, the saddle-shaped auxiliary guide member 50 is omitted from the embodiment of FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 (first embodiment), and the slit penetrates the inclined guide surface 68a from the front side to the back side. However, the present invention may be implemented by simply providing the notch 69 (separation introducing means). In this case, the portion of the inclined guide member 68 below the slit-shaped notch 69 constitutes a partition member that separates the photographic photosensitive material from the upstream processing liquid flow. In the example of FIG. 6, an auxiliary partition member 70 (separation introducing means) is provided at the lower edge of the notch 69 of the inclined guide member 68. Here, when the inclined guide member 68 is formed by injection molding of resin in the mold, the auxiliary partition wall member 70 is integrally formed. However, the auxiliary partition member 70 can be omitted.

<3> The separation introducing means may be constituted by a groove 79 arranged in a part of the inclined guide member 78 as shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 7, a part of the inclined guide surface 78 a of the inclined guide member 78 falls downward over the entire length, thereby forming a bag-like groove 79 that opens upward. An auxiliary partition wall member 79a (separation introducing means) for receiving splashes of the color developer is integrally extended from the lower side of the opening edge of the groove 79. In FIG. 7, the lower end of the groove portion 79 is positioned below the level of the bleach-fixing solution, and between the both end surfaces of the groove portion 79 in the longitudinal direction (the width direction of the conveyed printing paper P) and the inner surface of the processing tank 32. Is provided with a gap of a certain length (for example, about 10 to 15 mm).

  However, the example shown in FIG. 7 may be modified such that the lower end of the groove 79 is disposed above the liquid level. In this case, if the bottom surface of the groove 79 is inclined to gradually decrease the level toward the sub tank 30S. good.

  The separation introducing means according to the present invention can also be applied to a development processing apparatus in which an inclined guide member is not provided between adjacent processing tanks. In this case, in general, the upstream processing liquid is introduced into the downstream processing tank in a form of falling directly below the surface of the outer liquid roller. In this case, a part of the downstream processing liquid is disposed between the upstream processing liquid that reaches the downstream processing liquid level and the photographic paper P that is fed to the downstream processing tank by the outer liquid roller. What is necessary is just to provide the vertical wall-shaped member immersed in the liquid level as a separation introducing means.

<4> The liquid outer roller is not limited to two sets as in the above-described embodiment, but, for example, one set of liquid configured by two rollers arranged vertically along the boundary surface of adjacent processing tanks. It may be an outer roller.

<5> In the above embodiment, the cutout 49 (separation introducing means) is provided only in the inclined guide member 48 on the downstream side, which is disposed at the boundary between the color development processing tank 31 and the bleach-fixing processing tank 32, which is the most necessary. Although it is provided, a similar effect can be expected even if it is provided on the inclined guide member 48 on the downstream side disposed at the boundary between two other adjacent processing tanks.

<6> Even if the separation introducing means is provided in a development processing apparatus for processing a photographic film, the same effect can be obtained.

Perspective view showing the appearance of the photo printing device Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the print block Sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the image development part containing a separation introduction means Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the treatment tank and the sub tank Perspective view showing the periphery of the separation introducing means Sectional drawing which shows another embodiment of a separation introduction means Sectional drawing which shows another embodiment of isolation | separation introduction means Sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the image development part by a prior art

Explanation of symbols

A Operate block B Print block CF Circulating path De Developing unit Dr Drying unit Ex Exposure unit H Exposure head P Image paper 4 Image processing device 23 Exposure transport unit 30 Development processing tank group 30S Sub tank 31 Color development processing tank 32 Bleach fixing processing tank 33 Stabilizing tank 35 Circulation pump 36 Circulation path 43 Submerged racks 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d Conveying roller pair 45 Crossover rack 48 Inclined guide member 48a Inclined guide surface 49 Notch (separation introducing means)
50 Auxiliary guide member (separate introduction means)
50a First vertical portion 50b Bottom portion 50c Second vertical portion 50d Tip portion 69 Notch (separation introducing means)
68 Inclination guide member 70 Auxiliary partition wall member 78 Inclination guide member 78a Inclination guide surface 79 Groove (separation introducing means)
79a Auxiliary partition member

Claims (4)

A plurality of processing tanks holding a developing solution, and a transport mechanism for transporting the exposed photosensitive material in the processing liquid in each of the processing tanks, the transport mechanism being pulled out from the upstream processing tank; A development processing apparatus including an out-of-surface roller disposed above the processing liquid surface for transferring the photosensitive material to a processing tank adjacent to the downstream side,
Photosensitive material in which the upstream processing liquid (L1) falling from the surface of the outer surface roller (44) is fed into the processing liquid in the downstream processing tank (32) by the outer surface roller (44). A development processing apparatus comprising separation introduction means (49, 69, 79) for introducing the processing liquid in the downstream processing tank (32) in a state separated from (P).   An inclined guide member (48, 68) is provided for allowing the processing liquid (L1) accumulated on the surface of the outer liquid level roller (44) to flow down toward the processing liquid level in the downstream processing tank (32). And a notch (49, 69) for deflecting the flow of the processing liquid (L1) flowing down above the processing liquid surface of the inclined guide member (48, 68). The development processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the development processing apparatus is formed as a means.   The notches (49, 69) are slits formed so as to pass through the inclined guide members (48, 68), and the portion of the inclined guide member (48) below the slits is the photographic photosensitive member. 3. The development processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a partition member for separating the material (P) from the flow of the upstream processing liquid (L1) is configured.   The auxiliary partition member (50, 50d) extending from the vicinity of the lower edge of the notch (49) so as to intersect the surface of the inclined guide member (48) is provided. Or the development processing apparatus according to 3.

Images