JP2595742Y2 - Photosensitive material processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus having a processing solution tank through which a photosensitive material passes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a photosensitive material processing apparatus for developing a photosensitive film or a photosensitive printing plate (hereinafter, referred to as a printing plate) is provided with a processing liquid tank in which a processing liquid is stored. The photosensitive material is subjected to development processing by passing through the processing liquid tank by a conveying means including a number of rollers. Then, the photosensitive material conveyed in the processing liquid tank passes between a pair of squeezing rollers composed of a pair of rollers, whereby excess processing liquid adhering to the surface of the photosensitive material is removed.

Further, the processing liquid tank is appropriately replenished with a processing liquid by a processing liquid replenishing means including a replenishing liquid tank and a replenishing pump. Further, in order to keep the amount of the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank constant, a processing liquid overflow section (hereinafter, referred to as an overflow section) is provided on a central side wall surface of the processing liquid tank. The overflow section is opened on the side wall surface of the processing liquid tank, and the level of the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank is kept constant by discharging excess processing liquid from the opening.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the above conventional configuration,
The processing liquid squeezed out of the photosensitive material by the pair of squeezing rollers returns to the processing liquid tank and spreads as it is. Since the processing liquid squeezed out by the squeezing roller is in a particularly dirty state, in the above-described conventional configuration, the dirty processing liquid is directly diffused into the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank, and the processing liquid is contaminated. Deterioration is faster.

An object of the present invention is to suppress the deterioration of a processing solution.

[0006]

The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a developing tank in which a developing solution is stored, a conveying means for passing the photosensitive material into the developing solution , and a pair of rollers. An aperture roller pair and a developer overflow section provided adjacent to the aperture roller pair are provided. Said pair of rollers is disposed above the developing tank, a part current
Immersed in the developer image tank, developing the contact portion of the developing tank
It is located near the developer surface of and the developing tank above the liquid surface. The squeezing roller pair formed of the pair of rollers squeezes the developer adhering to the photosensitive material. Developer overflow
Row portion is disposed at a position adjacent to the squeezing roller pair, the current
The developer in the image tank overflows. This photosensitive material processing apparatus performs a developing process by passing a photosensitive material through a developing solution in a developing tank .

[0007]

[Action] In the photosensitive material processing apparatus according to the present invention, the conveying means passing the light-sensitive material into the developing solution in the developing tank. From the photosensitive material passing through the developer solution, the contact portion is present in the developing tank
The developer is squeezed out by a pair of squeezing rollers located near the image liquid level. That is, the photosensitive material passing through the developer solution, the developing solution is squeezed immediately after leaving the developer in the developing tank. Here, since the developing solution overflow portion is provided adjacent to the pair of squeezing rollers, the contaminated developing solution squeezed from the photosensitive material by the pair of squeezing rollers is
It is easy to be discharged outside from the developer overflow section . Further, here, the developer is arranged to squeeze rollers as squeezed from the photosensitive material immediately after leaving the developer in the developing tank, attached to after leaving the developer in the developing tank It is possible to prevent the unstable processing of the photosensitive material from proceeding due to the developing solution .

[0008]

FIG. 1 shows an automatic developing apparatus as one embodiment of the present invention. The automatic developing device includes a developing tank 1 for developing a printing plate on which an image is printed by a printing device (not shown), a washing tank 2 for washing a developing solution attached to the printing plate with water, and a rinsing of the printing plate. Or a rinsing tank 3 for rinsing / gumming.

The developing tank 1 has a tank body 1a for storing a developing solution.
And a cover 1b that covers the tank body 1a from above. A large number of guide rollers 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 14 for guiding the printing plate in the developing tank 1 are provided in the tank body 1a.
17, 18, and 19 are arranged. Further, between the guide roller 10 and the guide roller 14, a pair of transport rollers 13 for transporting the printing plate therebetween is provided. At the downstream end in the printing plate transport direction, a pair of squeezing rollers 21 is arranged in the tank body 1a.

The lower squeezing roller of the pair of squeezing rollers 21 and 21 is immersed in the developer except for the upper end thereof. Further, the entire upper squeezing roller 21 is disposed above the developer. That is,
Here, at least a part of both of the aperture rollers 21 and 21 is exposed above the developer, and a contact portion thereof is disposed above the developer.

A pair of brush rollers 15a and 15b are arranged between the guide roller 14 and the guide roller 17. The brush rollers 15a and 15b are arranged so as to be able to press against the printing plate from above and below. In FIG. 1, the upper brush roller 15a rotates clockwise, and the lower brush roller 15b rotates counterclockwise. I do. Tank body 1
One end of the discharge pipe 16 is connected to the center of the lower end of “a”. The other end of the discharge pipe 16 is connected to the suction side of the circulation pump 12. The discharge side of the circulation pump 12 is connected to the spray pipe 11 via a pipe 11a. The spray pipe 11 is arranged near the transport roller 13 in the tank main body 1a. From the spray pipe 11, a developer can be sprayed toward the printing plate surface.

The discharge side of the circulation pump 12 is also connected to a spray 27. The spray 27 is disposed in the tank body 1a near the lower brush roller 15b. The spray 27 discharges the developing solution downward. A replenishing pipe 25 for the developer is arranged below the spray 27 in the tank body 1a. The discharge direction of the replenishment pipe 25 is generally directed to the brush roller 15b. One end of the refill pipe 25 is connected to a replenisher tank 26 via a refill pump 36.

A printing plate mounting table 4 is arranged upstream of the developing tank 1 in the printing plate transport direction (left side in FIG. 1).
At the end of the mounting table 4 on the tank body 1a side, there are provided a guide roller 5 for preventing the rear end of the printing plate from rising, and a pair of conveying rollers 6 for conveying the printing plate from the mounting table 4 to the tank body 1a. Is arranged. Although not shown, a sensor for detecting whether a printing plate is inserted and an area of the printing plate is provided on the mounting table 4 below the guide roller 5.

In the washing tank 2, a water spray 29,
Two pairs of transport rollers 2 arranged with water spray 29 interposed therebetween
8, 31 and a guide roller 30 with a spray function disposed below the water spray 29 are provided. Also,
In the rinsing tank 3, a rinsing spray 33 and a guide roller 32 for guiding the printing plate from the transport roller 31 are provided.
And a transport roller 34 for discharging the rinsed printing plate to the outside.

Further, between the developing tank 1 and the washing tank 2,
Once the development, washing and rinsing treatments have been completed, and then the modification has been performed, a bypass insertion port 24 for inserting a modified printing plate requiring only washing and rinsing treatments into the washing tank 2 is provided. An overflow groove 23 is provided below the bypass insertion port 24 at a position adjacent to the squeeze roller 21 so that the tank body 1a
It is configured such that the level of the developer in the container becomes constant. A guide roller 22 is disposed above the overflow groove 23 adjacent to the upper squeeze roller 21. Further, a floating lid 20 floats on the developer in the tank body 1a. The floating lid 20 is for suppressing evaporation and oxidation of the developer.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. A printing plate is carried from the mounting table 4 into the developing tank 1 in which the developer is stored. At this time, the printing plate is immersed in the developer in the tank body 1a by driving the transport rollers 6, 13 and the like. At this time, the rotating brushes 15a,
The rotation of 15b rubs the surface of the printing plate, thereby accelerating the development process. The printing plate after the development processing passes between the pair of squeezing rollers 21 and 21 and is further conveyed to the washing tank 2 side.

The printing plate from which the developing solution has been squeezed out by the squeezing rollers 21 and 21 is rinsed in a rinsing tank 2, rinsed in a rinsing tank 3, and discharged to the outside. If the modified printing plate is to be washed with water,
The printing plate is inserted from 4 and passed through the washing tank 2 and the rinsing tank 3. When the printing plate passes between the squeezing rollers 21 and 21, the developer adhering to the surface of the printing plate is squeezed out by the pressing force of the squeezing rollers 21 and 21. The squeezed contaminated developer falls downward, but since the overflow groove 23 is provided adjacent to the squeezing rollers 21 and 21, the contaminated developer is completely removed from the tank body 1.
The gas is relatively quickly discharged to the overflow groove 23 side before being diffused in a. As a result, contamination of the developing solution in the tank main body 1a hardly progresses, and deterioration of the processing solution is suppressed.

On the other hand, when circulating the developer, the circulation pump 12 is driven. As a result, the developer in the tank body 1a is sucked out from the discharge pipe 16, and the spray pipe 11
And it is returned into the tank main body 1a again from the spray 27. When the replenishing time of the developing solution is reached, the replenishing pump 36 is driven, and a new developing solution is supplied from the replenishing solution tank 26 into the tank body 1a through the replenishing pipe 25. At this time, the circulation pump 12 is also driven, and the developing solution is spouted vigorously from the spray 27 adjacent to the replenishing pipe 25, so that the developing solution supplied from the replenishing pipe 25 is efficiently stirred.
On the other hand, excess developer in the tank body 1a is discharged to the overflow groove 23 side. Thereby, the amount of the developer in the tank main body 1a is kept constant.

[Other Embodiments] The present invention can be similarly implemented by the embodiment of FIG. 2 instead of the embodiment of FIG. In the automatic developing device of FIG. 2, a replenishing pipe 125 is arranged near the brush roller 15a instead of the replenishing pipe 25 of FIG. An overflow groove 123 is provided between the guide roller 19 and the squeezing roller 21 instead of the overflow groove 23 in FIG.

In this case, since the overflow groove 123 is arranged at a position substantially corresponding to a position where the developer, which has been contaminated from the squeeze roller 21, falls, the squeeze roller 2
The effect of discharging the developer from No. 1 is high. Note that the overflow groove need not be provided in the entire area in the longitudinal direction of the squeezing roller 21, but may be provided partially.

[0021]

In the photosensitive material processing apparatus according to the present invention, since the developing solution overflow section is provided adjacent to the pair of squeezing rollers, the highly contaminated developing solution removed from the photosensitive material at the pair of squeezing rollers is removed. Easy to discharge, develop
Deterioration of the developer in the tank can be suppressed. In addition, the current in the developing tank
Since a pair of squeezing rollers is arranged so that the developing solution is squeezed out of the photosensitive material immediately after it comes out of the image solution , the current in the developing tank is reduced.
It is possible to prevent the unstable processing of the photosensitive material from proceeding due to the developing solution adhering after leaving the image liquid .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an automatic developing apparatus as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 of another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Developing tank 1a Tank main body 13 Conveyance roller 21 Squeeze roller 23, 123 Overflow groove

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-1864 (JP, A) JP-A-2-2569 (JP, A) JP-A-4-280251 (JP, A) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03F 7/30

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] And 1. A developing tank inside the developing liquid is stored, a conveying means for passing the light-sensitive material into the developer solution, wherein disposed above the developing tank, the current of some of the developer tank
Immersed in the image solution, the contact portion is positioned in the vicinity of the developer surface of the developer and the developing tank above the surface of the developer tank,
Wherein the photosensitive material to which the developer squeezing roller pair composed of a pair of rollers which squeeze the attachment, is disposed at a position adjacent to the squeezing roller pair, said developing
Developer overflow to overflow the developer in the tank
A photosensitive material processing apparatus comprising: a developing unit for performing a developing process by passing the photosensitive material through a developer in the developing tank .