JP2696763B2 - Photo processing solution replenisher - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus for replenishing a processing tank for processing an exposed silver halide photographic material with a photographic processing solution.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material after exposure (hereinafter, simply referred to as a light-sensitive material) is subjected to processing according to its type. For example, for a color light-sensitive material, development, bleaching, fixing (or bleach-fixing), washing, and stabilization are sequentially performed.

In such processing, a photosensitive material processing apparatus such as an automatic developing machine is usually used, and a developing solution, a bleaching solution, a fixing solution (or a bleach-fixing solution) respectively placed in a plurality of processing tanks provided in the apparatus. ), By sequentially immersing the photosensitive material in washing water and a stabilizing solution.

The processing solution in each processing tank becomes fatigued and deteriorates as the cumulative processing amount of the photosensitive material increases, and the photographic properties of the photosensitive material deteriorate. Therefore, a new processing solution (replenisher) is replenished. It is necessary to discharge the processing liquid that has been fatigued and deteriorated.

When replenishing such a processing solution, the greater the replenishing amount, the better the photographic properties. However, from the viewpoints of environmental protection, downsizing of the apparatus, and easy maintenance, the replenishing amount and the replenishing amount are reduced. It is an object to further reduce the amount of the solution. Therefore, it is preferable that the replenishing amount of the replenishing solution be the minimum necessary amount corresponding to the processing amount of the photosensitive material.

In recent years, various techniques for further reducing the amount of replenishment have been developed. For example, using a processing tank (multi-chamber processing tank) in which a plurality of processing chambers are sequentially connected by a narrow passage. Photosensitive material processing apparatus for processing photosensitive material
Nos. 205846 and 02-267549) have been developed.

[0007] By the way, as the replenishment amount of the processing solution is reduced, it is necessary to replenish the replenisher with a more accurate replenishment amount. A replenishing device has been developed which detects the actual replenishment amount by providing a correction amount and corrects an error with a preset replenishment amount.

However, in such a replenishing device,
There is a problem in the accuracy of the replenishment amount for the following reasons. That is, air bubbles are originally present in the replenisher, or a negative pressure is generated by suction of the pump, and a flow path is formed from a connection part such as a tube, a connector, a valve, a pump, or a packing constituting a supply line of the replenisher. The air may enter into the replenisher and become air bubbles in the replenisher. When a large amount of air enters, it becomes an air plug. If such air bubbles are mixed in or air plugs are present, the flow rate including the air bubbles and air plugs will be detected due to the structure of the flow meter (volume flow meter). The amount cannot be detected.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus capable of further improving the accuracy of detecting the replenishing amount of a processing solution.

[0010]

This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which is defined below as (1) and (2).

(1) a tank for storing a photographic processing solution;
A photographic processing liquid replenishing apparatus having a pipeline connected to the tank, a pump for feeding liquid installed in the middle of the pipeline, and a flow meter installed in the middle of the pipeline, The flow meter is configured to rotate the rotor with blades by the flow of the photographic processing solution passing through the flow meter, and to detect the flow rate by magnetically detecting the rotation amount of the rotor. The discharge amount is known, and this discharge amount and
A photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus having means for comparing the flow rate detected by the flow meter and determining whether or not bubbles are mixed in the photographic processing solution or the degree thereof.

[0012]

(2) a tank for storing a photographic processing solution;
A photographic processing solution replenisher having a pipeline connected to the tank, a pump for feeding liquid installed in the middle of the pipeline, and a flowmeter installed in the pipeline downstream of the pump. A photographic processing apparatus, wherein a degassing means is provided between the pump and the flow meter for separating and removing gas present in the processing liquid transferred in the pipeline. Liquid replenisher.

[0014]

By the operation of the pump, the photographic processing liquid in the tank (hereinafter simply referred to as processing liquid) is sent to, for example, a processing tank via a pipeline. The amount of the processing liquid to be sent is detected by a flow meter installed in the middle of the pipeline.

This flow meter has a configuration in which a rotor with blades is rotated by the flow of the processing liquid passing therethrough, and the flow rate is detected by detecting the rotation amount of the rotor. When air plugs are mixed in or the air plug is transferred through the pipeline, the air bubbles and the air plug do not contribute to the rotation of the rotor, and therefore, the flow rate of the processing liquid can be accurately detected. If replenishment is performed based on this detected value, the accuracy of the replenishment amount is improved.

In a photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus provided with a degassing means, the flow rate is detected after removing air bubbles and air plugs mixed in the processing liquid by the degassing means. It is not affected by the air plug, thus improving the accuracy of the replenishment amount.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view schematically showing a configuration example of a photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the photographic processing liquid replenishing apparatus 1A has a tank 2 for storing the processing liquid Q. The capacity of the tank 2 is not particularly limited, and is preferably, for example, about 5 to 20 liters.

Examples of the processing solution Q in the present invention include a black-and-white developer, a color developer, a bleaching solution, a fixing solution, a bleach-fixing solution, a washing water, a stabilizing solution, a stop solution, an adjusting solution, and a reversing solution. Is not particularly limited, and may be any known one. For details of these treatment solutions,
The Photographic Society of Japan, "Basics of Photographic Engineering," Corona Publishing (Showa 5
(4th year) Those described in documents such as P299 “Chapter 4 Development Processing” can be applied.

The processing liquid Q stored in the tank 2
Is not limited to the completed processing liquid, but may be, for example, a concentrated liquid of the processing liquid or one or more types of parts forming the processing liquid.

The base of the pipe 3 is connected to the bottom of the tank 2 so as to communicate with the inside of the tank, and the tip of the pipe 3 is extended into a processing tank 7 for processing a photosensitive material. The conduit 3 is made of, for example, a resin such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, and Teflon.

In the middle of the pipe 3, the processing liquid Q in the tank 2
Pump 4 for feeding the liquid to the processing tank 7 is provided. This pump 4 preferably has a known discharge amount. The discharge amount of the pump 4 is not particularly limited.
It is preferably about 000 ml / min, particularly preferably about 100 to 200 ml / min.

The type of the pump 4 includes, for example, a centrifugal pump, a mixed flow pump, a turbo pump such as an axial flow pump, a bellows pump, a tube pump, a gear pump, a bimorph pump, and a positive displacement pump such as a vane pump. However, among these, a positive displacement pump is particularly preferably used. In addition, the processing liquid to be discharged has little pulsation,
A turbo-type pump, a tube pump, a gear pump, a bimorph pump, and a vane pump are preferable in that the detection error of the flow meter is further reduced.

By operating such a pump 4 for a predetermined time,
A predetermined amount of the processing liquid Q in the tank 2 is replenished into the processing tank 7.
The replenishment amount of the processing solution Q is an amount corresponding to the processing amount of the photosensitive material in the processing tank 7. For example, in the case of the developing solution,
Photosensitive material 1 m ² per about 100～2000Ml, when the bleach-fixing solution, the photosensitive material 1 m ² per about 100～1000Ml, when the washing water, the photosensitive material 1 m ² per 50 to 1000
It is preferably about ml.

When a new processing liquid Q is replenished in the processing tank 7, the exhausted and deteriorated processing liquid in the processing tank 7 is discharged from the drain port 71.
Is discharged by overflow.

A flow meter 5 for detecting the flow rate of the processing liquid Q flowing in the pipeline 3 is provided in the middle of the pipeline 3 on the downstream side of the pump 4. FIGS. 3 and 4 show examples of the configuration of the flow meter 5.
Shown in

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
Has a cylindrical casing 51, and this casing 5
In 1, a nozzle 52 having a screw-type blade 53 is provided.

A rotor 54 having three flat blades 55 is provided downstream of the nozzle 52. The rotor 54 is freely rotatably supported by inserting both ends of the rotating shaft 56 into the center of the nozzle 52 and the center of a support member 58 installed on the downstream side of the rotor 54, respectively. (See FIG. 4).

Note that a gap 57 is formed between each blade 55 and the rotating shaft 56.

A rotation amount detecting means 59 for detecting the rotation amount (number of rotations) of the rotor 54 is provided on the side of the rotor 54.
Is installed. The illustrated rotation amount detecting means 59 optically detects the rotation amount of the rotor 54, and includes light emitting elements 59a provided on both sides of the rotor 54, respectively.
And a light receiving element 59b. The light beam B emitted from the light emitting element 59a passes through the gap 57 of the rotor 54, is received by the light receiving element 59b, and is converted into an electric signal.

Next, the principle of the flow meter 5 will be described.

The processing liquid Q flowing from the inlet 51 a of the casing 51 is formed into a spiral flow by the screw blades 53 when passing through the nozzle 52. This spiral liquid flow collides obliquely with the blades 55 of the rotor 54 and rotates the rotor 54. Thereafter, the processing liquid Q is supplied to the outlet 5
1b flows out of the casing 51. In this case, the rotation speed of the rotor 54 is substantially proportional to the flow rate (flow rate) of the processing liquid Q passing through the casing 51.

On the other hand, in the rotation amount detecting means 59, a light beam B is emitted from the light emitting element 59a, and the light beam B passes through the gap 57 of the rotor 54, is received by the light receiving element 59b, and is converted into an electric signal. When the blade 55 crosses the trajectory of the light beam B with the rotation of the rotor 54, the light beam B is blocked by the blade 55. That is, the rotor 54 is 1
When rotated, the light beam B is blocked three times (the number of blades 55 installed). Accordingly, a pulse-like signal is obtained, and the number of pulses is counted, and the number of pulses per unit time is obtained.
The flow rate of the processing liquid Q passing through the inside can be detected.

In the flow meter 5 described above, even if bubbles or air plugs (hereinafter, referred to as bubbles) are mixed in the processing liquid Q transferred in the pipe 3, the influence is not affected. . That is, since the bubbles and the like are lightweight, it is the liquid component of the processing liquid Q that contributes to the rotation of the rotor 54. Therefore, regardless of the presence or absence and the amount of the bubbles and the like mixed therein, the liquid component of the processing liquid Q Only the flow rate is detected.

It should be noted that the rotation amount detecting means 59 is connected to the rotor 5
The rotation amount of the rotor 4 is not limited to the one that is optically detected, but may be the one that magnetically or mechanically detects the rotation amount of the rotor 54.

For magnetically detecting the amount of rotation of the rotor 54, for example, a magnetized magnetic material is installed at the tip of each blade 55 of the rotor 54, while a magnetic material is provided near the rotation orbit of the magnetic material. Provide a reading unit (magnetic reading head)
The reading unit counts the number of passages of the blade 55 and obtains the number of passages (frequency) of the blade 55 per unit time, thereby detecting the rotation speed of the rotor 54, that is, the flow rate of the processing liquid Q passing through the casing 51. The following is a configuration.

In the rotation amount detecting means 59 for optically detecting the rotation amount of the rotor 54, when a large amount of bubbles are mixed in the processing liquid Q, the light beam B is reflected by the bubbles and the like.
Although a miscount may occur, the rotation amount detecting means for magnetically detecting the rotation amount of the rotor 54 includes:
Such a problem does not occur, and the flow rate of the processing liquid Q can be more accurately detected, which is preferable.

The rotation amount detecting means for magnetically or mechanically detecting the rotation amount of the rotor 54 is convenient when the processing liquid Q is a colored liquid such as a developing solution.

As shown in FIG. 1, a photographic processing solution replenisher 1
A has a control means 6 constituted by a microcomputer, for example. The control means 6 and the flow meter 5 are connected by a cable 61, and the pulse signal is input to the control means 6 via the cable 61,
The arithmetic processing is performed to determine the flow rate of the processing liquid Q, particularly the integrated flow rate.

Further, the control means 6 compares the discharge amount (known) of the pump 4 with the flow rate detected by the flow meter 5 to judge whether or not air bubbles or the like are mixed in the processing liquid Q or the degree thereof. It preferably has a function. That is, the control means 6 and the pump 4 are connected by the cable 62, and the discharge amount per unit time of the pump 4 (known) and the operation time of the pump 4 (whether input to the control means 6 via the cable 62 , Which is set in advance by a timer built in the control means 6), and compares the total flow rate of the processing liquid Q obtained as described above with the integrated flow rate of the processing liquid Q obtained as described above.

If no bubbles or the like are mixed in the processing liquid Q, the total discharge amount of the pump 4 and the integrated flow rate of the processing liquid Q have substantially the same value. Therefore, the integrated flow rate of the processing liquid Q becomes smaller than the total discharge amount of the pump 4. For example, when the integrated flow rate of the processing liquid Q is 90% or less of the total discharge amount of the pump 4, the control unit 6 determines that the situation is “abnormal (bubble is mixed)” and issues an alarm. Alternatively, a command signal for stopping the operation of the pump 4 is output via the cable 62, and the operation of the pump 4 is stopped.

When a large amount of air bubbles is mixed in the processing liquid Q or when an air plug enters, especially when the mixed amount of air bubbles or the like exceeds a predetermined value, the rotation speed of the rotor 54 becomes large. The control unit 6 may read this signal, determine that it is "abnormal", and perform the same treatment as described above.

Also, unlike these controls, the control means 6
May be configured to control the pump 4 to operate until the integrated flow rate of the processing liquid Q obtained based on the flow meter 5 reaches a target value.

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view schematically showing another example of the construction of the photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus 1B includes a tank 2 similar to the above, a pipe 3 having a base end connected to the tank 2, and a pipe 3 installed in the middle of the pipe 3. It has a pump 4 and a deaeration means 8 installed on the distal end side of the pipeline 3.

The degassing means 8 includes a chamber 81 for separating gas and liquid, an exhaust pipe 82 connected to the upper part of the chamber 81, and a valve 83 installed in the exhaust pipe 82.
It is composed of

The end of the pipe 3 is connected to the bottom of the chamber 81 so as to communicate with the inside of the chamber 81.

The side of the chamber 81 is provided with a pipe 9
Is connected so as to communicate with the inside of the chamber 81, and the distal end of the pipe 9 is extended into the processing tank 7.
The pipe 9 is similar to the pipe 3.

When the processing liquid Q containing bubbles and the like flows into the chamber 81 through the pipe 3 by the operation of the pump 4,
Bubbles and the like float on the upper part in the chamber 81 by their buoyancy and are accumulated. The processing liquid Q from which bubbles and the like have been separated and removed in this way passes through the pipe 9 and is supplied into the processing tank 7, and the exhausted and deteriorated processing liquid in the processing tank 7 is discharged to the drain port 71.
Is discharged by overflow.

The valve 83 is opened when a predetermined amount of air generated by the breakage of air bubbles or the like accumulates in the upper portion of the chamber 81. Thus, the air is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust pipe 82.

The valve 83 need not always be provided.

A flow meter 10 is provided in the middle of the pipe 9. In the photographic processing liquid replenishing apparatus 1B, the deaeration means 8
Since the flow rate is measured after removing the bubbles and the like, there is no need to consider the influence of the bubbles and the like.
0 may be anything, for example, in addition to an impeller flow meter such as the flow meter 5, a volume flow meter, an area flow meter, a thermal flow meter, an electromagnetic flow meter, an ultrasonic flow meter, a mass flow meter, and an eddy A flow meter or the like can be used. Among them, an impeller flow meter and a positive displacement flow meter are particularly preferable.

When the processing liquid Q passes through the flow meter 10,
Since air bubbles and the like have been removed by the deaeration means 8, the flow meter 10 can detect an accurate flow rate of the processing liquid Q regardless of its type.

Incidentally, such a photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus 1B
In this case, the control means 6 may be provided to perform the same control as described above.

In the present invention, the deaeration means is not limited to the one shown in the drawing.
It may be a bubble trapper, a deaeration tank, a deaeration tube branched from the conduit 3, or the like.

The type of photosensitive material processed in the processing tank 7 is not particularly limited, and may be color or black and white. For example, a color negative film, a color reversal film, a color positive film, a color photographic paper, a color reversal photographic paper, a black-and-white negative film, a black-and-white reversal film, an X-ray photographic material, a black-and-white photographic paper, a black-and-white reversal photographic paper, a microfilm, etc. The size is not particularly limited.

The photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus of the present invention may be used alone, or may be, for example, a large automatic developing machine, a small automatic developing machine (minilab), a wet copying machine, a printer processor, a video printer processor, and a photographic print. It can be incorporated in various photosensitive material processing devices such as a coin machine for production and a color paper processing machine for plate inspection.

As described above, the configuration examples of the present invention have been described by way of example, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0058]

According to the present invention, the use of a flow meter which is not affected by the incorporation of air bubbles or the like, or the detection of the flow rate after the air bubbles or the like have been removed, means that the air bubbles or the like are mixed in the processing liquid. However, the detection error of the replenishment amount of the processing liquid due to this can be further reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view schematically showing a configuration example of a photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view schematically illustrating another configuration example of the photographic processing liquid replenishing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a flow meter according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of the flow meter shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1A, 1B Photoprocessing solution replenishing device 2 Tank 3 Pipeline 4 Pump 5 Flowmeter 51 Casing 52 Nozzle 53 Blade 54 Rotor 55 Blade 56 Rotating shaft 57 Gap 58 Support member 59 Rotation amount detecting means 59a Light emitting element 59b Light receiving element 6 Control means 61, 62 Cable 7 Processing tank 71 Drainage port 8 Degassing means 81 Chamber 82 Degassing pipe 83 Valve 9 Pipeline 10 Flow meter

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tank for storing a photographic processing solution, a pipe connected to the tank, a pump for feeding liquid provided in the middle of the pipe, and a flow rate provided in the middle of the pipe. A photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus having a meter, wherein the flow meter rotates a rotor with blades by a flow of the photographic processing solution passing through the flow meter, and magnetically detects a rotation amount of the rotor. The discharge amount of the pump is known, and this discharge amount is compared with the flow amount detected by the flow meter to determine whether or not air bubbles are mixed in the photographic processing solution. A photographic processing solution replenishing apparatus having means for determining the degree. 2. A tank for storing a photographic processing liquid, a pipe connected to the tank, a pump for feeding liquid provided in the middle of the pipe, and a pipe provided downstream of the pump. A photographic processing solution replenishing device having a flow meter installed on the way, separating and removing gas present in a processing solution transferred in the pipeline between the pump and the flow meter. A photographic processing solution replenishing device, comprising a deaeration means for performing the deaeration.