JP2850161B2 - 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, and more particularly, to a method for replenishing water to maintain a constant processing solution concentration in response to evaporation of a processing solution (water) from a processing tank. The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus having a novel water replenishment amount control mechanism used in the apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a photosensitive material processing apparatus of the type in which each processing solution is stored in a processing tank arranged continuously, and the photosensitive material is transported while being immersed in the processing solution, the processing is generally performed. The processing liquid tends to be maintained at a high temperature in order to shorten the processing time.Therefore, a large amount of the processing liquid, mainly water, evaporates from the upper surface of the processing tank, and the processing liquid is concentrated to change the processing performance. is necessary. In particular, in the case of a small apparatus in which the amount of the processing liquid is small, the above-described evaporation correction is an important issue.

As a conventional countermeasure, water replenishment is periodically performed by estimating the amount of evaporating water. For example, a floating lid or the like is placed on the upper surface of the processing liquid, or the ratio of the area of the upper opening of the processing tank is reduced. In some cases, the amount of evaporation is regulated.

[0004]

Although the above-mentioned evaporation amount control method also functions in preventing air oxidation of the processing solution, the photosensitive material is guided to the processing tank in the next process because of the necessity of a transport system. In other words, a so-called crossover is indispensable, and evaporation through this crossover cannot be prevented.

[0005] On the other hand, the evaporation of the processing solution varies depending on the environmental temperature, humidity, and the like. If uniform water replenishment is performed, the concentration of the processing solution may be reduced. Requires an adequate amount of water replenishment without excess or deficiency.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to clarify an improved photosensitive material processing apparatus having a mechanism for controlling the amount of water replenishment.

[0007]

In the light-sensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, the amount of replenishing water for compensating the evaporation of the processing solution is determined by the environmental temperature and humidity and the air discharged from all or a part of the internal space of the apparatus to the outside. Has a water replenishment amount regulation mechanism regulated in accordance with the detection data of the movement amount of the ambient temperature / humidity and the detection data of the air movement amount.
The water replenishment amount is controlled by comparison with comparison data based on the reference evaporation amount in humidity.

[0008]

Next, the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a photosensitive material, which is conveyed in the direction of the arrow and is immersed in the processing liquid stored in each processing tank 2 for processing.

The air in the upper space 3 of the processing tank 2 is discharged out of the apparatus together with or independently of the air in the drying tank.
The amount of discharged air is detected by the air movement amount sensor 5.

The air movement amount is input to the comparison circuit 8 together with the environmental data detected by the sensor 5, the temperature sensor 6 and the humidity sensor 7, and is compared with the air movement amount data and the environmental data previously input to the storage circuit 9. ,
The control circuit 10 operates in accordance with the comparison data to control the opening and closing of the valve 11 disposed in the middle of the water supply pipe, thereby adjusting the amount of water replenishment.

The data input to the storage circuit 9 controls the amount of water replenishment as a function of the environmental temperature / humidity and the data detected by the air movement amount sensor 5. It is preferable that the stored data is so-called learning data in which standard data is initially input, but is updated with data that is detected every moment.

The air movement sensor 5 does not exclude the use of new types which will be developed in the future, in addition to various types of flow sensors known at present.

The control of the amount of water replenishment by the valve 11 can be replaced with the control of the operation time of the pump.

[0015]

According to the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, the amount of water replenishment can be automatically controlled by a function value of the environmental temperature / humidity and the amount of air movement, so that the processing solution is always adjusted to an appropriate concentration. The problem mentioned above is solved because it can be maintained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photosensitive material 2 Processing tank 5 Air movement amount sensor 6 Temperature sensor 7 Humidity sensor 8 Comparison circuit 9 Storage circuit 10 Control circuit 11 Valve

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An amount of water replenishment for compensating for evaporation of a processing liquid is regulated in accordance with environmental temperature and humidity and detection data of a movement amount of air discharged from all or a part of the internal space of the apparatus to the outside. A photosensitive material processing apparatus having a regulating mechanism. The detected data of the environmental temperature / humidity and the amount of air movement are compared with comparison data input to a storage circuit based on a reference evaporation amount at the temperature / humidity to control the amount of water replenishment. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing is performed.