JP3466093B2 - Pump and processing liquid tank equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus capable of heating and retaining heat as well as circulating the developing treatment solution by attaching a heater as a heating and heat retaining function to a pump for circulating the developing treatment solution in a photographic developing machine. Is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, even if a pump is used to circulate a developing solution in a photographic developing machine, a separate heat exchanger or heater has been prepared for heating and retaining the temperature of the developing solution.
Therefore, in the photo processor, in addition to the pump, a heat exchanger or a heater will be attached, which reduces the labor of piping the hose or tube in the manufacturing process, resulting in poor maintenance efficiency and a space for the pump and the heat exchanger or heater. Both were needed.

[0003]

Therefore, each maker has tried to solve the conventional problems by downsizing the pump and improving the heat exchanger or heater, but only solved the problem of space. The present invention has been invented in order to reduce the number of man-hours during manufacturing, improve work efficiency, and improve maintainability by adding heating and heat retaining functions to the pump.

[0004]

A processing solution heat-retaining pump for circulating and adjusting the temperature of processing solutions in a plurality of processing solution tanks provided in a photographic developing machine for developing a photosensitive material, wherein each of the processing solution tanks is provided. A pump provided in the middle of the circulation pipe for circulating the treatment liquid of No. 3, the heat transfer cover 2 attached as a casing of the pump, the heat transfer cover 2 and the treatment liquid via the heat transfer cover 2. And a heating element 3 for heating or keeping heat.

The invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that not only the circulation of the developing treatment liquid but also the heating and the heat retaining can be performed by attaching a heater as a heating and heat retaining function to a pump for circulating the developing treatment liquid.

In the invention described in claim 2, the heating element 3
Even if the pump is damaged or the pump unit 1 or the motor unit 4 breaks down, it can be attached and detached, and it is possible to deal with it by exchanging only the failed part, which is excellent in maintainability.

The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that the temperature of the heat transfer cover 2 is controlled by a signal of the temperature detector 5 incorporated in the heat transfer cover 2, and the temperature is detected near the heat source. The control can significantly reduce the temperature unevenness due to the time difference between the heat source and the temperature detection point in the temperature control of a circulation type constant temperature tank such as a photo processor.

In the invention described in claim 4, the heating element 3
The cost can be reduced by using an inexpensive ceramic heater, a nichrome wire heater, or a resistance heating element.

In the invention described in claim 5, the pump portion 1
In addition, a spiral pump, a screw pump, an axial flow pump, or a gear pump can be selected as a shape suitable for the physical properties of the fluid.

The invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that the heating element 3 is wired so as to interlock with the operation of the motor section 4, and when the motor section 4 is abnormally stopped, it is shown in FIG. With such a circuit, the power supply to the heating element 3 is also stopped,
It is possible to avoid overheating of the heating element 3.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the outline of the present invention in a developing solution tank in a photographic developing machine. Circulation pipes 11 and 12 are provided from the developing treatment liquid tank 10, and the circulation pipes are arranged in the developing treatment liquid keeping pump 9. The developing solution in the solution tank is supplied from the developing solution tank 10 to the circulation pipe 11
It is heated and discharged by the development treatment solution heat-retaining pump 9 through the above, and is circulated by returning to the development treatment solution tank 10 through the circulation pipe 12.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the developing treatment liquid heat-retaining pump 9 for heating and discharging the developing treatment liquid has an inlet 7 for sucking the developing treatment liquid, a pump portion 1 for feeding the sucked fluid, and Development processing solution heat retention pump 9
A discharge port 8 that discharges from the motor, a motor unit 4 that operates the pump unit 1, a heat transfer cover 2 that covers the pump unit 1 and transfers heat to the development processing liquid, and a heating element 3 that heats the heat transfer cover 2 by heat generation. A temperature detector 5 provided on the heat transfer cover 2,
The thermostat overheat protector 6 provided on the heat transfer cover 2 and a temperature controller (not shown) that controls the heat generation time of the heating element 3 according to the signal from the temperature detector 5 are included.

The heat transfer cover 2 is made of metal in view of the necessity of thermal conductivity, and in consideration of corrosion due to the physical properties of the developing solution, it is made of corrosion resistant material such as stainless steel.

The temperature detector 5 provided on the heat transfer cover 2 detects the temperature of the heat transfer cover 2 and controls the detected temperature by the control device (not shown) for the duration of energization to the heating element 3. As a result, the temperature of the heat transfer cover 2 can be raised and maintained at the set temperature, and the temperature of the developing solution can be controlled at the same time.

The thermostat overheat protector 6 provided in the heat transfer cover 2 always detects the temperature of the heat transfer cover 2 by the circuit shown in FIG. 6, and when the temperature rises above a preset temperature, a heating element is generated. The energization of the heating element 3 can be stopped to prevent abnormal heating of the heating element 3.

The heating element 3 is composed of a ceramic heater, a nichrome wire heater, or a resistance heating element, and is attached to the heat transfer cover 2. When the heating element 3 fails, only the failed heating element 3 can be replaced.

The heating element 3 transfers heat to the developing treatment liquid flowing to the pump portion 1 through the heat transfer cover 2. Since the pump unit 1 rotates at high speed inside the heat transfer cover 2, the flow of the developing solution is large, and the heat from the heat transfer cover 2 can be evenly transferred to the developing solution.

The shape of the pump portion 1 is characterized in that it is a spiral wound pump, a screw pump, an axial flow pump, or a gear pump. The shape of this can be selected according to the physical properties of the fluid such as the developing solution, depending on the viscosity and the corrosiveness.

By the way, when the developing treatment liquid keeping pump 9 is used in the developing treatment liquid tank of the photographic developing machine, the heating element is operated by the temperature control device (not shown) by the signal of the temperature detector 5 provided on the heat transfer cover 2. 3 heat generation is controlled. This is because the developing solution at the set temperature always flows into the developing solution tank.
As shown in FIG. 8A, highly stable temperature control can be performed.

The temperature detector 5 is provided at a location on the heat transfer cover 2 where the temperature is close to the temperature of the developing solution.

[0021]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by mounting the heater on the pump, the space for the heat exchanger or the heater, which has been conventionally required, is not required, and the temperature of the developing solution is simply passed through the fluid heating pump which is the pump. Can rise.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the heating element is damaged or the pump section or the motor section fails,
Since it can be attached and detached, it can be handled by exchanging only the faulty part, and it has excellent maintainability.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the temperature of the developing solution can be raised and maintained at the same time by raising and maintaining the temperature of the heat transfer cover at the set temperature. This means that in a constant temperature bath of a circulation system such as a development processing bath of a photographic developing machine, a fluid having a preset temperature always circulates, and highly stable temperature control can be performed.

In the invention described in claim 4, the heating element is an inexpensive ceramic heater or a nichrome wire heater,
Alternatively, the device can be made inexpensive by using a resistance heating element.

In the invention described in claim 5, a spiral wound pump, a screw pump, an axial flow pump, or a gear pump can be selected as a shape adapted to the physical properties of the fluid in the pump portion, and is adapted to a wide variety of fluids. The efficiency of the apparatus can be improved by using the pump portion having the above shape.

In the invention according to claim 6, in the conventional combination of the pump and the heat exchanger or the heater, even if the pump fails and stops, the heat exchanger or the heater is supplied with electric power and damaged due to overheating. However, according to the present invention, since the heating element is wired inside the developing solution heat-retaining pump so as to interlock with the operation of the motor section, when the motor section abnormally stops, the power supply to the heating element is also stopped and the heat generation is stopped. It is possible to avoid overheating of the body, and there is no need for an overheat preventive device outside the developing solution heat insulating pump.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall view of a case where a development processing solution heat-retaining pump is used for a development processing solution layer in a photographic developing machine.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a development processing solution heat retention pump.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a development processing solution heat retention pump.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a development processing solution heat retention pump.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a development processing solution heat retention pump.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a thermostat overheat protector.

FIG. 7 is a circuit of an overheat prevention function when the pump is abnormally stopped.

FIG. 8 is a temperature graph at the time of keeping the temperature of the developing treatment solution bath temperature control and the temperature control by the temperature detector of the developing treatment solution heat pump.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 pump section 2 heat transfer cover 3 heating element 4 Motor part 5 Temperature detector 6 thermostat 7 suction port 8 outlets 9 Treatment liquid heat pump 10 Development processing tank 11, 12 Circulation piping 13 Development tank 14 bleaching tank 15 Fixing tank 16, 17 Washing tank 18 Stabilizer

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Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A photosensitive material present in a photo processor.
It is equipped with a processing solution tank for storing the image processing solution, a suction port and a discharge port, and sucks the development processing solution from the suction port.
Pump for discharging from the inlet and outlet , the processing liquid tank, the suction port of the pump, and the processing liquid tank
And a circulation pipe that connects each of the pump and the discharge port of the pump.
However, the pump acts on the development processing liquid, and from the suction port to the discharge port.
Pumping action to give energy to the developing solution
And at least the pump action part, and the suction port and the front part.
Forming a flow path of the development processing liquid between the discharge port and
A casing having heat resistance and attached to the casing through the casing.
And a heating element for applying heat to the developing solution.
Treated liquid tank device . 2. A process liquid vessel according to claim 1, wherein said heating element, the processing solution tank apparatus characterized by being detachably mounted to said casing. 3. The processing liquid tank apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
Thus , the heating liquid is provided in the casing, and the heating element controls the heat generation according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector.
Place 4. The processing liquid tank apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3.
A is, a motor for driving the pumping unit, the heating of the heating element, the processing solution tank apparatus characterized by being configured to stop if no at least the motor is operated.