JP3501253B2 - Photographic development 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 photographic developing device capable of detecting the dry state of a photographic light-sensitive material to be developed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a photographic developing device, a photographic photosensitive material such as a film is developed and then dried in a drying section, and the dried photographic photosensitive material is discharged to the outside of the photographic developing device. Ruka is designed to be stored in a cartridge. In the drying section, the photographic light-sensitive material which has been developed is dried under predetermined drying conditions (drying time, drying temperature, etc.). By the way, if the drying conditions are not appropriate, the undried state or the overdried state occurs. Various disadvantages occur when the undried photographic light-sensitive material is sent to the next processing step. For example, in the case of a film, it may be said that the baking exposure is not successful due to the adhesion of moisture. Further, considering the case where the film is stored in the cartridge, the films may adhere to each other or the film may have a mold.
Further, it is not preferable that the over-dried state is a waste of energy.

As a conventional technique relating to the setting of drying conditions in the drying section, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-260447. The photographic developing device disclosed therein measures the electrostatic capacity of the photographic light-sensitive material, determines the type of the photographic light-sensitive material based on the measurement result, and allows the photographic light-sensitive material to be dried under preset drying conditions. ing.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the drying conditions are set in advance before the photographic light-sensitive material is dried, and the dry state after the photographic light-sensitive material is dried is confirmed. It does not exist. Specifically, before developing the photographic light-sensitive material, the capacitance is measured to determine the type of the photographic light-sensitive material, and the drying condition is set accordingly. Therefore, it is not possible to confirm whether or not the photographic light-sensitive material has been dried as planned under the set drying conditions, and this cannot be confirmed, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the drying device. There is also a problem that if the drying condition is not appropriate, it cannot be fed back for the next drying process. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-297651 discloses a technique for controlling a drying device by projecting a light beam and receiving the detection light when drying a master for manufacturing an optical disc, which is not a photographic material. However, this merely detects the end point of the drying process. Therefore,
Similarly, there are the above-mentioned problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photographic developing device capable of detecting the dry state of a photographic light-sensitive material after being dried. Another object of the present invention is to provide a photographic developing device capable of detecting the dry state of a photographic light-sensitive material and feeding this back to the next drying process. Still another object of the present invention is to detect the dry state of the photographic light-sensitive material and find out the one whose development processing has not been completed.

[0006]

To achieve the above object, the photographic developing apparatus of the present invention is characterized by a conveying means for sequentially conveying a photographic light-sensitive material to a developing processing section and a drying section.
In the photographic developing device, a dry state detecting unit for detecting the dry state of the photographic photosensitive material that has been dried in the drying unit is provided, and the dry state detecting unit is
In order to detect the dry state, the dry section and the photographic light-sensitive material
With the placed dry state detection means between the outlet of,
And a determination unit that determines whether or not the drying process is completed based on the output signal of the dry state detection unit ,
The dry state detection unit is further dried by the determination unit.
When it is determined that the drying process has not been completed,
Dry the light material without discharging it from the outlet.
That is, it has a branch portion which is returned to the section and dried again .
As a result, the dry state of the photographic light-sensitive material that has passed through the drying unit is detected, so that it is possible to reliably determine whether the drying process of the photographic light-sensitive material has been completed or not. If it is determined that the drying process has not been completed, copy
Control so that the true photosensitive material is returned to the drying section and dried again
To be done. The drying process is completed by performing the drying process again.
In this state, the next processing step can be performed. If the drying process is completed, the process may be directly transferred to the next process step.

[0007] When the drying process is determined to be not completed, Ru <br/> can also take various other treatments described below. For example, feedback is given to change the drying conditions in the drying section. The degree of feedback is preferably determined based on the value of the output signal from the dry state detecting means. Thus, by changing the drying conditions, the subsequent drying process can be made appropriate. In a further, preferable to perform the alert. There are some warning methods, such as visual and auditory,
In any case, the operator can know that the drying process in the drying unit is incomplete or that the drying conditions are not appropriate. Alternatively, it can be known that an abnormality has occurred in the drying device.

Next, a concrete example of the dry state detecting means will be described. For example, there is a method of measuring the electric resistance of a photographic light-sensitive material by bringing an electrode into contact with the photographic light-sensitive material. The focus is on the property that the electrical resistance changes when moisture remains in the photographic light-sensitive material, and the dry state can be detected with a simple configuration. Although dedicated electrodes may be provided as the electrodes, it is advantageous in terms of cost and space if the transport rollers used as the transport means function as the electrodes. Another example is one that measures the frictional resistance between the surface of the photographic light-sensitive material and the pressing member. This is because the surface resistance of the photographic light-sensitive material changes when moisture remains in the photographic light-sensitive material, and the dry state can be detected with a simple structure.

As a means for detecting a dry state without contact,
Examples of the method include irradiating a photographic light-sensitive material with infrared rays or microwaves and measuring the infrared rays or microwaves absorbed in the photographic light-sensitive material. Since it is non-contact, it does not accidentally damage the photographic light-sensitive material. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the photographic developing device 100 is provided with a film loading section 2 for loading a photographic film 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as a film), which is an example of a photographic photosensitive material having a leader connected to the leading end thereof, and a film loading section. A film development processing section 3 for developing the film 1 fed out from the section 2, a film drying section 4 for drying the film 1 after the development processing, and a dry state detection section 5 for detecting the dry state of the dried film 1. A film discharge section 6 for discharging the film 1 from the dry state detection section 5 and a film receiving section 7 for temporarily storing the dried film 1 are provided.

In the film loading section 2, the film 1 pulled out from the cartridge or the cartridge is transported by the transport rollers and fed to the film developing processing section 3.

The film development processing section 3 is provided with seven development processing tanks each filled with a plurality of kinds of development processing solutions for sequentially performing development processing including color development, bleaching, fixing and stabilization. Specifically, from the upstream side in the transport direction of the film 1, one color development (CD) tank 8, two bleaching (BL) tanks, three fixing (FIX) tanks 10, one stable (STB) tank It consists of 11. A transport roller 12 for guiding and transporting the film 1 is provided in each of the processing tanks 8 to 11.
Are provided in plural. These transport rollers 12 shown in FIG. 1 are held in a state of being immersed in the developing solution. Further, each of the processing tanks 8 to 11 is provided with a carry-in roller for carrying the film 1 into the processing tank and a carry-out roller for discharging the film 1 from the processing tank. Is held above the surface of the developing solution.

The film drying section 4 has a fan 13 for drying the film 1 fed from the film development processing section 3 and a carrying roller 14 for carrying the film 1.
It has and. The dry state detecting section 5 includes a dry state detecting means 17 which will be described in detail later, and a conveyance roller 15. Film 1 discharged from the film discharge section 6
Are temporarily stored in the film receiving section 7 as they are or as they are stored in the cartridge.

The control for performing the drying process of the film 1 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The control unit 16 includes a microcomputer and controls the operation of each unit of the photo developing device 100. The output signal of the dry state detecting means 17 provided in the dry state detecting section 5 is input to the control section 16. The control unit 16 compares the value of the output signal with a preset value, and a judging unit 19 and a judging unit for judging whether or not the drying process is completed based on the comparison result by the comparing unit 18. The control means 20 is provided for controlling the operation of each part based on the determination result of 19. A display unit 22 is connected to the control unit 16 and is configured by, for example, a CRT monitor to display whether or not the drying process is completed. As another example of the display unit 22, an LED or a lamp may be used. Alternatively, a buzzer may generate a warning sound to notify the operator.

The control unit 16 is connected to an input unit 23 which is, for example, a keyboard, and can input drying conditions such as a drying temperature and a drying time. The input numerical value is stored in the memory 21. The control unit 16 also controls the operations of the fan 13, the transport rollers 14 and 15, and the like. This allows
The drying conditions can be changed. For example, if the speed of the transport rollers 14 and 15 is increased, the drying time can be shortened,
Conversely, if it is slowed down, the drying time can be lengthened.
Also, the amount of air sent from the fan 13 is adjusted. It is preferable to provide a temperature sensor in the drying unit 4 and monitor the temperature in the drying unit as appropriate. Thus, the output signal from the dry state detecting means 17 is utilized and fed back to the next drying process, so that the optimum drying condition can be maintained.

FIG. 3 shows a concrete example of the dry state detecting means 17. An electrode base 30 is arranged on the emulsion surface side of the film 1, and a minus electrode 31 and a plus electrode 32 are in contact with the emulsion surface,
And a power source 33 connected between both electrodes. Electrode 3
1, 32 are usually located away from the film 1,
When detecting the dry state, the electrodes 31 and 32 are brought into contact with the emulsion surface of the film 1 by moving in the arrow direction of FIG. The output signal from the electrodes 31 and 32 can be extracted by connecting an electric resistance in series with the power supply 33 and measuring the voltage value across the electric resistance, or by connecting an ammeter in series with the power supply 33 and measuring the current value. A method of measuring can be considered. The electric resistance of the film emulsion surface is determined from these measured values.

The operation of detecting the dry state using the electrode base 30 of FIG. 3 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.
First, the film 1 that has undergone the development processing is conveyed to the drying unit 4 and is dried (step # 1). The film 1 is subsequently conveyed from the drying section 4 to the dry state detecting section 5, and an unillustrated optical sensor or the like detects whether or not the film 1 is conveyed (step # 2).
When it is detected that the film 1 has been conveyed, the film 1 is stopped (step # 3). And the electrode base 3
0 is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 to bring the minus electrode 31 and the plus electrode 32 into contact with the emulsion surface. Thereby, a current flows between the minus electrode 31 and the plus electrode 32, and the electric resistance XΩ of the emulsion surface of the film 1 can be measured. This measured value X is compared with the electric resistance AΩ of the emulsion surface of the film 1 in a dry state, which has been measured in advance and stored in the memory 21 of the control section 16 (step #
5).

Here, if XΩ ≧ AΩ, it is determined that the drying process is completed, and the display unit 22 is made to display the completion of the drying process. With this display,
The operator can confirm that the drying process has been properly performed. After that, the electrode base 30 is returned to the original position (step # 7), the film 1 is conveyed again (step # 8), and the film 1 is discharged from the film discharge portion 6. In the case of so-called advanced photographic system film, the film 1 is stored in a cartridge.

If XΩ <AΩ in step # 5, it is determined that the drying process is not completed, and the display unit 2
The display 2 indicates that the drying process is not completed (step # 10).
This allows the operator to confirm that the drying process has not been properly performed. Next, the drying conditions are automatically changed (step # 11), and the following steps #
Move to 7. Of course, the operator may manually input the change of the drying condition from the input unit 23.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the film 1 is discharged as it is even if the drying process is not completed. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the film 1 is discharged before being discharged from the film discharge section 6. You may stop it. Also in this case, the operator is notified not only by stopping the display but also by displaying on the display unit 22. As a result, it is possible to prevent the undried film 1 from being discharged or being wound around the cartridge. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that the undried films 1 are adhered to each other or the film 1 has a mold.

When it is judged that the drying process is not completed as shown in FIG. 6, the film 1 is returned from the branching section 24 to the confluent section 25 of the film drying section 4 (direction of arrow B) and dried again. You may make it process. Thereby, the film 1 can be discharged in a state where the drying process is surely completed. When it is determined that the drying process is completed, the film passes through the branching unit 24 as it is (in the direction of arrow A) and is discharged from the film discharging unit 6.

Next, various modifications of the dry state detecting means 17 will be described. 7 shows the transport roller 15 for the film 1 shown in FIG. 1 functioning as the electrode in FIG. As the conveying roller 15, the one on the most downstream side of the conveying path in the film drying unit 4 or the film discharging unit 6
The one placed immediately before is selected. In FIG. 7, the drive roller 40 and the pressure roller 41 arranged upstream in the carrying direction and the drive roller 4 arranged downstream in the carrying direction.
2 and the pressure bonding roller 43, and a power source 44 connected between the pressure bonding rollers 41 and 43.
The outer surface 41a of 1 is used as a negative electrode, and the pressure roller 4 is used.
The outer surface 43a of 3 functions as a positive electrode. Since the current flowing between the pressure bonding rollers 41 and 43 changes depending on the amount of water on the film emulsion surface, the electric resistance on the film emulsion surface can be measured by this. The rollers functioning as electrodes may be the drive rollers 40 and 42 instead of the pressure rollers 41 and 43. Further, an electrically insulated plus electrode and minus electrode may be provided on the outer surface of one roller, for example, the pressure roller 41.

A method of detecting the dry state using infrared rays will be described with reference to FIG. A lamp 50 that emits infrared rays, a condenser lens 51, a rotary filter 52, a film 1, and a light receiving element 53 are sequentially arranged along the optical path L. The rotary filter 52 is rotatable about an axis 52a, and passes only a first wavelength that is easily absorbed by water along a circumferential direction, and a first filter 54,
Second filters 55 that are not absorbed by water and pass only the second wavelength adjacent to the first wavelength are alternately arranged.

The film 1 can be detected by this method.
Perform with the stopped. First, the infrared light emitted from the lamp 50 passes through the rotary filter 52 while being condensed by the condenser lens 51. The infrared light that has passed through the rotary filter 52 passes through the film 1 while being alternately switched to two types of wavelengths of the first wavelength and the second wavelength, and is received by the light receiving element 53. At this time, the infrared rays of the first wavelength are absorbed according to the water content of the film 1. On the other hand, the infrared rays of the second wavelength pass through the film 1 regardless of the dry state of the film 1. Therefore, the energy difference X between the first wavelength and the second wavelength received by the light receiving element 53 can be measured. Here, the energy difference A of the dried film 1 is obtained in advance, stored in the memory 21, and the values of X and A are compared. If X is greater than A,
It can be determined that the film 1 has not been dried.

A method of detecting a dry state using microwaves will be described with reference to FIG. The microwave transmitter 60, the film 1, and the microwave receiver 61 are arranged along the optical path L. Also in the case of detection by this method, the film 1 is stopped. The microwave transmitter 60
The microwave receiver of the first wavelength, which is easily absorbed by moisture, and the microwave of the second wavelength, which is not absorbed by moisture and is adjacent to the first wavelength, are alternately emitted and transmitted through the film 1, and then the microwave receiver. 61 is received. Similar to the case of infrared rays, the energy difference X between the first wavelength and the second wavelength is measured. Then, the energy difference A of the dried film 1 is obtained in advance, and the values of X and A are compared. If X is larger than A, it can be determined that the drying process of the film 1 is incomplete.

A method for detecting the dry state by detecting the change in the frictional resistance of the emulsion surface of the film 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Crimping pad 70 (pressing member) that is constantly crimped toward the emulsion surface of film 1, rubber 71 provided on the crimping surface of the crimping pad, and mechanical displacement of crimping pad 70 provided on the side of crimping pad 70 And a switch 72 for detecting The crimping force is applied by a spring. Also in the case of detection by this method, the film 1 is temporarily stopped. As shown in FIG. 10A, since the rubber 71 and the film 1 slip when the film 1 is dry, the pressure bonding pad 70 does not move. Therefore, the switch 72 is OF
It remains F. As shown in FIG. 10B, when the film 1 is in an undried state, the rubber 71 is pulled by the film 1, the pressure bonding pad 70 moves in the transport direction of the film 1, the switch 72 is turned on, and the film 1 It is possible to determine the non-dried state.

Further, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. (1) In this embodiment, the drying of the film 1 is described, but the present invention can also be applied to the case of detecting the dry state of photographic paper. (2) When performing feedback based on the detection information from the dry state detecting means, it is of course possible to provide feedback not only when the drying process is incomplete, but also when the drying process is complete. . This is because there is a possibility of being over-dried even if the drying process is completed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of a photographic developing device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a drying control system.

FIG. 3 is a structural example of a dry state detecting means using electrodes.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of drying control.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a system for stopping and controlling a film.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system for re-drying a film.

FIG. 7 is a configuration example of a dry state detecting unit using a transport roller as an electrode.

FIG. 8 is a structural example of a dry state detecting means by infrared rays.

FIG. 9 is a structural example of a dry state detecting means using microwaves.

FIG. 10 is a configuration example of a dry state detecting means using a pressure bonding pad.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 photographic film 3 Development processing section 4 Film drying section 5 Dry condition detector 13 fans 15 Conveyor roller 16 Control unit 17 Dry state detecting means 18 Comparison means 19 Discrimination means 22 Display 30 electrode stand 31 negative electrode 32 positive electrode 41,43 Crimping roller (electrode) 50 lamps 52 Rotating filter 60 microwave transmitter 70 Crimping pad (pressing member) 71 rubber

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A photographic developing apparatus comprising a conveying means for sequentially conveying a photographic light-sensitive material to a developing processing section and a drying section.
Te, wherein the drying unit dry dry state detector is provided for detecting the drying process photographic light-sensitive material, the drying state detector, for detecting said dry state
Placed between the drying section and the photographic material discharge port.
Comprising a a dry state detecting means, on the basis of the output signal of the dry state detecting means and a discriminating means for discriminating whether the drying process is completed, the drying condition detecting unit further the determination Dry by means
When it is determined that the drying process has not been completed,
Dry the light material without discharging it from the outlet.
A photo-developing apparatus having a branching section for returning to the section and drying again . 2. The drying process is not completed by the determining means.
When it is determined that the photographic photosensitive material is
The photo-developing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a path for returning from the section to the confluent section of the drying section . When dried by wherein said discriminating means is determined to be incomplete, photofinishing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that changing the drying conditions in the drying section. Wherein said When the drying process by determining means is determined to be incomplete, photofinishing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a warning. Wherein said dry state detection means, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that to measure the electrical resistance of the photographic material by contacting the electrode to the photographic material Photo development equipment. 6. The photographic developing device according to claim 5 , wherein the carrying unit is a carrying roller, and the carrying roller functions as the electrode. 7. The dry state detecting means irradiates the photographic light-sensitive material with infrared rays or microwaves and measures the infrared rays or microwaves absorbed by the photographic light-sensitive material. The photographic developing device according to any one of 4 to 10. Wherein said dry state detection means, the photographic according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that measures the frictional resistance between the surface and the pressing member of the photographic light-sensitive material Development device.