JPH02124570A - Processing device for photosensitive material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the deterioration of a processing soln. in each processing vessel due to oxidation as well as the evaporation of the soln. by carrying a photosensitive material in the processing vessel isolated from the open air in a hermetically sealed state and processing the photosensitive material in the vessel. CONSTITUTION:A developing vessel 5, a fixing vessel 7 and a washing vessel 9 are separately filled with a developing soln., a fixing soln. and washing water in a hermetically sealed state. A pair of upper and lower rolls 19, 20 are fitted to each of side walls dividing a washing part 4, the developing vessel 5, a washing part 6, the fixing vessel 7, a washing part 8, the washing vessel 9 and a washing part 10 with such a gap as to cause no practical leak of a soln. A photosensitive material can be passed through the gap between the rolls 19, 20. The processing solns. in the processing vessels 5, 7, 9 are not brought into contact with the air and the deterioration of the solns. due to oxidation as well as the evaporation of the solns. can be effectively prevented.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus, and more specifically, a processing tank is provided with a structure in which a processing liquid in the processing tank is substantially sealed off from the outside air, The present invention relates to a technique for preventing oxidative deterioration and evaporation of a processing liquid in a processing tank, and miniaturizing a photosensitive material processing apparatus itself by extremely downsizing the processing tank.

[Prior Art] The processing tank of conventional photosensitive material processing equipment is bucket-shaped with an open top, and it is common knowledge that if there is a slight crack or gap on the side or bottom, the processing liquid will leak out of the processing tank. Because the opening at the top of the processing tank through which the photosensitive material passed could not be sealed, a floating lid was installed on the surface of the processing solution.
Efforts are being made to reduce the level of the processing liquid by filling the upper part of the processing tank with an inert gas or by floating suspended substances made of resistant materials in the processing liquid. However, it is not possible to prevent air oxidation and evaporation of the processing solution, making it extremely difficult to maintain a constant processing performance of the photosensitive material.

In particular, the stable management of processing solutions in photo labs (stores) that process only a small amount of color photographic processing is a problem that seems impossible to solve.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In this way, reducing the ratio of the opening area of the processing liquid stored in the processing tank that is in contact with the air only reduces the rate of oxidative deterioration and evaporation of the processing liquid, and the processing It cannot be said that it effectively and completely prevents the deterioration and evaporation of the liquid. In particular, when the operating rate of photosensitive material processing equipment is extremely low, it is important to prevent deterioration and evaporation of the processing solution in order to maintain a constant color photographic processing performance and reduce operating costs of the processing equipment. is also a particularly important issue.

Furthermore, in conventional top-opening processing tanks, the processing solution is lifted up by the wall at the contact point between the processing tank wall and the processing solution, so the surface area of this area increases and oxidation begins. This causes the processing tank to become dirty, and the oxidized solid parts fall into the processing solution and enter the processing solution, causing trouble in the development processing.

After various studies, we decided to make the processing tank substantially sealed from the outside air, fill the processing tank with processing solution, completely expel the air from the processing tank, and place the photosensitive material directly into the processing solution. If the processing solution is brought into the processing tank, there will be no contact between the processing solution and the air inside the processing tank, and deterioration and evaporation due to oxidation can be effectively prevented. An important technical issue is how to directly introduce the photosensitive material into the processing solution in the processing tank without causing any leakage.

This invention was made in view of the above points, and is a photosensitive material that prevents oxidative deterioration and evaporation of the processing solution in the processing tank, and also allows the photosensitive material to be directly immersed in the processing solution in the processing tank without leaking. The purpose is to provide material processing equipment.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention includes at least one processing tank in which the processing liquid in the tank is substantially sealed off from the outside air. It is characterized by carrying the photosensitive material into a processing tank that is closed and closed for processing.

This processing tank includes at least one photosensitive material carrying mechanism,
It may have at least one photosensitive material discharge mechanism, and may have a structure in which the processing liquid in the processing tank is substantially sealed off from the outside air. Furthermore, a photosensitive material is transported, inserted, and discharged through a photosensitive material loading and a photosensitive material discharging mechanism provided in this processing tank. At least one of the photosensitive material carrying-in mechanism and the photosensitive material discharging mechanism may be a valve structure, and at least one may be a roller structure.

The processing tank has a photosensitive material loading mechanism, a photosensitive material discharging mechanism, and gaps, and the processing liquid is substantially sealed from the outside air so as not to leak to the outside. The photosensitive material is configured to be transported through the processing tank through the valve structure, and the interior of the processing tank can be brought into contact with outside air through the valve structure. Further, at least one roller structure may be used for carrying in or discharging, and the rotation of this roller can convey the photosensitive material. Alternatively, the valve structure may be made of a flexible material so that a gap is created only when the photosensitive material passes through the valve structure, and the processing tank is otherwise closed so that the processing liquid does not evaporate.

In the latter case, rollers or the like may be provided for conveying the photosensitive material in an intermediate chamber provided inside the processing tank and/or between the processing tanks as necessary.

The processing tank that is kept in a sealed state as described above can be provided with a mechanism that allows the removal of the photosensitive material. Furthermore, this mechanism is equipped with a water tank that applies a water pressure equal to the liquid pressure of the processing liquid, so that the processing tank can be maintained in a substantially airtight state. Furthermore, a conveying mechanism for conveying the photosensitive material into the processing tank can be provided. Further, it is possible to provide means for forcibly discharging the processing liquid in the substantially sealed processing tank by supplying the replenisher through the replenisher supply port of the processing tank.

By continuously or intermittently washing the outside of at least one of the photosensitive material loading or discharging mechanisms provided in the processing tank with water, air oxidation and evaporation of the processing liquid on the mechanism is prevented. be able to.

In addition, when processing tanks are arranged in series, the intermediate chamber formed by the photosensitive material loading/unloading mechanism between each processing tank is filled with water, liquid paraffin, and inert gas, and the processing liquid is oxidized by air above the mechanism. , can prevent evaporation to dryness.

Equipped with a mechanism to release the airtight state of the processing tank, which is essentially sealed from the outside air, allows for smooth supply of processing liquid to the processing tank at the initial stage of operation, and smooth discharge of processing liquid during maintenance. It can be implemented.

In addition, guides are provided to transport the photosensitive material smoothly in the IA processing tank, and in order to improve the stirring effect and temperature control effect in the processing tank by spraying the processing liquid onto the photosensitive material. In order to remove impurities using means such as filtration and separation, a system for circulating the treatment liquid can be installed.

[Function] In this photosensitive material processing apparatus, the processing tank is substantially sealed and sealed from the outside air, and the processing liquid does not have a liquid surface that comes into contact with air, so it does not come into contact with air within the processing tank. It is possible to prevent oxidative deterioration and evaporation of the processing liquid in the processing tank, greatly increasing the stability of the processing liquid in the processing tank, making maintenance of this processing equipment easy, and making the processing equipment itself compact. can be converted into In addition, when the processing solution decreases due to processing of photosensitive materials, IA
By restricting air from entering the processing tank, the processing liquid does not come into contact with air.

The processing tank has at least one photosensitive material loading mechanism and at least one photosensitive material discharging mechanism, which seal the processing tank, and furthermore, the photosensitive material is transferred to this sealed I.
The photosensitive material can be carried in and out directly from the processing tank side wall into the A processing tank processing solution, and since the processing tank is sealed from the outside air, the photosensitive material delivery mechanism and the photosensitive material discharge mechanism are Good sealing properties, suitable for transporting photosensitive materials to processing tanks,
It is possible to reduce liquid leakage during transport from the treatment tank.

In this way, the valve structure provided on at least one wall of the processing tank not only forms the wall of the processing tank, but also has the function of conveying the photosensitive material when formed with a roller structure. Unlike conventional developing machines, there is no need to provide a complicated roller mechanism or guide mechanism in the processing apparatus for conveying the photosensitive material into the processing tank.

If a processing tank that is kept in a hermetically sealed state is provided with a valve structure that allows the removal of the photosensitive material, it will be easier to maintain the hermetically sealed state. Further, the valve structure can be provided with a water tank having the same hydraulic pressure as the liquid, thereby preventing liquid leakage when the photosensitive material passes through the valve structure. Furthermore, the transport mechanism provided within the processing tank can transport the photosensitive material within the processing tank without leaking liquid.

In addition, by forcibly supplying replenishment liquid using a pump, etc. from the replenishment liquid supply port provided in the processing tank, which is virtually sealed off from the outside air, the processing liquid in the processing tank can be distributed around the valve structure. It can be discharged to the outside of the processing tank through a small gap, and at this time, the effect of cleaning this gap also occurs. The processing liquid discharged outside the processing tank is collected as waste liquid in the waste liquid tank.

Furthermore, a circulation system is installed for this sealed processing tank,
By stirring and controlling the temperature of the processing solution in the processing tank, the development process can be stabilized.

In addition, it is preferable to install a sealed filtration device in the path of this circulation system to remove insoluble impurities accumulated in the processing solution from the viewpoint of preventing damage to the surface of the photosensitive material. .

If the temperature of the processing liquid is controlled using a large-capacity heater when the amount of circulating liquid is small, hunting for the set temperature will become large, which is not considered desirable, and when the amount of circulating liquid is large, Using a small-capacity heater provides preferable control with less hunting, but the large amount of circulating fluid causes fluctuations in pump power and pressure within the processing tank, making it difficult to maintain stable development processing, making it a preferable method. I can not say.

Figure 35 shows heat load: 1t (-heater output/circulating fluid fE)
The relationship between the control temperature range and the control temperature range was tested and illustrated.

A guide member for transporting the photosensitive material is provided inside the processing tank,
In addition to smoothly conveying the photosensitive material, the guide member is provided with holes through which the processing liquid blows out, so that the processing liquid is sprayed onto the photosensitive material. Since the photosensitive material is conveyed while floating, scratches on the surface of the photosensitive material and jamming during the guide are prevented.

Various tests were conducted to determine the relationship between the porosity of the guide member and uneven development, and the relationship between linear speed and uneven development when spraying onto the photosensitive material.The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. According to the results,
The guide member needs to have a porosity of 15% or more, preferably 20% or more, and the linear speed of spraying onto the photosensitive material is 1.0 cm.
/sec or more, preferably 1.5 cm/sec or more.

The processing tank is equipped with a mechanism that releases the sealed state and opens the tank to the outside air in order to fill or withdraw the processing liquid.

The processing liquid in the processing tank is in contact with the outside air via a valve structure or a roller structure, and a portion of the processing liquid leaks when the photosensitive material is transported. In order to prevent air oxidation of the treatment liquid in this area, the surface of the structure is washed intermittently or continuously with water.

In addition, the intermediate chamber formed by the valve structure or roller structure between each processing tank is filled with substances that do not affect the processing, such as water, liquid paraffin, and inert gas, so that air oxidation and evaporation do not substantially occur. It is also possible to have a structure.

The configuration of a photosensitive material processing apparatus using a basic roller structure is shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 2 shows the attachment of the roller structure to the processing tank and the conveyance of the photosensitive material. Furthermore, although the arrangement within the processing tank is shown in FIG. 3, it is not particularly limited thereto.

In color photographic processing, constant temperature of the processing is very important. In this method, a heater is usually placed in the processing tank, and the temperature is controlled by stirring the processing liquid in the processing tank or circulating the processing liquid using a circulation pump. In the processing tank of the present invention, it is possible to circulate the processing liquid with a pump, but it is also possible to incorporate a heater into the guide in the processing tank as shown in FIG. A heater can also be built into the processing tank. Furthermore, the liquid inside the processing tank can be stirred as shown in Figs. 31 and 33, and as shown in Fig. 32, the photosensitive material itself is It is also possible to stir the processing liquid by vibrating a fin-shaped stirring plate provided inside the guide. A large-capacity heater is installed outside the processing tank, and a small-capacity heater is installed inside the processing tank. Temperature is mainly raised using the external heater, and temperature control is performed using the internal heater to reduce the range of temperature fluctuations. Can be done.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a photosensitive material processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

In Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 is the main body of the device that blocks external light.
A photosensitive material loading section 2 is provided on one side of the apparatus main body 1, and a photosensitive material unloading section 3 is provided on the other side. Between the carrying-in section 2 and the carrying-out section 3, there is a cleaning section 4 from the side of the carrying-in section 2 for the photosensitive material.
, developing tank 5, washing section 6, fixing tank 7, washing section 8, washing tank 9
, and the cleaning sections 10 are arranged continuously.

A developing solution, a fixing solution, and a washing solution are stored in each processing tank of the developing tank 5, the fixing tank 7, and the washing tank 9 in a sealed state, and replenishment containers 11, 12.1 are provided in the upper part of each processing tank, respectively.
3 are connected via pipes 14, 15, 16, and the liquid level of each processing tank is formed in this replenishment container 11, 12, 13. Air pipes 17 connected to the outside are connected to the pipes 14, 15, and 16, respectively, and when a valve 18 is opened, air is introduced and the sealed state is released.

cleaning section 4, developing tank 5, cleaning section 6, fixing tank 7, cleaning section 8,
A pair of upper and lower rollers 19 and 20 are formed on the side wall that partitions the washing tank 9 and the washing section 10 with a gap width that substantially prevents liquid leakage, and the photosensitive material can pass between these rollers 192°. . Even if the roller gap or the gap between the rollers 19 and 20 and the main body wall is left in a sealed state, it can be considered that there is substantially no liquid leakage. The photosensitive material carried in from the carry-in section 2 is transferred to the roller 19.
20, the toner is sequentially conveyed through the cleaning section 4, developing tank 5, cleaning section 6, fixing tank 7, cleaning section 8, washing tank 9, and cleaning section 10, and is taken out from the unloading section 3 in a processed state.

The inside of each processing tank, developer tank 5, fixer tank 7, and washing tank 9, is sealed so that the processing liquid does not leak, and the processing liquid does not come into contact with air in the processing tank, so that the processing inside the processing tank can be easily performed. Oxidative deterioration and evaporation of the liquid can be prevented. Therefore, tar-like stains that occur due to oxidation in the processing liquid tank do not occur.

In addition, by forming a roller structure of rollers 19 and 20 on the side wall of each processing tank and sealing the gap within a range that does not interfere with the rotation of the rollers, the photosensitive material is transferred between the rollers by the rotation of the rollers 19 and 20. into the processing solution. By keeping each processing tank in a sealed state, liquid leakage from between the rollers 19 and 20 is substantially prevented even when photosensitive materials are carried in and out.

When replacing the processing liquid, the valve 18 is opened to communicate with the atmosphere to release the sealed state of the processing tank, and the roller 19
, 20 is discharged to the cleaning section 4.68.10, and this waste liquid is discharged from the pipe 22 when the valve 21 is opened.

By sealing the rollers 19 and 20, the processing liquid is stored as a wall of the processing liquid tank, and the photosensitive material is conveyed by roughly rotating the rollers 19 and 20.
There is no need to provide a special mechanism for transporting the photosensitive material.

Guides 23 that facilitate the conveyance of the photosensitive material are arranged facing each other at a predetermined width in each of the processing tanks including the developer tank 5, the fixing tank 7, and the washing tank 9.The guides 23 transport the photosensitive material into the processing solution. A slit-shaped conveyance path is formed, and the photosensitive material is conveyed with the emulsion side facing down. In particular, there is no upper or lower limit, but
It is preferable to determine the top and bottom of the photosensitive material in the direction in which the processing liquid is sprayed onto the emulsion surface of the photosensitive material. Further, if the processing liquid circulation has sufficiently stirred the inside of the processing tank, the emulsion surface may be directed toward the upper part where there is no processing liquid circulation supply port. The guide 23 is formed with an opening as described later, and the circulation system 24 is driven to spray the processing liquid onto the photosensitive material through the opening and convey it. 15% for guide 23, more preferably 20%
It is preferable to form the above openings, and the processing liquid is sprayed onto the photosensitive material from the openings at a blowing speed of 1.0 cm/sec or more, more preferably 1.5 cm/sec or more. By spraying the processing liquid, the contact resistance between the photosensitive material and the guide 23 forming the transport path is reduced, the agitation of the processing liquid is improved, and processing unevenness is also prevented.

The width of the conveyance path formed by the guide 23 is set to, for example, the thickness of the photosensitive material plus about 5 mm, thereby preventing the photosensitive material from jamming. Furthermore, if the processing liquid is sprayed at an angle in the transport direction, the photosensitive material can be transported smoothly by the flow of the processing liquid.

Further, the surface of the guide 23 facing the photosensitive material can be processed with irregularities or stripes to reduce frictional resistance with the photosensitive material.

Circulation system 24 provided for the developer 4I5, the fixing tank 7 and the washing tank 9
consists of a circulation pump 25, a heater 26, and a filter 31, and circulates the processing liquid in the sealed processing tank.In the developing tank 415 and the fixing tank 7, the processing liquid is made uniform in composition, and the temperature is controlled. Seat valves and the like present in each processing liquid can be removed while making constant adjustments. Further, in the washing tank 9, the washing temperature can be adjusted and the washing water can be stirred to perform efficient washing.

The processing time of the photosensitive material is, for example, within approximately 30 seconds for each of the development, fixing, and water washing processes.

A spray nozzle 27 is disposed in each cleaning section 4, 6, 13.10, and is connected to a flushing water tank 29 via a pipe 28, and drives a flushing water pump 3o to spray each cleaning section 4, 6, 8.10.
supply rinsing water. The supply of this washing water is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be sprayed from the spray nozzle 27 in the direction of the rollers 19 and 20 at the end of the processing or in a standby state before the processing to perform washing. In addition, cleaning water is constantly sprayed into the cleaning sections 4, 6, 8, and 10, so that the rollers 19, 20 can be constantly cleaned during processing.

It is also possible to fill intermediate chambers of the cleaning sections 4, 6, 8, and 10 with cleaning water to continuously clean the rollers.

2 to 23 show a more specific photosensitive material processing apparatus, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the developing processing section, FIG. 3 is a front view of the developing tank, and FIG. 4 is the IV-IV of FIG. 3. IV sectional view, 5th
The figure is a right side view of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the sealing member,
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 6, FIGS. 8 to 11 are sectional views of other embodiments of the seal member, and FIGS.
14 is an enlarged sectional view of the roller seal portion, FIG. 15 is a right side view of FIG. 14, FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional view of another embodiment of the roller seal portion, and FIG. 17 is an enlarged sectional view of the roller seal portion. The figure is a plan view of the guide, Figure 18 is a front view of the guide, Figure 19 is a sectional view taken along line XIX-XIX in Figure 17, Figures 20 and 21 are
The figure is another plan view of the guide, Figures 22 and 23 show the supply and discharge parts of the circulation system of the developer tank, Figure 22 is its side view, and Figure 23 is its bottom view. .

In this embodiment, a developing processing section will be described, but a fixing processing section and a water washing processing section are also constructed in the same manner.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connection between the replenishment container 11 of the developer tank 5 and the piping 14 is as shown in FIG.
is inserted, and communication is established without leakage. Further, the replenishment container 11 can be installed at the bottom of the processing tank without being connected to the processing tank in this particular manner, and the replenishment container 11 can be forcibly supplied with a pump. The developer in the replenishment container 11 is connected to the pipe 14.
The toner is supplied from the supply section 14a to the developing section 5 via the supply section 14a. Further, the replenishment container 11 can be easily attached to and detached from the mounting portion 41, and replacement work is simple.

The piping 14 supplies developer to the developing section 5 via the supply section 14a, and a detection sensor 42 for detecting the remaining amount of processing solution in the replenishment container 11 is provided at the attachment section 41 of the piping 14. 42 is activated, it is possible to know when to replace the replenishment container 11. Further, an air pipe 17 that communicates with the atmosphere is connected to the mounting portion 41 of the pipe 14, and a valve 18 is provided on this pipe 17. By closing this valve 18, the developing tank 5 is maintained in a sealed state. . When the valve 18 is opened when replacing the developer in the developer tank 5, the developer leaks under atmospheric pressure from the portion of the developer tank 5 where the rollers 19 and 20 are provided and is discharged. When the valve 18 is closed, the developer tank 5 is brought into a nearly hermetically sealed state, a new developer is supplied, and the replenishment container 11 is set, and the solution exchange is completed.

The upper wall 51 and the lower wall 52 of the developer tank 5 are arranged close to each other in parallel, and between the upper wall 51 and the lower wall 52 there is a rear wall 53 and a middle wall 54, as shown in FIGS. Further, a front wall 55 is arranged close to the middle wall 54. By providing an additional space on the side where the front roller drive mechanism is provided, a layered structure is created to prevent liquid leakage.

The side walls that partition the developer tank 5, the cleaning section 4 disposed at the front stage thereof, and the cleaning section 6 disposed at the rear stage thereof are formed by rollers 19 and 20, respectively. That is, inside the upper wall 51 and the lower wall 52, a sealing member 56 as shown in FIG.
The recess 56a and the roller 19.20 are sealed to prevent liquid leakage.
20 is in a rotatable state.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the seal member 56 may be formed to have a protrusion 56b having a spherical cross section. In this case, the sealing member 56 is fixed by installing screws 57 through the screw holes 56c inside the upper wall 51 and the lower wall 52, and the pair of rollers 19 and 20 are fixed to the ridges 56b of the upper and lower sealing members 56.
They are arranged so as to be in pressure contact between them.

As shown in FIG. 8, the sealing member is formed of a thin plate 80 made of elastic material.
9 and 20 to prevent liquid leakage between the roller and the main body. This thin Fi, 80 is pressed against the roller side to eliminate liquid leakage between the roller and the main body. This thin plate 80
Any material may be used as long as it is sufficiently elastic and durable against the processing liquid. Note that in this embodiment, two rollers are sealed with one plate, but
Of course, one roller can also be sealed with one plate. Furthermore, in addition to the above, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, there are various seal type rollers 19.20 that support rollers 19.20 with support members 81 to 83, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. In addition, roller portions 19b, 20b are provided on the shaft portions 19a, 20a, and the roller portions 19b, 2o
Slightly smaller diameter end roller portions 19c20c are provided at both ends of b, resulting in a two-stage structure. The hardness of the end roller portions 19c and 20c of the rollers 19 and 20 is set larger than that of the roller portions 19b and 20b.
b is made of a soft material, and the end roller portions 19c, 2
0c is made of a harder material than the roller parts 19b and 20b. Therefore, when the rollers 19, 20 are assembled, the roller parts 19b, 20b are elastically deformed, and the end roller parts 19c, 2
0c is brought into pressure contact, both rollers 19 and 20 become parallel, and centering is performed. Upper and lower seal members 56
, a pair of rollers 19,20 form a sealed side wall. Both end sides of the end roller portions 19c and 20c of the pair of rollers 19 and 20, the rear wall 53 and the middle wall 54
The space between the rollers 19 and 20 is sealed to prevent night heat, and the rollers 19 and 20 are allowed to rotate.

Even if the roller parts 19b, 20b, 19c, and 20c are manufactured with the same hardness, there is of course no problem with the sealing function.

Further, the material of the roller parts 19b and 20b of the rollers 19 and 20 is not limited to rubber, but has a sealing property and is flexible enough not to damage the surface of the photosensitive material when it is inserted therein, and is resistant to developer. Materials that do not corrode are used, and in addition to rubber, organic polymeric materials such as polyester, vinyl chloride resin, and nylon, felt materials, and woven fabrics are also used. Further, it is preferable that the roller portions 19b and 20b be made of a material that is slightly water repellent so that the roller portions 19b and 20b can pass smoothly without damaging the surface of the photosensitive material. End roller 1.9 of rollers 19, 20
The material of c and 20c is not limited to rubber, but the roller part 19b
, 20b can be used.

Roller 19.20 that partitions the cleaning section 4.6 and the developing tank 5
As shown in FIG. 4, the lower roller 19 has one end 19d pivotally supported by a bearing 58 embedded in the rear wall 53, and is rotatable without protruding from the rear wall 53. . The other end 19e of the roller 19 passes through the middle wall 54 and the front wall 55, and is pivotally supported by the front wall 55 via a bearing 59.

Between the shaft portion 19a of the roller 19 and the inner wall 54, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 14, and FIG. Rotate the gland presser 61 screwed onto the portion 20a, and
1. Press the 0-ring 60 to seal. Notches 61b are formed at four locations in the flange portion 61a of the gland presser 61, and a tool is applied from the outside to the notches 61b to rotate it. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 16, the gland retainer 84 can be tightened to the inner wall 54 with screws 85 to seal it.

A gear 62 is provided at the tip of the roller 19, and this gear 62 meshes with a gear 64 provided on a drive shaft 63, and the drive shaft 63 is rotated by a motor (not shown) to rotate the roller 19. It looks like this. The rotation of the lower roller 19 causes the upper roller 20 disposed opposite to rotate, and the photosensitive material is conveyed between the rollers 19 and 20.

The shaft portion 20a of the upper roller 20 has both ends 20d, 2
0e is rotatably supported by bearings 65 and 66 embedded in the rear wall 53 and the middle wall 54, and is sealed to prevent liquid leakage.

A conveying path for the photosensitive material is formed in the developing tank 5 by guides 23 arranged above and below, and these guides 23 allow the photosensitive material to be smoothly conveyed within the closed developing tank 5.

As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, the guide 23 has a screw hole 23a formed on the side thereof, and the rear wall 53 of the developer tank 5.
and is tightened and fixed to the inner wall 54 with screws (not shown). The guide 23 is formed with slits 23b at predetermined intervals in the conveyance direction, and the slits 23b reduce the contact area with the photosensitive material, thereby reducing the contact resistance with the photosensitive material and allowing smooth conveyance. The guide 23 may be formed of a perforated plate as shown in FIG. 20, or may be formed of a mesh plate as shown in FIG. 21.

The photosensitive material can be transported with its emulsion surface facing either up or down. When the blowing nozzle for processing liquid circulation is installed at the bottom of the processing tank, the developer is sprayed from below the guide 23 onto the emulsion surface of the photosensitive material to achieve even development and reduce the transport resistance of the photosensitive material. This reduces the amount of stress and facilitates smooth transportation.

The width of the conveying path formed by this guide 23 is set to be the width of the photosensitive material plus about 5 mrr+, for example, to prevent meandering conveyance and jamming of the photosensitive material.

In addition, the surface of the guide 23 forming the conveyance path may be processed to have an uneven surface or a striped pattern in order to reduce frictional resistance. Furthermore, the slit 23b in which the guide 23 is formed can be configured to spray the developer in the transport direction, so that the photosensitive material can be transported more effectively by the flow of the developer.

By driving the circulation pump 25 of the circulation system 24, the developer introduced through the pipe 68 connected to the discharge part 67 at the center of the developer tank 5 is heated by the heater 26, and is then discharged from the pipe 69 to the discharge part 67.
The liquid is blown into the developer tank 5 from a pair of supply units 70 arranged on both sides of the developer tank 5 .

By driving this circulation system 24, the developer is blown out from the supply section 70, and has the function of spraying the developer onto the photosensitive material and the developer tank 5.
It has the function of stirring the developing solution inside to keep the temperature constant. Further, a temperature sensor 71 is arranged in the developer tank 5 to obtain temperature information for driving the heater 26 .

The temperature of the developing solution is controlled by a heater 26 installed in the circulation system 24, and in particular for small-sized developing tanks, the temperature adjustment is done in the circulation system 24 outside the developing tank 5, rather than inside the developing tank.
I can do what I want to do.

In other words, since the developer tank 5 is small, if a heater is inserted into the developer 41i5 and the temperature is adjusted by turning on and off a large capacity heater, it is extremely difficult to control the temperature in a very narrow range as in the developer tank. As a result, there is a temperature distribution within the developing tank 5, and there is little liquid flow on the heating surface of the heater, which tends to cause deterioration of the developer. Therefore, by installing the heater 26 outside the developer tank 5, it is possible to circulate a large amount of the processing solution in the processing tank to keep temperature fluctuations in the processing tank small, and also to prevent deterioration of the developer. It can be prevented.

The fixing tank and washing tank are constructed in the same way as the developing tank, but
In the washing tank 9, a heater may be provided in the circulation system 24.

The washing section 4.6 is provided with an injection nozzle 27, and when the washing water pump 72 is driven, washing water is supplied from the washing water tank 73 to the supply section 75 via piping 74, from where the washing water is supplied to the injection nozzle 27. is sprayed towards the roller 19.20, cleaning the roller 19.20. Rinsing water tank 7
3 is provided with a liquid level sensor 76 to detect the remaining amount of washing water.

The liquid that leaks when the washed waste liquid or photosensitive material is inserted from the rollers 19 and 20 is discharged to the waste liquid tank 77 via the piping 22. Further, liquid leaking from the pedestal 40 containing the processing liquid is discharged into the waste liquid tank 77 via a pipe 78.

Furthermore, the cleaning section (intermediate chamber) 4.6 can be configured to constantly store washing water to constantly wash the rollers 19, 20. It is also possible to fill the tank with liquid paraffin, inert gas, or other substances that do not affect processing.

FIG. 24 shows another embodiment of the processing tank, in which a lower wall 90 and an upper wall 91 are arranged to face each other. In recesses 90a and 91a at both ends of the lower wall 90 and upper wall 91, a pair of upper and lower rollers 92 and 93 are rotatably arranged and sealed to substantially prevent liquid leakage. As the roller 9293 rotates, the photosensitive material passes between the two, and the guide 94 formed integrally with the lower wall 90 and the upper wall 91
The material is carried into a conveyance path formed by a guide 95 formed integrally with the material. The guide 94 has a slit 9 facing the conveyance direction.
4a is formed, and the lower supply part 9 is formed by the operation of the circulation system.
The processing liquid supplied from 0b is guided in the transport direction to transport the photosensitive material.

The circulating processing liquid passes through the slit 95 formed in the guide 95.
Exiting from the conveyance path from a, a discharge section 9 formed on the earthen wall 91
It flows out from 1b and circulates.

FIGS. 25(a) to 25(a) show the basic shape of the roller structure. FIG. 25(a) shows a pair of rollers 1 of the same diameter that connect the processing tank 100 and the outside air 101 as in the previous embodiment.
02, and the photosensitive material 103 is conveyed by the rotation of the roller 102. FIG. 25(b) uses a pair of rollers 102 with different diameters, and FIG. 25(e)
25(e) uses one roller 102, and FIG. 25(d) uses three rollers 102.

FIGS. 26(a) to 26(f) show the installation of the loading/unloading mechanism into the processing tank and the conveyance of the photosensitive material.

The above-mentioned mechanism may be a single mechanism such as one valve or one roller, or a plurality of the same mechanisms or different mechanisms may be installed in multiple layers to improve the sealing performance of one wall surface. 26(a) to 26(e) use rollers 102, and in FIG. 26(a), three processing tanks 100 are successively arranged horizontally, and the photosensitive material 103 is conveyed from the horizontal direction. In FIG. 26(b), three processing tanks 100 are arranged horizontally, and in FIG. 26(C), the processing tanks 100 are arranged vertically, and the photosensitive material 103 is conveyed from above to below. , FIG. 26(d) shows that the photosensitive material 103 is transported from the bottom to the top, and FIG. 26(e) shows that the two processing tanks 100 are transported upward and one
The processing tanks 100 are arranged below. 26th
Figure (f) uses a valve seal 107, and the roller 10
2 is used for transporting photosensitive materials. FIGS. 26(g) and 26(h) show two types of rollers 102 and valve seals 107 used together.

FIGS. 27(a) to 27(p) further show an embodiment in which the arrangement of the processing tank 100 and the conveyance direction of the photosensitive material 103 are different.

FIG. 28 to FIG. 30 show other embodiments of temperature control of the processing liquid, and as shown in FIG.
04 has a built-in heater 105, and this heater 10
5 may be of plate type or linear type. Figure 29 shows treatment tank 1
00 has a built-in heater 106, and this heater 10
6 may also be of plate type or linear type. In FIG. 30, a large capacity heater 107 is installed outside the processing tank 100, and a small capacity heater 108 is installed in the processing tank section. This allows the range of variation to be reduced.

FIGS. 31 to 33 show examples of stirring the processing tank. In FIG. 31, a stirring blade 200 is provided close to a guide member 201, and the stirring blade 200 is driven by external power to stir the processing liquid. In FIG. 32, a curtain or thread-like member 203 is extended from the guide surface of the guide member 202 to the conveyance path of the photosensitive material, and as the photosensitive material passes, this part side 203 swings and stirs the processing liquid. FIG. 33 shows the processing liquid spouted from the supply port 204, which is stirred by rotating the stirring blade 2°.

Next, the relationship between the aperture ratio of the slit of the guide member of this example, the blowing linear velocity of the processing liquid, and the processing unevenness will be discussed.

First, using a guide member 301 having an opening 300 as shown in FIG. 34, the relationship between the porosity and treatment unevenness was determined through a test. The results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Relationship between the aperture ratio of the guide member and uneven development (blow line speed: 2 cm/5ec) Uneven development occurs.

△ There is not much unevenness in development.

○: There is no uneven development at all.

Therefore, the aperture ratio of the guide member is set to 20% or more.

Next, using the guide member 301, a test was conducted regarding the blowing linear velocity onto the photosensitive material and development unevenness. Open area ratio 50
The results in % are shown in Table 2.

Table 2 Relationship between linear speed and development unevenness when spraying onto photosensitive materials X: Uneven development occurs.

△: There is not much unevenness in development.

○: There is no uneven development at all.

Therefore, the linear velocity for spraying the processing liquid onto the photosensitive material using the guide member 301 is set to 1.5 cm/sec or more.

Further, FIG. 35 shows the relationship between the control temperature range and the heat load (=heater output/circulating fluid amount).

FIG. 36 is a sectional view showing another photosensitive material processing apparatus.

In the figure, reference numeral 500 indicates a main body of the apparatus for blocking external light, and in this embodiment, the photosensitive material loading and unloading mechanisms are constructed with a valve structure. A photosensitive material loading section 502 is located on one side of the apparatus main body 500, and a photosensitive material unloading section 503 is located on the other side.
is provided. Between the photosensitive material loading section 502 and the photosensitive material loading section 503, from the photosensitive material loading section side 502, a developer tank 504, a water tank 505, and an air tank (intermediate chamber) 506.50
7. Water tank 508, fixing tank 509, water tank 510, washing tank 5
11 are provided. A developing solution, a fixing solution, and a washing solution are stored in these processing tanks, respectively, and a replenishment container 512 is connected to the upper part of each processing tank.

The connection between the developer tank 504 and the replenishment container 512 is as shown in FIG. are doing. Further, the replenishment container 512 is provided with an air pipe 514 that communicates with the atmosphere, and the bottom of the replenishment container 512 is connected to the developer tank 500 through a seal member 515.
As a result, the liquid level of the processing liquid is provided in the replenishment container 512 outside the developer tank 504, and the processing liquid is substantially sealed off from the outside air. The air pipe 514 is provided with a valve 516, and the developer tank 504 is kept in a sealed state by this valve 516. When replenishing the developer, the valve 516 is operated to introduce air into the replenishment container 512. , the developer is supplied to the developer tank 504, and the liquid level in the replenishment container 512 is lowered.

Similar replenishment containers 512 are provided above the fixing tank 509 and the washing tank 511, and these are configured similarly to the replenishment container 512 of the developer tank 504. Valve seals 519 are provided on a wall 517 that separates the developer from the air in the developer tank 504 and a wall 518 that separates the developer and water so that the developer tank 504, which is kept in an airtight state, is exposed to light. This allows for the supply of materials. The developer tank 504 is substantially sealed from the outside air, and the gap between the valve seal 519 is made small to reduce leakage when the photosensitive material is carried in through the valve seal 519.

The photosensitive material is carried in through the valve seal 519 on the side of the photosensitive material carrying section 502, and is carried out through the valve seal 519 on the opposite side.
The photosensitive material can be directly carried into the developer and then carried out, and deterioration due to oxidation of the developer in the developer tank 504 is prevented. A return pipe 520 is provided between the developer tank 504 and the photosensitive material loading section 502, and is designed to return the liquid that leaks slightly when the pump 521 is driven and the photosensitive material is inserted through the valve seal 519 to the developer 5504. There is. Valve seal 51
The material used in 9 is one that is flexible enough not to damage the surface of the photosensitive material during insertion and is not corroded by the developer, and is preferably an organic polymer material such as a polyester sheet, a vinyl chloride resin sheet, or a nylon sheet. . Furthermore, the sheet of the valve seal 519 may be made of a slightly water-repellent material or may pass smoothly without damaging the surface of the photosensitive material.The valve seal 519 is formed as shown in FIGS. 38 and 39; The one shown in the figure is bent toward the conveyance direction of the photosensitive material P, and the developer in the developing tank 504 applies pressure in the direction of closing the insertion portion 519a.
The structure is such that liquid leakage from 9a is prevented.

As shown in FIGS. 40(a) and 40(b), the valve seal 519 is made by making an H-shaped cut 519b in a rectangular sheet member.
A triangular groove 519c is formed in this connecting cut. This triangular groove 5190 is made to protrude in a direction perpendicular to the triangular groove as shown in FIG. 40(c) to form an insertion portion 519a as shown in FIG. 40(d). The water tank 505 provided on the discharge side of the developer tank 504 has a water level that is approximately the same as that of the processing solution, and the water pressure of the current tank solution applied to the valve seal 519 is balanced with that of the processing solution. This prevents water from leaking or mixing with water.

This valve seal 519 is fixed to a wall 522 that partitions the water tank 505 and the air tank 506, a wall 523 that partitions the air tanks 506 and 507, a wall 524 that partitions the air tank 507 and the water tank 508, and the water tank 508. A wall 525 that partitions the tank 509, a wall 526 that partitions the fixing tank 59 and the water tank 510, and a wall 5 that partitions the water a 510 and the washing tank 511.
27 is further provided on a wall 528 that partitions the washing tank 511 and the photosensitive material carrying out section 503, and the photosensitive material is conveyed by passing through each valve seal 519.

The loading side of the fixing tank 509, the fixing tank 509 and the washing tank 511
Water tanks 508 and 510 are provided between the water tanks 5 and 5.
The water level at 08 and 510 is approximately the same as that of the fixer and the washing liquid, and the liquid pressures applied to the valve seals 519 are balanced so that the fixer and washing liquid do not mix with water. There is. Water tank 505 and next stage air tank 506
, between the air tank 507 and the water tank 508 , between the water tank 51
Return pipes 529 to 531 are provided between 1 and the photosensitive material discharge section 503, and pumps 532 to 531 are provided respectively.
534 is activated to return the leaked liquid to the original processing tank. Furthermore, piping 535 for circulating the processing liquid is provided in the developing chamber 504, the fixing tank 509, and the washing tank 511, respectively.
~537 are provided and circulated by pumps 521.538.534. Furthermore, a conveyance guide 539 and a conveyance roller 540 are provided in the developing tank 504, the fixing tank 509, and the washing tank 511. The drive shaft 542 is rotated by applying driving force through a power transmission mechanism such as a bevel gear, and this drive shaft 542 is connected to the motor 54
Rotate by 3. The valve seal 541 through which the drive shaft 542 is inserted rotatably supports the drive shaft 541, and
A seal is formed between the drive shaft 541 and the wall to prevent liquid leakage. The conveyance guide member 539 is shown in FIGS. 41 and 42.
As shown in the figure, connecting members 539b are formed between a plurality of plate members 539a in the conveying direction at predetermined intervals, and these plate members 539a reduce the contact area with the photosensitive material and facilitate smooth conveyance. Moreover, the processing liquid can be circulated through the gap between the plate members 539a. Furthermore, drain piping 544 is connected to each of the developer tank 504, fixing tank 509, and washing tank 511, and drained by operating a valve 545. Note that this embodiment can also be provided with a means for adjusting the temperature of the fi buried solution and a means for stirring the processing tank, as in the previous embodiment.

Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above, the processing 41 is substantially sealed, and when the processing solution decreases during IA processing of the photosensitive material, the processing solution is replenished by communicating the replenishment container above the processing tank with the atmosphere. Although air is restricted from entering the processing tank, a replenishment container can be placed below and forcibly refilled with a pump or the like.

[Effects of the Invention] As mentioned above, in the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, the processing tank is substantially sealed and sealed from the outside air, so the processing liquid does not come into contact with air in the processing tank, and it is different from ordinary processing equipment. It is possible to prevent the oxidative deterioration and evaporation of the processing liquid that occurs in the process, and there is no staining inside the processing tank.

In addition, by providing a photosensitive material loading mechanism and an unloading mechanism in the processing tank, the photosensitive material can be transported into and out of the processing tank. Further, since the processing tank has a substantially sealed structure, liquid leakage when carrying in and out of the photosensitive material can be almost completely prevented.

Furthermore, if this photosensitive material loading/unloading mechanism is made of a roller structure, this mechanism will have the function of storing the processing liquid as a wall of the processing tank, and by rotating the roller, the photosensitive material will be transferred to the processing tank. There is no need to provide a special transport mechanism for the transport.

In addition, by supplying the replenisher into the processing tank, degraded processing solution is forcibly discharged from the substantially sealed processing tank through gaps such as the seal of the photosensitive material loading/unloading mechanism. Problems such as salt precipitation in these gaps are unlikely to occur.

Furthermore, a mechanism for releasing the sealed state of the processing tank is provided, and by releasing the sealed state of the processing tank, the processing liquid can be easily supplied or removed.

In addition, a water tank having the same water pressure as the processing liquid can be provided in an intermediate chamber between this photosensitive material loading/unloading mechanism and the photosensitive material loading/unloading mechanism of the processing tank connected to the processing tank, so that the photosensitive material passes through the water tank. It is possible to prevent liquid leakage when washing.

Further, the intermediate chamber may be filled with a substance that does not react with the processing liquid, such as liquid paraffin or inert gas, to prevent oxidation of the processing liquid.

Furthermore, by providing a transport mechanism in the processing tank, the photosensitive material in the processing tank can be transported without leakage and without transport troubles such as jamming.

Moreover, by spraying and stirring the processing liquid onto the photosensitive material in the processing tank, and further heating the processing liquid in the circulation system to maintain it at a predetermined processing temperature, it is possible to prevent uneven processing of the photosensitive material.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a photosensitive material processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied, Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a developing processing section, Fig. 3 is a front view of a developing tank, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing IV-IV of Fig. 3. 5 is a right side view of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the seal member, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ of FIG. 6, and FIGS. 8 to 11 are views of the roller seal. Front view of other embodiments, FIGS. 12 and 13
14 is an enlarged sectional view of the roller seal portion, FIG. 15 is a right side view of FIG. 14, FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional view of another embodiment of the roller seal portion, and FIG. 17 is an enlarged sectional view of the roller seal portion. The figure is a plan view of the guide, Figure 18 is a front view of the guide, Figure 19 is a sectional view taken along line XIX-XIX in Figure 17, Figures 20 and 21 are
The figures are plan views of other embodiments of the guide, Figures 22 and 23.
The figures show the supply section and discharge section of the circulation system of the developing tank. Fig. 22 is a side view thereof, Fig. 23 is a bottom view thereof, and Fig. 24 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the processing tank. Figure 25 (a) to (
e) is a diagram showing the configuration of the basic roller structure, FIGS. 26(a) to (h) are diagrams showing the attachment of the valve mechanism to the processing tank and the conveyance of the photosensitive material, and FIGS. 27(a) to (h) (p) is a diagram showing the arrangement of the processing tank and the conveyance of the photosensitive material, Figures 28 to 30
The figure shows another example of controlling the temperature of the treatment liquid, Figures 31 to 33 are diagrams showing stirring of the treatment tank, Figure 34 is a plan view of the guide used in the test, and Figure 35 is the heat load. FIG. 36 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the photosensitive material processing apparatus, FIG. 37 is a view showing how the replenishment container of the processing tank is attached, and FIGS. 38 and 39 The figure is a sectional view showing the valve mechanism, Figures 40 (a) to (d) are views showing the manufacture of the valve mechanism, Figure 41 is a plan view of the guide, and Figure 42 is the 41
FIG. 3 is a right side view of the figure. In the figure, numeral 1,500 is the main body of the apparatus, 4, 6, 810 is a cleaning section, 5,504 is a developing tank, 6,509 is a fixing tank, 8, 5
11 is a washing tank, 19.20 is a roller, 23,539 is a guide member, 24 is a circulation system, 519,541 is a valve seal,
540 is a conveyance roller. 1a Fig. 1 [) Fig. 1 Go Fig. c, 1 Fig. 16 Fig. 15 Q Circle o O ○ To (C) (a) (d) (b) (e) (f) Fig. 26 Fig. 11 6- (h) Figure +OO Figure 3'i Figure 30 Figure 32 Figure 33 Figure 34 Figure 35 (a) (b) Figure 39 Figure 40 Figure 41 Figure 42

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. It has at least one processing tank in which the processing solution in the tank is sealed and substantially shielded from the outside air, and the photosensitive material is carried into the processing tank in the sealed state and processed. Features of photosensitive material processing equipment. 2. The processing tank has at least one photosensitive material loading mechanism and at least one photosensitive material discharging mechanism, and has a structure in which the processing liquid in the processing tank is substantially sealed from the outside air. A photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photosensitive material is transported, inserted, and discharged through a photosensitive material loading and unloading mechanism provided in the processing tank. 4. Claim 2, wherein at least one of the photosensitive material loading mechanism and the photosensitive material discharging mechanism is a valve structure.
The photosensitive material processing apparatus described above. 5. Claim 2, wherein at least one of the photosensitive material loading mechanism and the photosensitive material discharging mechanism is a roller structure.
The photosensitive material processing apparatus described above. 6. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an intermediate chamber between the processing tanks. 7. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate chamber is sealed from outside air. 8. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an inert gas or water is introduced into the intermediate chamber. 9. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyance mechanism for conveying the photosensitive material into the processing tank. 10. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a conveying mechanism for conveying the photosensitive material to the intermediate chamber. 11. By supplying the replenisher into the processing tank through the replenisher supply port, the processing liquid in the processing tank can be forcibly discharged while maintaining a substantially sealed state. A photosensitive material processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 12. The photosensitive material according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the outside of the valve mechanism provided on the side wall of the processing tank and/or the intermediate chamber is continuously or intermittently washed with water. Processing equipment. 13. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate chamber is filled with water, liquid paraffin, and inert gas. 14. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for releasing the substantially sealed state of the processing tank. 15. Claim 1, characterized in that stirring is performed by spraying the processing liquid onto the photosensitive material inside the processing tank.
6. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to any one of 5 to 5. 16. It is characterized by having either a circulation system for circulating the processing liquid in the processing tank, a heating means for heating the processing liquid circulating in this circulation system, and/or a filtration means for filtering solid matter in the processing liquid. A photosensitive material processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.