JPH02176652A - Automatic developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable fast processing by conveying a film with its emulsion surface up in processing liquid and irradiating this film with an ultrasonic wave during the conveyance. CONSTITUTION:The film 12 is sent by rollers 26 and 28 at a constant speed and moves in the film guide part 22 of a processing tank 20 while drawing a downward convex arc. A vibrator 10 generates the ultrasonic wave of constant frequency with constant energy and this ultrasonic wave strikes on the film 12 slantingly. Consequently, the film 12 can move in an ultrasonic wave irradiation area including a center axis X by a distance larger than the strong/weak period intervals of the ultrasonic wave, and is not affected by the periodic level variation of the ultrasonic wave. Consequently, a small amount of processing liquid on the top surface side of the film 12 is heated and the emulsion surface contacting the heated processing liquid is processed speedily to shorten the processing process of the film 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to an automatic developing device that continuously sends photographed film to developing, fixing, and washing steps and performs developing processing.

(Technical Background of the Invention) Conventionally, roller conveyance systems, loop conveyance systems, and horizontal conveyance systems are known as methods for continuously developing films. The roller conveyance method uses a large number of rollers to convey the liquid through a vertically deep processing liquid tank, but has the problem that the processing liquid tank is deep and the apparatus becomes large. The loop transport method transports the film by passing it between rollers placed above and below the processing liquid tank, but it has the same problems as the roller transport method. In addition, in the horizontal transport method, development is performed by spraying a processing liquid onto the film that is transported horizontally, but in order to perform high-speed processing, the distance that the processing liquid and film come into contact with, that is, the horizontal path, becomes longer. ,
There was a problem that the device became larger.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic developing device that is suitable for high-speed processing and miniaturization, and is capable of stable processing.

(Structure of the Invention) According to the present invention, the object is to provide an automatic developing device that sequentially sends photographed film to each step of developing, fixing, and washing with water, and processes the photographed film continuously, in which at least one processing step is performed.
The film is provided with an ultrasonic generating means that emits ultrasonic waves from below toward the upper surface of the processing liquid, and the film is transported in the processing liquid so that its emulsion surface faces upward, and during this transport, the film is exposed to the ultrasonic wave. This is achieved by an automatic developing device characterized by being irradiated with sound waves.

In other words, the present invention is based on the premise that the processing speed is increased by ultrasonic waves, and while the film is irradiated with ultrasonic waves from below, the heated processing liquid is The emulsion side of the film faces upward so that processing can be carried out.

(Example) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a developing process, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a processing liquid pack, Fig. 2A is a perspective view of its external appearance, and Figs. 2B and 2C. are diagrams showing the internal state before and after use, and Figure 1II is III in Figure 1.
-III line sectional view.

In FIG. 1, 20 is a developing tank, and this processing tank 2
0 includes a film guide section 22 having an arc-shaped bottom when viewed from the side, and an excitation section 24 that opens obliquely to intersect the film guide section 22 in the film running direction (rightward direction). A pair of feed rollers 26 for carrying in the film 12 on which a latent micro image is formed are provided at the left end of the film guide section 22, and a pair of feed rollers 28 for carrying out the film 12 at the right end.

A liquid level regulating lid 30 is made of, for example, neoprene rubber or polyurethane rubber and has an arcuate cross section, and is attached to the lid plate 34 via a heat insulating material 32. There is a distance of 3 to 4 m between the liquid level regulating lid 30 and the bottom of the film guide 20.
A gap of about m is formed, and the film 12 is guided by a guide groove 31 (FIG. 3) so as to run through this gap. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the processing tank 20 is formed with grooves 31 into which the left and right edges of the film 12 enter, and the film 12 is guided and transported by the grooves 31. Here, the film 12 is managed so that its emulsion side 12A faces upward.

A vibrator 10 with a diameter of 25 mm is attached to the bottom of the vibrating section 24, and the perpendicular to the vibrator 10, that is, the central axis X, which is the direction of maximum directivity, intersects the film 12 obliquely with respect to the film running direction. The film 12 is set to be within the near-field sound field of the vibrator 10 on the central axis X, and is preferably in the range of 10 to 50 mm, for example. Here, the near-field sound field refers to a range closer to the vibrator 10 than the farthest position from the vibrator 10 among the positions where the sound pressure transmitted through the processing liquid is periodically maximum. By conveying the film 12 obliquely to the central axis X within this range,
It becomes possible to perform uniform processing without the film 12 being affected by uneven sound pressure.

The processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank 20 so that the liquid level is always constant. That is, the processing liquid is sent from the processing liquid tank 36 to the constant liquid level tank 4o by the pump 38, and this tank 4
The liquid level is maintained at a constant level within 0, and from there, the metering pump 42 sends the processing liquid into the film guide section 22 upstream of the vibrating section 24. The processing liquid passes over the partition wall of the loading chamber 44 of the downstream end side of the film guide section 22, that is, the lower feed roller 28, flows into the loading chamber 44, and enters the processing liquid pack 46 from there.

This processing liquid pack 46 is made of waterproof paper in a box shape, and the processing liquid tank 36 made of a flexible plastic container is housed on one side of the new processing liquid pack 46 before use, and the other side is housed in a new processing liquid pack 46. A water-absorbing polymer 48 is housed on the side (second
Figure B). A processing liquid tank 36 is provided on the upper surface of the processing liquid pack 46.
and a treatment liquid outlet 46 communicating with the water-absorbing polymer 48, respectively.
a and a waste liquid cap 46b are opened, and after these are sealed with a thin film material, the upper surfaces thereof can be opened and closed with adhesive seal lids 46c and 46d. This processing liquid pack 46 is placed on a vertically movable tray 49 with these seal lids 46C and 146d open (FIG. 1), and is pushed upward by this tray 49 and loaded.

At this time, the processing liquid inflow pipe 38a of the pump 38 and the processing liquid discharge vibrator 44a leading to the loading chamber 44 break the thin film blocking the processing liquid outlet 48a and the waste liquid port 48b, and open the processing liquid tank 36 and the water-absorbing polymer 48, respectively. It communicates with.

Therefore, when the processing liquid in the tank 36 decreases, the tank volume 36
Instead of decreasing, the water-absorbing polymer 46 gels and expands as shown at 48A in FIG. 2c. When the processing liquid in the tank 36 runs out and the pack 46 needs to be replaced, the tray 49 is lowered and the vibrator 38a is removed from the pack 46.
, 44a should be removed. Since the waste liquid is gelatinized, there is no risk of the liquid spilling, but the seal lid 46 c, 4
It will be more reliable if the treatment liquid outlet 46a and the waste liquid outlet 46b are closed with the plug 6d. As a result, handling of the processing liquid becomes very easy.

The height of the partition wall of the loading chamber 44 that accommodates the feed roller 28 determines the height of the processing liquid level in the processing tank 20, for example, based on the arcuate bottom of the film guide section 22. It is desirable to set it to about 7 mm. Note that 50 is a valve for discharging the processing liquid in the vibrating section 24 to the tank 46.

Therefore, a fixed amount of processing liquid is pumped into the processing tank 2 by the metering pump 42.
0, and the liquid level is kept constant by the partition wall of the loading chamber 44. The film 12 is fed at a constant speed by rollers 28 and 29, and is passed through the film guide section 22 of the processing tank 20.
Inside, it moves downward in a convex arc. The vibrator 10 generates ultrasonic waves at a constant frequency (for example, 1.7 MH) and constant energy, and this ultrasonic wave impinges on the film 10 obliquely. Therefore, the film 10 can move within the ultrasound irradiation area including the central axis X over a distance greater than the periodic interval of the strength of the ultrasound, and is not affected by the periodic strength of the ultrasound.

Ultrasonic waves do not heat the entire processing solution, and the film 1
It has the effect of selectively heating polymeric substances such as 0 as a sound absorbing material. As shown in FIG. 3, since the amount of processing liquid on the upper surface of the film 12 is significantly smaller than the amount of liquid below the film 12, the processing liquid on the upper surface of the film 12 is quickly heated. Film 1 is placed on the side of this heated processing solution.
Since the second emulsion side 12A is located, the processing of the film 12 is very rapid.

In this embodiment, since the liquid level regulating lid 30 is located close to the upper surface of the film 12, the liquid level regulating lid 30 keeps the film 10 and the processing liquid on its upper surface warm and enables uniform processing. further accelerate processing. Here is the liquid level regulation lid 3
If the lid 3 is made of a polymer material such as polyurethane rubber or neoprene rubber, the sound absorption effect of the lid 3
0 itself can also be heated. Therefore, the heating of the film 10 is further accelerated, and the processing is accelerated. Note that neoprene rubber has excellent heat resistance and is particularly preferred. At this time, as in this embodiment, the upper surface of the liquid level regulating lid 30 is connected to the lid plate 3 through the heat insulating material 32.
If the temperature is maintained at 4, the heat retention effect by the liquid level regulating lid 30 will be even better, and the processing will be further accelerated. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform good processing without unevenness in a short time.

In this embodiment, since the central axis X of the vibrator 10 intersects with the running direction of the film 12, the ultrasonic waves promote the movement of the processing liquid in the film running direction, and there is always almost no new processing in the processing tank. Processing can continue using liquids.

Although one vibrator 10 is used in this embodiment, the present invention may use a plurality of vibrators 10. 4th A, 4B
The figures are a perspective view of an embodiment using two circular vibrators 10, and a sectional view of this embodiment viewed from the film transport direction. In this embodiment, each vibrator 10.10 was arranged so that the central axes x, x of the vibrator 10.10 were centered near the film 12.

Figures 5A and 5B are a perspective view of an embodiment using three rectangular vibrators 210, and a sectional view of this embodiment viewed from the film transport direction. Here, the ultrasonic wave emission direction (center axis X) of each vibrator 210 converges toward the vicinity of the film 12. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B, the surface of the processing liquid is raised by ultrasonic vibration. The liquid level processing lid 130, 230 suppresses this protuberance, prevents unstable flow of the processing liquid, and makes the flow uniform. Note that 132 and 232 are heat insulating materials.

In these embodiments, a liquid level regulating lid 3 is provided above the film 12.
Although 0 is provided, it goes without saying that the present invention also includes those that do not have this.

In this embodiment, the liquid level in the processing tank 20 is kept constant at the height of the partition wall of the loading chamber 44, but the liquid level may also be controlled using other liquid level sensors and drain valves. good. Note that the processing liquid oxidizes and deteriorates over a long period of time, so when the processing liquid deteriorates, the valve 50 is opened while the pumps 38 and 42 are operated, and the processing liquid in the processing liquid tank 36 is sent to the water-absorbing polymer 48. It may be gelled and disposed of.

Although the above embodiments apply the present invention to development processing, the present invention also includes applications to other processing.

FIG. 6 is an overall view of an automatic developing apparatus in which the processing apparatus of FIG. 1 is applied not only to the developing process but also to the fixing process and the washing process. In this figure, A, B, and C are developing, fixing, and
A water washing device is shown, which is the same processing device as in FIG. 1, except that each uses a developing solution, a fixing solution, and a cleaning solution as processing solutions.

In this figure, reference numeral 100 indicates a supply reel for photographed film that has not been processed, and reference numeral 102 indicates a take-up reel for winding the developed film. The undeveloped film 12 is guided to the developing device A while being sandwiched between a drive roller 104 and a contact roller 106. At this time, the leading edge and trailing edge of the film 12 are detected by the large opening sensor 108. Note that the rotation of the contact roller 104 is monitored by an encoder (not shown). After the film 12 has been processed by each of the processing devices A, B, and C, it is wound onto a winding roll 102. At this time, an exit roller 110 rolls into contact with the film 12 coming out of the washing device C, and the rotation of this exit roller 110 is monitored by an encoder (not shown). In the vicinity of the exit roller 110, an exit sensor 112 is configured to monitor the leading and trailing ends of the film 12.

This device operates as follows. First, the photographed film 12 is set on the reel 100 and the power switch (not shown) is turned on, so that the pump 38.42 is activated to maintain the processing liquid at a specified liquid level, and the roller 26.2
8 starts rotating.

Film 12 is transferred from reel 100 to rollers 104, 106
As the film 12 is sandwiched and fed, the leading edge of the film 12 is detected by an inlet sensor 108, and based on the output of this sensor 108, the vibrators 10 of each of the processing apparatuses A, B, and C are turned on and start vibrating. After the film 12 has been processed by each of the processing devices A, B, and C, it is wound onto the winding wheel 102. At this time, when the exit sensor 112 detects the end of the film 12, the transducer 1
0 is turned off and vibration stops.

In this device, film jams in devices A, B, and C are detected as follows. That is, entrance sensor 1
If the exit sensor 112 does not detect the leading edge of the film within a certain period of time after the sensor 08 detects that the leading edge of the film 12 has entered, it is determined that the film has jammed. Furthermore, since the feed amount of the film 12 can be determined by an encoder that detects the rotation of the contact roller 106 and the exit roller 110, if the roller 110 stops while the sensors 108 and 112 are on (while the film is passing), it is determined that a jam has occurred. . Note that if the sensor 112 detects the end of the film within a predetermined period of time after the sensor 108 detects the end of the film, it may be determined that the film is normal, thereby confirming that the development has been performed normally.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention provides at least one of the steps of development, fixing, and water washing.
When using ultrasonic waves to accelerate processing in two processing steps, the ultrasonic waves are emitted from below toward the top of the processing solution, while the film is transported so that the emulsion side of the film faces upward. A small amount of processing liquid on the upper surface side is quickly heated, and the emulsion surface in contact with this heated processing liquid is quickly processed. Therefore, the film processing steps can be shortened, and therefore the processing tank can be downsized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a developing treatment tank which is an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the processing liquid pack, FIG. 2A is a perspective view of its external appearance, FIGS. 2B and 2C are diagrams showing its internal state before and after use, and FIG. -I
It is a sectional view taken along line II. 4A and 4B and 5A and 5B are diagrams showing other examples of arrangement of vibrators and the like. FIG. 6 is an overall view of an automatic developing apparatus in which the processing apparatus of FIG. 1 is applied not only to the developing process but also to the fixing process and the washing process. 10.110.210... Vibrator, 12... Film, 12A... Emulsion surface, 20...
Processing tank, A...Developing device, B...Fixing device, C...Water washing device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an automatic developing device that sequentially sends photographed film to each step of developing, fixing, and washing with water, at least one processing step is performed in a downward direction toward the upper surface of the processing solution. The film is provided with an ultrasonic generating means for emitting ultrasonic waves from the processing liquid, and the film is transported in a processing liquid so that its emulsion surface faces upward, and the film is irradiated with the ultrasonic waves during this transport. An automatic developing device characterized by: