JPH02176654A - Automatic developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To stabilize quality by irradiating a film which is conveyed in processing liquid from below after preheating and varying the preheating temperature of the film corresponding to a processing quantity. CONSTITUTION:A feed roller 26 at the entrance side of a processing tank 20 is a heat roller and the film 12 is heated up to proper temperature while pressed by this roller 26 and sent. 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 moves 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. The processing quantity is inputted to a preheating temperature controller 60 to find the preheating temperature corresponding to the processing quantity and the preheating temperature is raised gradually corresponding to the processing quantity of make development processing density constant. Consequently, the quality of the processing is uniformed.

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 in 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 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 bus, must be lengthened. ,
There was a problem that the device became larger.

On the other hand, the processing liquid causes fatigue and deterioration due to its use. Therefore, even if processing conditions such as processing time are kept constant, the quality of the finished product changes due to fatigue and deterioration of the processing solution, resulting in a problem that the quality of the processing becomes uneven.

(Purpose of the Invention) The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and is an automatic development system that is suitable for high-speed processing and miniaturization, and that is capable of stabilizing the quality of processing even if processing solution fatigue or deterioration occurs. The purpose is to provide equipment.

(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.
an ultrasonic generating means for irradiating ultrasonic waves from below toward the film being transferred in the processing liquid; a processing amount detecting means for integrating the amount of processing by the processing liquid; This is achieved by an automatic developing apparatus characterized in that the automatic developing apparatus is equipped with a preheating means for heating the film, and is configured to change the preheating temperature of the film in accordance with the processing amount.

That is, the present invention is based on the premise that the processing speed is increased by ultrasonic waves, and in order to prevent fatigue and deterioration of the processing liquid, the processing amount is monitored and the preheating temperature is changed in accordance with this processing amount. It is something.

(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. Figure 3 shows the internal state before and after use, and Figure 3 shows the lll 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 are provided at the left end of the film guide section 22 for transporting the film 12 on which a latent micro image is formed into the processing tank 20, and a pair of feed rollers 28 for transporting the film 12 are provided at the right end. ing.

The feed roller 26 on the carry-in side is constituted by a heat roller having a built-in electric heater 26A, and the roller 26 itself can be heated to a predetermined temperature.

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 are inserted.
The film 12 is guided and transported by this groove 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 with respect to the central axis X within this range, the film 12 is not affected by uneven sound pressure and can be processed uniformly.

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 40 by the pump 38.
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 vibrator 38a of the pump 38 and the processing liquid discharge vibrator 44a communicating with 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 is 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 lids 46c and 46d
It is more reliable if the processing liquid outlet 46a and the waste liquid outlet 46b are blocked. 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 26 and 28, and is passed through the film guide section 22 of the processing tank 20.
Inside, it moves downward in a convex arc. Since the feed roller 26 on the entrance side of the processing tank 20 is a heat roller, the film 12 is heated to an appropriate temperature when it is fed between the rollers 26. The transducer 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. Further, since the film 12 is preheated by the feed roller 26, the processing speed in the processing liquid increases, and the processing by ultrasonic irradiation is accelerated.

In FIG. 1, 60 is a preheating temperature control device. A processing amount is input to this device 60, and a preheating temperature corresponding to this processing amount is determined. In this embodiment, the feed roller 26 is rotated at a constant speed, and the feed roller 26 is
The rotation time is used. In other words, this rotation time is determined by timer 6.
2, and input this integrated value T into the management device 60.

The timer 62 may be replaced with a rotation speed counter, the length of the film 12 sent by the feed roller 26 may be integrated, and this integrated value may be used as the processing amount.

This management device 60 controls the heater 26 by means of a heater circuit 64.
The temperature of A is controlled to a predetermined temperature. In other words, as the processing amount increases, the processing solution becomes fatigued and deteriorates, so the management device 60 controls the preheating temperature to be gradually increased according to the processing amount, so that the developing processing density remains constant. to manage.

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 lO and the processing liquid on its upper surface warm to enable uniform processing. - Accelerate processing. Here is the liquid level regulation lid 3
If the lid 30 is made of a polymer material such as the polyurethane rubber or neoprene rubber, the lid 30 itself can be heated due to its sound absorption effect. Therefore, the heating of the film 10 is further accelerated, and the processing is accelerated. Note that neorene rubber has excellent heat resistance and is particularly preferred. At this time, if the upper surface of the liquid level regulating lid 30 is held on the lid plate 34 via the heat insulating material 32 as in this embodiment, the heat retention effect of the liquid level regulating lid 30 will be even better and the processing will be further promoted. 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, a plurality of vibrators 10 may be used in the present invention. 4th A, 4B
The figures are a perspective view of an embodiment using two circular vibrators 1o, 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 six liquid level processing lids 130 and 230, in which the surface of the processing liquid is raised by ultrasonic vibration, press down on this bump and prevent the unstable flow of the processing liquid. Make the flow uniform. Note that 132.232 is a heat insulating material.

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 pulp. 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 a processing device substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 1, and each uses a developing solution, a fixing solution, and a cleaning solution as processing solutions. Further, the preheating management device that changes the preheating temperature according to the processing amount is preferably provided in the developing device A, which has the greatest influence on the developed density, but it is of course possible to provide it in the other devices B and C as well.

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). The film 12 is fed to the feed roller 2 of each processing device A.
It is preheated and developed by 6, and then further processed by device B,
After being fixed and washed in step C, it is wound up on a winding roll 102. Note that the film 12 may also be preheated in the feed rollers 26 of devices B and C. At this time, an exit roller 110 is placed on the film 12 coming out of the washing device C.
are in contact with each other, and the rotation of this exit roller 110 causes 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 take-up reel 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, large 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 processing is accelerated using ultrasonic waves in one processing step, a preheating means is provided to heat the film entering the processing solution prior to processing, and the preheating temperature is varied depending on the processing amount.

In this way, since the processing is accelerated by ultrasonic waves, the film processing steps can be shortened, and therefore the processing tank can be downsized. Also, since the preheating temperature is changed depending on the amount of processing,
Even if the processing solution is fatigued or deteriorated, it is possible to always perform appropriate processing.

[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 appearance, FIGS. 2B and 20 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, 20... Processing tank, 26... Feed roller as preheating means, 26A... Heater, 60... Preheating temperature control device , 62...Timer (counter), 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 involves processing the film as it is transported through a processing solution. an ultrasonic generation means for irradiating ultrasonic waves from below toward the processing liquid; a processing amount detection means for integrating the processing amount of the processing liquid; and a preheating means for heating the film entering the processing liquid prior to processing. An automatic developing apparatus comprising: a preheating temperature of the film that is changed in accordance with the processing amount.