JPH02199453A - Processing device for photosensitive material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prohibit mixing of the vapor of different processing liquids and to prevent the generation of deposits by immersing apertures at both ends of the photosensitive material transporting path between 1st and 2nd processing tanks respectively into the processing liquids of the respective tanks. CONSTITUTION:This device 1 is provided with a developing tank 2, a fixing tank 3 and a washing tank 4 and a transporting means 5 for transporting the photosensitive material S to these tanks. A cover 6 which can substantially hermetically seal the space 6a above the tank 2 is provided on the tank 2. The photosensitive material S transporting path between the tanks 2 and 3 is formed as a hollow passage 202 having a rectangular annular section and the apertures 203, 204 at both ends thereof are constituted as, for example, an inverted U-shape bridge in such a manner that the apertures are positioned below the liquid levels of the processing liquids 20, 30 in the tanks 2, 3. The transpiration of the steam from the liquid 20 is prevented by the cover 6 and the generation of the deposits is prevented by the transporting path 201.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus for subjecting a photosensitive material to wet processing.

<Prior Art> Wet processing of a photosensitive material is performed by transporting the photosensitive material and immersing it in a processing solution (developing solution, fixing solution, washing water, etc.) stored in a processing tank.

Conventionally, there is a photosensitive material processing apparatus having a structure shown in FIG. 8, which performs such processing.

When a photosensitive material is continuously developed using the photosensitive material processing apparatus 100 shown in the figure, the liquid level of the processing liquid 20, 30, 40 stored in each processing tank 2, 3, 4 is opened. Therefore, there is a problem that the processing liquid evaporates or comes into contact with air, resulting in a drop in liquid temperature, alteration such as oxidation, and deterioration.

If evaporation of the processing solution occurs, there will be a difference in the concentration of the processing solution near the liquid surface and at the bottom of the processing tank, which may impede uniform development.Moreover, the decrease in processing solution will be significant, so it is necessary to use excess processing solution. must be replenished.

Furthermore, the evaporated processing liquid adheres to various parts of the processing equipment, causing stains, and also has the disadvantage that it causes changes in the environment inside the room in which the processing equipment is installed (for example, increases in temperature, increases in temperature, and releases bad odors).

Furthermore, it is clear that if the processing liquid undergoes alteration or deterioration, it will have a negative effect on the development characteristics.
When the pH of the developing solution changes due to the incorporation of CO2 gas, the photographic properties of the processed light-sensitive material, such as density and gradation, change and become unstable.

In addition, for example, the processing solution should be 20 to 6
It is necessary to maintain the temperature at about 0° C., but if heat dissipates significantly, a large amount of heat is required to maintain the temperature at the appropriate temperature.

Therefore, in order to prevent such evaporation, deterioration, etc. of the processing liquid, it is conceivable to provide a lid body such as a fixed lid or a floating lid near the liquid level of the processing liquid in the processing tank to cover the liquid level.

However, it may be difficult to provide a lid near the surface of the processing liquid due to the design of the transport path for the photosensitive material or due to the installation of the transport means.

For example, in the case of an automatic processor for developing photosensitive materials for plate making, the conveyance roller is installed half submerged in the processing liquid in order to keep the peripheral surface of the roller moist when the processing body is stopped. .

Therefore, it is not possible to install a lid in the area where the transport roller is present, or an opening must be provided in the lid to avoid the transport roller, and as a result, the area covered by the liquid surface is small. Therefore, the effect of preventing evaporation, deterioration, etc. of the processing liquid cannot be sufficiently obtained.

In addition, the structure of the lid that covers the liquid surface is complicated,
In addition, it is not easy to attach and detach, which is inconvenient when maintaining the processing tank.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> Therefore, the applicant of the present application proposed a photosensitive material processing apparatus having the structure shown in FIG. 9 for the purpose of improving the above-mentioned disadvantages (Japanese Patent Application No. 317049/1982).

This photosensitive material processing apparatus 101 covers a space 6a, which is a combination of the upper space of the developer tank 2 containing the developer 20 and the upper space of the first half of the fixer tank 3 containing the fixer 30, with a cover 6. A shutter means is provided at the carry-in port 65 of the cover 6, and the lower end of the cover side wall 61 located on the carry-out side is immersed in the fixing liquid 30 of the fixing tank 3, so that the space 6a is substantially sealed with the cover 6. This is what I did.

With such a configuration, at least the evaporation and heat dissipation of the developer 20 are suppressed, and the mixing of 02 and CO□ in the outside air into the processing solution, which causes oxidation and deterioration of the processing solution, is prevented. , the processing quality of the photosensitive material S is significantly improved compared to conventional ones.

However, in this configuration, the vapor of the developer 20 and the vapor of the fixer 30 mix in the space 6a, so depending on the composition of the developer 20 and the fixer 30, the components contained in the respective vapors may react with each other. However, for example, precipitates (such as ammonium sulfide) are formed on the surfaces of the crossover roller 52 and the reversing guide 54, which may adhere to the surface of the photosensitive material S and cause problems such as staining.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the space 6a is
This space 6a is covered with a cover 6, and a passage port 66 with a shutter means 7 is installed in the cover side wall 61 located on the discharge side, so that the evaporated substances in the space 6a are removed from the developer 20. A photosensitive material processing apparatus 10 configured to prevent the occurrence of precipitation
2 is also proposed in the same application.

However, when using this configuration, the loading port 65 and the passage port 6
It is necessary to provide the shutter means 7 at two locations, 6 and 6. However, since the shutter means 7 itself has a complicated structure and is expensive, in order to simplify the structure and reduce costs, the shutter means 7 There is a desire to reduce the number of installations as much as possible.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned conventional techniques, to prevent evaporation, temperature drop, change in quality, and deterioration of the processing liquid without being subject to design constraints, and to simplify the structure. Another object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive material processing apparatus that can prevent the generation of precipitates due to mixing of vapors of different processing liquids.

Means to solve problems〉 Such objects are achieved by the present invention as described below.

That is, the present invention provides a first method containing a processing liquid having a developing function.
a processing tank; a second processing tank adjacent to the first processing tank and containing a processing liquid having a composition different from the processing liquid having a developing function;
A photosensitive material processing apparatus comprising a conveying means for conveying the photosensitive material along a predetermined path in each of the processing tanks, the apparatus comprising: a cover capable of substantially sealing an upper space of at least the first processing tank; and a cover having openings at both ends. and a communication conveyance path for the photosensitive material immersed in the respective processing liquids of the first and second processing tanks, respectively.

<Function> According to the photosensitive material processing apparatus having such a configuration, a cover is installed above the first processing tank containing a processing liquid having a developing function, and a space including at least the upper space of the first processing tank is covered. at least the first
It suppresses evaporation of water vapor and heat dissipation from the processing liquid in the processing tank, and also prevents 02 in the outside air, which causes oxidation and deterioration of the processing liquid.
and CO2 from entering the processing liquid.

Moreover, the upper spaces of the first processing tank and the adjacent second processing tank are not in communication with each other, and when performing crossover of photosensitive material from the first processing tank to the second processing tank, for example, the cover must be removed. A bridge-like communicating conveyance path penetrating the side wall is constructed, and the openings at both ends of the communicating conveyance path are immersed in respective processing liquids of both processing tanks, thereby sealing (isolating) the inside of this communicating conveyance path. This prevents the vapor of the processing liquid in the first processing tank and the vapor of the processing liquid in the second processing tank from mixing in the upper space, thereby preventing the generation of precipitates.

<Embodiments> Hereinafter, the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In addition, in photosensitive material processing equipment, the adverse effects on the indoor environment due to deterioration and deterioration (oxidation) of the processing solution due to contact with outside air and evaporation of the processing solution occur especially in the developing tank, so A photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 in which only the upper space of the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 is sealed will be described. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for similar members including those in each of the figures described above.

FIG. 1 is a sectional front view schematically showing a configuration example of a photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention. The photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 includes a developing tank 2, a fixing tank (or bleaching/fixing tank) 3, and a washing tank 4 arranged in this order, and the photosensitive material S is transported inside and outside of each processing tank along a predetermined path. The structure is such that a conveyance means 5 is installed for the purpose of carrying out the operation.

The developing tank 2 contains a developing solution 20 as a processing solution having a developing function, the fixing tank 3 contains a fixing solution (or bleaching/fixing solution) 30 as a processing solution having a fixing function, and the washing tank 4 contains a developing solution 20 as a processing solution having a developing function. Washing water 40 as a processing liquid having a washing function is filled to a predetermined liquid level.

The conveyance means 5 includes a semi-submerged conveyance roller 511 on the carry-in side and a semi-submerged conveyance roller 51 on the discharge side, each of which will be explained below.
2. Fully recessed conveyance port roller 51, crossover roller 52
, a guide 53, a reversing guide 54, and the like.
At the upper boundary between the developing tank 2 and the fixing tank 3, a closed communication conveyance path 201, which will be described later, is installed.

Both conveyance rollers 511 and 512 are connected to each processing tank 2.
．． Each pair of rollers is disposed in a semi-submerged state below the surface of each processing liquid 20, 30, and 40 in 3.4.

The conveying roller 51 cooperates with the conveying rollers 511 and 512 to convey the photosensitive material S in a U-shape (one turn) in each processing tank 20.3.4.
．． They are arranged in pairs within 40.

The crossover rollers 52 are arranged in pairs at the upper boundary between the fixing tank 3 and the washing tank 4.

Furthermore, guides 53 are installed between the conveyance rollers 511, 512 and each conveyance roller 51, and between the conveyance rollers 51 for properly guiding the photosensitive material S to the rollers on the downstream side of the conveyance path. There is.

Furthermore, at the bottom of each processing tank 2.3.4, a loading port 6 to be described later.
5 and on both sides of the crossover roller 52,
A reversing guide 54 for reversing the photosensitive material S along the conveyance path is provided. This reversing guide 54 is
It has an arcuate curved surface and is configured to change the traveling direction of the photosensitive material by approximately 90° or 180° along this curved surface.

The conveyance rollers 511, 512, 51 and the crossover roller 52 are made of a material having chemical resistance against the processing liquid, such as vinyl chloride, phenol resin, plastic such as nylon, or metal. A part is rotated and holds the photosensitive material.
It is designed to be transported. Each roller 51 in this case
．． The rotational drive of 52 is performed by a predetermined drive system (not shown) comprising a motor, gears, etc.

On the other hand, a cover 6 is installed above the developer tank 2 to surround an upper space 6a of the developer tank 2 (a space that requires shielding).

The left and right side wall portions of the cover 6 in the figure are joined to the tops of the left and right tank walls of the developer tank 2, and are configured to substantially seal the space 6a from the outside air. Therefore, developer tank 2
This prevents evaporation of the developer 20 inside, a drop in the temperature of the solution, alteration, deterioration, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the closed communication conveyance path 201 is installed so as to pass through the right side wall 61 of the cover 6 in the figure.

That is, the communication conveyance path 201 is formed as a member with a rectangular ring cross section having a hollow passage 202 through which the photosensitive material S to be conveyed can pass, and openings 203 and 204 at both ends thereof are formed.
Each treatment liquid 20 and 30 in adjacent treatment tanks 2 and 3
For example, it is configured as an inverted U-shaped (arch-shaped) bridge so as to be located below the liquid level.

In this case, the semi-submerged transport roller 512 on the exit side of the developer tank 2
is located inside the opening 203 on the left side of the communication conveyance path 201, and the semi-submerged conveyance roller 511 on the carry-in side of the fixing tank 3 is
It is located inside the opening 204 on the right side in the figure.

The hollow passage 202 has a minimum width and height (
It is preferable to set the cross-sectional shape to have a dimension (thickness) and to make the volume of the passage part as small as possible.

As in the case of each of the rollers described above, the material for forming this communication conveyance path 201 is a material having chemical resistance to the processing liquid 20,30 and gas impermeability, such as vinyl chloride, phenol resin, nylon, etc. plastic,
Alternatively, metals such as stainless steel and titanium can be mentioned.

Further, between the outer periphery of the hollow passage 202 and the side wall portion 61 of the cover 6, a sealing member (not shown) made of an elastic material, for example, is provided.
Preferably, it is sealed by a suitable hermetic means such as.

Note that it is also possible to provide a ventilation hole (not shown) with a relatively small opening area at a position close to the opening 204 on the right side of the communication conveyance path 201. In this case, the hollow passage 20
The vapor of the fixer liquid 30 in the fixer 2 can be exhausted to the outside,
Mixing of the developer 20 with vapor within the hollow passage 202 can be prevented.

Note that when the photosensitive material S passes through the hollow passage 202, it passes while coming into contact with the inner wall surface 207 on the outer circumferential side of the hollow passage 202, so that the surface of the photosensitive material S (particularly the emulsion surface) may be scratched. From the viewpoint of prevention of adhesion, it is preferable that the inner wall surface 207 on the outer peripheral side is subjected to a surface treatment such as smoothing treatment such as surface polishing, or coating with silicone, Teflon, or the like.

A loading port 65 for loading the photosensitive material S into the developer tank 2 is formed in the left side wall 60 of the cover 6 in the figure, and
A shutter means 7 that can open and close the entrance is installed at this entrance 65. The specific structure of this shutter means 7 will be described later.

In the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 having such a configuration, the space 6a which is the space above the developing tank 2 is covered by the cover 6, and the openings 2 at both ends are covered by the surface of the processing liquid in the image processing tank 2.3.
Since the crossover space from the developing tank 2 to the fixing tank 3 is sealed by the connecting conveyance path 201 in which the developer tank 2 and the fixing tank 3 are sealed, the space 6a above the developing tank 2 is substantially sealed.

As a result, evaporation, temperature drop, change in quality, and deterioration of the developer 20 in the developing function processing tank 2 are prevented, and furthermore, the vapor of the fixer 30 evaporated from the fixer tank 3 enters the space 6a and the developer 20 This prevents the formation of precipitates by mixing with the vapor of

In this case, the communication conveyance path 201 is constructed of a member that does not have a movable part, so the structure is smaller than, for example, when the shutter means 7 is installed between the processing tanks 2 and 3 (see Fig. 1O). It is simple, has no failures, and has low manufacturing costs.

In the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, it is also possible to cover the liquid surface area of the fixing tank 3 except for the portion where the opening 204 of the communication conveyance path 201 is present, for example, with an appropriate floating lid or fixed lid. It is.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional front view showing the main parts of a photosensitive material processing apparatus having a different configuration of communication conveyance paths.

In this configuration example, there is no semi-submerged transport roller 511 on the carry-in side in the fixing tank 3, and one of the transport rollers 512 on the discharge side in the developer tank 2 is half-submerged in the developer 20, and the other is half-submerged in the developer 20. It is completely submerged, and the photosensitive material S is sent out in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction.

In the communication conveyance path 201°, the thickness of the hollow passage 206 gradually decreases from the developing tank 2 side to the fixing tank side, and the opening 205 immersed in the fixing liquid 30 is the narrowest slit-shaped opening. There is.

According to the connecting conveyance path 201° having such a configuration, the photosensitive material S from the developing tank 2 is transferred to the first conveying roller 51 of the fixing tank 3.
．． Since the fixing liquid 30 can be reliably guided between the fixing liquid 51 and the opening area of the opening 205 is small, there is almost no evaporation of the fixing liquid 30 into the hollow passage 206, and no precipitates are generated within the hollow passage 206.

FIG. 3 shows the aforementioned communication conveyance path 201 (or 201'')
FIG. 2 is a sectional front view showing an example of the configuration of a photosensitive material processing apparatus in which a plurality of photosensitive material processing apparatuses are installed.

In this photosensitive material processing apparatus 1°, the upper spaces 6a and 6b of the developing tank 2 and the fixing tank 3 are covered by two covers 6° while being separated from each other.

The communication conveyance path 201 (201°) includes the space 6a,
6b and the right side wall 62 of the double cover 6°.

With the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1'' having such a configuration, evaporation, deterioration, etc. of both the developer 20 and the fixer 30 are prevented, and the two spaces 6a and 6b are separated by the partition wall 63. Similarly to the above, generation of precipitates due to mixing of the vapor of the developer 20 and the vapor of the fixer 30 is prevented.

In each of the configuration examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a developing tank, a fixing tank, and a washing tank are arranged side by side, but the structure and arrangement of the processing tank are not limited thereto. for example,
The developing tank may be a combination of a bleaching tank, a fixing tank, a bleach/fixing tank, a washing tank, a stabilizing tank, an inversion tank, and a washing tank.

Further, the processing liquid used is appropriately changed depending on the photosensitive material to be processed.

An example of the structure of the shutter means described above is shown in FIGS.
This will be explained based on FIG.

The shutter means 7 shown in FIG.
A groove 650 with an arc-shaped cross section extends toward the inside of the entrance 65 of
．． 650 are formed facing each other, and a cylindrical shielding member 70 (with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the groove) is rotatably housed in these grooves 650.

This shielding member 70 is formed with a slit 71 through which the photosensitive material S passes. The width of this slit 71 is preferably approximately equal to the width of the entrance 65.

The shielding member 70 normally stops with the slit 71 tilted at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the photosensitive material passing direction at the loading port 65 (the position indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 4), thus closing the loading port 65. It has become. Further, when the photosensitive material S passes through the entrance 65, the shielding member 70
The fourth
(the position indicated by the solid line in the figure), the entrance 65 is therefore in an open state, allowing the photosensitive material S to pass through.

Such rotation of the shielding member 70 is performed by a driving means 73 shown in FIG. One end of the rotation shaft 72 of the shielding member 70 is connected to a rotor rotation shaft of a rotary solenoid 74 that is a drive source.

The terminal of the rotary solenoid 74 is connected to the relay switch 7
5 to a power source 76. In addition, a sensor (
For example, a touch limit switch) 77 is installed, and this sensor 77 is connected to a control section 78 containing a microcomputer or the like. This control section 78 is also connected to a relay switch 75.

When the rotary solenoid 74 is energized, the internal rotor rotates by a predetermined angle, that is, the inclination angle θ of the slit 71, and continues to maintain that state (carrying inlet 65 is open), and when the power is turned off, it returns to its original position (carrying in). It operates so that the mouth 65 returns to the closed state.

When the presence of the photosensitive material S (approaching the loading port 65) is detected by the sensor 77, the control unit 78 controls the relay switch 75 to turn on, thereby energizing the rotary solenoid 74 to close the shielding member. 70
is in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, and the loading port 65 is opened.

Conversely, when the presence of the photosensitive material S is not detected by the sensor 77, the control section 78 turns on the relay switch 7.
As a result, the rotary solenoid 74 is turned off, the shielding member 70 enters the state shown by the dotted line in FIG. 4, and the entrance 65 is closed.

With such a configuration, the transport of the photosensitive material S and the opening and closing of the entrance 65 by the shutter means 7 can be performed synchronously.

It should be noted that the structure may be such that the drive means for rotating the shielding member 70 and the drive system for transporting the photosensitive material described above are shared.

FIG. 6 shows a driving means 73 for rotating the shielding member 70.
An example of the configuration of a shutter means that does not require the following is shown.

In the shutter means 8 shown in the figure, a groove 651 with an arcuate cross section is formed toward the inside of the entrance 65 of the cover 6 (or 6゛). A shielding member 80 (with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the groove) is housed therein.

This shielding member 80 has a rotating shaft 81, and this rotating shaft 8
Both ends of the shielding member 80 are pivotally supported by the cover 6 (or 6°) via bearings (not shown), and thereby the shielding member 80
can rotate within the groove 651.

The shielding member 80 can freely rotate, and normally (when the photosensitive material S does not pass) stops in a state where it is in contact with the stopper part 68 (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 6). death,
Therefore, the loading port 65 is in a closed state.

Further, the photosensitive material S traveling in the direction of the arrow in the figure is placed at the entrance 65.
When passing through, the shielding member 80 is pressed by the photosensitive material S and rotates by a predetermined angle counterclockwise in the figure (to the position shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6), so that the entrance 65 is opened. This allows the photosensitive material S to pass through.

It is preferable to provide a taper or other guide (not shown) near the entrance 65 of the cover 6 to facilitate introduction of the photosensitive material S.

There is a means for rotating the shielding member 80, especially for maintaining the shielding member 80 in contact with the stopper portion 68 when the photosensitive material does not pass (the means includes rotating shaft 81 of the shielding member 80).
An arm 82 is fixed to one end, and a weight 83 is attached to the tip of the arm 82.
1 is applied clockwise in the figure to bring the flat end of the shielding member 80 into contact with and in close contact with the stopper portion 68.

When the photosensitive material S passes through the entrance 65, the photosensitive material S
The shielding member 80 rotates counterclockwise in the figure against the torque applied to the rotating shaft 81 due to the pressure, and the loading port 65 opens.

After the photosensitive material S has passed through the loading port 65, the shielding member 80 rotates clockwise in the figure again due to the torque of the weight 83 applied to the rotating shaft 81, comes into contact with the stopper part 68, and passes through the loading port. 65 is closed.

Note that the means for rotating the shielding member 80 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured to apply rotational force to the rotating shaft 81 using a biasing means such as a spring.

FIG. 7 shows shutter means 9 consisting of a deformable shielding member. As shown in the figure, the entrance 65 formed in the cover 6 (or 6゛) has a pair of lengths approximately equal to the length of the entrance (length in the width direction of the photosensitive material S). A shielding member 90.90 is installed.

The shielding member 90 is composed of a flange portion 91 that does not substantially deform, and a thin portion 92 whose thickness gradually decreases toward the tip and can be easily deformed by the entrance of the photosensitive material S. The flange portion 91 is attached to opposing edges 69, 69 of the loading port 65 by fixing devices such as bolts 93, for example.

This shielding member 90 is, for example, NR1lR1SBR, BR
, CR, NBR, NIRlNBIR, various rubbers such as non-diene rubbers such as IIRlEPM, EPDM, U, Q, CM, elastic materials (elastomers) such as fluoroplastics, silicone resins, soft resins such as Teflon, etc. )
, or a combination of two or more of these, and when the photosensitive material S is not being conveyed, the tips of the thin portions 92 are in close contact with each other, thereby shielding the entrance 65.

Normally, the adhesion force between the thin-walled portions 92 is given by the elastic force of the thin-walled portions, but if a magnetic material is mixed in the thin-walled portions 92 (for example, a rubber magnet), the thin-walled portions are attracted to each other. It is also possible to give or increase adhesion by applying the adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the photosensitive material S passes through the entrance 65, the photosensitive material S passes through the thin wall portion 9 of the shielding member 90.
2.92, and the thin portion 92.92 that was in close contact with the photosensitive material S is pushed apart by the thickness of the photosensitive material S.

In this state, the photosensitive material S has thin parts 92 and 92 on both sides.
It passes in the direction of the arrow in the figure while contacting the inner surface of the. At this time, since the photosensitive material S passes through while contacting the inner surfaces of both thin-walled portions, the space 6a and the outside do not communicate with each other across the entrance 65 even while the photosensitive material is passing through. This is highly effective in preventing evaporation, temperature drop, alteration, and deterioration of the processing liquid 20.

Note that the emulsion surface of the photosensitive material S has almost no adverse effects such as scratches due to sliding with the thin-walled portion 92, but if this cannot be ignored or when trying to reduce the sliding resistance, the thin-walled portion This may be achieved by performing a surface treatment such as smoothing the inner surface of 92 or coating the inner surface with a lubricant such as silicone or Teflon.

After the photosensitive material S passes through the entrance 65, the shielding member 90
return to their original state, and the thin members 92 come into close contact with each other, again blocking the entrance 65.

In the illustrated configuration example, a pair of shielding members 90 are attached to the entrance 65, but in the present invention, two or more pairs of shielding members 90 are attached to the entrance 65 along the traveling direction of the photosensitive material S. The shielding members can also be installed in multiple stages. In this case, the shielding effect of the entrance 65 increases.

Note that the shutter means shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 do not require a drive source for rotating the shielding member or its control means, etc. compared to the shutter means shown in FIG. 4, so the structure of the device is simpler. can be converted into

It goes without saying that the configuration of the shutter means is not limited to that described above.

Although the installation of a shutter means is not an essential condition in the present invention, if the shutter means is not installed, the entrance 65 may be made into a narrow slit shape to prevent the processing liquid from evaporating. It is necessary to make the opening area of the mouth 65 as small as possible.

By the way, even if the shutter means 7.8 or 9 are installed, the space 6a is not completely sealed.
Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to set the degree of sealing of the space 6a as follows.

That is, when the volume of the space 6a surrounded by the cover 6 is (■), and the substantial opening area of the part (mainly the loading port 65) where that space communicates with the outside is S, the sealing degree of the space S (c
m”)/V (Cm”), S (0m2)/V (C
m3)≦0.060, more preferably O≦S (0m
2)/V (cm”)≦0.006.

Also, from a different perspective, the airtightness of the space 6a is such that the air exchange rate X per hour when the processing unit is stopped is 2
50x100% or less, more preferably 0 to 10x100
%.

Note that by setting the sealing degree within any of the above ranges, the above-described functions and effects of the present invention can be sufficiently obtained.

The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to the present invention can also be used for black and white development processing.
It is also applied to color development processing.

As the black and white developer, developing agents such as dihydroxybenzenes (e.g. hydroquinone), 3-pyrazolidones (e.g. 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone), and aminophenols (e.g. N-methyl-p-aminophenol) may be used alone or in combination. Can be used in combination.

Among the black and white development processing, the processing apparatus of the present invention is applicable to U.S. Patent No. 4,224,401, U.S. Pat.
It is particularly applicable to methods for obtaining ultra-high contrast images using hydrazine derivatives described in 4,272゜606, 4,211,857, 4,243,739, etc. suitable.

In this ultra-high contrast image forming method, it is preferable to use a dihydroxybenzene-based developing agent as the developing agent and a p-aminophenol-based developing agent or a 3-pyrazolidone-based developing agent as the auxiliary developing agent.

The dihydroxybenzene developing agent is usually 0.05 to 0.
．． Preferably, it is used in an amount of 8 mol/ρ.

In addition, when using a combination of dihydroxybenzenes and 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidones or p-aminophenols, the former is added at 0.05 to 0.5 mol/I
2. , the latter is preferably used in an amount of 0.06 mol/ρ or less.

1. Features of the developer used in the above ultra-high contrast image forming method
One is that it can tolerate the addition of a larger amount of sulfite preservative than conventional Lith developers.

Sulfite preservatives include sodium sulfite, potassium sulfite, lithium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, formaldehyde sodium bisulfite, and the like.

The sulfite is used at 0.3 mol/°C or more, but if too large a quantity is added, it will precipitate in the developer and cause solution contamination, so the upper limit is preferably 12 mol/°C.

The developer solution may also contain tertiary amine compounds as development accelerators, particularly the compounds described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,269.929.

In addition, pH buffers such as boric acid, borax, tribasic sodium phosphate, tribasic potassium phosphate, and other pH buffers described in JP-A-60-93433 can be used in the developer. .

: Development inhibitors such as potassium bromide and potassium iodide; Organic solvents such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, dimethyl formamide, methyl cellosolve, hexylene glycol, ethanol, and methanol; Indazole compounds such as 5-nitroindazole , sodium 2-mercaptobenzimidazole-5-sulfonate, and a benztriazole compound such as 5-methylbenztriazole. When using a compound, it is common to dissolve it in advance in a separate area from the area containing the dihydroxybenzene developing agent and sulfite preservative, and then mix the image area and add water when using it. .

Furthermore, if the part in which 5-nitroindazole is dissolved is made alkaline, it will be colored yellow and will be convenient for handling.

Furthermore, it may contain a coloring agent, a surfactant, a water softener, a hardening agent, etc., if necessary.

The pH of the developer is preferably a high pH of 9.5 or higher, more preferably 10 to 12.3.

As the fixer, one having a commonly used composition can be used. As the fixing agent, in addition to thiosulfates and thiocyanates, organic sulfur compounds known to be effective as fixing agents can be used.

The fixing solution may contain a water-soluble aluminum salt such as aluminum sulfate, light bread, etc. as a hardening agent. Here, the amount of water-soluble aluminum salt is usually 0 to 3. O
gAβ/ρ. Furthermore, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid iron(III) complex salt may be used as the oxidizing agent.

Color developers generally consist of an alkaline aqueous solution containing a color developing agent.

The color developing agent is a -class aromatic amine developer, such as phenylene diamines (e.g. 4-amino-N, N-diethylaniline, 3-methyl 4-amino-N, N-diethylaniline, 4-amino-N-ethyl -N-β-hydroxyethylaniline, 3-methyl-4-amino-N-ethyl-N-β-hydroxyethylaniline, 3-methyl-4
-amino-N-ethyl-Nβ-methanesulfonamidoethylaniline, 4-amino-3-methyl-N-ethyl-
N-〇-methoxyethylaniline, etc.) can be used.

The color developing solution may also contain a pH buffer, a development inhibitor, an antifoggant, and the like.

In addition, water softeners, preservatives, organic solvents, development accelerators, dye-forming couplers, competitive couplers, fogging agents, auxiliary developers, viscosity-imparting agents, polycarboxylic acid chelating agents, and antioxidants are added as necessary. , an alkaline agent, a solubilizing agent, a surfactant, an antifoaming agent, etc.

As a bleaching agent, iron salt of polycarboxylic acid as a bleaching agent,
Examples include those containing red blood salts, bromate compounds, cobalt hexamine, and the like.

Of these, potassium ferricyanide, sodium iron(II) ethylenediaminetetraacetate and ammonium iron(II+) ethylenediaminetetraacetate are particularly useful.

Furthermore, a bleaching/fixing solution containing both the bleaching agent and the fixing agent described above may be used.

In addition to the fixing agent, the fixing solution (bleach/fixing solution) can usually contain fixing aids such as preservatives such as sodium sulfite, acid agents, buffers, and hardening agents.

In addition, the bleaching solution (bleaching/fixing solution) includes U.S. Patent No. 3,0
No. 42,520, No. 3,241゜966, Special Publication No. 4
In addition to the bleaching accelerators described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-8506 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 45-8636, and the thiol compounds described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 53-65732, various additives can also be added.

As the washing water, water (tap water, distilled water, ion-exchanged water, etc.) or this water can contain additives as necessary.

These additives include, for example, chelating agents such as inorganic phosphoric acid, aminopolycarboxylic acid, and organic phosphoric acid, fungicides that prevent the growth of various bacteria and algae, fungicides, magnesium salts,
Examples include hardening agents such as aluminum salts, surfactants for preventing drying load and unevenness, and the like. Or L, EW
est, ”Water Quality Cr1te
ria” Photo, Sci, and Eng,, vol.
9 No., 6 P344-359 (1965), etc. can also be used.

As the stabilizing liquid, a processing liquid that stabilizes the dye image is used. For example, a solution having a buffering capacity of pH 3 to 6, a solution containing an aldehyde (for example, formalin), etc. can be used. Optical brighteners, chelating agents, bactericidal agents, fungicides, hardeners, surfactants, and the like can be used in the stabilizing liquid as necessary.

The type of photosensitive material applied to the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include color negative film, color reversal film, color photographic paper, color positive film,
Various photosensitive materials include color reversal photographic paper, photosensitive material for plate making, X-ray photosensitive material, black and white negative film, black and white photographic paper, and photosensitive material for microscopic use.

The photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to various photosensitive material processing apparatuses such as wet copying machines, automatic developing machines, printer processors, video printer processors, photo print making coin machines, color paper processing machines for plate inspection, etc. can do.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to configuration examples, the present invention has the following features:
Needless to say, it is not limited to these.

<Experiment example> Experimental examples of the present invention will be described below.

(Inventions 1.2 and 3) Photosensitive materials were processed using automatic developing machines having the structures shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The conditions are as follows.

<Specifications of the automatic processor> 1) 3-tank structure: developing tank, fixing tank, and washing tank 2) Volume of processing liquid for each type is 12.543) Air contact liquid area during device operation is 20,000 m for each type 4 ) The shutter means has the structure shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 5) Processing liquid temperature Developing solution: 34°C Fixing liquid: 32 to 33°C Washing liquid: 14 to 18°C 6) Volume of the airtight space 6a of the cover V= 4500cm3 Actual opening area of loading entrance 65 S = 20 cm2S/V
=0.0045 Air exchange rate per hour of space 6a (Examples 1 and 3 of the present invention) 10.5 cm on the developing tank side, 10.3 cm on the fixing tank side (Example 2 of the present invention) Surface treatment of the outer peripheral surface of the hollow passage: Teflon coating on the lower SUS plate (operating mode) 1) 24 hours Continuous test running 2) Test environment is room temperature, room temperature 3) Processing of one sheet of photosensitive material of large gold size 4) Photosensitive material transport speed is 22.5 mm/sec (Photosensitive material) Contains 2.5 mol% iodide 0, 3. Anhydro-5,5 dichloro-9-ethyl-3,3°-bis(3-sulfopropyl)oxacarbocyanine hydroxide sodium salt (sensitizing dye) was added to a cubic silver iodobromide emulsion of 230 mg/silver. mol, hydrazine derivative 1.3g/
1 mole of silver and polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 10
00) to 300 mg/1 mole of silver, and further 5-methylbenztriazole, 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-
A dispersion of 133a7-tetrazaindene, polyethyl acrylate and 2-hydroxy-1,3,5 triazine sodium salt were added. The coating solution thus prepared was coated on a polyethylene terephthalate film support with a silver coating amount of 4.0 g/m2 and a gelatin coating amount of 2.0 g/m2.
．． It was coated at a concentration of 5 g/m 2 and dried to obtain a film.

The film was exposed through a sensitometric exposure wedge using a 150 line magenta contact screen.

<Processing solution formulation> ■Developing solution composition (Additional amount per 1β developer) Hydroquinone 50.0 g N-methyl-p-
Aminophenol 1/2H2SO20.3g Sodium hydroxide 18.0g 5-sulfosalicylic acid 55.0g Potassium sulfite
110.0g disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate 1.0g potassium bromide 10.0g 5-methylbenztriazole 0.4g 2-mercaptobenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid 0.2g 3-(5-
Mercaptotetrazole) Sodium benzenesulfonate 0.2gC,H.

＼ Sodium toluenesulfonate 8.0g Add water Add potassium hydroxide in Step 1 to adjust pH to 11.8 ■Fixer ammonium thiosulfate 180g Sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate 45g Sodium sulfite
18g nitrilotriacetic acid
0.4g tartaric acid 4g
Add glacial acetic acid 30g Aluminum sulfate 8g Water and adjust the pH to 4.7 by adding II2 ammonia ■Washing water Tap water (Comparative example 1) Using the same type of automatic processor without a cover as shown in Figure 8, the above The photosensitive materials were processed under the same conditions as in Inventive Examples 1 to 3.

(Comparative Example 2) Using an automatic developing machine of the same type equipped with a cover having the structure shown in FIG. 9, a photosensitive material was processed under the same conditions as in Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention.

Regarding Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the air oxidation of the treatment liquid, the degree of concentration, and the occurrence of precipitation were investigated.
The results are shown in Table 1.

The evaluation of each item is as follows.

[Air oxidation] Indicates the degree of oxidation of the processing solution.

The numerical values in Table 1 indicate the difference ΔpH between the pH at the start and pn after 24 hours. The lower the ΔpH, the less oxidation occurs.

[Concentration is expressed as the weight ratio of the amount of water evaporated in the treatment liquid to the original recipe. The smaller this value is, the less concentrated the processing liquid is.

[Occurrence of precipitation] After the treatment, the amount of precipitates generated on the cover, guide, roller, tank wall, etc. was examined and evaluated in the following three grades: A, B, and C.

A: None B: Somewhat C: Quite a bit As shown in Table 1 above, in all of Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention, there was almost no oxidation or concentration of the processing solution, especially the developer. Moreover, there is no occurrence of precipitation.

On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, there was oxidation and concentration of the developer, and in Comparative Example 2, which had a cover, although there was no oxidation and concentration of the developer, a large amount of precipitates were generated.

<Effects of the Invention> According to the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, the installation of the cover prevents evaporation, temperature drop, alteration, and deterioration of processing liquids, especially processing liquids having a developing function, without being subject to design constraints. can be prevented.

Moreover, by providing a communication passage for the photosensitive material between adjacent processing tanks, it is possible to prevent the formation of precipitates due to mixing of vapors of different processing liquids with a simple structure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional front view schematically showing a configuration example of a photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially sectional front view showing another example of the configuration of the connecting conveyance path according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional front view showing another configuration example of the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention. FIGS. 4 and 5 are a cross-sectional side view and a front view, respectively, showing an example of the configuration of a shutter means used in the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention. FIGS. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional side views showing other configuration examples of the shutter means, respectively. FIG. 8 is a sectional front view showing a conventional liquid level open type photosensitive material processing apparatus. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional front views showing the configuration of a comparative example of a photosensitive material processing apparatus, respectively. Explanation of symbols 1.1°...Photosensitive material processing device 2...Developer tank 20...Developer solution 3...Fixer tank 30...Fixer solution 4...Wash tank 40...Washing water 5... Conveying means 51.511.512... Conveying roller 52... Crossover roller 53... Guide 54... Reversing guide 6... Cover 6°... Double cover 6a, 6b...Space 60.61.62...Side wall 63...Partition wall 65...Inlet 650.651...Groove 66...Passing port 68...Part of stopper 69...Edge Parts 7.8.9...Shutter means 70.80.90...Shielding member 71...Slit 72...Rotary shaft 73...Drive means 74...Rotary solenoid 75...Relay switch 76... Power source 77... Sensor 78... Control unit 81... Rotating shaft 82... Arm 83... Weight 91... Flange portion 92... Thin wall portion 93... Bolt 100 .102...Photosensitive material processing equipment 201.201
°...Connecting conveyance path 202...Hollow passage 203.204. 206...Hollow passage 207...Outer peripheral side inner wall surface S...Photosensitive material 205...Opening portion FIG, 4 FIG, 6 FIG, 7

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A first processing tank containing a processing liquid having a developing function;
a second processing tank adjacent to the first processing tank and containing a processing solution having a different composition from the processing solution having a developing function; and a conveying means for transporting the photosensitive material along a predetermined path within each of the processing tanks. A photosensitive material processing apparatus comprising: a cover capable of substantially sealing at least an upper space of the first processing tank; and openings at both ends of the first and second processing tanks, respectively.
1. A photosensitive material processing apparatus characterized in that a communication conveyance path for a photosensitive material immersed in each processing solution of a processing tank is installed.