JPH0268559A - Photosensitive material processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a photosensitive material from being denatured due to damp during its storage and to obtain an invariably optimum image by installing a dehumidifying device in a photosensitive material supply part or magazine storage part. CONSTITUTION:The photosensitive material which is supplied from the photosensitive material supply part 12 is exposed and then processed. Then the dehumidifying device 7 is provided on the photosensitive material supply part 12 or magazine storage part 13 and put in operation to prevent the emulsion layer of the photosensitive material during storage from absorbing damp.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus used in, for example, silver salt photocopiers, automatic processors, and the like.

<Prior Art> Copying devices that perform wet processing, such as silver halide photocopying machines, copy original images onto photosensitive materials, and produce higher quality copies than electrophotographic copying devices. There is an advantage that it can be done.

Generally, this wet-type copying machine consists of a photosensitive material supply section, an exposure section, a processing section, a drying section, and a processing liquid storage section.The photosensitive material is taken out from a magazine set in the photosensitive material supply section and exposed. The exposed photosensitive material is sent to a processing section where it is developed, and the photosensitive material is dried in a drying section to obtain a copy of the original image.

The photosensitive material supply section includes a magazine storage section into which a magazine containing a roll of photosensitive material is loaded, and a transport section that takes out the photosensitive material from the magazine and transports it.

In the processing section, a developing tank, a bleaching/fixing tank, and a rinsing tank are arranged in sequence, and processing is performed by sequentially immersing the photosensitive material in the processing solution in these tanks.

In the drying section, warm air is blown onto the wet photosensitive material transported from the processing section to dry it.

By the way, when storing the photosensitive material before exposure in the photosensitive material supply section of such photosensitive material processing equipment, various measures have been taken to ensure that the photosensitive material is protected from light. Few efforts have been made to protect photosensitive materials from factors such as humidity, in particular.

Therefore, for example, during periods of high humidity such as the rainy season, or in areas where there are large differences in temperature and humidity, there is a drawback that the photosensitive material during storage absorbs moisture, which adversely affects image characteristics. For example, with autopositive photosensitive materials, it becomes difficult to achieve maximum density (especially in the BL layer), and with color paper, the minimum density increases.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive material processing apparatus that can eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and prevent the photosensitive material from absorbing moisture during storage. It's about doing.

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

That is, the present invention provides a photosensitive material processing apparatus for exposing and processing a photosensitive material supplied from a photosensitive material supply section, characterized in that a dehumidifying device is installed in the photosensitive material supply section. It is a material processing equipment.

Further, the present invention provides a photosensitive material processing apparatus that takes out a photosensitive material stored in a magazine, exposes it, and then processes it, characterized in that a dehumidifying device is installed in a magazine storage section that stores the magazine. This is a photosensitive material processing equipment.

Function> The function of the present invention with the above configuration is to provide a dehumidifying device in the photosensitive material supply section or the magazine storage section, and to operate the dehumidifying device to prevent the emulsion layer of the photosensitive material during storage from absorbing moisture. do.

<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.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional front view of a silver salt photographic color copying machine equipped with a photosensitive material processing apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, in a copying machine 10, a main body 11 includes a photosensitive material supply section 12 on the right side of the figure, and an exposure section 1 on the upper side.
5. Below the processing section 16, a drying section 18 via an air chamber 17 to the left of the processing section 16, and a processing liquid storage section 19 below the processing section 16.
are provided for each.

Photosensitive material supply section 12 of this silver halide photographic color copying machine 10
consists of a magazine storage section 13 into which a magazine is loaded, and a transport section 14 which takes out and transports photosensitive material from the magazine, and these are connected to a removable casing 12.
covered by 0.

Two light-shielding magazines 20 and 22 can be loaded into the magazine storage section 13 at the upper and lower levels, respectively, and inside these magazines, the same or different types of photosensitive materials 24 and 26 are loaded in rolls. It is stored rolled up. - For example, 24 is a photosensitive material most suitable for copying color photographic originals, and 26 is a photosensitive material most suitable for copying color printed originals.

The conveying section 14 adjacent to the magazine storage section 13 has an appropriate number of pairs of conveying rollers 14, one or both of which are driven and rotated.
1 and a guide 142 located between these pairs of transport rollers.
are installed, and these allow the photosensitive materials 24 and 26 to be
A transport route is formed.

A pair of transport rollers 141. in the vicinity of the magazine 20.22.
The photosensitive material 24 or 26 (hereinafter referred to as 24), which is pulled out from the magazine by the drive rotation of 141 and cut into a desired length by cutters 143 and 143, is transferred to the conveying section 1.
The transparent document table 30 is sent to the exposure window 41 of the exposure section 14 through the conveyance path No. 4, and is provided above the exposure section 14.
The image of the upper color original 32 is exposed. This color original 32 is held on the original platen 30 by the original presser 34.
The image of the color original 32, which is pressed onto the paper, is illuminated by the light source 38 in the light source unit 36, and reflected by the plurality of mirrors 40, is passed through the optical means 42, and is exposed to light at the exposure window 41 by opening the shutter 44. The surface (emulsion surface) 24A of the material 24 is exposed.

Note that when the shutter 44 is in the closed state, the original image is reflected by the inner mirror of the shutter 44 and input to the image sensor 45 to determine the exposure correction conditions (
prescan).

In the middle of the conveyance path of the photosensitive material 24 (downstream side of the exposure window 41)
is provided with a switching guide 43, and this switching guide 43
The photosensitive material 24, which is sent vertically downward by the rotation, is introduced into the processing section 16 when necessary.

In the processing section 16, a developing tank 46, a bleaching/fixing tank 48, and a washing tank 50, 52 are sequentially arranged in parallel, and in each of these processing tanks,
Conveyance rollers 161 and guides (not shown) are installed in a predetermined arrangement. Each treatment tank 46.48.50.5
The chamber 2 is filled with processing liquids at appropriate temperatures, and the photosensitive material 24 is sequentially immersed in these processing liquids by rotation of the transport roller, thereby performing development, bleaching/fixing, and washing with water.

In the processing liquid storage section 19 below the processing section 16, there are bottles 1 each storing a developing solution, a bleaching/fixing solution, and washing water.
91, 192 and 193 are stored.

These bottles 191, 192i3 and 193 are connected to the bottom supply ports 46a, 48a and 50a, 52a of the corresponding processing tanks 46, 48 and 50, 52 through predetermined piping (not shown). A liquid pump (not shown) provided in the middle of this piping supplies fresh processing liquid from each bottle to the corresponding processing tank.

An air chamber 17 is provided between the processing section 16 and the drying section 18, and the photosensitive material 24 washed with water in the processing section 16 is
After passing through the air chamber 17, it is sent to the drying section 18.

By installing this air chamber F, heat in the drying section 18, which will be described later, is transmitted to the processing section 16, thereby preventing the temperature of the processing liquid from rising above an appropriate temperature.

An exhaust fan 171 is installed in the upper part of this air chamber 17, and exhausts the warm air that has entered from the drying section 18 to the outside.

Note that the exhaust fan 171 is controlled to be stopped until the inside of the drying section 18 is heated up to a predetermined temperature at the start of copying, thereby shortening the heat-up time and saving energy consumption.

An appropriate number of transport roller pairs 60, one or both of which are driven and rotated, are installed in the drying section 18, and the photosensitive material 24 is transported through the drying section 18 along a substantially straight path by these transport roller pairs 60. It looks like this.

Further, a duct 61 through which drying air passes is installed so as to surround the transport path of the photosensitive material 24.

A blower fan 62 is installed in the upper part of the drying section 18, and the exhaust port of the blower fan 62 is connected via a duct 64 to the upstream side of the duct 61 on the surface (emulsion surface) 24A side of the photosensitive material 24.

Note that a heater 65 that can heat the air from the blower fan 62 to, for example, about 60 to 150° C. is installed in the duct 64.

On the other hand, a blower fan 63 is installed on the lower right side of the drying section 18, and the exhaust port of the blower fan 63 is connected to the upstream side (left side in the figure) of the duct 61 on the back surface 24B side of the photosensitive material 24.

In the drying section 18, the photosensitive material 24 is dried by circulating air. That is, the air (hereinafter referred to as "drying air") supplied to the upstream side of the duct 61 by the ventilation fans 62 and 63 flows inside the duct 61 along the conveyance path of the photosensitive material 24, and in the meantime, the air is supplied to the upstream side of the duct 61.
The dry air that has reached the downstream side of the duct 61 after removing moisture from the front surface 24A and the back surface 24B of 4 is divided into two in the vertical direction, passes through the spaces 18a and 18b, respectively, and returns to the intake ports of the blower fans 62 and 63. Inhaled.

The photosensitive material 24 dried in such a drying section 18
passes through the photosensitive material passing gate 55 and is delivered onto the take-out tray 54.

Now, in the photosensitive material supply section 12, the casing 12
A dehumidifying device 7 that can dehumidify the magazine storage section 13 and the transport section 14 is installed at the bottom of the storage unit 0 .

This dehumidifier 7 performs dehumidification by the heat absorption action of a Vertier element (electronic cooling element) utilizing the Peltier effect. That is, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
is inside the casing 120, and the heat radiation part 73 is inside the casing 1.
20, and the heat absorbing part 7
Aluminum fins 74 and 75 are installed on the heat sink 2 and the heat radiation section 73, respectively, to increase the efficiency of heat absorption and heat radiation.

A propeller-type fan 76, for example, is mounted above the aluminum fins 74 in the heat absorption section 72 as a means for causing the air within the casing 120 to pass through the heat absorption section 72. Note that such a fan can also be provided on the heat radiation section 73 side.

In addition, in the heat absorption part 72, a tray 77 is installed between the Beltier element 71 and the aluminum fin 74, or at the side end of the Beltier element 71, for draining water droplets generated due to dew condensation in the heat absorption part 72. One end of a drain pipe 78 is connected to the drain lower 71 of the tray 77.
Further, the other end of the drain pipe 78 is connected to a tank 79 installed outside the device main body 11.

Note that the tray 77 may not be provided as the receiver, and the upper surface of the Beltier element 71 (on the side of the heat absorption part) may be used instead.

In addition, the two dehumidifiers 7 are installed so as to be slightly inclined inward, and a drain tray and a drain pipe connected to the drain tray are provided between the two dehumidifiers, so that water droplets generated by condensation are transferred to each Vertier element. The receiver may flow into the dish along the upper surface (the side of the heat absorbing part), and the water may be drained through a drain pipe.

In the dehumidifier 7 having such a configuration, air containing moisture within the casing 120 is taken into the heat absorbing portion 72 by the action of the fan 76, as shown by arrow A in FIG. This air is cooled as it passes between the heat absorbing portion 72 and the aluminum fins 74, causing dew condensation on the surfaces of the aluminum fins 74.

Water droplets generated by this condensation flow down due to their own weight, and are stored in a tank 79 via a tray 77 and a drain pipe 78.

The air cooled and dehumidified in the heat absorbing section 71 is returned to the casing 120 through the sides of the aluminum fins 74.

Note that the water stored in the tank 79 is transferred to the washing tank 50.52.
It is also possible to return the bottle 193 to the bottle 193 for supplying washing water and reuse it.

As described above, the inside of the casing 120 (photosensitive material supply section 12) is dehumidified.

Note that the suitable humidity inside the casing 120 is
4, the external environmental conditions (temperature, humidity), etc., but it is usually preferably about 35 to 65%.

Therefore, it is also possible to provide a control means for maintaining the humidity within the casing 120 within this range. Specifically, a humidity detection means for detecting the humidity is provided in the casing 120, and a control circuit is provided for controlling the dehumidifier 7 to turn on and off based on the detected value by the means.

In the present invention, as long as there is photosensitive material in the photosensitive material supply section 12, the dehumidifying device 7 is always operated or operable (if the control means is provided) regardless of whether copying or non-copying is being performed. It is preferable.

Furthermore, the dehumidification device of the present invention increases the area of the heat absorption part and the heat radiation part by arranging a plurality of Beltier elements in parallel, or by cascading the plurality of Beltier elements to increase the temperature difference between the heat absorption part and the heat radiation part. It is possible to take appropriate measures to increase the dehumidification ability, such as by

The copying machine 10° shown in FIG. 2 differs from the copying machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 in the structure of the photosensitive material supply section 12. Note that the configuration other than the photosensitive material supply section 12 is the same as described above, so the explanation thereof will be omitted.

Magazine 2 in photosensitive material supply section 12 of copying machine 10°
0.22, the conveyance path of the photosensitive material 24 is the same as described above, but in this photosensitive material supply section 12, a partition wall 121 is provided between the magazine storage section 13 and the conveyance section 14 to partition them. ing.

The dehumidifier 7 is installed at the bottom of the casing 120 on the side of the magazine storage section 13.

The structure and operation of the dehumidifier 7 in this embodiment are the same as those described above, and the humidity control and operation timing are also the same.

In this way, the magazine storage section 1 is separated from the transport section 14.
When the dehumidifier 7 is provided in the dehumidifying device 7, the volume of the space to be dehumidified is smaller compared to dehumidifying the entire photosensitive material supply section 12 such as the copying machine 10, so the dehumidifying efficiency is high (and the power consumption is also low). It has the advantage that there are fewer

In this way, from the viewpoint of increasing dehumidification efficiency and reducing power consumption, the side part (dehumidified air outlet) of the aluminum fin 74 of the dehumidifier 7 should be It is also possible to provide a duct (not shown) that communicates with the inside of the magazine 20.22 to send dehumidified air into the magazine 20.22. Alternatively, each magazine 20.22 may be provided with a dehumidifying device similar to the above to directly dehumidify the inside thereof, or the air inside the magazine 20.22 may be sucked and dehumidified using a dehumidifying device similar to the above. After that, magazine 20.2 again.
It is also possible to form a circulation circuit that returns the air to the inside of the 2.

In addition, in this specification, the magazine storage section is a concept that includes the following in addition to the magazine storage section 13.

That is, before loading the magazine 20.22 into the magazine storage section 13, the magazine 20.22 may be stored in a separately provided storage box or a box body such as a carrier case. The body is also included in the "magazine storage section."

Although an embodiment in which a dehumidifying device using a Beltier element is installed has been described above, the dehumidifying device according to the present invention is not limited to this type of device, and may be any type of dehumidifying device such as a normal dehumidifying device using a refrigerant.

However, a dehumidifying means that performs dehumidification by providing a desiccant such as silica gel in the casing 120 is difficult to apply to the present invention.

In other words, desiccants generally have a low dehumidifying ability, and moreover, they become saturated after absorbing a certain amount of moisture, and after that they lose their dehumidifying ability (therefore, they cannot be used to dehumidify continuously unless they are replaced with a new desiccant. It is from.

Note that the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the case where it is applied to the above-mentioned copying machine, but can also be applied to, for example, an automatic developing machine, a printer processor, a video printer processor, a coin machine for producing photographic prints, and the like.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, according to the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention,
By installing a dehumidifier in the photosensitive material supply section or the magazine storage section, it is possible to prevent the photosensitive materials from absorbing moisture and deteriorating during storage. It is also possible to obtain a proper image.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are schematic cross-sectional front views showing an example of the configuration of a copying machine equipped with a photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, respectively. FIG. 3 is a partially sectional front view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the dehumidifying device according to the present invention. Description of symbols 10.10' Copying machine, 11 Apparatus body, 12 Photosensitive material supply section, 120 Casing, 121 Partition wall, 13 Magazine storage section, 14 ... Conveyance section, 141 ... Conveyance roller pair, 142 ... Guide, 143 ... Cutter, 15 ... Exposure section, 16 ... Processing section, 161 ... Conveyance roller, 17. ...Air chamber, 171...Exhaust fan, 18...Drying section, 18a, 18b-space, 19...Processing liquid storage section, 191.192.193...Bottle, 20.22...
・Magazine, 24.26...Photosensitive material, 24A...Front side, 24B...Back side, 30...Document stand, 32...Color document, 34...Document holder, 36...Light source Unit, 38... Light source, 40... Mirror 41... Exposure window, 42... Optical means, 43... Switching guide, 44... Shutter, 45... Image sensor, 46...・Developer tank, 48... Bleaching/fixing tank, 50.52... Washing tank, 46a, 48a, 50a, 52a... Bottom supply port, 54... Take-out tray, 55... Sensitive material passage Gate, 60...Transport roller pair, 61...Duct, 62.63...Blower fan, 64...Duct, 65...Heater, 7...Dehumidifier, 71...Bertier element , 72... Heat absorption part, 73... Heat radiation part, 74.75... Aluminum fin, 76... Fan, 77... Receiver is plate, 771... Drain port, 78... Drain Pipe, 79...tank FIG, 3

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A photosensitive material processing apparatus for exposing and processing a photosensitive material supplied from a photosensitive material supply section, characterized in that a dehumidification device is installed in the photosensitive material supply section. . (2) A photosensitive material processing apparatus that takes out a photosensitive material stored in a magazine, exposes it, and then processes it, the photosensitive material processing apparatus being characterized in that a dehumidifying device is installed in a magazine storage section that stores the magazine. Material processing equipment.