JPH0316014B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a photopolymer film (or sheet) used for example as a photo card (for example, a transparent film (0.1 mm thick) made of polyvinyl chloride, which is coated with a photopolymer (styrene maleic acid). Coated with resin, aronics, carbon black, etc.). }, etc., and relates to an automatic developing device that performs a development process after printing.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

JP-A-49-107227, or JP-A-50-
As described in detail in Japanese Patent No. 105136, an image forming body generally referred to as a photopoly film (or sheet) containing a photopolymer layer has the following characteristics compared to previously known image forming bodies: Because it has a simple structure, provides clear images, and has excellent resistance to various types, there has recently been a noticeable movement to apply this technology to cards and the like.

However, when such a photopolyfilm image is printed, developed and fixed to form an image, due to its structure, a "fog" of the entire emulsion remains after the development process, and this problem must be left as is. If left untreated, the image will become smeared, causing a major quality problem, so after the fixing process, the "fog" is removed with absorbent cotton or the like.

Conventionally, all of the troublesome image forming steps described above have been performed manually, which poses problems of time consuming and unstable quality.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic developing device that can improve workability and stabilize image quality.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an insertion opening into which a printed object is inserted, a conveyance path through which the development object inserted into the insertion opening is conveyed, and an arrangement disposed on the conveyance path. a developing section that develops the inserted object to be developed by a developer shower;
a water washing section which is also disposed on the way of transportation and washes the developed object with water using a water shower;
A fixing section, which is also placed on the way to convey, fixes the washed developing object with a fixer solution shower; The apparatus is characterized in that it is equipped with a washing brushing section, a drying section, and a re-supply port for supplying the object to be developed, which has been washed and brushed by the washing brushing section, to the washing brushing section again as necessary. be. As stated in the technical field of the invention in the specification, the automatic developing machine of the present invention was developed for photopolyfilm, and photopolyfilm has the following characteristics.

Photopolymer (emulsion) of photopolyfilm
The exposed area (image area) is hardened and has a certain degree of alkali resistance, and the unexposed area (non-image area) is not hardened and is dissolved in an alkaline developer and developed, but a thin emulsion remains and is not forced. It is something that needs to be scrubbed away. Also, a thin layer of emulsion (fogging) remains after development.
When scraping off the image, if you rub it with absorbent cotton, soft cloth, brush, etc. after development, it will attack the image area, so a fixing process is required beforehand to protect the image area. In this case, the fogged area is also immersed in the fixing solution, but since it is an unexposed area, the hardening effect is very small, and the fogging can be removed by rubbing it with absorbent cotton etc. under running water.
The image area is protected by the hardening action caused by the fixing process.

Regarding the effects of the main steps, in the developing step, the unexposed portions of the emulsion are dissolved and removed with an alkaline developing solution. However, it is not completely removed and a thin fog remains. In the first water washing step, the unwashed emulsion and alkaline phenomenon liquid in the non-image areas are removed by a water shower. By removing the alkaline phenomenon liquid, fatigue of the acidic fixing liquid in the next step of fixing can be prevented (deterioration of effectiveness due to neutralization).

In the next fixing step, the water-washed photopolymer film is showered with an acid fixing solution having a hardening effect in a fixing section, so that the image, which is the print area, is fixed. This is to prevent the image area from being scratched or scratched by the hardening film during the next process of washing to remove the fog remaining from the emulsion in the unexposed areas with the brush. It is. If the next step of washing and brushing is performed without performing this fixing step, the fog in the unexposed areas will be removed, but the image areas in the exposed areas will also be damaged and eroded.

The second washing step involves developing the fixed photopolymer film, and forcibly removing fog in unexposed areas that cannot be removed in the first washing section by rubbing with a rotating brush that rotates while being showered with water in the washing brushing section. In addition, the water-washing brushing section has a water shower from the bottom to the top to remove stains caused by the developer that has gotten around to the bottom of the photopolymer film.

If fog cannot be removed from the re-supply port in one step due to differences in exposure conditions, etc., the fog can be removed by performing only the second water washing step. For this reason, a re-supply port is provided before the second water washing step. If the developer is poured again through the loading port, the image area will be corroded by the developer again, resulting in poor quality.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 in Figure 1 is the main body of the automatic developing device,
An insertion opening 2 and an insertion guide 3 for an object to be developed, such as a photopolymer film, are provided on one side of the main body 1, and an ejection opening 4 is provided on the other side. Also, inside the main body 1, there is a belt conveyor 5 for conveying the photopolymer film inserted from the insertion port 2 substantially horizontally toward the discharge port 4, and a pair of rollers 6.
A conveyance path 7 consisting of... is provided, and along this conveyance path 7, in order from the insertion port 2 side, a developing section 8, a washing section 9, a fixing section 10, a re-supply port 11, and a washing brushing section. 12 is bulkhead 1
3... are arranged via... And the developing section 8
The washing section 9 has first water injection nozzles 15, 15, the fixing section 10 has fixer solution injection nozzles 16, 16, and the washing and brushing section 12 has a second water injection nozzle. Spraying nozzles 17 are respectively provided, and these are configured to spray each liquid from above the conveyance path 7. In addition, the washing brushing section 12 is provided with a third water injection nozzle 18 below the conveyance path 7, and rotary brushes 19, 19 with variable rotation speeds above the conveyance path 7, respectively. In addition, 20... is a liquid collection plate provided in an inclined state to collect each of the above-mentioned liquids independently.

Furthermore, an outlet 4 is provided on the outlet 4 side of the main body 1.
A drying section 21 for drying the photopolymer film discharged from the drying section 21 and a stacker section 22 for storing the photopolymer film dried in the drying section 21 are connected in this order.

Next, the operation will be explained based on FIG. When a photopolymer film is exposed to printing light, the exposed areas become hardened by a photoreaction and the emulsion becomes an image area, and the unexposed areas become a non-image area.

Since the mechanism operates from above the machine structure, the photopolyfilm is inserted and conveyed with the emulsion side facing upward. The photopolyfilm is developed by being showered with an alkaline developer (for example, 1% Na ₂ CO ₃ aqueous solution) in the developing section 8, so that the emulsion in unexposed areas is dissolved and washed away. Here, the developer is circulated and used, and the temperature can be adjusted so as to adjust the exposure level of the photopolymer film and the finished state. In this process, a characteristic feature of the photopolyfilm is that a thin layer of emulsion still remains in the non-image areas, which are unexposed areas, resulting in a black and smudged state. The shower structure is used to make it easier for unexposed emulsion to dissolve due to the resistance of the water flow. The water shower in the water washing section 9 removes the unwashed emulsion and alkaline developer in the non-image areas. Furthermore, by removing the alkaline developer, fatigue of the acid fixer in the next step of fixing is prevented (degradation of effectiveness due to neutralization).

The washed photopolyfilm is placed in the fixing section 10.
At this point, the image, which is the printed area, is fixed by being showered with an acid fixing solution that has a hardening effect. This is to prevent the image area from being scratched by the hardening film of the fixing film and to prevent a decrease in density due to rubbing when the brush in the next step of washing with water is used to scrape off the residual fog of the emulsion in the unexposed areas. It is something. If the next step of washing and brushing is performed without performing this fixing step, the fog in the unexposed area will be removed, but the image area in the exposed area will be damaged and eroded. The fogged areas are similarly affected by the hardening effect due to fixation, but due to unexposed light, the adhesive area between the base film, which is the support for the photopolyfilm, and the emulsion is not hardened, so it is difficult to remove by brushing in the next step. There is almost no effect, and the fog can be removed.

The fixed photopolymer film is developed in a washing and brushing section 12, and the fog (thin remaining emulsion) in unexposed areas that cannot be removed in the first washing section is forcibly removed by rubbing with a rotating brush 19 while being showered with water. This rotating brush 19 removes fog while rotating in the transport direction. Further, the water washing brushing section 12 includes a water shower section 18 that extends from the bottom to the top for removing stains caused by developer and the like that have gotten under the photopolymer film.

The washed and brushed photopolymer film is then forcedly dried in a drying section 21 at a temperature of 40 DEG C. to 50 DEG C., and then stored in a stacker section 22. If the fog cannot be removed in one step due to differences in exposure conditions, the fog can be removed by performing only the second water washing step. For this purpose, a resupply port 11 is provided. When the film with the fog remaining is poured through the loading port 2 again,
The image area is attacked by the developing solution again, resulting in poor quality.

This automatic developing machine automates the process of removing the fog residue, which is a characteristic of photopolymer film, to improve workability and quality.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided an insertion opening into which a printed object is inserted, a conveyance path through which the developed object inserted into the insertion opening is conveyed, and an arrangement located on the way of the conveyance path. a developing section which develops the inserted object to be developed using a developer shower; a water washing section which is also arranged on the way to convey and washes the developed object with water shower; , a fixing section that fixes the washed development object with a fixer shower; a water-washing brushing section that is also arranged on the way of conveyance and rubs the fixed development object with a brush while washing it with water using a water shower; Since it is equipped with a drying section and a re-supply port for supplying the developing object that has been washed and brushed by the washing and brushing section to the washing and brushing section again as necessary, it is possible to improve workability and stabilize image quality. It has excellent effects such as being able to

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a partially sectional front view, and FIG. 2 is a developing process diagram. 2...Insertion port, 7...Transportation path, 8...Development section,
9... Washing section, 10... Fixing section, 11... Re-supply port, 12... Washing brushing section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An insertion port for inserting a printed object, a conveyance path for conveying the object to be developed inserted into the insertion port, and a conveyor path disposed on the way of the conveyance path for transporting the inserted object to be developed. A developing section that performs development using a developer shower; a water washing section that is also placed on the way to transport and washes the developed object with water shower; and a washing section that is also placed on the way to transport and fixes the washed object. The fixing unit, which fixes with a liquid shower, is also placed on the way to the conveyance,
A water-washing brushing section that rubs the fixed development object with a brush while washing it with water using a water shower; a drying section that forcibly dries the washed and brushed development object; and a washing and brushing section that performs washing and brushing using the washing and brushing section. is,
An automatic developing device comprising a re-supply port for supplying the object to be developed dried by the drying section to the washing and brushing section and the drying section as needed.