JPH0348583Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention prevents the processing liquid from entering the preceding processing tank due to condensation even if the gas or water vapor evaporating from the processing tank condenses. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus equipped with a mechanism.

[Prior Art] As an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a photosensitive material, there is a photosensitive material processing apparatus equipped with a processing tank for processing the photosensitive material such as development. The photosensitive material is supplied into the main body, and when it passes through a processing tank provided inside, it is processed with a processing liquid.

Furthermore, in addition to such a photosensitive material processing device, there are also devices equipped with an exposure system, such as an ID card production device and a device described in Japanese Patent Application No. 1983-73010, which can copy images onto a photosensitive material. Some use photosensitive material copying methods to form .

By the way, in this type of image forming apparatus, gas or water vapor evaporated from the processing tank may condense on the lid of the apparatus. This condensation can lead to poor insulation of the equipment's electrical circuits and rust on various parts.
Further, if dirt or processing liquid is attached to the lid, condensed water droplets or processing liquid may fall onto the photosensitive material being transported, the transport rollers, etc., and may adversely affect the processing of the photosensitive material.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] As a countermeasure to this problem, there is a method in which an exhaust fan is installed to exhaust gas and water vapor to the outside of the device, but this method uses a method in which the exhaust fan also stops when the image forming device is stopped. Therefore, condensation occurs when the image forming apparatus is stopped. For this reason, when the image forming apparatus is stopped, the lid is moved slightly and opened, but the lid must be opened and closed every time the image forming apparatus is started or stopped. , the work is troublesome. In addition, Mikoaki
As disclosed in Publication No. 59-26356, the heat insulating material prevents dew condensation through the heat insulating effect, and when condensation occurs due to long-term suspension, water droplets are retained in air bubbles by capillary action. There is.

This product uses insulation to prevent condensation, so it is necessary to use thick insulation material.
The equipment becomes larger. In addition, since water droplets are retained in bubbles by capillary phenomenon, the retention rate of gas and water vapor is slow, and if the rate of condensation cannot be kept up or if it is stopped for a long time, condensation cannot be avoided, and after condensation There is a risk of it falling as water droplets.
Furthermore, since the heat insulating material is slanted to be higher in the direction of transport of the photosensitive material, the developer tank side becomes lower, allowing water droplets to fall into the developer tank, causing other processing solutions to mix with the developer solution. There are things to do.

This idea was devised in view of these circumstances, and has a simple structure that prevents the processing liquid from entering the preceding processing tank even if evaporated gas or water vapor condenses and falls as water droplets. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus equipped with a mechanism for performing the following steps.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, this invention provides an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a photosensitive material, in which a lid disposed at the top of a processing tank for processing the photosensitive material is connected to a photosensitive material. It is characterized by being sloped downward in the direction of material transport.

[Function] With this invention, even if gas or water vapor evaporating from the processing tank condenses on the lid placed at the top of the processing tank in which the photosensitive material is processed, such as developing, the lid prevents the transport of the photosensitive material. Since the liquid is slanted in the direction, the liquid is discharged to the outside of the processing tank through this lid. Therefore, water droplets condensed on the lid are prevented from mixing with the processing tank disposed at the front stage, the processing liquid from the processing tank disposed at the rear stage, and in particular, the fixing solution and the like from the developing tank.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the image forming apparatus of this invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

First, an embodiment applied to the photosensitive material processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described. Reference numeral 1 denotes an apparatus main body that blocks external light, and one side of this apparatus main body 1 is provided with a supply table 2. . A photosensitive material, such as a rolled or sheet-shaped film, onto which an image has been exposed, is supplied from this supply table 2 into the main body 1 of the apparatus. A collection rack 3 is provided on the other side of the apparatus main body 1, and the developed photosensitive material is taken out from this collection rack 3.

There is a photosensitive material intake port 4 on the supply table 2 side of the device main body 1.
On the other hand, a photosensitive material outlet 5 is provided on the collecting rack 3 side. This photosensitive material intake port 4
A large number of conveyance rollers 6 driven at a constant speed by a drive device (not shown) are disposed between the photosensitive material outlet 5 and the photosensitive material outlet 5, that is, inside the main body 1 of the apparatus, thereby forming a meandering conveyance path 7. .

A developing tank 8, a fixing tank 9, a washing or stabilizing tank 10, and a drying section 1 are arranged successively adjacent to each other along this conveyance path 7.
1 are disposed, and a processing liquid is stored in each of these processing liquid tanks and maintained at a predetermined temperature.
Note that the processing tank may be composed of a developing tank, a bleach-fixing tank, a washing tank, or a stabilizing tank.

A drying fan 12 is arranged below the drying section 11, and an exhaust port 1 is arranged below the supply side of the main body 1.
3 is open. An exhaust fan 14 is disposed below the processing tank, and when the exhaust fan 14 is driven, gas and water vapor filling the apparatus main body 1 are removed from the exhaust port 1.
It is designed to be discharged through 3.

The developing tank 8, the fixing tank 9, and the washing tank 10 are each open at the top. The gas and water vapor of the processing liquid stored in these evaporates and is discharged outside the tank. In the apparatus main body 1, a developer tank 8, a fixer tank 9, a washing tank 10, and a drying section 11 are covered with a lid 15, which is an upper cover located above these.
5 is inclined so as to become lower toward the conveyance direction of the photosensitive material.

Therefore, when gas or water vapor that evaporates from the processing liquid condenses on the lid 15 and becomes water droplets, it is guided along the slope of the lid 15. For example, the water droplets of the developer condensed above the developer tank are deposited in the fixing tank 9, etc. The liquid may fall into the processing tank at the subsequent stage or flow into the liquid reservoir 16 arranged on the discharge side.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

When a power source (not shown) provided in the main body of the photosensitive material processing apparatus is turned on to make the apparatus ready for operation, and a photosensitive material with an image exposed thereon is fed into the main body 1 of the apparatus from the supply table 2, it is transported by the conveying rollers 6. The photosensitive material is transported along the conveyance path 8 into a developing tank 8, a fixing tank 9,
The photographic material is transported to a washing tank 10 and a drying section 11, where it is processed and taken out from the collecting rack 3.

During operation of this photosensitive material processing apparatus, the developing tank 8,
Gas and water vapor are generated from the fixing tank 9 and the washing tank 10, but since the exhaust fan 14 is driven when the power is on, this gas and water vapor are discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 13, and the gas and water vapor are discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 13. 1 will not be filled with condensation.

When the photosensitive material processing apparatus stops operating, the exhaust fan 14 also stops driving. At this time, gas and water vapor generated from the developing tank 8, fixing tank 9, and washing tank 10 may condense on the lid 15. The processing liquid becomes water droplets due to this condensation, and the water droplets located above the developing tank fall into the developing tank 8 or the fixing tank 9, and the water droplets of the fixing liquid fall into the fixing tank 9, the washing tank 10, etc. If the liquid does not fall, it flows into the liquid reservoir 16 and is stored therein.

Therefore, the fixer falls at least after the fixer tank 9 and does not fall into the developer tank 8, so that the fixer and the like are prevented from getting mixed into the developer, and the photosensitive material can be developed well. It can be done. In addition,
A drain pipe may be connected to the liquid reservoir 16 to discharge the liquid from the apparatus main body 1 to the outside.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the photosensitive material processing apparatus. In this embodiment, a heat insulating material 17 is attached to the lower surface of the inclined lid 15, and an exhaust pipe 18 is arranged on the carry-in side. The heat insulating material 17 can be made of polyurethane foam having open cells, polyethylene foam, glass wool, neoprene, or the like.

During operation, gas and water vapor generated from the processing tank are guided upward along the lower surface of the heat insulating material 17, guided to the exhaust pipe 18, and discharged to the outside.

When the operation of the photosensitive material processing apparatus is stopped, the temperature drop on the lower surface of the lid 15 is suppressed to a small level due to the heat insulating effect of the heat insulating material 17, so that dew condensation does not easily occur. In addition, due to long-term suspension of operation,
Even when dew condensation occurs, the water droplets are retained on the heat insulating material 17 due to capillary action. moreover,
Even if water droplets taken in by the heat insulating material 17 fall, these water droplets will fall on the lid 15 and the heat insulating material 17.
Since it is inclined to become lower in the direction of conveyance of the photosensitive material, it is possible to prevent water droplets of the fixer from falling into the developer tank and being mixed therein.

Note that only the heat insulating material 17 may be provided, or
Only the exhaust pipe 18 may be provided, and it is not necessary to provide these at the same time.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the image forming apparatus of the present invention is applied to a photosensitive material copying apparatus. This photosensitive material copying apparatus is provided with an exposure system 33 above a development processing section 32 of an apparatus main body 31, and a document table 35 in which a lens system 34 is movably disposed above the apparatus main body 31. It is designed to move along the movement of the The photosensitive material is cut into a predetermined length by a conveyance mechanism 36 located below the lens system 34, and then transported to a development processing section 32 located below.
During this transportation, an image of the document placed on the document table 35 is formed through the lens system 34, and a positive image is directly formed. This photosensitive material is transported and processed in a color developing tank 37, a bleach-fixing tank 38, and stabilizing tanks 39 and 40 arranged in a developing processing section 32, dried in a drying section 41, and taken out.

Above the color developing tank 37, bleach-fixing tank 38, and stabilizing tanks 39 and 40 of the development processing section 32, a lid 15 is arranged so as to be inclined downward in the direction of transport of the photosensitive material. Similar to the previous embodiment, this lid 15 is designed to prevent water droplets formed by condensation of gas and water vapor from each processing tank from entering the color developing tank 37.

A waste liquid tank 42 and a replenisher tank 43 are provided below the development processing section 32.

[Effects of the device] As mentioned above, this device tilts the lid placed at the top of the processing tank for processing photosensitive materials so that it becomes lower in the direction of conveyance of the photosensitive materials, so that the device can be stopped without stopping. Even if the exhaust fan, etc. is not driven, and gas or water vapor from the processing tank may condense on the lid, the processing liquid that falls as water droplets will not mix into the processing tank located downstream in the transport direction. In particular, processing solutions such as other fixing solutions are not mixed into the developing solution, and high-quality photosensitive materials can be processed with a simple structure.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a photosensitive material processing apparatus to which the image forming apparatus of this invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a photosensitive material processing apparatus showing another embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus of this invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the applied photosensitive material copying apparatus. 1, 31...Device main body, 8...Developer tank, 9...
Fixing tank, 10... Washing tank, 11... Drying section, 12
...Drying fan, 14...Exhaust fan, 15...
Lid, 32... Development processing section, 33... Exposure system, 34
...Lens system, 37...Color developing tank, 38...Bleach fixing tank, 39,40...Stabilizing tank.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a photosensitive material, characterized in that a lid disposed at the top of a processing tank for processing the photosensitive material is inclined so as to be lower toward the conveyance direction of the photosensitive material. Forming device.