JPH0350513Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a processing device for developing photosensitive materials such as photographic film or photosensitive printing plate materials, and in particular, the present invention relates to a processing device for developing photosensitive materials such as photographic film or photosensitive printing plate materials. The present invention relates to a device that detects that the amount of replenisher in a tank has decreased.

[Prior art] In photosensitive material processing equipment such as automatic photo film processing machines, it is necessary to restore the processing capacity of developing solutions, fixing solutions, etc. whose processing capacity has decreased due to factors such as processing of the photosensitive material or oxidation due to contact with air. To achieve this, I add an appropriate amount of replenisher.

This replenisher is stored in a replenisher tank attached to the processing device, and the required amount is sent to the processing tank at a required time using a feed pump or the like, and added to the processing solution in the processing tank.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing an example of a processing apparatus for developing photographic film, in which processing liquid tanks (not shown) such as a developing tank, a fixing tank, a washing tank, and a drying tank are installed inside the main body 1. The exposed photographic film is fed from the feed tray 2 on the upper left side, and developed by being transported through the processing solution stored in each tank by an appropriate transport means, and the processed film is is configured to send out to the discharge section 3. Below the feed tray 2, a control section 4 is provided, including a film transport speed adjustment device for setting the developing time to a desired value, a developer temperature adjustment device, and the like.

The replenisher is stored in a replenisher tank 5 housed in the lower part of the main body 1, connected to a corresponding processing liquid tank via a pipe (not shown), and sent to the processing liquid tank by a feed pump.

The replenisher tank 5 is equipped with wheels 6 for movement, and when replenishing the tank 5, the cover 7 on the side surface of the main body 1 is removed and pulled out to the side.

As mentioned above, the replenisher is consumed by replenishment corresponding to the amount of photosensitive material processed and replenishment over time to recover from fatigue caused by air oxidation, etc., and the amount of liquid in the replenisher tank gradually decreases. Decrease.

When the liquid level in the tank decreases below a certain limit and the liquid level becomes lower than the end of the liquid delivery pipe, the feed pump will run dry, and air bubbles will enter the processing liquid tank, causing oxidation of the processing liquid. In addition, there is the inconvenience that the amount of replenishment to the processing liquid tank is insufficient, resulting in poor processing results, so the liquid level in the tank must be constantly maintained so that the amount of replenishment liquid is always maintained above a certain level. Levels need to be monitored.

Conventionally, this has been done by forming the replenisher tank with a translucent plastic material and monitoring it visually, or by empirically determining the standard consumption amount of the replenisher and replenishing it at regular intervals. is applied.

Additionally, a liquid level detection device such as a float switch is attached to the replenisher tank, and a display lamp or a buzzer is used to notify the tank when the liquid level has dropped to a certain level.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] Visual monitoring is reliable, but in systems where the replenisher tank is housed inside the main body of the processing device, as shown in Figure 7, it is difficult to visually check the liquid level. Since it is not possible to do so, monitoring may be neglected, and there are many inconveniences such as misidentification of the liquid level position.

To facilitate visual monitoring, it is recommended to separate the replenisher tank from the processing equipment and install it in a separate location within the photoprocessing darkroom, which often has a relatively small area. This is undesirable as it requires additional installation space, and in reality, the replenisher tank is often installed in a position that is difficult to see, such as between the processing equipment main body and the wall. There is a disadvantage that visual recognition is not easy.

The method of estimating replenishment time based on standard replenisher consumption assumes that the throughput of photosensitive material during a unit period is always approximately constant, so it is not suitable for workplaces where throughput fluctuates significantly. has a problem that cannot be applied.

In a liquid level detection device such as a float switch, since the nature of the replenisher is alkaline for the developer and acidic for the fixer, it is necessary to use a replenisher that is chemically resistant, which increases the cost. Additionally, it is necessary to form a mounting hole for mounting the float switch on the replenisher tank, and if the seal is incomplete, fluid may leak. Furthermore, when a float switch is installed inside a replenisher tank, a protrusion is formed on the inner surface of the tank, so when the floating lid lowers as the replenisher level drops, the float switch and floating lid come into contact and prevent movement. This will cause an obstruction, so special consideration is required, such as providing a notch in the floating lid.

Furthermore, if the float switch is installed in the replenisher tank, it will interfere with the stirring operation when preparing a new replenisher, the cleaning operation of the replenisher tank, and the like.

[Means for solving the problem] The present invention uses a floating lid installed on the liquid level in the replenisher tank to suppress air oxidation of the replenisher and the generation of water vapor and gas. A detection object to be detected by a proximity switch such as a magnetic material is attached to the appropriate place on the lid by covering it with a chemically resistant and magnetically permeable material such as plastic, while the object near the bottom of the replenisher tank or the replenisher A proximity switch is placed on the support stand on which the tank is placed, and when the liquid level drops due to a decrease in the amount of replenishment fluid and the level drops to the height where the floating lid is located, the proximity switch is activated and a buzzer or indicator lamp is activated. etc., to notify a decrease in the level of replenisher.

[Function] The object to be detected attached to the floating lid moves with the floating lid and is always located at the level of the replenishment liquid.
When the amount of replenisher decreases and the position of the floating lid lowers, it is detected in proximity to a proximity switch disposed near the bottom of the replenisher tank, and the proximity switch is activated to notify the user of the drop in the liquid level.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The replenisher tank 11 is formed of a magnetically permeable material such as plastic into a cylindrical or prismatic shape with an open top, placed on a support stand 13 equipped with wheels 12, and processed as shown in FIG. It is housed in the lower part of the device main body 1 and can be pulled out as needed.

A liquid feeding pipe 14 with an open lower end is removably installed in the tank 11 along the side wall on the inner surface of the tank 11, and its upper end is connected to a replenisher pump through a suitable flexible tube 15, and Supply the replenisher to the processing liquid tank. Further, a lid 16 is attached to the upper part of the tank 11.

A replenisher 17 is stored in a tank 11, and a floating lid 18 is floated on the liquid level. The planar shape of the floating lid 18 is
It is formed into a circular or rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the tank 11, and in order to prevent air oxidation of the replenisher, the area where the liquid surface contacts the air is made as small as possible, and the amount of replenisher is increased or decreased. An appropriate gap is provided between the tank 11 and the inner wall of the tank 11 so that the tank 11 can be raised and lowered accordingly.

A handle 19 is installed in the center of the upper surface of the floating lid 18,
Further, a detection object 20 is attached to the center portion of the lower surface. The detected object 20 is mainly composed of a magnetic material that can be detected by a magnetic switch, and will be described in detail later.

On the other hand, a magnetic switch 21 is attached to the center of the support base 13, and a circuit device 22 for processing the output signal of the magnetic switch 21, a buzzer 23, a dry battery (not shown) for operating the buzzer, etc. It is attached. The magnetic switch 21 may be a known contact switch or non-contact switch.

Next, FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing one embodiment of the detected object 20, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the same.

The outer surface of the circular member 24 made of a magnetic material such as a magnet is covered with a protective case 25 made of a chemically resistant and magnetically permeable material such as plastic, and the protective case 25 is attached to a required portion of the lower surface of the floating lid 18. In this example, the upper half of the object to be detected 20 is press-fitted into the floating lid 18 to support it, but this is not necessarily the only method. A configuration like this is also acceptable.

In the first illustrated device, when the amount of replenisher 17 in the tank 11 is large, the position of the floating lid 18 is high, so the object 20 to be detected is far away from the magnetic switch 21 and is not detected. 21 does not operate.

When the replenisher 17 is supplied to the processing liquid tank via the liquid supply pipe 14 and consumed, the floating lid 18 is lowered as the liquid level decreases, and the object 20 to be detected gradually approaches the magnetic switch 21. . When the detected object 20 approaches to a certain distance, the magnetic switch 21 senses this and operates. That is, the replenisher 1 in the tank 11
When the liquid level of 7 drops to a certain level, a signal is output from the magnetic switch 21.

As shown in FIG. 4, the output signal of the magnetic switch 21 is sent via the control circuit 22 to activate the buzzer 23 to generate a warning sound to notify that the amount of replenisher has decreased. If necessary, an indicator lamp may be turned on or the pump 28 that supplies the replenisher to the processing liquid tank may be stopped to prevent idle operation.

In response to this notification, the operator temporarily stops feeding the photosensitive material to the processing apparatus, pulls out the replenisher tank from the main body of the processing apparatus, and supplies new replenisher.

As mentioned above, in the device of the present invention, the replenisher tank is
Even if the tank is installed in a situation where it is difficult to visually check the liquid level, a buzzer or indicator lamp will notify you that the amount of replenisher in the tank has decreased to a certain limit, allowing for accurate replenishment. It has been made possible to do so.

[Other Embodiments] Although the above description has been made based on the embodiments shown in the first to third figures, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and various modifications and applications are possible.

For example, in the above embodiment, the magnetic switch 21 is attached to the support base 22, but it may be attached directly to the lower surface of the bottom plate of the replenisher tank 11. However, in order to remove the replenisher tank 11 from the support base 22 and clean it, it is preferable that no parts be attached to the bottom. In particular, electrical equipment such as magnetic switches and buzzers should not be attached to the bottom. It is preferable not to do so.

Furthermore, the magnetic switch may be placed not on the bottom of the replenisher tank but on the lower side. Figures 5 and 6
The figures are a plan view and a front sectional view showing one embodiment. In this example, the replenisher tank 27 is shown as having a rectangular cylindrical shape, but it may also have a cylindrical shape.

The floating lid 28 is formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the planar shape of the tank 29, and a detection object 29 is attached to one edge thereof. The object to be detected 29 is made of a magnetic material and covered with a chemically resistant and magnetically permeable protective cover, as in the embodiment described above. Further, a recess corresponding to the liquid feeding pipe 30 detachably attached to the tank 27 is provided in one corner of the floating lid 28 to regulate the direction of the floating lid 28 so that the detected object 29 always faces in a certain direction.

A magnetic switch 31 is disposed on the lower part of the outer surface of the tank 27 at a location opposite to the mounting position of the detected object 29. As the replenisher is consumed and the liquid level in the tank 27 decreases, the floating lid 28 lowers to the position shown by the two-dot chain line, and the magnetic switch 3
1 detects the detected object 29 and outputs a signal.

Thereafter, the buzzer is activated to notify the decrease in the amount of replenisher in accordance with the above-mentioned embodiment. as needed,
As described above, the indicator lamp may be turned on and the feed pump may be stopped.

In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, a magnetic switch is used as the proximity switch and is configured to detect a magnetic object to be detected, but other types of proximity switches,
For example, a proximity switch using a photo sensor may be used. Specifically, the magnetic switch 21 in FIG. 1 or the magnetic switch 3 in FIG.
1 is replaced with a photo sensor, the replenisher tank 11 or 27 is made of a light-transmitting material, and a light-reflecting member is installed as the detection object 20 or 29 at a position facing the photo sensor of the floating lid 18 or 28. may be added.

Alternatively, a similar effect can be obtained by forming the floating lid from a light-reflecting material.

[Effects of the invention] (1) Since a proximity switch is used with a magnetic switch, etc. and an object to be detected such as a magnetic material, there is no need to machine special mounting holes etc. in the replenisher tank itself.
There is no risk of liquid leakage.

(2) Since there is no need to install a float switch or the like in the replenisher tank, there is no problem with stirring the liquid or cleaning the tank.

(3) To prevent air oxidation of the replenisher, use the floating lid originally attached to the replenisher tank.
Since it holds the object to be detected, it has a simple configuration, can be implemented at low cost, and can be easily added to an existing device.

(4) The magnetic substance to be detected is covered with a chemical-resistant material, and the proximity switch is also non-contact, so there are no mechanically worn parts and less chance of failure.

(5) It is possible to reliably notify a decrease in the amount of replenisher in the replenisher tank and replenish the tank with replenisher at the appropriate time.

(6) It is possible to stop the operation of the replenisher supply pump as well as notify the decrease in the amount of replenisher, which prevents the pump from running dry and also prevents the process liquid from flowing by sending air bubbles to the process liquid tank. can prevent air oxidation.

(7) Even when the replenisher tank is housed inside the processing equipment main body to save space in a dark room and the liquid level in the tank cannot be easily checked, it is possible to reliably detect a decrease in the amount of processing liquid.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of the device of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a front sectional view of one example of a non-detecting object, Fig. 3 is a side sectional view thereof, Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the operating circuit, and Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of another embodiment of the device of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front sectional view, and FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing an example of a photosensitive material processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied. 1... Processing device main body, 2... Feed tray,
3...Discharge part, 4...Control part, 5...Replenisher tank, 7...Cover, 11...Replenisher tank, 12
...Wheel, 13...Support stand, 14...Liquid pipe, 1
5...Flexible tube, 16...Lid, 17...Replenisher, 18...Floating lid, 19...Handle, 20...Detected object, 21...Magnetic switch, 22...Control circuit, 23... ...Buzzer, 24...Magnetic material, 25...
Protective cover, 27... Replenishment tank, 28... Floating lid, 29... Detected object, 30... Liquid feeding pipe, 31...
...magnetic switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] In a photosensitive material processing apparatus that processes an exposed photosensitive material using a processing solution such as development, a replenisher added to the processing solution to recover fatigue caused by the processing of the processing solution. a replenishment tank containing the replenisher; a proximity switch installed at the bottom or bottom of the outer surface of the replenisher tank; a floating lid installed on the surface of the replenisher contained in the replenisher tank; When the amount of decreases and descends,
a detected object to be detected by the proximity switch, which is attached to a part of the floating lid facing the proximity switch; and a notification means that operates based on a signal output by the proximity switch when detecting the detected object. A device for detecting a drop in the liquid level of a replenisher tank in a photosensitive material processing apparatus.