JPH0387741A - Drying rack structure for automatic developing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the number of parts and to improve assembly and its accu racy by permitting a pair of rollers which is incorporated into respective, em braced and piled subassemblies, to form one photosensitive material carrying route. CONSTITUTION:To fit the subassembly 210, a chamber 52 is arranged on the guide rail 230 of a frame body 212, then the pair of rollers 54 is pivotally supported to the oblong hole 218 of the frame body 212 via a bearing and is fixed with a spacer 53 to finish the subassembly 210. A pair of the subassemblies 210 obtained in such a way is prepared, and the pair of rollers 54 is alternately arranged and piled so as to form the photosensitive material carrying route. Thus, the number of parts is reduced to improve assembly and its accuracy.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is an automatic developing machine that automatically conveys a photosensitive material and performs development, fixing, washing, etc. of the photosensitive material. This invention relates to a drying rack structure for an automatic processor that guides the transport of time.

[Prior art]

In an automatic developing machine, after each process of developing, fixing, and washing the photosensitive material is completed, the photosensitive material is dried and then discharged. To dry the photosensitive material, a drying rank is installed that integrates a plurality of pairs of rollers that sandwich and convey the photosensitive material and a hot air blowing structure, and the photosensitive material is sandwiched and conveyed between the plurality of roller pairs. This is done by blowing warm air onto the front and back surfaces of the photosensitive material. By arranging such a drying rack, the photosensitive material can be automatically transported and a predetermined drying time can be secured.

By the way, in the structure of a conventional drying rack, two side plates are supported substantially in parallel by a plurality of metal cylindrical stays, and a plurality of rollers are pivotally supported between the side plates via bearings. Further, a large number of guide plates are attached to the opening of the box at predetermined intervals to form a chamber, and each gap between these guide plates is used as a hot air outlet.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, the drying rack is assembled from rollers, side plates, boxes, and guide plates, and has a large number of parts, which requires a large number of assembly steps and takes a long time to assemble. Furthermore, since the pair of rollers is pivotally supported between two side plates, alignment of the holes for supporting the rollers provided in each side plate is important, and workability is not good.

Furthermore, since there are many variations in the manufacturing accuracy and assembly dimensions of a large number of guide plates, there is a problem that the slit width of the hot air outlet becomes uneven, making it impossible to uniformly dry the photosensitive material.

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention aims to provide a drying rack structure for an automatic processor that can reduce the number of parts and improve assembly workability and assembly accuracy.

[Means to solve the problem]

The drying rack structure of an automatic processing machine according to the present invention includes a frame body equipped with a support plate on which a plurality of roller pairs for sandwiching and conveying a photosensitive material are pivotally supported, and a frame body that is housed in the frame body and supplies hot air to the photosensitive material. A subassembly consisting of a chamber with a photosensitive material conveyance guide member and whose opening area becomes narrower toward the downstream side in the direction of hot air blowing is stacked together. It is characterized in that the roller pairs incorporated in each of the subassemblies form one photosensitive material transport path.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, the drying rack can be constructed by simply configuring the drying rack with a pair of subassemblies and stacking these subassemblies in a chamber so as to sandwich the pair of rollers, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of assembly steps. Furthermore, when the pair of rollers is pivotally supported, alignment of the side plates on both sides becomes unnecessary, and the workability of assembling the rollers is improved. Furthermore, since the chamber is integrally formed with a slit hole that serves as a hot air outlet, hot air for drying the photosensitive material can be uniformly blown out from the slit hole, thereby eliminating uneven drying. can be prevented.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an automatic developing device 10 according to this embodiment. First, the overall configuration of the automatic developing device IO will be described.

The automatic developing device 10 is provided with an insertion opening 16 into which a photosensitive material 14 is inserted on the right side of the casing 12 in FIG. A pair of rollers 18 are provided inside the insertion opening 16, and are rotated by the driving force of a driving means (not shown). Therefore, the photosensitive material 14 inserted through the insertion opening 16 is held between the pair of rollers 18, and a conveying force is applied to the photosensitive material 14.

The photosensitive material 14 conveyed by the driving force of the pair of rollers 18 is guided to a processor section 20 installed inside the automatic developing device 10 .

A processing tank 22 is provided in the processor section 20 .

The processing tank 22 is partitioned into three tanks in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1 by two partition walls 24 and 26, and each tank is designated as a developer tank 28, a fixing tank 30, and a water & tank 32 from the first to the third. These tanks 28, 30, 32 store a developer, a fixer, and washing water, respectively, and a rack 34 is arranged in each tank 128, 30, 32. Each of the racks 34 is provided with a plurality of rollers 36 along the conveyance path of the photosensitive material 14 . A crossover rack 38 is arranged above the processing tank 22 in FIG.

The crossover rack 38 includes the first
A pair of rollers 40 and 42 are provided at the top of the figure, respectively.
The photosensitive material 14 is guided to an adjacent processing tank. The rollers 36 and 40, 42 are rotationally driven at a constant speed by the driving force of a driving means (not shown).

The photosensitive material 14 inserted through the insertion port 16 and conveyed by a pair of rollers 18 is first held between rollers 36 provided on a rack 34 of the developer tank 28 and immersed in the developer in the developer tank 28. Ru. In addition, the fixing tank 30
By being sandwiched by the rollers 36 provided on the rack 34 of , it is immersed in the fixing solution in the fixing tank 30, and is further sandwiched by the O-ra 36 provided in the rank 36 in the washing tank 32. As a result, it is immersed in the washing water in the washing tank 32. In each tank, the photosensitive material 14 is conveyed in a substantially U-shape by a plurality of rollers 36 to ensure a predetermined processing time. Furthermore, movement between each type is smoothly guided by rollers 40, 42 provided on the crossover rack 38 to adjacent tanks.

A drying section 44 is provided at the upper part of the processor section 20 in FIG. A communication port 48 (near the left end in FIG. 1) is provided in a part of the wall 46 that partitions the drying section 44 and the processing tank 22, and the photosensitive material 14 is guided to the communication port 48. A plurality of rollers 50 are arranged from the washing tank 32 to the inside of the drying section 44. This roller 50 is also rotated at the same conveyance speed as the rollers 36 such as the rack 34. As a result, the photosensitive material 14 that has been washed in the washing tank 32 is held between these rollers 50 and conveyed, thereby guiding it to the drying section 44 .

The drying section 44 is provided with chambers 52 on the upper and lower sides thereof, and hot air is blown from the left side in FIG. 1. Between the chambers 52, a plurality of roller pairs 54 are installed in the lateral direction in FIG. They are arranged to convey the photosensitive material 14. The photosensitive material 14 that has reached the drying section 44 from the communication port 48 is held between the pair of rollers 54 and conveyed in the horizontal direction in FIG.

On the surface of the chamber 52 facing the roller pair 54,
A plurality of slit holes 56 are provided along the axial direction of the roller pair 54 to blow hot air inside the chamber 52 onto the conveyance path of the photosensitive material 14. Therefore, the drying section 4
The photosensitive material 14 is dried by hot air while being conveyed while being held by a pair of rollers 54 in the drying section 44, and reaches the discharge port 58 of the drying section 44. A tray 60 is provided outside the discharge port 58, and the tray 60 is used to store the dried photosensitive material 14.
is placed on this tray 60.

The configuration of each part will be explained in detail below.

(Configuration of Magnetic Pump 78) As shown in FIG. 2, two circular holes 74 and 76 are provided on the side surface of the developer tank 28, and the inlet vibe 80 and outlet pipe 82 of the magnetic pump 78 are connected to each other. It is fitted through a ring 84. The magnet pump 78 has a structure in which a shallow inner cover 88 is press-fitted into the inner periphery of an outer cover 86. A space 90 is formed between the bottom 88A of the inner cover 88 and the bottom 86A of the outer cover 86, and a motor 92 is disposed therein.

A rotating shaft 94 of the motor 92 has its tip directed toward the bottom of the inner cover 88, and a disc-shaped magnet 96 is attached thereto.

A pin 100 protrudes from a bottom surface 98 inside the inner cover coaxially with the rotating shaft 94 and the magnet 96, and an impeller 102 is pivotally supported. A magnetic body 104 is built into the impeller 102 and corresponds to the magnet 96 through the bottom of the inner cover 88 . Therefore, when the motor 92 is driven and the magnet 96 is rotated, a rotational force is applied to the impeller 102 through the bottom surface 98 due to the attractive magnetic force between the magnet 96 and the magnetic body 104. The rotational center of the impeller 102 is communicated with the inlet vibe 80 through the opening 103, and the outer circumference of the impeller 102 is communicated with the outlet pipe 82. Therefore, the rotation of the impeller 102 causes the developer to flow in from the inlet pipe 80 and flow out from the outlet pipe 82, thereby making it possible to agitate the developer in the developer tank 28.

The inner cover 88 in this embodiment is made of ceramic, and the heater member 106 is embedded inside the inner force bar 88. Therefore, the developer is heated while passing through the magnet pump 78, and is heated again to the developer tank 28.
This will lead to.

Note that the heater member 106 may be arranged along the outer periphery of the inner cover 88. A thermistor 108 is inserted from the outer periphery of the magnet pump 78 through an outer cover 86 and an inner cover 88 . The thermistor 108 measures the temperature of the developer flowing into the inlet pipe 80, controls the state of energization of the heater member 106, and maintains the developer at a predetermined temperature.

This configuration is the same in the fixing tank 30 as well.

(Structure of Replenishment Tank for Replenisher) As shown in FIG. 3, a plate-shaped bracket portion 110 serving as a replenishment tank is integrally formed on the side surface near the upper opening of the developer tank 28. The central portion of the bracket portion 110 projects upward in FIG. 3, and its upper end surface 112 is used as a placement portion for a replenishment bottle 114. In addition, refill bottle 1
14, the up and down directions are reversed, and the receiver (not shown) is placed on a stand. An electromagnet 118 is attached to the space 116 inside the protruding portion of the bracket portion 110 . Further, the upper end surface 112 has radial slit grooves 120.
is formed.

The replenishment bottle 114 contains a main developer liquid, and by replenishing the main developer liquid to the developer tank 28, a decrease in the developing ability is prevented. A male thread 124 is formed on the outer periphery of the refill port 122 of the refill bottle 114, and a cylindrical adapter 126 is screwed into the refill port 122 of the refill bottle 114. A bottom plate 128 is formed to close the tip end and the bottom of the adapter 126, and a through hole 130 is formed in the axial center of the bottom plate 128. A support plate 132 parallel to the bottom plate 128 is provided at the axial center of the inner peripheral surface of the adapter 126, and an opening 132A is formed at the axial center. A disc-shaped lid 134 is provided between the bottom plate 128 and the support plate 132, and a compression coil spring 136 is provided between the lid 134 and the bottom plate 128. Therefore, the lid body 134 is held in contact with the support plate 132 by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 136, and prevents the replenisher from flowing out from the replenishment port 122. Note that a gasket 138 is attached to the top surface of the lid 134 to prevent liquid leakage. In addition, the lid body 134 includes
A magnetic body 140 is fixed.

Here, when the electromagnet 118 is excited, it attracts the magnetic body 140 against the urging force of the compression coil spring 136.

Therefore, the lid body 134 is moved toward the bottom plate 128, and the refill port 122 of the refill bottle 114 and the through hole 130 are communicated with each other, and the replenisher is supplied from the through hole 130 to the upper end surface 112.
It will flow out through the slit groove 120.

The replenisher that has flowed out is temporarily retained in the dish-shaped bracket portion 110, and the overflowing replenisher flows from here to the developer tank 28.

(Configuration of Rack 34) Rack 34 having the same structure is provided in each type (developing tank 28, fixing tank 30, and washing tank 32). As described above, the rack 34 has the role of holding the photosensitive material 14 between the rollers 36 and conveying it along a predetermined conveyance path.

As shown in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C), the rack 34 has a synthetic resin box-like integral structure.

Opposing walls on the short sides of the rack 34 are formed into a pair of side plates 142, which support both ends of the rollers 36, respectively. The roller 36 has a synthetic resin surface;
A metal rotating shaft 144 protrudes from both ends. Three rectangular through holes 146 are provided in each side plate portion 142, and bearings 148 are attached to the three rectangular through holes 146. The two upper through holes 146 are rectangular long in the horizontal direction, and the lower one is rectangular.
Each piece has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction. Bearing 14
8 is a synthetic resin mold with a circular hole 150 and a long hole 152, respectively.
is provided. A rotating shaft 144 of the roller 36 is supported in the circular hole 150 and the long hole 152, respectively. In the middle part of the elongated hole 152, there is a tongue piece 1 that protrudes in the width direction of the elongated hole.
54 is formed and is in contact with the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 144. This tongue piece 154 has elastic force, and the rotation shaft 14
4 to one end of the elongated hole i52 (the end near the circular hole 150). That is, the elastic force of the tongue piece 154 applies a nip force to the pair of rollers 36.

The two side plate parts 142 are supported in parallel by the stay part 156. The stem portion 156 is composed of a pair of upper stem portions 158 and a lower stem portion 160 which are the bottom of the rack 34 and are parallel to each other. Upper stage part 15
The cross-sectional shape of 8 is an abbreviated shape to ensure a predetermined strength.

A roller 36 is inserted inside this L-shaped upper stay part 158. Further, the lower stay portion 160 may also have a substantially oval cross-sectional shape so that the roller 36 enters inside.

Here, the width dimension W1 of the lower stay portion 160 is the width of the rack 34.
The rack 34 as a whole has an inverted triangular shape. Lower stage part 1
60 is supported by the side plate 142 in a horizontal state, and a rectangular hole 160A is formed in the widthwise central portion extending in the longitudinal direction.

A rectangular protrusion 162 is formed at the upper end of the side plate 142, so that the upper end of the rack 34 has an uneven shape. This uneven shape serves as a positioning portion that determines the position with respect to the crossover rack 38. In addition, the protrusion 162 is provided with a long hole 164, so that
The protrusion 162 also serves as a handle when carrying the rack 34.

A spur gear 16 is attached to the base of the rotating shaft 144 at one end of the roller 36.
6 is fixed. This spur gear 166 is connected to the side plate portion 14
It is placed inside 2. These spur gears 166 are
The pairs mesh with each other, and one spur gear 16 of each
6 meshes with a large diameter spur gear 168. Therefore, by rotating the large diameter spur gear 168, each spur gear 166 is rotated at a constant speed.

A rotating shaft 170 of the large-diameter spur gear 168 passes through the side plate portion 142 and projects to the outside of the rack 34, and a small-diameter spur gear 172 is attached to the tip thereof. This spur gear 172 has a rotating shaft 174 in a substantially vertical direction (Fig.
) is meshed with a worm gear 176 which is oriented vertically). The lower end of the rotating shaft 174 of the worm gear 176 is rotatably supported in a circular hole 180 provided in a bracket part 178 protruding from the side plate part 142, and the upper end has a drive which rotates by receiving the rotational force of a drive means (not shown). A gear 182 is attached.

Further, an axially intermediate portion of the rotating shaft 174 above the worm gear 176 passes through a notch 186 of the water surface cover 184 protruding from the side plate portion 142. This water surface cover 184 is placed in the developing tank 28 of the rack 34.
It is arranged on the surface of the developer.

The water surface cover 184 protrudes from the side plate portion 142 toward the inner circumferential side wall surface of the developer tank 28 , and the tip end in the projecting direction is positioned at a position where it is substantially in contact with the side surface of the developer tank 28 . Furthermore, this water surface cover 184 also protrudes from the side plate portion 142 on the opposite side, and prevents the surface of the developer solution located outside the rack 34 from coming into contact with the air.

A plurality of guide plates 188 are provided between the upper stay part 158 and the lower stay part 160, respectively. That is, the guide plate 188 is arranged between the upper roller 36 and the lower roller 36. The thickness direction of the guide plates 188 is the longitudinal direction of the upper stay portion 158 and the lower stay portion 160, and the guide plates 188 are arranged in parallel to each other at predetermined intervals. The opposing surfaces of the guide plates 188 are each bent into an arc shape, and serve as guide surfaces 188 when the photosensitive material 14 is transported.
It is considered to be A. Therefore, the leading end of the photosensitive material 14, which is held between the upper rollers 36 and moves downward, is guided by the guide surface 18.
8A, is held between the rollers 36 at the bottom, is turned over, and then is guided by the guide surface 188 again to the rollers at the top.
A, the photosensitive material 14 forms a substantially U-shaped transport path.

The outward facing surface of the guide plate 188 is connected to the side plate portion 14.
The rack 34 is sloped along the inverted triangular shape of 2, so that the rack 34 can be punched out in the vertical direction. Further, the guide plate 188 not only has the role of guiding the photosensitive material 14 but also has the role of reinforcing the stay portion 156. Thereby, even if the rack 34 is made of synthetic resin, its strength can be ensured sufficiently.

In addition, the side plate part 142, the stay part 156, the guide plate 188
Each has a wall thickness of approximately 5 mm.

(Configuration of Crossover Rack 38) A crossover rack 38 is provided above the various types (developing tank 28, fixing tank 30, and washing tank 32). As described above, the cross-balance 38 holds the photosensitive material 14 between the rollers 40 and 42 and transfers it to the adjacent processing tanks (from the developer tank 28 to the fixing tank 30, and from the fixing tank 30 to the washing tank 32).
) has the role of transporting.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the crawler rack 38 has an integral structure made of synthetic resin.

The pair of side plates 190 are attached to both ends of the ceiling plate 192 in the width direction, and are parallel to each other. Side plate B1
Four tongue pieces 194 are protruded downward from each of the lower end portions 90 (the surfaces facing the rack 34). Each of the tongues 194 is provided with two circular holes 196 in a vertical row, in which a rotation shaft 198 of a roller I8.40.42.50 is supported. Further, a spacer 197 is attached to the opposite side in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 198 to which the spur gear 200 is attached, so as to restrict the movement of the rotating shaft 198 in the axial direction. The roller 18 at one end in the longitudinal direction of the side plate portion 190 is configured to nip the photosensitive material 14 inserted from the insertion opening 16 and guide it to the developer tank 28 . Further, the roller 50 at the other end clamps the photosensitive material 14 discharged from the washing tank 32 and transfers it to the drying section 44.
It is a part (lowest part) of the roller 50 that guides the user to the center.

Further, rollers 40 and 42 in the intermediate portion are respectively connected to the developing tank 2.
The receiver transfers the photosensitive material 14 from the developing tank 28 to the fixing tank 30 and from the fixing tank 30 to the washing tank 32 while holding the photosensitive material 14 discharged from the fixing tank 8 and the fixing tank 30.

Spur gears 200 are attached to one axial end of the rotating shaft 198 of the rollers 18, 40, 42, 50, respectively.
The rollers 3 of the rack 34 are driven by a drive means (not shown).
It is rotating at the same speed as 6.

A projection 202 is formed near the tongue 194 so as to sandwich the tongue 194, and a recess 204 is formed between the projections 202. This recess 204 corresponds to the protrusion 162 of the rack 34, and when the crossover rack 38 is placed on the rack 34, the protrusion n162 and the recess 204 are fitted and positioned.

The surface of the ceiling plate 192 facing the rack 34 is connected to the roller 1
8.40, 42.50, and is bent into a substantially circular arc shape coaxial with the guide surface 206 for the photosensitive material 14. A plurality of ribs 208 protrude from the guide surface 206, and the tips of the ribs 208 form a guide surface coaxial with the roller and are in direct contact with the photosensitive material 14. The contact surface between the material 14 and the guide surface 206 is reduced.

Further, the portion of the ceiling portion 192 that is not used as the guide surface 206 is used as a part of the water surface cover 207, which is arranged on the surface of the base liquid when the developing tank 28, fixing tank 30, and washing tank 32 are arranged. There is. This prevents the base liquid inside the rack 34 from coming into contact with air.

(Structure of Drying Section 44) As shown in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B), the drying section 44 is constructed by overlapping two subassemblies 210 of the same shape. Note that FIG. 6(A) shows only one subassembly 210.

The subassembly 210 includes a frame 212 and one chamber 52. Convex portions 214 and concave portions 216, each having a constant width dimension, are alternately formed in the frame 212 from one end in the width direction to the other end. Here, the convex portions 214 and the concave portions 216 begin with a convex shape at one end in the width direction of the frame 212 and end with a concave shape at the other end, and the number of concave portions and convex portions are the same.

A long hole 218 that is long in the vertical direction is formed in the convex portion 214, and a rotating shaft 222 of the roller pair 54 is supported via a bearing (not shown). , a spur gear 224 is attached, and these mesh with a drive gear driven by the driving force of a drive means (not shown).A spacer is provided on the axially opposite side of the rotating shaft 222 to which the spur gear 224 is attached. 53 is attached to restrict the movement of the rotating shaft 222 in the axial direction.

Further, the convex portion 214 is provided with a plurality of circular holes 226,
Furthermore, a notch 228 is formed in a part of the frame 212, and this notch 2
28 also acts as a hot air escape hole.

A guide rail 230 is provided on the inside of the long side of the frame 212.
is formed and a chamber 52 is attached. The bottom of the chamber 52 is inclined, and the opening area gradually becomes narrower from the side into which warm air flows (the side of arrow A shown in FIG. 6(A)) to the bottom. Furthermore, a plurality of slit holes 232 parallel to the axial direction of the roller pair 54 are formed in the surface of the chamber 52 facing the roller pair 54 . Therefore, by blowing warm air into the chamber 521, the warm air is blown out from the slit hole 232 toward the roller pair 54. Here, each slit hole 23
Since the bottom surface is inclined, the pressure inside the chamber 52 is kept almost constant, and the hot air from the roller pair 54
The blowout flow rate can be made uniform over the arrangement direction (direction perpendicular to the axis).

The surface on which the slit holes 232 are provided is inclined in a sawtooth shape so as to gradually approach the roller pair 54 along the conveyance direction of the photosensitive material 14, and the rib 234 extends along the axial direction of the roller pair 54. It is formed.

When a pair of sub-assemblies 210 configured in this manner are prepared and assembled together in this manner, the recesses 214 and the projections 216 correspond to each other alternately. At this time, the roller pairs 54 provided in both subassemblies 210 are aligned in a straight line to form a conveyance path. Further, chambers 52 are formed on both sides of the pair of rollers 54, and hot air is blown onto the front and back surfaces of the photosensitive material 14 which is being held and conveyed by the pair of rollers 54. Further, since the surface of the chamber 52 facing the photosensitive material 14 is inclined in a sawtooth shape, it acts as a guide surface, and the ribs 134 prevent surface contact with the photosensitive material 14.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below.

(Processing Procedure for Photosensitive Material 14) When the photosensitive material 14 is inserted from the insertion opening 16 in a substantially horizontal state, it is held between the rollers 18 at one end of the crossover rack 38. By driving this roller 18, the photosensitive material 14 is conveyed, bent downward by the guide surface 204, and conveyed toward the developing tank 28. When the leading end of the photosensitive material 14 reaches a roller 36 above a rack 34 disposed in the developer tank 28, the photosensitive material 14 is held between the rollers 36 and conveyed toward the bottom of the developer tank 28.

The photosensitive material 14 that has passed through the roller 36 is transferred to the guide plate 1
It is guided by the guide surface 88 and held between the lower rollers 36. By being held between the rollers 36, the photosensitive material 1
4 is inverted and guided by the guide surface of the guide plate 188,
It is held between the upper rollers 36 and discharged from the developer surface of the developer tank 28 .

The photosensitive material 14 discharged from the developing tank 28 is guided by the guide surface 204 of the crossover rack 38 to a substantially horizontal state, is conveyed while being nipped by a roller 40 provided in the middle, and further is moved downward by the guide surface 204. and is conveyed toward the fixing tank 30.

In the fixing tank 30, similarly to the developing tank 28, the fixing tank 30 is transported in a substantially U-shape by rollers 36 and a guide 188 plate provided on the rack 34, and then in the washing tank 32, it is transported in the same manner to cross over. It is held between rollers 50 provided at the other end of the barrack 38.

The photosensitive material 14 held by the rollers 50 is successively held by the rollers 50 that extend to the drying section 44, passes through the communication port 48, and reaches the drying section 44.

Warm air is blown into the chamber 52 of the drying section 44, and the warm air is blown out from the slit hole 232. Due to the shape of the opening of the chamber 52 that gradually narrows toward the bottom, the flow rate of the hot air blown out from the plurality of slit holes 232 is kept almost constant. As a result, the photosensitive material 14, which is held between the pair of rollers 54 and conveyed in a substantially horizontal state, is uniformly blown with hot air and is evenly dried. Photosensitive material 14 subjected to drying treatment
is discharged from the discharge port 58 and placed on a tray 60 adjacent to the drying section 44. With the above steps, processing of the photosensitive material is completed.

(Agitation and temperature control action by magnetic pump 96) In this embodiment, since the developer is constantly stirred by the magnetic pump 96 provided in the developer tank 28, uneven development does not occur and proper development processing is performed. will be done. Further, since the fixing tank 30 is similarly stirred, proper fixing processing is performed. Here, the magnet pump 96 of this embodiment has an inner cover 88 made of ceramic and a heater member 106 embedded therein, and the developer (fixer) flowing in from the inlet pipe 80 during stirring by the magnet pump 96. It can be heated. This heating control is performed by measuring the temperature of the developer with a thermistor 108 provided in the magnet pump 96, and changing the energization state of the heater member 106 by comparing this measured value with a predetermined value. As a result, the developer flowing out from the outlet pipe 82 is returned to the developer tank 28 at an appropriate temperature, so that the optimal temperature can always be maintained in the developer tank 28.

In addition, since the developer is heated during circulation for stirring, there is no need to separately install a heater or the like in the developer tank, and it is only necessary to install the magnet pump 96.
Ease of assembly is also improved. Further, since the heater member 106 is embedded in the inner cover 88 made of ceramic, it is compact, and the device itself can be downsized.

(Functions related to Replenishment of Replenisher) The developer tank 28 is always replenished with developer from the developer replenishment tank 62, and the overflow part 70 sends the developer at a predetermined water depth or more back to the developer replenishment tank 62. However, the amount of development processing may increase or the main developing solution may become insufficient due to deterioration over time. Here, in this embodiment, the replenisher containing the main developing solution can be replenished at a desired time.

That is, the adapter 126 is screwed into the replenishment port 122 of the replenishment bottle 114 filled with replenishment liquid, and the adapter 126 is turned upside down and placed in a predetermined position (with the adapter 126 facing down). As a result, the tip end surface of the adapter 126 is connected to the bracket part 1.
It is held in contact with the upper end surface 112 of 10.

In the adapter 126, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 136 biases the lid 134 in the direction of contacting the support plate 132. Since a gasket 138 is attached to the lid body 134, the gasket 138 is brought into close contact with the support plate 132 to prevent the replenisher from flowing out from the replenishment port 122.

If replenishment of the replenishing fluid becomes necessary in this state, the electromagnet 118 disposed in the inner space B116 is energized, and as a result, the electromagnet 118 is in an energized state, and the lid body 134 is energized.
The magnetic material 140 buried in the magnetic material 140 is attracted. Due to this suction force, the lid body 134 is moved toward the bottom plate 128 against the urging force of the compression coil spring 136. When the lid body 134 is moved, the replenisher fluid flows out from the refill port 122 and reaches the through hole 130 at the tip of the adapter 126. Here, since radial slit grooves 120 are formed on the surface of the upper end surface 112, the through holes 130 and the slit grooves 120
The replenisher is retained in the dish-shaped bracket portion 110 via the replenisher. When the retained replenisher overflows, the overflowing replenisher flows into the developer tank 28. Thereby, the replenisher can be replenished. When replenishment of a predetermined amount of replenishing fluid is completed, power supply to the electromagnet 118 is stopped. As a result, the lid body 134 is again brought into contact with the support plate 132 by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 136, and the replenisher is prevented from flowing out from the replenishment port 122.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the replenisher can be guided to the developer tank 28 without using a communication member such as a vibrator, so maintenance is easy and the apparatus is compact. Furthermore, since the replenishment bottle 114 can be replaced by simply attaching the adapter 126, work such as connection with a vibrator and sealing process can be omitted, improving work efficiency.

(Modified Example of Replenishment Tank Configuration) In this embodiment, a hair adapter 126 is attached to the replenishment bottle 114 in order to replenish the replenisher, but as shown in FIG. 7, the same effect can be obtained by using a solenoid valve 236. The configuration will be explained in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 7, the opening end of the developer tank 28 is formed with a rib 238 bent in a substantially horizontal state. A bottom portion 242 of a replenishment tank 240 is arranged on the same plane as this rib 238 at a predetermined interval. This rib 238
A part of the tip of the electromagnetic valve 236 is fixed to the lower end surface of the bottom 242 of the replenishing tank 240 via a packing 244.

The solenoid valve 236 is provided with inlet and outlet holes 246 and 248, between which the partition wall 2
50 is attached via a packing 252. Hole 2
46 and the hole 248 form a communication path 254 inside the solenoid valve 236.
The valve body 256 is disposed in the middle thereof.

The valve body 256 is attached to the tip of the actuator 258 of the electromagnet 236, and when the electromagnet 236 is energized, the communication path 254 is opened, and when the energization is stopped, the compression coil spring attached to the actuator 258 is opened. The valve body 256 is pushed up with a biasing force of 260 mm to close the communication passage 254.

With the above configuration, the replenisher can be guided from the replenisher tank 240 to the developer tank 28 by energizing the electromagnet 236. Note that it is preferable that the ribs 238 be inclined downward toward the developer tank 28 . According to this configuration,
There is no need to attach the replenishment bottle 114 hair adapter 126, and the number of parts can be reduced.

(Operations related to the rack 34) The rack 34 applied to this embodiment is an integrally molded synthetic resin product. In other words, the side plate portion 142 and the stem portion 156
Since the guide plate 188 is formed in a pre-assembled state, there is no need to form each part individually and assemble them, improving workability. Further, the rollers 36 are hung between the side plate parts 142, but when assembling the individual parts, alignment to support both ends of the rotating shaft of the rollers 36 is an important task. By performing integral molding in advance as in this embodiment, such alignment becomes unnecessary.

The upper stay portion 158 has an abbreviated cross-sectional shape,
Furthermore, since the upper stay part 158 and the lower stay part 160 are connected by the guide plate 188, sufficient strength is ensured. That is, since the guide plate 188 not only guides the conveyance of the photosensitive material 14 but also serves as the stay part 156, the external dimensions of the rack made with the conventional side plates and stays made of gold R can be almost the same. However, the strength of the synthetic resin rack 34 is high, and there is no need to change the design of other members such as the developer tank 28.

Further, the width of the lower stay portion 160 of the rack 34 is made narrower than the width of the upper opening of the rack 34, so that the rack 34
Since the overall shape is an inverted triangle, mold cutting can be performed in the vertical direction, improving workability during molding. In addition, guide plate 1
Since the 88 do not correspond to the photosensitive material 14 on the front side, but are arranged in a so-called comb-like shape, the stirring ability of the developer is improved, and problems such as uneven development do not occur.

In this way, by integrally molding the rack 34, it is possible to improve the assembly workability, assembly accuracy, weight reduction, maintainability, liquid agitation property, etc.

A water surface cover 184 is attached to the outside of the rack 34 and is placed above the surface of the developer between the outside of the rack 34 and the side surface of the developer tank 28 . This can prevent the developer from coming into contact with air and deteriorating. Regarding the liquid level inside the rack 34, when the crossover rack 38 is placed on the rack 34, its ceiling plate 192 is placed above the liquid level, so that almost the entire liquid level can be covered as a whole. I can do it. Since this liquid level cover 184 can be integrally molded with the side plate part 142, there is no need to add a floating lid afterwards (as in the conventional case), and by placing the rack 34 in the developer tank 28 etc., it can be installed at the same time. Can cover the liquid surface.

(Operations related to the crossover rack 38) The crossover rack 38 applied to this embodiment is an integrally molded synthetic resin product. That is, the side plate portion 142, the ceiling plate 192
Since the parts are assembled in advance, there is no need to form each part individually and assemble them, improving work efficiency.

Further, rollers 18, 40, 42.
50 is passed, but when assembling individual parts,
The alignment of the rollers 18, 40, 42, and 50 to support both ends of the rotating shaft 198 was an important task.
By performing integral molding in advance as in this embodiment, such alignment becomes unnecessary.

This crossover rack 38 has a crossover function from the developer tank 28 to the fixing tank 30 and from the fixing tank 30 to the washing tank 32.
8 and the drying section 44 from the washing tank 32.
A roller 50 is also provided to guide the user. Therefore, it is only necessary to place the racks 34 on each of the three racks 34, which improves work efficiency.

Furthermore, since the protrusion 162 provided on the rack 34 corresponds to the recess 204 provided on the crossover rack 38, positioning can be performed by fitting these together, and the rack after positioning is completed. 34 and the crossover rack 38 can create a sense of unity.

In the crossover rack 38 of this embodiment, the roller 18 near the insertion port 16, the crossover roller 40, 42
And for receiving the drying section 44, a passing roller 50 is attached.
All rollers 8.40 can be installed simply by placing them on the rack 34.
．． 42.50 positioning is possible, so assembly is easy.

Furthermore, since the entire crossover rack 38 can be removed and cleaned, maintainability is also improved.

(Operations related to the drying section 44) In this embodiment, the drying section 44 includes a pair of subassemblies 21
The chamber 52 and the conveyance path can be configured by simply tying together the 0s. The procedure for assembling the subassembly 210 is to first place the chamber 52 on the guide rail 230 of the frame 212.

Next, the roller pair 54 is pivotally supported in the elongated hole 218 of the frame body 212 via a bearing 220 and fixed with a spacer 53. This completes the subassembly 210. A pair of subassemblies 210 assembled in this manner are prepared,
By arranging the roller pairs 54 alternately, they are overlapped to form a conveyance path. The frame body 212 has a recess 2
14 and convex portions 216 are formed alternately, and one concave portion 214 and the other convex portion 216 and one convex portion 214 and the other convex portion 216 are combined to form both sub-assemblies.
Since the position of J210 is established, the assembly work becomes easy. In this way, in the assembled drying section 44, the pair of rollers 54 attached to both subassemblies 20 are arranged in a straight line, forming a conveyance path. Furthermore, chambers 52 are arranged on both sides of the transport path.

Warm air is sucked into the chamber 52, and this warm air passes through the roller pair 54 through the slit hole 232 provided in the chamber 52.
sprayed in the direction. Therefore, hot air can be blown onto the front and back surfaces of the photosensitive material 14 that is being conveyed while being held between the pair of rollers 54. Further, since the opening area of the chamber 52 gradually becomes narrower as it goes to the back, the pressure near the hot air suction side and the back side become almost constant, and the slit hole 23
The flow rate of the hot air blown out from 2 can be made uniform.

In addition, since the surface of the chamber 52 sandwiched between the roller pair 54 is serrated, it also acts as a guide surface for guiding the conveyance of the photosensitive material 14, ensuring that the photosensitive material 14 is transferred to the next pair of rollers. 54. Furthermore, since ribs 234 are formed on this guide surface, the photosensitive material 1
4 does not make surface contact with the guide surface.

According to this embodiment, the photosensitive material 14 is dried in the drying section 44.
Even if a paper jam occurs, the conveyance path is exposed simply by removing the upper subassembly 210, making it easy to repair the paper.

Moreover, since maintenance can be performed in the state of the subassembly 210, work efficiency is improved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the drying rack structure of an automatic processor according to the present invention has the excellent effect of reducing the number of parts and improving assembly workability and assembly accuracy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1st rI! J is a schematic configuration diagram of the automatic developing machine according to this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of a magnetic pump equipped with various types of stirring and temperature control functions, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of a replenishment tank. FIG. 4(A) is a perspective view of the processing rack according to this embodiment, and FIG. 4(B) is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4(A).
4(C) is a front view of the processing rack, FIG. 5(A) is an exploded perspective view of the crossover rack, FIG. 5(B) is a sectional view of the crossover rack, FIG. 6 (A
) is an exploded perspective view of the subassembly of the drying section, and Figure 6 (
B) is a sectional view of the drying section, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a modification of the structure of the replenishing tank. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Automatic developing device, 14... Photosensitive material, 18... Roller, 20... Processor part, 44... Drying part, 50... Roller, - Subassembly.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A frame body including a support plate on which a plurality of roller pairs for sandwiching and conveying a photosensitive material are pivotally supported, and a slit housed in the frame body and blowing warm air in the direction of the photosensitive material conveyance path;
a chamber having a photosensitive material conveyance guide member and whose opening area becomes narrower toward the downstream side in the direction of hot air blowing; and a roller incorporated in each subassembly when the subassemblies are stacked together. A drying rack structure for an automatic processor, characterized in that a pair of pairs form one photosensitive material transport path.