JPH04139449A - Method for correcting evaporation of processing liquid in automatic developing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow the automatic and exact correction of the liquid level position of a processing liquid by providing a liquid level gage in a processing tank where the evaporation rate is highest and replenishing water for correction to all the processing tanks from the information on the liquid level position detected by the liquid level detector and the data on the mutual relations between the evaporation rates of the processing liquids in the respective processing tanks previously and experimentally obtained so as to correct liquid level position. CONSTITUTION:The liquid detecting level gage 6 is provided in a developing tank 2 contg. a developer 2a having the highest evaporation rate in such a manner that the permissible threshold position of the liquid level in the developing tank 2a can be detected. This detecting gage is connected via an interface 9 to a CPU 10 disposed in an automatic developing machine 1 and the detection information of the liquid level position of the developer 2a is fed back thereto. The water 5a for correction of the volume determined for each of the respective tanks 2 to 4 is replenished by the control of the CPU 10 to respective valves 8, 8a, 8b and respective pumps 14, 14a, 14b. The respective processing liquids are automatically and exactly maintained in the liquid level position of the set development processing conditions.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for correcting a liquid level position where processing liquid evaporates and drops in an automatic developing machine for immersion processing photosensitive materials.

[Conventional technology]

An automatic processor for immersion processing photosensitive materials is generally equipped with a developing tank, a fixing tank, and a washing or stabilizing tank. The film is sequentially conveyed into the processing liquid of each tank by a transfer roller provided at the upper part of the circumference of each tank, and is subjected to predetermined development, fixing, washing, or stabilization processing.

Since each of the above-mentioned processing solutions is set at a relatively high temperature, it constantly evaporates, and as time passes, the liquid level decreases and the concentration increases. The processing conditions are satisfied so that the photosensitive material can be developed satisfactorily.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in order to maintain the liquid level position of each processing liquid under the specified development processing conditions, for example, it is necessary to periodically manually correct the liquid level so that it does not fall below the marked line indicating the limit of the liquid level marked in each processing tank. However, this operation is extremely inaccurate, which can have a negative effect on the image quality of the photosensitive material being processed, and is relatively frequent, making it a very troublesome operation.

Another method is to equip all processing tanks with liquid level detectors to monitor the liquid level position and replenish correction water when the processing liquid level reaches the limit position. Since a meter is provided, the cost is inevitably high.

An object of the present invention is to solve these problems and to provide an inexpensive method for correcting the evaporation of the processing liquid in an automatic processor, which automatically and accurately corrects the liquid level position of the processing liquid that decreases due to evaporation. do.

[Means to solve the problem]

The purpose of this is to correct the liquid level position where the processing liquid in each processing tank evaporates and drops in the processing tank with the largest amount of evaporation in an automatic developing machine that has multiple processing tanks and processes photosensitive materials by immersion processing. A liquid level detector is installed in the tank, and the information on the liquid level detected by the liquid level detector and the correlation data of the amount of evaporation of the treated liquid in each treatment tank, which has been experimentally determined and set in advance, are used to determine the level of all treatment tanks. This is achieved by a method for correcting evaporation of processing liquid in a self-study developing machine, in which the liquid level position is corrected by replenishing correction water.

〔Example〕

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, a side view showing the configuration of a correction means for correcting the liquid level position of the processing liquid in an automatic processor, and in FIG. 2, a graph showing the state of the amount of processing liquid evaporated in each processing tank. This is explained by However, the present invention is not limited to this example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic developing machine 1 includes developing tanks 2, 2, and 2 in the order in which the photosensitive material 15 is immersed. A fixing tank 3 and a washing or stabilizing tank 4 (hereinafter simply referred to as a stabilizing tank) are provided.

The strip-shaped photosensitive material 15 that has been subjected to a predetermined image exposure is conveyed to a transport roller 12 provided in each of the above-mentioned 2.3.4.
The group and each species 2.3,411! The transfer roller 13 provided at the top of the transfer roller 13 transports the film in the direction shown by the arrow along a predetermined transport path, and the processing liquids 2a, 3a, and 4a in the above-mentioned various types 2.3.4 perform development processing, fixing processing, and stabilization. oxidation treatment is applied. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the processing solutions 2a, 3a, 4 in the automatic processor 1.
The correction means for the liquid level position lowered by evaporation of a was constructed as follows. The graph shown in Fig. 2 is based on the experimental results of the evaporation of each of the processing liquids 2a, 3a, and 4a that actually occur within the 2°3.4 range as a basis for configuring this correction means. The time T is plotted on the horizontal axis and the evaporation amount L is plotted on the vertical axis.
The table shows the trend characteristics of the evaporation amount of a and 4a. That is, as is clear from the figure, the amount of evaporation of each of the processing liquids 2a, 3a, and 4a on the time axis T is as follows: the developer 2a has the largest amount, followed by the fixer 3a, and the stabilizing liquid 4a has the smallest amount. The trends are each formed by a straight line with a constant ratio.

Therefore, in the figure, the amount of evaporation of the developer 2a at a predetermined time T1! 2. The amount of evaporation of the fixer 3a! 3. The amount of evaporation of the stabilizing liquid 4a! , then the ratio of evaporation amounts for each type is zt:is:1s--(1).

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the structure of the correcting means for the evaporation amount of each of the processing liquids 2a, 3a, and 4a, that is, the decreasing liquid level position, is as shown in FIG. A liquid level detector 6 is installed inside the automatic developing machine 1 so as to detect the permissible limit position of the liquid level of the developing liquid 2a. The detection information of the liquid level position is fed back.

Then, the correction water tank 5 provided near the various types 2.3.4 and the developer tank 2 are connected by a pipe 7, and similarly the fixing tank 3 is connected to the stabilizing tank 4 by a pipe 7a. are connected to each other by a pipe 7b. A valve 8 for opening and closing the discharge port of the pipe 7 and a pump 14 for pumping up the correction water 5a in the correction water tank 5 are provided in the middle of the pipe 7. Similarly, a valve 8 is provided for the pipe 7a.
A and a pump 14a are provided, and the pipe 7b is provided with a valve 8b and a pump 14b. and each of the valves 8.8a, 8b and each of the pumps 1414a,
14b are respectively connected to the CPU10 and
The amount of correction water 5a determined for each type of water 2.3.4 is replenished by the control of l0.

If the amount of evaporation detected by the liquid level sensor 6 of the developer tank 2 is fsz, then the amount of evaporation in the developer tank 2 is V.
, the amount of evaporation in the fixing tank 3 v1. The amount of evaporation V in the stabilization tank 4 is determined by the equation (1) above. Then, the correction water 5 is added to the various types 2, 3.4.
Let Vt be the discharge amount per unit time to each of the two developer tank pumps 14, the fixer tank pump 14a, and the stabilizing phase detection pump 14b before supplying a, and the operation of the developer tank pump 14 with respect to the amount of evaporation. T the time! , when the operating time of the fixing tank pump 14a is ts, and the operating time of the stabilizing phase detection pump 14b is t, the following relational expression holds true.

That is, however, the discharge diameter of each of the pumps 14.14a and 14b is the same. The above relational expressions (1), (2), and (3) make it possible to correct the amount of evaporation. And each of the processing liquids 2a,
The evaporation amount of 3a and 4a is 7 g, 1 s.

14 ratio and 1s detected by the liquid level detector 6.
t and pump discharge amount Vt, etc., are determined by the CPU.
It is stored as a table value in the ROM of l0 and RAM l0a, and can be read out at any time.

Then, from the above-mentioned relational expressions (1), (2), and (3) experimentally determined based on the amount of evaporation detected by the liquid level detector 6 provided in the developer tank 2, the CPU
The data on the correlation between evaporation amounts stored in the ROM and RAM 10a connected to l0 is retrieved from time to time and the CPU
Each pump 14.14a, 1 by control of l0
4b is activated for a predetermined period of time, and the above-mentioned various types 2, 3.4
The correction water 5a is replenished and the liquid level positions of the processing liquids 2a, 3a, and 4a are corrected so as to satisfy the set development processing conditions.

In addition, in order to reduce costs, the pump may be installed in the I position to reduce the discharge amount of the correction water 5a to be supplied to the various pipes 7.7a, 7b or the valves 8.8 and 2.3.4.
By adjusting the diameter of the discharge surfaces of a and 8b, the above (1
) It is also possible to set the evaporation amount f*, /s, fa by changing the ratio of the equation.

Then, the keyboard 1 connected to the CPUl0
1, it is possible to input required data at any time and set a number of conditions necessary for the liquid level position, so it is possible to correct the liquid level position using the most suitable data. In this way, the liquid level gauge 6 is installed in the treatment tank with the highest amount of evaporation, and the various types 2 and 3.4 are determined based on the detected information and data on the interrelationship of evaporation amount determined experimentally in advance. Since the correction water 5a is automatically and accurately replenished and the set developing conditions are always satisfied, the photosensitive material 15 can be developed properly.

〔Effect of the invention〕

By the method of correcting evaporation of processing liquid in an automatic processing machine of the present invention, each processing liquid is automatically and accurately maintained at the liquid level position corresponding to the set development processing conditions, so that good processing of light-sensitive materials is carried out and extremely It was possible to construct an inexpensive correction means.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a correction means for correcting the liquid level position of a processing liquid in an automatic processor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Second
The figure is a graph showing the amount of processing liquid evaporated in each processing tank. l...Automatic developing machine 2...Developer tank 2a...
-Developing solution 3...Fixer tank 3a...Fixer solution, 4...Water washing or stabilization tank 4a...Water washing or stabilizing solution 5...Correction water tank 5a...Correction water 6...・Liquid level detector 7, 7a, 7b・=
Pipes 8, 8a, 8b - Valve lO...
CPU

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an automatic processor that has multiple processing tanks and performs immersion processing on photosensitive materials, correction of the liquid level position where the processing liquid in each processing tank evaporates and lowers is performed by setting the liquid level to the processing tank with the largest amount of evaporation. A detection meter is installed, and correction water is applied to all treatment tanks based on information on the liquid level position detected by the liquid level detector and correlation data between the amount of evaporation of the treatment liquid in each treatment tank, which has been experimentally determined and set in advance. A method for correcting evaporation of processing liquid in an automatic processing machine by replenishing and correcting the liquid level position.