JPH04151148A - Photosensitive material processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the speedy repair and inspection of the processing device by providing a pressure regulating means which reduces negative pressure pro duced in each processing chamber at the time of the separation of a rack. CONSTITUTION:The pressure regulating means 6 which reduces negative pressure produced in each processing chamber at the time of the separation of the rack is provided to the rack 3. Consequently, even when shielding ability for liquid flows in passages 71 - 76 is improved, the pressure regulating means 63 regulates the pressure in processing chambers 6A - 6E at the time of the separation of the rack 3 from a processing tank 2, so the difference between the pressure in the processing chambers 6A - 6E and external pressure is eliminated and the rack can easily be separated. For example, when the rack 3 consists of a partition wall 20 which partitions the inside of the processing tank 2 into the processing chambers 6A - 6E, the partition wall 20 positioned among the processing chambers 6A - 6E where pressure differences are generated is provided with a valve 63 and when the rack 3 is separated, pressure regulation is performed among the processing chambers 6A - 6E through the valve 63 to facilitate the separation of the rack 3. Consequently, the repair and remedy are speeded up.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus for processing a silver halide photosensitive material (hereinafter simply referred to as a photosensitive material or photosensitive material).

<Prior art> Black and white photosensitive materials are processed through steps such as black and white development, fixing, and water washing after exposure, while color photosensitive materials are processed through steps such as color development and water washing after exposure.
It is processed through processes such as desilvering, water washing, and stabilization.

Black and white developer for black and white development, constant @ solution for fixing, color developer for color development, bleach solution, bleach-fix solution, fixer for desilvering, tap water or ion exchange water for washing. , a stabilizing solution is used for the stabilization treatment.

The temperature of each processing solution is usually adjusted to 30 to 40°C, and the photosensitive material is immersed in these processing solutions to be processed.

Such processing is usually performed by a processing device such as an automatic processor.

In such cases, in recent years there has been a demand for environmental conservation and resource saving, and it is desired to reduce the amount of each processing liquid used.

On the other hand, with the development of small-scale processing systems called minilabs, photosensitive materials are now being processed at stores such as photo shops, and there is a desire for smaller equipment.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present applicant first proposed a method that includes a plurality of processing chambers connected by narrow passages, and allows the photosensitive material to pass sequentially through each processing chamber and come into contact with the processing liquid in each processing chamber. We have proposed a photosensitive material processing apparatus that processes photosensitive materials (Patent Application No. 1-251).
No. 32, No. 1-27034, No. 1-90422, No. 1-248950, No. 2-54641, No. 2-15
No. 5667, Japanese Patent Application No. 2-223766, etc.).

These devices have the advantage that the apparatus can be made smaller and the processing efficiency is improved, so that the amount of processing liquid used can be reduced.

In this way, processing efficiency is improved because each processing chamber is connected by a narrow passage, so there is less mixing of processing liquids between each processing chamber (according to the supply direction of processing liquid, each processing This is because a gradient is formed in the composition or concentration of the processing solution in the room, and this gradient is maintained.

Furthermore, the present inventors have investigated the liquid composition between each of the processing chambers and 1.
! ! In order to ensure a 4 degree slope and further improve processing efficiency, we have proposed a system in which a blade that blocks the liquid flow between processing chambers is installed in the passage (Oganko 2-15566).
No. 7) As the material of the first layer, an elastic material such as a soft resin is used.

On the other hand, some of the processing apparatuses described above are of a type in which the plurality of processing chambers are formed by storing racks in processing tanks. In this type, a sealing member or the like is inserted between the rack components that partition each processing chamber and the inner wall of the processing tank, and the storage of the rack prevents the flow of processing liquid between each processing chamber as much as possible. configured to be able to do so.

This configuration, combined with the installation of blades, improves the liquid tightness of the processing chamber and ensures the liquid composition and concentration gradient between each processing chamber, thereby further improving processing efficiency. preferable.

However, due to the good liquid-tightness, when the rack is removed from the processing tank, air does not enter the processing chamber, causing problems such as difficulty in removing the rack. For this reason, maintenance such as repair of processing equipment due to detachment of racks becomes difficult (
<<When troubles such as jamming of photosensitive materials occur, there are deficiencies such as not being able to take out the rank immediately and perform repair work quickly.

In addition, the negative pressure generated in the processing chamber when the rack is removed may cause a failure in the processing liquid circulation system installed in each processing chamber, and the friction caused when the rack is removed may accelerate the deterioration of the seal parts. There is.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> An object of the present invention is to prevent the generation of negative pressure in the processing chamber when the rack is removed from the processing tank, to facilitate the removal of the rack,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a photosensitive material processing device that allows quick repair and inspection of the processing device.

Means for Solving the Problems> Such objects are achieved by the following inventions (1) to (4).

(1) It has a processing tank, a rack that is removably housed in the processing tank and forms a plurality of processing chambers, and a narrow passage provided in the rack that connects the processing chambers. , the processing chamber and the narrow passageway are filled with a processing liquid, and the narrow passageway is further provided with a blade that substantially blocks the flow of the processing liquid within the passageway, the processing apparatus comprising: A photosensitive material processing apparatus in which a rack is provided with pressure regulating means for relieving the negative pressure generated in each processing chamber when the rack is removed.

(2) The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to (1) above, wherein the pressure adjusting means is a valve body that communicates the processing chambers in which a pressure difference occurs when the rack is removed.

(3) The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to (1) above, wherein the pressure adjusting means is a communication tube that can be opened and closed and communicates with each processing chamber.

(4) The rack is provided with a partition wall whose end face is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the processing tank, the partition wall substantially blocks the flow of processing liquid between the processing chambers, and the partition wall is provided with the pressure regulating means. A photosensitive material processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to 3).

<Function> In the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of processing chambers are formed by housing a rack in a processing tank, and the processing chambers are successively connected by a narrow passage. In between, the liquid composition gradient (
density gradient) is maintained, thus improving the processing efficiency of the photosensitive material.

At this time, since blades, preferably at least a pair of opposing blades, are installed in the passage, the liquid composition gradient of the processing liquid in each processing chamber is dramatically maintained over a long period of time.

In other words, when the photosensitive material passes through, the blade comes into contact with both sides of the photosensitive material, creating an effect of wiping off the liquid adhering to the photosensitive material (referred to as squeezing effect), and moving the photosensitive material from the previous processing chamber to the subsequent processing chamber. The amount of liquid brought into the tank is small.

Furthermore, even when the photosensitive material is passing through, the liquid flow only occurs through a minute gap (approximately the thickness of the photosensitive material) between the blades that occurs at the side edge of the photosensitive material, so the ability of the blades to block the liquid flow is insufficient. There is no need for liquid flow that exceeds the replenishment amount of processing liquid.

When the photosensitive material is not passing through, the opposing blades are in close contact with each other, so there is almost no liquid flow in the passage.

In this way, even if the barrier to liquid flow in the passage is improved,
When the rack is removed from the processing tank, the pressure inside the processing chamber is adjusted by the pressure regulating means, so there is no difference between the pressure inside each processing chamber and the external pressure, and the rack can be easily removed. .

For example, when a rack is configured with a partition wall that divides the inside of a processing tank into a plurality of processing chambers, a valve body is provided on the partition wall located between the processing chambers where a pressure difference occurs, and when the rack is removed, the valve If the pressure between each processing chamber is adjusted by the body, the rack can be easily removed.

Furthermore, when a communication pipe is provided that communicates with each processing chamber, opening the communication pipe equalizes the pressure in each processing chamber, making it easy to remove the rack.

<Example> Hereinafter, the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a configuration example when the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to a water washing processing apparatus, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. The figure shows I in Figure 1.
It is a sectional view taken along the line II-III. As shown in these figures, the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 of the present invention has a vertically long processing tank 2 having a predetermined volume. Inside this processing tank 2,
A rack 3 is removably loaded. This rack 3 is
It has side plates 31 and 32, and several block-shaped members (hereinafter referred to as block bodies) 4 are installed between these side plates.

These block bodies 4 are made of, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyphenylene oxide (PPO), A
It is made of hard materials such as plastics such as BS resin, phenol resin, polyester resin, and polyurethane resin, ceramics such as alumina, or various metals such as stainless steel, titanium, and Hastelloy. In particular, it is preferably made of plastic such as polypropylene, PPO, ABS resin, etc. because it has excellent moldability, is lightweight, and has sufficient strength.

In the illustrated example, the block body 4 is a solid member, but it is also a hollow member (manufactured by blow molding, for example).
It may also be configured as

Such a block body 4 provides five processing chambers 6A, 6B, and 6C1, which are spaces for washing the photosensitive material S.
6D and 6E are formed.

Each of these processing chambers 6A to 6E is filled with washing water W.

In the illustrated configuration, the volume per processing chamber is 20~
It may be about 3000 mj.

In addition, vertically adjacent processing chambers 6A and 6B, 6B and 6C1
Narrow passages 71, 72, 73 and 74 are formed between 6C and 6D and between 6D and 6E to connect both processing chambers.

Further, similar passages 75 and 76 are formed in the upper portions of the processing chambers 6A and 6E, respectively, for carrying in and carrying out the photosensitive material S. The width of these passages 71 to 76 (effective slit width) is 5 to 40 times the thickness of the photosensitive material S.
It is preferable to set it to about 0.5 to 5 mm, which is about double that.

By setting the width as shown in FIG. 2, the photosensitive material S can be conveyed without any trouble.

In addition, in the illustrated configuration, the length of the passage between the processing chambers is 1
The length is preferably about 0 to 200 mm, preferably about 20 to 60 mm.

A pair of blades 15 is installed in each of the passages 71-74, as shown.

The pair of blades 15 are fixed to the support member 9 so that their tips are in close contact with each other when the photosensitive material S does not pass through, and the support member 9 is attached to the block body 4 as shown in FIG. Can be attached and detached.

The support member 9 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a slit i! extending in the longitudinal direction inside the support member 9. 90 is formed. The blades 15 are attached to opposing surfaces 90a and 90b of the slit portion 90, respectively, as shown in FIG.

The support member 9 includes mounting members 91a and 91b and a side member 94.
a, 94b.

Attachment members 91a and 91b are arranged so that the blades 15 face each other, and the attachment members 91a and 91b are arranged so that the blades 15 are opposed to each other.
, 91b are fixed to the side members 94a, 94b, and the support member 9 is assembled. And the mounting member 9
The slit portion 90 is formed between 1a and 91b, and the photosensitive material S passes through the slit portion 90.

A seal member 96 is provided on the side surface of the support member 9 to ensure that the liquid flow is blocked when the support member 9 is fitted into the block body 4. Mounting members 91a, 91b and side members 94a, 94
b may be formed integrally with the blade 15 and the seal member 96 by, for example, double injection molding or insert molding, or may be formed separately and then combined. Note that the material of the support member 9 may be the same as that of the block body 4. In addition, the blade 15 and the seal member 9
The material in step 6 should be one that does not adversely affect the washing water (e.g., natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, fluororubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone). Elastic materials such as various rubbers such as rubber, soft resins such as soft polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, ionomer resins, fluororesins, and silicone resins, and such as Lavalon, Thermolan, Elastolan, Hytrel, Sunprene, etc. Elastomers can also be used.

In addition to the above, various structures are possible for assembling the support member 9. By attaching the blade to the slit portion 90 in the support member 9 and integrating the blade in this way, blade replacement becomes extremely easy, and there are advantages such as no need for alignment of the blade pair. The contact surface of the support member 9 on the processing tank 2 side is an inclined surface along the side wall of the processing tank 2, and when the rack 3 is inserted into the processing tank 2, an external force is applied from the inner wall of the processing tank 2 in the insertion direction. It looks like this.

Therefore, even if the support member 9 is not fully fitted into the block body 4, the support member 9 can be reliably fitted and held together with the mounting of the rack 3.

The blade 15 in the slit portion 90 is made of photosensitive material S.
When the photosensitive material S passes through the photosensitive material S, the leading end portion is pushed wide.

FIG. 6a shows an enlarged view of the slit portion 90 of the support member 9.

As shown in FIG. 6a, the blade 15 is composed of a base portion attached to the support member 9 and a tip portion whose thickness gradually decreases toward the tip, and the two blades are used in combination.

Further, the blade 15 may have substantially the same thickness from the base to the tip, as shown in FIG. 6b.

At this time, the average inclination angle of the blade 15 with respect to the surface of the photosensitive material S is generally about 10 to 70 degrees,
In particular, it is preferable to set the angle to about 20 to 45 degrees.

The length from the base to the tip of the blade 15 may be equal to or longer than the effective slit width (w) of the passageway, but generally it is preferably 10 to 50 mm, particularly preferably 2 to 204 mm. is 3-10 times larger than 15-b.

The length of the overlapping portion of the tips of the blades 15 when the photosensitive material does not pass through the pair of blades 15 set opposite to each other is approximately 1 to 110ll1, particularly 2 to 5+n.
It is best to set it to about m.

Further, the thickness of the tip of the blade 15 is 1/100 or more of the length of the blade 15 or 0! It may be 3rnm or more, particularly 1 to 1.5 mo+.

The contact surface pressure between the blades 15 is 0.001 to 0,
About 1 kg/am”, especially o, oo5~0, 02
It is preferable to set it to about kg/cm2.

With the above conditions, it is possible to ensure close contact between the tips of the blades 15 when the photosensitive material S is not passing through, and to effectively block the flow of the washing water W.

Further, the flow of the washing water W when the photosensitive material S passes through can be made very small.

Normally, the adhesion force between the blades 15 is given by the elastic force of the blades, but if a magnetic material is mixed in the tip of the blade 15 (for example, a rubber magnet), the tip of the blade 15 can be attached to each other by magnetic force. It is also possible to thicken or increase the adhesion force by making it suction.

In addition, even when the photosensitive material S slides on the blade 15, there is almost no adverse effect such as scratches on the emulsion surface, but if this cannot be ignored or when trying to reduce the sliding resistance, the blade 15 may be This can be dealt with by performing a surface treatment such as smoothing the inner surface or coating the inner surface with a lubricant such as silicone or Teflon.

In the illustrated example, one pair of blades 15 are installed in each support member 9, but two or more pairs of blades 15 may be installed in one support member 9.

In this case, the shielding effect and squeezing effect by the blade 15 will be greater, and the amount of replenishment can be further reduced.

Further, the blades 15 are not limited to those forming a pair, and the blades 15 are not limited to those forming a pair.
As shown in the figure, it may be provided as a single blade 15. In the illustrated case, the support member 9 with the blade 15 attached thereto is arranged opposite to the wall of the block body 4, and the tip of the blade 15 is connected to the passage 71 formed between the support member 9 and the block body 4. The structure is such that it is in close contact with the opposing wall surface of the block body 4 inside.

Also in this case, the support member 9 is detachably attached.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6d, a piece of blade 1 is attached to the slit portion of the support body 9 having the slit portion 90 inside.
5 may be provided. In this case, the inner wall surface of the slit portion 90 on the side opposite to the blade fixing side protrudes into the passage 71, and the tip of the blade 15 is configured to come into close contact with this protrusion 95. In this configuration, the sliding resistance of the photosensitive material S is smaller than that shown in FIG. 60.

In the configurations shown in FIGS. 6C and 6d, it is preferable to convey the photosensitive material S so that the emulsion layer of the photosensitive material comes into contact with the blade 15.

It should be noted that the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention may be provided with a passage blocking means having another structure instead of the blade 15.

Here, the attachment structure of the rack 3 side to the support member 9 will be explained. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, block bodies 4 disposed between each processing chamber 6A to 6E
A housing portion 41 into which the support member 9 is inserted is formed inside.

As shown in the figure, the accommodating portion 41 is formed toward the outside of the rack 3, and has a passage 71 facing the upper and lower surfaces.
When the support member 9 is inserted here, the slit portion 90 of the support member 9 is fixed at a position corresponding to the passage 71. Further, at this time, the seal member 96 provided on the side surface of the support member 9 comes into contact with the inner wall of the accommodating portion 41 and the side wall of the processing tank 2, thereby preventing the flushing water W between the processing chamber 6A and the processing chamber 6B. cut off the flow.

The support member 9 is fitted into the housing portion 41 and then the rack 3 is inserted into the processing tank 2 to adjust f! of the processing tank 2. ”,'i
”!- and the rack 3 and are fixed.

Therefore, the mounting structure of the support member 9 is such that the rack 3 is attached to the processing tank 2.
You can easily remove the support member 9 (blade 1) by simply taking it out.
5) has a structure that allows for replacement.

In the above example, as a result of the support member 9 being fitted and locked into the block body 4, the passage 7 also provided in the block body 4 is closed.
1 and the slit portion 90 of the support member 9 communicate with each other.
When attached, one or both surfaces of the support member 9 in the longitudinal direction may be configured to function as the inner walls of the processing chambers 6A to 6E.

Furthermore, when the blade 15 deteriorates, the support member 9 having the blade 15 described above can be replaced with a new one, making the operation of the operator extremely easy. As described above, the blade 15 may be replaced and reused.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, processing chambers 6A, 6B,
One pair of conveyance rollers 8 is installed near the center of each of 6D and 6E, and three pairs of conveyance rollers 8 are installed in the processing chamber 6C. Further, a pair of conveyance rollers 8 are installed near the photosensitive material entrance of the passage 75 and near the photosensitive material exit of the passage 76, respectively.

Each of these conveyor rollers 8 is connected to the side root 3 at its rotating shaft 81.
1.32, both of the pair of rollers are driven to rotate, and the photosensitive material S is conveyed by sandwiching it between the rollers.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drive mechanism for the conveyance rollers 8 includes a bevel gear 83 fixed at a predetermined location on a main shaft 82 extending vertically in the figure, and a bevel gear 83 fixed at one end of the rotating shaft 81 of each conveyance roller 8. When the bevel gear 84 is engaged with the bevel gear 84 and the main shaft 82 is rotated in a predetermined direction by the operation of a drive source (not shown) such as a motor, one of the conveying rollers 8 of the pair of rollers is rotated. There is. Then, each conveyance roller 8
A gear 85 is fixed to the other end of the rotating shaft 81, and the rotation of one roller 8 of the roller pair is transmitted to the other roller 8 by meshing with this gear 85.

The material constituting each conveyance roller 8 is preferably one that has durability and chemical resistance against washing water W, for example,
Various rubbers such as neobrane and EPT rubber, sunbrane,
Elastomers such as Thermolan and Hytrel, hard vinyl chloride, PP propylene, polyethylene, ABS resin, P
PO, nylon, polyacetal (POM), phenolic resin, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether sulfone (PES).

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), various resins such as Teflon, ceramics such as alumina, stainless steel,
Examples include metals having corrosion resistance such as titanium and Hastelloy, or a combination thereof.

A guide 10a for guiding the photosensitive material S is installed between the conveyance roller 8 and the passages 71 to 74 in the processing chambers 6A, 6B, 6D, and 6E.

This guide 10a is composed of a pair of plate-shaped members,
They are placed facing each other with a distance between them through which the photosensitive material S passes.

Further, a reversing guide 10b is installed between the conveying rollers 8 in the processing chamber 6C, which is curved in an arc shape and changes the direction of the photosensitive material S along this curved portion.

These guides 10a and 10b are made of, for example, molded plastic or metal plates. The guides 10a and 10b also have openings (not shown) that pass through the guides.
is preferably formed substantially uniformly. This enables the circulation of the washing water W and promotes the circulation of the liquid within the processing chamber, thereby improving the washing efficiency.

The guide 10a, Job, the conveyance roller 8, and its drive system constitute a means for conveying the photosensitive material S.

Note that the guides loa and 10b may be provided partially (or may not be provided) along the transport route as long as they do not impede the transportability of the photosensitive material S.

Above the processing chamber 6E, one end is open and the other end is a passage 76.
A liquid supply path 11 communicating with the block body 4 is formed through the block body 4 . Further, above the processing chamber 6A, a drain passage 12 is formed passing through the block body 4 and having one end open and the other end communicating with the passage 75.

On the other hand, the processing tank 2 is provided with a liquid supply pipe 13 and a drain pipe 14 that penetrate the side wall thereof and are open to the inner surface of the processing tank. Then, with the rack 3 loaded in the processing tank 2, the liquid supply path 11 and the liquid supply pipe 13, and the liquid drain path 12 and the liquid drain pipe 14 are connected, respectively.

The liquid supply pipe 13 is for supplying (replenishing) the washing water W, and the draining pipe 14 is for discharging the overflow liquid OF of the washing water W that has become tired after processing due to overflow, etc. .

In addition, a pipe body 5A that communicates with each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E, respectively.
~5E are installed with their both ends penetrating the side wall of the processing tank 2. These pipe bodies 5A to 5E are liquid feeding piping for circulating and stirring the wash water W in each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E.

As shown in FIG. 14, pumps 53A to 53E for feeding liquid are installed in the middle of the tubes 5A to 5E, respectively, and by operating the pumps 53A to 53E, suction is drawn from the suction ports 51A to 51E at one end. The washed water W is transferred to the pipe body 5A~
5E, and is discharged into each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E from discharge ports 52A to 52E at the other end.

Such tube bodies 5A to 5E and corresponding bomb 53A
~53E constitute a treatment liquid circulation means (circulation system) that circulates the treatment liquid for each of the treatment chambers 6A to 6E.

The circulation rate of the washing water W (flow rate inside the tube) is not particularly limited, but is approximately 0.1 to 5 degrees/min per processing chamber, especially 0.
．． It is preferable to set it as about 5 to 217 minutes. in this case,
The circulation amount in each processing chamber 6A to 6E may be the same or different.

In addition, a processing liquid heating device 1 is provided in the middle of each pipe body 5A to 5E.
00 is installed so that the temperature can be adjusted individually for each circulating processing liquid.

Note that the inner diameter of the tubular bodies 5A to 5E is not particularly limited, but
~30 m[about 11 mm, particularly preferably about 8 to 15 mm. In this case, the inner diameters of each of the tubular bodies 5A to 5E may be the same or different.

Moreover, although the tubular bodies 5A to 5E may be rigid bodies, it is preferable that all or a part of the entire length thereof is flexible.

Examples of the constituent material of the tubes 5A to 5E include polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, Teflon, silicone, etc., or any combination thereof.

In addition, various connectors, valves, etc. (not shown) may be installed in the middle of the pipe bodies 5A to 5E.

A plate-shaped partition member 17 is installed in the rack 3 and is perpendicular to the side plates 31 and 32. As shown in FIG. 7, this partition member 17 partitions a first region 18 indicated by diagonal lines on the left side of the figure and a second region 19 indicated by crossed diagonal lines on the right side of the figure. The purpose is to block the

The first region 18 is a processing chamber 6 through which the photosensitive material S first passes.
This area includes A, and in the illustrated example, also includes process 6B, which is passed through second.

The second region 19 is the processing chamber 6 through which the photosensitive material S passes last.
E, and in the illustrated example, it also includes the process 6D that is passed through second to last.

As shown in FIG. 2, both ends 171.1 of the partition member 17
72 is formed with a taper (width gradually decreases toward the bottom in the figure), while 21 on both side walls of the processing tank 2 corresponding to this taper is formed.
．． 22 is also tapered at the same angle. As a result, when the rack 3 is inserted into the processing tank 2, the ends 171, 172 of the partition member 17 engage with the inner surfaces of the side walls 21, 22 of the processing tank 2, and the first area 18 and the second area 19 are separated. compartmentalize.

At this time, the engaging portion comes into close contact with the rack 3 due to its own weight, and substantially blocks the flow of the washing water W.

Note that a sealing member made of an elastic material is installed at the end portions 171 and 172, which serve as the engaging portions, to improve the blocking performance of the washing water W.

The taper angles of the end portions 171, 172 of the partition member] 7 and the side walls 21, 22 of the processing tank 2 are not particularly limited, but are preferably about 1 to 10 inches with respect to the vertical direction.

Note that the same material as the block body 4 can be used for the partition member 17, and the partition member 17 and each block body 4 and side plates 31 and 32 may be made by joining different members. It may be formed integrally.

Also, on the outside of the side plates 31 and 32, at predetermined positions in the height direction of the rack 3, partition walls 20 are installed, which are perpendicular to the side plates 31, 32 and the partition member 17, respectively.

The main shaft 82 passes through this partition wall 20 and is supported.

The installation position of the partition wall 20 is preferably at or near a certain height of the passages 71 to 74.

The partition wall 20 prevents the washing water W from flowing in the vertical direction between the side plate 31 and the side wall 21 and between the side plate 32 and the side wall 22. Note that the partition wall 20 is the side wall 21. of the processing tank 2.
Similar to the partition member 17, a sealing member is installed at the end that comes into contact with the parts 22, etc., to improve the blocking performance of the washing water W. The partition member 17 and the partition wall 20 may be formed in the same manner as the support member 9 (they may be formed integrally with the seal member, or may be formed separately, and then the seal member may be embedded in the end surface. The main shaft 82 penetrating portion of the partition wall 2
A sealing member is inserted between the opening and the opening to prevent the flushing water W from flowing through the through-hole.

As a result, the washing water W in each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E is transferred to the side plate 3.
It is possible to prevent mixing outside of 1 and 32.

As described above, by providing the partition wall 20 and the partition member 17, the side plates 31 of each processing chamber 6A, 6B, 6D, and 6E.
32, partition spaces 61A to 61E, 62A to 6
2E is formed. One partition space 61A to 61H
The main shaft 82 is inserted into the other partition space 62A~
62H, each partition wall 20 is provided with a valve body 63 for adjusting the pressure difference that occurs between vertically adjacent processing chambers when the rack 3 is removed. To explain the valve body 63, the valve body 63 is identified at a position connected to the hole 201 bored in the partition wall 20, and as shown in FIGS. 631, and two opening/closing bodies 632 and 633 whose ends overlap each other. The opening/closing bodies 632 and 633 are made of a rubber material such as EPT or silicone rubber, or an elastic material such as thermolan or milastomer. In the closed state, the opening/closing bodies 632 and 633 are in close contact with each other to form a conical shape.
When the pressure outside 2.633 becomes lower than the pressure inside, the tip of the opening/closing body 632.633 is pushed outward and the valve body 63 is opened. The pressure for opening the valve body 63 may be about 0.007 to 0.5 kgf/m2, more preferably about 0.05 to 1 kgf/m2. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the side plate 31
．． 32 and the inner wall of the processing tank 2, a gap 60 is formed by a sealing member provided at the end of the partition wall 20. , each partition space 61, A, 61B, 61D, 61E
, 62A, 62B, 62D, and 62E are each processing chamber 6A,
It communicates with 6B, 6D, and 6E.

Through holes are bored in the other side plates 31 and 32 to create a partition space 61.
A, 61B, 61D, 61E, 62A, 62B, 62D
, 62E and the processing chambers 6A, 6B, 6D, and 6E, the operation of the pressure regulating means may be ensured.

11 to 13 show other embodiments of the valve body. The valve body 64 includes a main body 641 and a main body 641.
The opening/closing body 643 is housed inside the opening/closing body 643. The main body 641 includes a tube portion 641a, the tube portion 64
It is composed of valve function parts 642b and 642g formed at the lower end of 1a and a base end part 641c provided at the lower end of the valve function part 642b, and is made of polypropylene, for example. The opening/closing body is made of an elastic material such as EPT rubber, CR rubber, fluororubber, silicone rubber, Thermolan, or milastomer. The conical valve function part 6
A plurality of communication holes 642 are formed in 42b, and the communication holes 6
42 is closed by the opening/closing body 643 coming into close contact with the main body 641 from inside. As shown in FIG. 3, when pressure is applied from the outside of the main body 641, the opening/closing body 643 is elastically deformed and the communication hole 642 is opened. When the rack 3 is removed, the volume of the lowermost processing chamber 6C changes greatly, and the pressure inside the processing chambers 6A to 6E is as follows.
It gradually becomes lower towards the bottom.

Therefore, the valve bodies 63, 64 are arranged so that the liquid flow can escape to the lower processing chamber.

On the other hand, the processing liquid heating device 100 in FIG.
It is possible to give heat to each of the washing water in ~5E. As a result, for example, each processing chamber 6A to 6E
The temperature of the washing water inside can be controlled at a constant level.

Therefore, since the washability is stabilized, the processed photosensitive material has a good finish.

As a result, when the amount of washing water flowing through each pipe 5A to 5E is constant, the temperature of the heated washing water is
, 5D, 5C15B and 5A.

As a result, the washing water W in each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E can be provided with a temperature gradient as shown in Table 1 below, for example.

Table 1 Washing water temperature Color iga film Color paper processing chamber 6A Processing chamber 6B Processing chamber 6C Processing chamber 6D Processing chamber 6E 25-35°C 25-40°C 30-40°C 30-45°C 30-45°C 25-35°C 25 -40°C 30-40°C 30-45°C 35-45°C In the second case, each processing chamber 6A-6E is
It becomes possible to reliably maintain the temperature difference between the two.

Next, the usage and operation of the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 will be explained.

When starting the processing of the photosensitive material S, the washing water W is supplied from the liquid supply port 13, and the processing chambers 6A to 6E and the narrow passages 71 to 74 are filled with the washing water W.

At this time, as described above, since the blade 15 is configured to block the flow of the washing water W when the photosensitive material S does not pass, a sheet-like material is used to replace the photosensitive material S when the washing water W is supplied. It is preferable to transport and supply smoothly. Further, each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E may be provided with a liquid supply port and filled with the washing water W.

Next, the pumps 53A to 53E of each processing liquid circulation means and the processing liquid heating device 100 are operated to
Circulate and stir the washing water W inside. That is, pump 5
3A to 53E are activated, the washing water W sucked in from the suction ports 51A to 51E passes through the pipe bodies 5A to 5E, is heated to a predetermined temperature by the processing liquid heating device 100, and then flows through the discharge ports. It is discharged into each processing chamber 6A-6E from 52A-52E (see Fig. 14).

Incidentally, such circulation and temperature control of the washing water W are continued at least while the photosensitive material S is being processed, and preferably continue even when the photosensitive material S is not being processed.

In this state, the photosensitive material S is transferred to the passage 75 above the processing chamber 6A.
At the same time, replenishment of washing water W from the liquid supply pipe 13 is started.

As mentioned above, at the same time as the processing of the photosensitive material S starts, the washing water W is
The reason for starting the replenishment is that the blade 15 has a great blocking effect on the washing water W, and the washing water W does not substantially flow until the photosensitive material S enters the blade 15.

During the treatment period, this replenishment continues and the drain pipe 14
Almost the same amount of overflow liquid OF as the replenishment amount is discharged from the tank.

On the other hand, the photosensitive material S is stored in the processing chamber 6 as shown by the arrow in the figure.
A, 6B, 6C16D, and 6E are transported in this order.

Therefore, the flow direction of the washing water W is opposite to the conveyance direction of the photosensitive material S (counter flow). This also improves the water washing efficiency.

When the processing is completed and the photosensitive material S is carried out of the passage 76 above the processing chamber 6E, the replenishment of the washing water W is stopped at the same time.

In such a case, the degree of contamination of the washing water W in each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E due to the introduction of chemicals attached to the photosensitive material S from the previous bath is reduced by the squeezing effect of the blade 15. Because the amount of water brought into the subsequent processing chamber is extremely small, because the blade 15 has an extremely high ability to block liquid, and because the washing water W is supplied by counterflow as described above, 6A
The liquid composition gradient in each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E is maintained extremely well.

Therefore, the water washing efficiency is significantly improved and the amount of replenishment can be significantly reduced.

The amount of replenishment may be approximately the amount of circulation determined by the gap created when the photosensitive material S passes through the blade 15.

Such replenishment amount mainly depends on the width, thickness, conveyance speed, etc. of the photosensitive material S. Color vapor (thickness 0.24
Taking the processing of mm) as an example, the results are as shown in Table 2 below.

Surface material width (mm) Conveyance speed Replenishment amount (water supply amount) 82.5 60cm/min 13Ilj/min 80cm/min 17ml 1min 100cm/min 2114min 60cm/min 19.4m! /min80cm/min
26 mj/min 100cm/min 32.
4++j/min 60cm/min 231J min 80cm/min 3114 min 100cm/min 38.5ml/min The replenishment amount illustrated in Table 2 is about 50 to 80% of the conventional replenishment amount. Even with a small replenishment amount, there is no staining caused by poor washing.

In this way, since the amount of replenishment of the washing water W is reduced and strict temperature control is not required during washing, the circulation amount of the washing water W in each processing chamber 6A to 6E is small, and the process is complicated. Even without strict temperature control, the uniformity of liquid composition and temperature within each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E can be maintained sufficiently, and good water washing can be performed.

Furthermore, as a result of being able to improve the water washing efficiency, it is possible to reduce the volume of each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E.
and contributes to miniaturization of l.

Further, when the photosensitive material S is not passing through (not being processed), the blade 15 blocks the flow of the washing water W between adjacent processing chambers, so mixing of the washing water W hardly occurs. As a result, even if the treatment is stopped for a long period of time and then resumed, efficient water washing can be carried out immediately.

The timing of replenishment and the amount of replenishment described above may be controlled using known control methods and means.

On the other hand, when the rack 3 is pulled up and removed from the processing tank 2, the blades 15 are installed in each of the passages 71 to 76 as described above.
is provided, so there is almost no flow of processing liquid. Therefore, when the rack 3 is removed, the volume in the lowermost processing chamber 6C increases and a negative pressure is generated.
The valve body 63 opens and the processing liquid flows into the processing chamber 6C from the partition space 62D of the upper processing chamber 6D, and the negative pressure within the processing chamber 6C is adjusted.

On the other hand, the processing liquid flows into the partition space 62D from the upper partition space 62E via the valve body 63. The partition space 6
2D and the processing chamber 6D communicate through a gap between the side plate 31 and the inner wall of the processing tank 2, so the pressures of the partition space 62D and the processing chamber 6D are adjusted at the same time.

Similarly, the pressures in the other processing chambers 6A, 6B, and 6E are also adjusted.

By adjusting the pressure in each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E in this way, it becomes possible to remove the rack 3 extremely easily.

In the above description, it is assumed that washing water W is replenished at the same time as processing of the photosensitive material, but replenishment may be carried out during non-processing.

In such a case, a bypass may be provided to connect adjacent processing chambers, so that an amount of liquid corresponding to the amount of replenishment in the preceding processing chamber flows into the subsequent processing chamber.

Other embodiments are shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. In this embodiment, instead of providing the valve bodies 63 and 64,
A communication pipe 65 communicating with each partition space is provided.
Other configurations are shown in FIGS. 1-7 and 14. The configuration is similar to that of the first embodiment.

The communication pipe 65 penetrates each partition 20 and is arranged in the first region 18 and the second region 19, respectively. Communication pipe 65
The lower end reaches the processing chamber 6c, but it is only necessary that the communication pipe 65 disposed in one of the regions reaches the processing chamber 6c.

The communication tube 65 is composed of an outer tube 651 and an inner tube 652 inserted into the outer tube 651.

The outer pipe 651 and the inner pipe 652 each have a partition space 6.
Holes 653 and 654 are bored at positions corresponding to 2A, 62B, 62D, and 62H, respectively. The inner tube 652 is slidably and rotatably provided within the outer tube 651 in a liquid-tight manner, and is rotated by external operation. Therefore, the inner tube 65
2 is rotated so that the holes 653 and 654 overlap, the inside of the communication pipe 65 and each partition space communicate with each other, and the processing chambers 6A to 6E communicate with each other through the inside of the communication pipe 65. When the inner tube 652 is rotated to close the holes 653 and 654, the flow of processing liquid between the processing chambers through the partition space is blocked. In addition, as a method of closing the holes 653 and 654, in addition to rotating the inner tube 652,
This may also be done by sliding in the axial direction.

In such a configuration, when removing the rack 3,
External manipulation rotates inner tube 652 to open holes 653 .
654 are superimposed. By doing this,
Each of the processing chambers 6A to 6E is in direct communication with the outside of the processing tank 2, and the negative pressure generated when the rack 3 is removed is quickly and reliably eliminated. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the negative pressure may adversely affect the circulation system such as a pump,
Problems such as pipe leakage, etc., and the main shaft 82
Problems such as the sealing member provided between the partition wall 20 and the partition wall 20 coming off and the blade turning over are also eliminated.

Although the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention has been described above with reference to an example in which it is applied to a water washing processing apparatus, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to various types of processing.

In addition, a process that has the function of washing out unnecessary substances in the photosensitive material (
For example, stability, fixing, adjustment, reversal, etc.) may be configured in the same manner as the water washing processing device.

In the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, it is also possible to process by supplying two or more types of processing liquids with different functions from different processing chambers.

In addition to the above, the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention can also perform development processing,
It can be applied to various processes such as bleaching, fixing, and bleach-fixing alone, and at this time, the flow of the processing liquid can be changed by appropriately selecting the liquid supply and drain pipes, etc. .

Generally, in a processing solution containing a compound that reacts with silver halide, etc. in the photosensitive material, such as a developer, bleach solution, bleach-fix solution, and fixing solution, the flow of the processing solution is different from the washing water mentioned above. In order to improve processing efficiency, it is preferable to set the flow in the same direction as the transport direction (parallel flow). As for the processing liquid having the constant @ function, counter flow may be used since it also has the effect of washing out unnecessary substances in the photosensitive material, as described above.

Even when using various processing equipment other than water washing, the squeezing effect and liquid blocking effect by the blade can be obtained in the same way as washing processing, and in both cases, the processing efficiency is improved, the amount of replenishment is reduced, and the equipment is smaller. It is possible to aim for

The various processing solutions used in the present invention, such as washing water, stabilizing solution, black and white developer, color developer, bleaching solution, fixing solution, bleach constant @ solution, stop solution, adjustment solution, and reversal solution, can be any of the known ones. For details on these processing solutions, please refer to "Fundamentals of Photographic Engineering" edited by the Photographic Society of Japan, published by Corona Publishing (1978).
P299 r Chapter 4 Development Process", etc. can be referred to.

In the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, the type of photosensitive material to be processed is not particularly limited, and may be either a color photosensitive material or a black and white photosensitive material. For example, color negative film, color reversal film, color positive film,
Color photographic paper, color reversal photographic paper, photographic material for plate making, X-ray photographic material, black and white negative film, black and white photographic paper,
Examples include microphotosensitive materials.

The photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention can be used in various types of devices, such as automatic developing machines, portable negative developing machines, wet copying machines, Bunontar processors, video printer processors, photo print making coin machines, and color vapor processing machines for plate inspection. It can be applied to photosensitive material processing equipment.

Although the configuration examples of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these.

<Effects of the Invention> According to the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, a liquid composition gradient of the processing liquid is formed between each processing chamber, and this liquid composition gradient is maintained.

When removing the rack, even if the front blade is provided, the negative pressure in each processing chamber is regulated by the pressure regulating means, so the rack can be easily removed.

Therefore, when trouble occurs, the processing device can be quickly repaired, and the life of other parts such as seal members is extended.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing an example of the configuration of a photosensitive material processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line -H in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III--III in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the rack showing the mounting structure of the support members. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the attachment member showing the blade attachment structure of the support member. FIGS. 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d are enlarged cross-sectional side views of exemplary blade configurations. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the first region and the second region in the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an overall perspective view of the valve body. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the valve body. FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of the same valve body, showing the open state. FIG. 11 is an overall perspective view showing another embodiment of the valve body. FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of the same valve body, showing the opened state of the valve body. FIG. 14 is a side sectional view of the same valve body. 15 is a circuit configuration diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a processing liquid circulation means in a processing device. FIG. 15 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and is taken in the same cross-sectional direction as the cross section 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVI-XVT in FIG. ...Rack 31.32...Side plate 4...Block body 5A-5E...Tube body 51A-51E...Suction port 52A-52E...Discharge port 53A-53E...Pump 6A-6E ...Processing chamber 60...Gap 61A-61E...Partition space 62A-62E...Partition space 63...Valve body 631...Base 632...Opening/closing body 633...Opening/closing body 64 ... Valve body 641 ... Main body 641a ... Pipe section 641b ... Valve function section 641C ... Base 642 ... Communication hole 643 ... Opening/closing body 65 ... Communication pipe 651 ... Outer tube 652... Inner tube 653... Hole 654... Holes 71 to 76... Passage 8... Conveyance roller 81... Rotating shaft 82... Main shaft 83.84... Bevel gear 85 ...Gear 9...Support member 90...Slit parts 91a, 91b...Mounting members 94a, 94 95...Protrusion part 96...Seal member 10a...Guide 10b...Reversing guide 11... Yarn combination d branch path 12... Drain channel 13... Liquid supply pipe 14... Drain pipe 15... Blade 16... Temperature sensor 17... Partition member 171.172 ... End portion 18 ... First region 19 ... Second region 20 ... Partition wall 201 ... Hole 100 ... Processing liquid heating device S ... Photosensitive material W ... Washing water b...Side member F... Overflow (pj. Out I!j Representative of Hitofuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) It has a processing tank, a rack that is detachably housed in the processing tank and forms a plurality of processing chambers, and a narrow passage provided in the rack that connects the processing chambers. , the processing chamber and the narrow passageway are filled with a processing liquid, and the narrow passageway is further provided with a blade that substantially blocks the flow of the processing liquid within the passageway, the processing apparatus comprising: A photosensitive material processing apparatus in which a rack is provided with a pressure regulating means for relieving the negative pressure generated in each processing chamber when the rack is removed. (2) The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjusting means is a valve body that communicates the processing chambers in which a pressure difference occurs when the rack is removed. (3) The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjusting means is a communication tube that can be opened and closed and communicates with each processing chamber. (4) The rack is provided with a partition wall whose end face is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the processing tank, the partition wall substantially blocks the flow of processing liquid between the processing chambers, and the pressure adjustment means is provided on the partition wall. Item 3. A photosensitive material processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 3.