JPH04174433A - Operation control device for automatic developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the period of treatment operation due to erroneous detection by controlling to bring about a standby state when the detected signals from a photosensitive material detecting means do not continue. CONSTITUTION:When the start button of an automatic development device is pressed, a drive motor 10 and a supplement pump 18 are brought to standby state. When an inserted photosensitive material is detected with a sensor 4 or 8, a CPU 21 receives the detection signal and issues commands to a motor driver 17 and a pump controller 19 so that the drive motor 10 and the supplement pump are brought to treatment operation state. After a certain period of time, it is judged whether or not the sensor 4 or 8 is still in the state of detection. If the sensor 4 or 8 is not detecting the photosensitive material, it is judged that the photosensitive material detection is erroneous, and a standby state is brought about. If the detection with the sensor 4 or 8 continues, the treatment operation continues.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an operation control device for an automatic developing device that conveys photosensitive materials such as PS plates and films into a processing tank and develops them.

[Prior art] Conventionally, automatic developing devices can switch from standby operation to processing operation as shown below by installing an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. at a predetermined position such as an insertion slot for photosensitive material, and detecting the photosensitive material. Controls to change are in place.

(1) The speed of the photosensitive material transport mechanism is changed from a relatively low standby state to a predetermined processing speed.

(2) Raising the drying temperature from a low-temperature standby state to a set temperature necessary for drying processing.

(3) Start supplying washing water.

(4) The length of the photosensitive material is measured by detecting the leading and trailing ends of the photosensitive material, and based on this, the area of the photosensitive material is calculated and processing liquid is replenished according to the area.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The above-mentioned non-contact sensor detects a photosensitive material even if an operator's hand or the like crosses the sensor's reaction range, causing the automatic developing device to switch from standby mode to predetermined processing. Perform the above control to change to operation. This control is driven for a predetermined period of time even though the photosensitive material is not actually being transported, resulting in inconveniences such as loss of energy such as electricity, water, etc., and unnecessary replenishment. It was happening.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a photosensitive material detection means attached to a predetermined position in the conveyance path when the photosensitive material is conveyed in a processing tank and subjected to development processing. Based on the presence or absence of a detection signal from the photosensitive material detection means, in the operation control device of an automatic developing device that performs either standby operation or processing operation, it is determined whether the detection signal of the photosensitive material detection means is continuously generated for a certain period of time. The present invention provides an operation control device for an automatic developing device, which has a control means that makes a judgment and sets the standby operation state if it is not to be continued.

[Function] According to the present invention, it is determined whether the detection signal of the photosensitive material detection means continues to be generated for a certain period of time, and if the detection signal does not continue to be generated, control is performed to put it into a standby operation state. The processing operation state due to detection can be shortened.

[Example] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

2.3 are a cross-sectional view and a plan view, respectively, showing the schematic structure of an automatic developing device according to the present invention.

The photosensitive material (1) is placed between a foot tray (2) located in a normal insertion slot (12) for the photosensitive material (1) of an automatic developing device, and a free roller (2) provided for the purpose of use as an insertion kite in this embodiment. 3) is inserted through the gap between the At the rear end of the feed tray (2), an entrance sensor (4) consisting of a plurality of optical sensors serving as photosensitive material detection means is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of optical sensors constituting the entrance sensor (4) are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the photosensitive material (1). The front edge, rear edge, and width of the photosensitive material (1) are detected. The entrance sensor (4) is, for example, a reflective optical sensor consisting of a light emitting part and a light receiving part.

Reference numeral (5) is an intermediate insertion slot provided at the top of the developer tank cover (6), which allows the photosensitive material (1
) is the place to insert. The intermediate insertion port (5) is often located directly above the developing tank (7). Therefore, the photosensitive material detection means (hereinafter referred to as mid-insertion sensor) (8), which should be installed on the upper part of the developer tank cover (6), must not only be waterproof but also prevent the sensing part from fogging up. It will be limited. That is, the second
．． As shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate insertion sensor (8) must be installed near the normal insertion opening (12), avoiding directly above the developing tank (7). In this case, unlike the entrance sensor (4), an upper cover cannot be provided in order to smoothly insert the photosensitive material (1) midway through.

When the front end of the photosensitive material (1) is detected, a large number of conveying feed rollers (9) in the apparatus are switched from low speed rotation in a standby operation state to a processing operation rotation speed specified in advance. The feed roller (9) and insertion roller pair (11) in the device are 1
For example, they are connected by a chain mechanism or the like so that they are driven by two drive motors (10). When the front end of the photosensitive material (1) inserted into the apparatus reaches the pair of insertion rollers (11) in the normal insertion slot (12), the photosensitive material (1) is moved along the conveyance path shown by the arrow in FIG. The feed rollers (9) provided in this conveyance path sequentially move the developing processing tank (7), the washing processing tank (13), the rinsing (cam) processing tank (14), and the drying section (15). Sent. Further, the photosensitive material (1) inserted through the intermediate insertion port (5) is sent by a feed roller (9) to a washing treatment tank (13), a rinsing (gum) treatment tank (14), and a drying section (15) in this order. . Further, (24) is a shower nozzle that sprays the processing liquid. In this example, a printing plate is used as the photosensitive material.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an operation control device for the above-mentioned automatic developing device.

An operation board (16) for manually controlling processing conditions such as the conveyance speed of the photosensitive material (1), a motor driver (17) for controlling the drive motor (10), an entrance sensor (4), an intermediate insertion sensor (8), A pump controller (19) that controls the replenishment pump (18) for replenishing the processing liquid into the processing tanks (7) (13) (14) is connected to the control means C via the input/output interface (20). P U (2
1). The CPU (21) is also connected to a ROM (22) in which a processing program is stored and a RAM (23) in which input data is stored.

Based on the configuration described above, the apparatus of the present invention operates as described below.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of the present apparatus provided with at least one photosensitive material detection means, and the following description will be based on this.

In the automatic developing device, when the start button is pressed, the drive motor (lO) and the replenishment pump (18) first go into standby operation (step Sl). Then, the inserted photosensitive material (1
) is detected by the sensor (4) or (8) (step S
2), and upon receiving the detection signal, the C P TJ (21) instructs the motor driver (17) and pump controller (19) to put the drive motor (lO) and replenishment pump (18) into the processing operation state. (Step S3).

Then, after a certain period of time (1 to 2 seconds) has elapsed (step S4), it is determined whether the sensor (4) or (8) that detected the photosensitive material (1) in step S2 is still in the detection state (step S5). . Therefore, sensor (4) or (8)
) does not detect the photosensitive material (1), it is determined that the photosensitive material detection is translated information, and the process returns to the standby operation of step S]. If the sensor (4) or (8) continues to detect the photosensitive material (1), the processing operation continues (step S6).
). When the sensor (4) or (8) detects the sensor (4) or (8), the processing operation is continued (Step S7) until the photosensitive material (1) is discharged from the apparatus, that is, until the processing of the photosensitive material (1) is completed. (Step S8).

Next, another example of operation will be explained based on FIG.

In this example, a plurality of sensors (4) are provided in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the photosensitive material (1).
Step 552) 1) is detected by multiple sensors (4)
, and whether there are a certain number of consecutive sensors (4) detected (step 553), that is, whether there are any sensors (4) that are not detected in the row of sensors (4) that are detected, If the sensor is not connected continuously, it will be treated as a false detection and the processing operation will not occur. Note that this operation is performed on the premise that the photosensitive material to be processed has a certain width and is detected by a certain number of sensors or more. Further, in FIG. 5, steps S51 and S54 to S5
Since step 9 is the same as steps Sl and 83 to 8 in FIG. 4, the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In the above embodiments, the photosensitive material is used as a printing plate, but it goes without saying that the apparatus of the present invention can produce similar effects even when the photosensitive material is a film.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above explanation, according to the operation control device for an automatic developing device according to the present invention, when the photosensitive material detection means detects some object, no photosensitive material is actually inserted. In such a case, the control device puts the device into a standby operation state, so it is possible to reduce loss of energy such as electric power, water, etc., and wasteful replenishment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an operation control device for an automatic developing device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the automatic developing device, FIG. 3 is a plan view, and FIG. is a flowchart showing the operating procedure, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another operating procedure. (1)... Photosensitive material (4) (8)... Photosensitive material paddy detection means (entrance sensor,
midway insertion sensor) (7)... Development processing tank (13)... Washing processing tank (14)... Rinse (gum) processing tank (21)...
・Control means (CPtJ) Patent applicant: Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) When a photosensitive material is transported into a processing tank and subjected to development processing, either standby operation or processing operation is performed depending on the presence or absence of a detection signal from a photosensitive material detection means attached at a predetermined position on the transport route. An operation control device for an automatic developing device that operates, comprising control means for determining whether or not the detection signal of the photosensitive material detection means continues to be generated for a certain period of time, and if the detection signal does not continue to be generated for a certain period of time, and for setting the device to a standby operation state if the detection signal is not continuously generated. An operation control device for an automatic developing device, characterized in that: