JPH05289285A - Automatic developing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an improved automatic developing machine which processes to develop X-ray film, etc., and where irregularity in development is prevented from being caused by the fluctuation of the liquid level of processing liquid and sensitometry is stabilized. CONSTITUTION:An automatic developing machine which processes to develop a sheet-like photographic photosensitive material while it is carried in the processing liquid is constituted of a shallow processing tank where an angle that the photosensitive material advances into the processing liquid is <90 deg.C and/or a shallow processing tank 10 where an angle that every carrying path in the processing liquid forms with a horizontal surface is not 90 deg., processing liquid pools 11 and 12 provided on an entrance side or an exit side for the photosensitive material in the tank 10, roller pairs 20 and 21 provided above the pools 11 and 12, a processing liquid overflow port, a processing liquid supply means and a circulating means. The liquid level of the processing liquid is higher than the entrance and/or the exit of the shallow processing tank, comes in contact with the lower roller of the roller pairs 20 and 21 provided above the pools 11 and 12, and is below the tangent of the roller pair.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic processor used for developing a photographic light-sensitive material such as an X-ray film, and more specifically, the occurrence of uneven development which may be caused by fluctuations in liquid level. The present invention relates to an improved small-sized automatic processor for preventing or stabilizing sensitometry.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A small automatic developing machine for developing photographic light-sensitive materials such as X-ray films and color light-sensitive materials stores the circulated processing solution in a square-shaped processing tank, and introduces an inlet roller and a central conveying roller. There is known a type in which a photographic light-sensitive material is processed while being conveyed in a processing liquid in a state where the photographic light-sensitive material is curved in a substantially horizontal or slightly downward direction according to the rotation of an exit roller.

In a small-sized automatic processor, a shallow processing tank having a simple structure is applied and the processing speed is low, so that it is suitable for a small number of processings. However, in a shallow treatment tank, since the amount of the treatment liquid is small, even if the treatment amount is small, the treatment liquid becomes fatigued and the liquid must be replaced, and the handleability is not good. As a means for increasing the amount of processing liquid while using a shallow tank, a liquid pool was provided before and after the processing tank. The length of the transport path does not change due to the presence of the liquid pool.

Unlike a large-sized automatic developing machine in which a large amount of processing solution is stored in a vertically long processing tank and a photographic light-sensitive material is immersed in a U-shaped transport path, a small automatic developing machine has a simple structure. It is suitable for a small number of treatments because it uses a shallow treatment tank and is slow. However, in a shallow treatment tank, since the amount of the treatment liquid is small, even if the treatment amount is small, the treatment liquid becomes fatigued and the liquid must be exchanged, which is not easy to handle. Further, the liquid level (height) of the processing liquid may change depending on the circulation of the processing liquid or the conveyance of the photographic light-sensitive material, and the sensitometry may change even if the same operation is performed.
In addition, uneven development such as uneven wavy may occur due to the rotation of the conveying roller or the vibration accompanying the operation of the apparatus.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to clarify an improved automatic developing machine which causes less development unevenness even though a shallow processing tank is used. With the goal.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An automatic processor according to the present invention is an automatic processor for developing a sheet-shaped photographic light-sensitive material while conveying it in a processing liquid. The angle at which the photographic light-sensitive material penetrates into the processing liquid. Of less than 90 degrees, and / or a shallow processing tank in which any conveyance path in the processing solution does not form an angle of 90 degrees with the horizontal plane, and the entrance side or the exit side of the photographic light-sensitive material of the shallow processing tank. And a pair of rollers provided above the treatment liquid reservoir, a treatment liquid overflow port, a treatment liquid supply means, and a circulation means. The treatment liquid has an inlet with a shallow surface. And / or is in contact with the lower roller of the roller pair provided above the processing liquid reservoir and above the processing liquid reservoir, and is below the tangent line of the roller pair.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 indicates a processing tank such as a development processing tank and a fixing processing tank. The processing tank 10 is basically in the shape of a square cup that is slightly curved downward, and liquid pools 11 and 12 for generating a damper effect are formed below the inlet roller 20 and the outlet roller 21. There is. Although the liquid pool 13 is also formed under the central guide roller 22 arranged in the center of the processing tank 10, it does not have to exist.

In the illustrated automatic developing machine, the processing liquid is circulated in the path of the processing liquid tank → the processing tank 10 → the processing liquid tank by the circulation pump. The liquid discharge port is arranged in the liquid pool 12, or the processing liquid is supplied to the central portion of the processing tank 10 and discharged from the processing liquid discharge ports arranged in the liquid pools 11 and 12. If the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply ports arranged in the liquid pools 11 and 12 and discharged from the processing liquid discharge port arranged on the lower surface of the central guide roller 22, the liquid pools 11 and 12 are exhausted. The treated liquid is prevented from standing up.

The larger the horizontal cross-sectional area of the liquid pools 11 and 12, the more preferable, and it is more preferable that the horizontal cross-sectional area of the inlet roller 20 or the outlet roller 21 is twice or more.

According to the present invention, the photographic light-sensitive material penetrates into the processing liquid in the processing tank at an angle of less than 90 degrees, and any conveying path in the processing tank is a shallow processing tank in which the angle with the horizontal plane is not 90 degrees. Effectively applied to.

In this embodiment, it is preferable that the treatment liquid is supplied from the front end side (left side in the drawing) of the treatment tank, discharged from the rear end side and circulated.

An inlet roller 20, a central guide roller 22,
When the photosensitive material to be processed is loaded into the processing tank 10 with the emulsion surface facing downward while the outlet roller 21 is rotating at a constant speed, the conventional apparatus uses the liquid pool 11.1.
2 does not exist, and only a small amount of processing liquid exists on the lower surface side of the entrance roller 20 and the exit roller 21, so that the liquid surface height fluctuates as the photosensitive material passes, and the entrance roller 20 and the exit roller 21 There may be no processing liquid in the vicinity of, and when viewed in the width direction of the conveyed photosensitive material, the processing liquid exists on one side and the processing liquid does not exist on the other side. Such cases may occur. As a result, in other words, the processing time in the developing machine of this type is designed to be the substantial processing time in spite of the fact that the photosensitive material is designed by multiplying the distance from the entrance roller 20 to the exit roller 21 by the conveying speed. The unevenness will occur.

However, according to the automatic processor of the present invention, since a large amount of processing liquid exists in the liquid pools 11 and 12 shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to supply a stable amount of the processing liquid to the photographic light-sensitive material. It is possible to prevent the liquid level from fluctuating, and it is possible to maintain a processing section in which the position of the inlet roller 20 is the base point and the position of the outlet roller 21 is the end point at all times, which stabilizes the sensitometry. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of uneven development and the like.

In the conventional automatic processor for a shallow processing tank, since the processing liquid amount is small, even if the processing amount is small, the processing liquid becomes fatigued and the liquid must be replaced early so that not only the handleability is poor but also the above-mentioned. As described above, the fluctuation of the liquid level was large and the process unevenness occurred.However, in the configuration of the present invention, the length of the transfer route is changed by providing the liquid pool even though the transfer route contributing to the process is a shallow tank. Without increasing the amount of the processing liquid, it is possible to eliminate the risk of uneven development due to fatigue of the processing liquid.

Further, the processing liquid in the liquid pool below the pair of rollers on the inlet side is maintained at a constant performance by circulation, and the processing liquid pumped by the rotation of the lower roller uniformly adheres to the surface of the rollers. The liquid is supplied to the photographic light-sensitive material at the tangential portion of the roller pair, and the processing starts simultaneously in a straight line in the width direction of the photographic light-sensitive material, thus preventing uneven development.

[0017]

According to the automatic processor of the present invention, the unevenness of development is prevented even if a shallow processing tank is used, and therefore the above-mentioned problems can be solved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10-Treatment tank 11-Liquid reservoir 12-Liquid reservoir 13-Liquid reservoir 20-Inlet roller 21-Outlet roller 22-Center guide roller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic developing machine for developing a sheet-shaped photographic light-sensitive material while conveying it through a processing solution, wherein the photographic light-sensitive material penetrates into the processing solution in a shallow processing tank having an angle of less than 90 degrees.
And / or a shallow processing tank whose conveying path in the processing solution does not form an angle of 90 degrees with a horizontal plane; a processing solution reservoir provided on the inlet side or the outlet side of the photographic light-sensitive material of the shallow processing tank; It is composed of a roller pair provided above the processing liquid reservoir, a processing liquid overflow port, a processing liquid supply means, and a circulation means, and the liquid level of the processing liquid is higher than the inlet and / or the outlet of the shallow processing tank, and An automatic developing machine, which is in contact with a lower roller of a roller pair provided above the processing liquid pool and is below a tangent line of the roller pair.