JPH06258843A - Developing device of planographic printing original plate not requiring damping water - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the adhering of the front and rear faces of plural original plates each other caused by a washing liquid and dyes mixed into the washing liquid when the original plates are stacked, to prevent the degradation of an ink repulsive property when the dyes are stuck to a silicone rubber layer being a non-patterning part and to prevent the soiling of hands of a worker carrying the original plate. CONSTITUTION:A developing device is provided with a developing part 3 for removing the silicone rubber layer at the non-pattern part of the planographic printing original plate 7 not requiring damping water, a dyeing part 4 for dyeing the pattern part, and a washing part 5 for washing. Liquid removing parts 6 for removing the washing liquid left on the planographic printing original plate 7 are provided as the developing device of the planographic printing original plate 7 at the back of the cleaning part 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing device for a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require fountain solution. More specifically, it is a photosensitive layer capable of receiving ink and a silicone rubber layer capable of repelling ink. The invention relates to a developing device for a lithographic printing original plate not requiring dampening water, which conveys a lithographic printing original plate not requiring dampening water, which is conveyed by a plate conveying roller and is developed while rubbing the surface side with a brush.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a fountain solution-free lithographic printing plate precursor having a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer has been known.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 44-23042, Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-16044
Issue, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 54-26923, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 55-2278
No. 1, JP-B-61-54219, JP-B-61-542
No. 22, for example, discloses a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require fountain solution and has a photosensitive layer and a silicone rubber layer provided in this order on a substrate. These fountain solution-free lithographic printing plate precursors are developed by the developing methods disclosed in JP-A-60-59351 and JP-A-63-163357.

However, in the developing apparatus using these developing methods, the dyeing solution applied to the lithographic printing original plate (hereinafter abbreviated as "plate") which does not require dampening water is squeezed by the rubber roller in the dyeing section. Since it cannot be completely removed and remains, there is a problem that the hands of the operator who transports the plate are contaminated with the dyeing solution. Furthermore, if multiple plates with dyeing solution remaining on both the front and back sides are stacked, the dyeing solution will stick the front and back sides to each other, or the dye will stick to the non-image area of the silicone rubber layer and cause ink repulsion. There was a problem that it lowered. Further, even if the dyeing solution remaining on both the front and back surfaces of the plate can be removed by washing, if a plurality of sheets are piled up with the washing solution remaining, the problem that the front surface and the back surface stick to each other still occurs. Therefore, it has been considered to heat the plate to evaporate the remaining cleaning liquid, but the dye mixed in the cleaning liquid remains without being evaporated, and there is a problem that sticking is not eliminated.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, in which overlapping plates are stuck to each other by a cleaning liquid and a dye mixed in the cleaning liquid,
An object of the present invention is to provide a developing device for a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require fountain solution, which can prevent the ink repulsion property of the non-image area from being lowered and the hand of an operator who carries the plate to be soiled.

[0005]

The object of the present invention is as follows.
This is achieved by the following configuration.

(1) A developing section for removing the silicone rubber layer on the image area of the lithographic printing plate precursor without dampening water, a dyeing section for dyeing the image area, and a lithographic printing plate precursor without dampening water are washed. A developing unit for a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require dampening water, and a liquid removing unit that removes the cleaning liquid remaining on the lithographic printing plate plate that does not require dampening water is provided behind the cleaning unit. A developing device for a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require dampening water.

(2) The developing device for a lithographic printing original plate not requiring fountain solution described in (1) above, wherein the liquid removing section is provided with one or more pairs of rollers wound with water-absorbent cloth.

(3) A dampening water according to the above (1) or (2) is not required, in which a pretreatment section for dissolving or swelling a part of the photosensitive layer in the image area is provided before the developing section Development device for lithographic printing plate.

The lithographic printing plate precursor requiring no dampening water to which the developing device according to the present invention can be applied is a lithographic printing plate precursor requiring no dampening water in which a photosensitive layer and a silicone rubber layer are provided in this order on a substrate. Things can be used.

[0010]

According to the developing device of the present invention, since the liquid removing section is provided after the cleaning section, the cleaning solution remaining without being squeezed in the cleaning section and the dye mixed in the cleaning solution can be completely removed. . Therefore, the hands of the operator who carries the plate become dirty, the front surface and the back surface stick to each other when a plurality of plates are piled up, and the dye sticks to the silicone rubber layer, which is the non-image area, and the ink repelling property deteriorates. Can be prevented.

[0011]

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a developing device 1 for a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require fountain solution to which the present invention is applied. This developing device 1 comprises a pretreatment unit 2, a developing unit 3, a dyeing unit 4, a washing unit 5 and a liquid removing unit 6, and after preprocessing, developing and dyeing a lithographic printing original plate 7 requiring no fountain solution, It is possible to wash and further remove the washing liquid. As the original plate 7 for lithographic printing that does not require fountain solution used here, one prepared by the following method was used.

The following photosensitive solution was applied on an aluminum plate having a thickness of 0.3 mm, and dried by heating at 110 ° C. for 2 minutes to give a thickness of 6 μm.
To form a coating film (photosensitive layer).

(A) N, N, N ′, N′-tetrakis (2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxypropyl) -m-xylylenediamine (glycidyl methacrylate and m-xylylenediamine 4: 1 molar ratio reactant ) 100 parts by weight (b) "PANTEX" T-5201 (polyurethane resin manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.) 150 parts by weight (c) N-methylacridone 5 parts by weight (d) 4,4'- Bis (diethylamino) benzophenone 5 parts by weight (e) Reaction of crystal violet and 4-toluenesulfonic acid sodium salt 0.5 parts by weight (f) Dimethylformamide 800 parts by weight The following composition was formed on this photosensitive layer. The obtained silicone solution was applied and heated and dried at 90 ° C. for 2 minutes to form a silicone rubber layer having a thickness of 3 μm.

(A) Polydimethylsiloxane having silanol groups at both ends (average molecular weight 35000) 100 parts by weight (b) Ethyltriacetoxysilane 12 parts by weight (c) Dibutyltin diacetate 0.2 parts by weight (d) n-heptane 120 Parts by weight The surface of the silicone rubber layer thus provided has a thickness of 1
A 2 μm polyethylene terephthalate film “Lumirror” (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) was laminated with a calendar roller to obtain a lithographic printing original plate 7 requiring no dampening water. A positive film was brought into vacuum contact with the printing plate precursor and exposed for 90 seconds from a distance of 1 m using a high pressure mercury lamp of 3 kW. After the exposure, the cover film was peeled off, and then developed by the developing device of the present invention.

The pretreatment liquid 8 used in the pretreatment section 2 includes:
A liquid having the following composition was used.

(A) Polypropylene glycol (average molecular weight 200) 90 parts by weight (b) Polypropylene glycol-mono-n-butyl ether (average molecular weight 1500) 10 parts by weight The developing water 9 used in the developing section 3 contains water. Was used.

As the dyeing solution 10 used in the dyeing section 4, a solution having the following composition was used.

(A) Brilliant Basic Cyanine 6GH (basic dye manufactured by Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.) 0.2 parts by weight (b) “Hitenol” 12 (Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd. emulsifier) 0.2 Parts by weight (c) 5 parts by weight butyl carbitol (d) Water 84.6 parts by weight Water was used as the cleaning liquid 11 used in the cleaning part 5.

First, the preprocessing unit 2 will be described.

Pretreatment tank 2 of pretreatment section 2 in this embodiment
1 has an inverted mountain shape and has a pretreatment tank 22 having an open upper surface at the bottom, but the pretreatment tank 21 is not limited to the inverted mountain shape, and may have another shape such as a box shape. Pretreatment tank 21
It is also possible to provide the pretreatment tank 22 independently of the above. The pretreatment liquid 22 is contained in the pretreatment tank 22. The upper portion of the pretreatment tank 21 is opened for maintenance and inspection, but the upper lid 23 is usually placed to prevent dust from entering the pretreatment liquid 8 and to prevent heat radiation of the pretreatment liquid 8. There is.

On the upper part of the pretreatment tank 21, there are arranged conveying roller pairs 24, 25 in order from the entrance side of the lithographic printing original plate 7 (hereinafter, abbreviated as plate 7) which does not require dampening water. The pair of conveying rollers 24 and 25 are supported by a side plate (not shown) and are rotated by the driving force of a driving means (not shown) being transmitted to the plate 7
Is conveyed at a predetermined speed in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The surface of the conveying roller pair 24, 25 is wrapped with rubber so that the surface of the conveyed plate 7 is not damaged. Examples of rubber materials include, but are not limited to, silicone rubber, polybutadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorohydrocarbon rubber. The hardness of the rubber is preferably 10 to 100 degrees, more preferably 20 to 40 degrees. The transport roller pair 24 is arranged at the forefront of the transport path of the plate 7 in the pretreatment tank 21, and plays a role of damming the pretreatment liquid 8 applied onto the plate 7. Further, the transport roller pair 25 is arranged at the rearmost part of the transport path of the plate 7 in the pretreatment tank 21,
It plays the role of squeezing the pretreatment liquid from the plate 7. Here, in order to improve the transportability, the pair of transport rollers 24 and 25
It is optional to provide one or more pairs of transport rollers between and. Further, in the present embodiment, a pair of upper and lower rollers are used as the conveying rollers, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the rollers may be provided only on the plate surface, and the back surface side may be a plate-like or net-like one other than the rollers. The clamping pressure of the plate 7 between the pair of transport rollers 24 and 25 can be set to, for example, 0.01 to 20 kg / cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² ).

A conveyance guide 26 is disposed between the pair of conveyance rollers 24 and 25, and the plate 7 hangs down due to its own weight and the weight of the applied pretreatment liquid 8 and comes off the conveyance path. Is being prevented. Any material may be used as the material of the transport guide 26 as long as it is not attacked by the pretreatment liquid 8 and does not damage the surface of the plate 7, but silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, fluorohydrocarbon, etc. Rubbers such as rubber, resins such as polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel and nickel titanium, and composite materials of these are used.

A squeegee member 27 having a roller structure is provided in contact with the upper part of the upper roller of the conveying roller pair 24.
The squeegee member 27 is supported by a side plate (not shown) like the transport roller pairs 24 and 25, and
Is configured to rotate following the rotation of. The squeegee member 27 can squeeze out the excess pretreatment liquid on the conveying roller pair 24, and can prevent the pretreatment liquid from flowing out of the apparatus. Although the total length of the squeegee member 27 is equal to the total length of the transport roller pair 24,
It is not limited to this. However, when the length is shorter than the total length of the transport roller pair 24, the effect of squeezing the pretreatment liquid is lowered. Here, the squeegee member 2 is provided above the conveying roller pair 25.
Providing a squeegee member similar to that of 7 is optional. The shape of the squeegee member 27 is not limited to the roller structure, and may be, for example, a non-rotating plate-shaped squeegee member. The squeegee member 27 may be made of any material that does not get damaged by the pretreatment liquid 8 and does not damage the pair of conveying rollers, such as silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorohydrocarbon rubber. Resins such as rubbers, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel titanium, and the like, and composite materials thereof are used.

A shower pipe 28 is arranged above the conveying roller pair 24. The shower pipe 28 is provided with shower outlets 28A facing the upper roller of the conveying roller pair 24 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. This shower pipe 28 is a flow control valve 2
A shower pipe 30 is connected via 9 to a pretreatment liquid circulation device described later. As a result, the pretreatment liquid 8 is sent to the shower pipe 28, discharged to the roller above the conveying roller pair 24, and applied onto the plate 7.

In order to improve the transportability, a pair of transport rollers 2
When a conveying roller pair is further provided between 4 and 25, like the conveying roller pair 24, it is preferable to dispose a shower pipe above it.

The pretreatment liquid circulation device is composed of a circulation pump 31, a pressure gauge 32, filter replacement valves 33 and 35, a filter 34, a shower pipe 30, and a bypass pipe 36.

A commercially available general-purpose pump can be used as the circulation pump 31, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 37. The suction port side of the circulation pump 31 communicates with the bottom portion of the pretreatment tank 22, and the discharge port side communicates with the shower pipe 30.
By the operation of this circulation pump 31, the pretreatment tank 22
The pretreatment liquid 8 is sent to the shower pipe 28 through the shower pipe 30.

A filter 3 is provided in the middle of the shower pipe 30.
4, and filter replacement valves 33 and 35 are arranged. With this filter 34, the shower pipe 30
The dust in the pretreatment liquid passing through the inside is filtered to prevent clogging of the shower discharge port 28A of the shower pipe. As the filter 34, a filter having a filtration accuracy of 10 to 1000 μm is used. In addition, filter replacement valves 33, 3
5 is provided in order to prevent the pretreatment liquid 8 in the pretreatment tank 22 from flowing out by closing these valves when replacing the filter.

A pressure gauge 32 is provided between the circulation pump 31 and the filter 34 so that the pressure of the pretreatment liquid 8 entering the filter 34 can be detected. Pressure gauge 3
2 is connected to the control unit 37, and the pressure detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. A flow meter may be used instead of the pressure gauge 32. When the pressure of the pretreatment liquid 8 entering the filter 34 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the display 38 connected to the control unit 37 displays a message prompting replacement of the filter 34.

By providing the bypass pipe 36, the pretreatment liquid 8 in the pretreatment tank is circulated and stirred, and the temperature of the entire pretreatment becomes uniform.

A temperature detector 39, a heater 40, and a float switch 41 are arranged in the pretreatment tank 22. The temperature detector 39 is connected to the control unit 37, and the temperature detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. The heater 40 is connected to the power source in the control unit 37, and is turned on / off based on the temperature detection result. Thereby, the temperature of the pretreatment liquid 8 is controlled to 10 to 60 ° C, preferably 20 to 50 ° C. The float switch 41 is for detecting the decrease of the pretreatment liquid 8 and is connected to the control unit 37. When the decrease of the pretreatment liquid 37 is detected, the heater 40 is turned off and the circulation pump 31 is stopped. This prevents the heater 40 from being powered on while the heating surface of the heater 40 is exposed from the liquid surface, and the circulating pump 31 from running idle when air is trapped. Then, a display prompting the replenishment of the pretreatment liquid 8 is displayed on the display 38.

Next, the developing section 3 will be described.

The developing tank 51 of the developing section 3 in this embodiment.
Has an inverted mountain shape and has a developing tank 52 with an open top surface at the bottom, but the developing tank 51 is not limited to the inverted mountain shape,
Other shapes such as a box shape may be used, and the developing tank 52 may be provided independently of the developing tank 51. The developing water 52 is stored in the developing tank 52.

The upper portion of the developing tank 51 is opened for maintenance and inspection, but an upper lid 53 is usually placed on the developing tank 51 to prevent dust from entering the developing water 9 and to suppress heat radiation from the developing water 9. .

Above the developing tank 51, a pair of conveying rollers 54 and 55 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7. The pair of conveying rollers 54 and 55 are supported by a side plate (not shown), and are rotated by receiving a driving force of a driving means (not shown) to convey the plate 7 in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. The surface of the pair of transport rollers 54, 55 is covered with rubber,
Care is taken not to damage the surface of the plate 7 being conveyed. The material of the rubber may be the same as the rubber on the surface of the pair of conveying rollers 24, 25. The hardness of rubber is 10
It is preferably -100 to 100 degrees, and more preferably 20 to 40 degrees. The conveying roller pair 54 is arranged at the forefront of the conveying path of the plate 7 in the developing tank 51, and plays a role of damming the developing water 9 applied onto the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of conveying rollers is arranged on the upstream side of the brush roller 56, but two or more pairs may be provided. In addition, a pair of transport rollers 5
5 is arranged at the rearmost part of the transport path of the plate 7 in the developing tank 51 and plays a role of squeezing the developing water 9 from the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of conveying rollers is arranged on the downstream side of the brush roller 56, but two or more pairs may be provided to squeeze the developing water 9 applied on the plate 7. Also,
In the present embodiment, a pair of upper and lower rollers are used as the conveying rollers, but the present invention is not limited to this, and rollers may be used only on the plate surface, and the back surface side may be a plate-shaped or net-shaped member other than the rollers. The holding pressure of the plate 7 of the pair of conveying rollers 54 and 55 is, for example, 0.
01 to 20 kg / cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0
It can be set to kg / cm ² ).

A squeegee member 57 having a roller structure is provided in contact with the upper portion of the upper roller of the conveying roller pair 54.
The squeegee member 57 is supported by a side plate (not shown) similarly to the pair of transport rollers 54, 55, and the pair of transport rollers 54
Is configured to rotate following the rotation of. The squeegee member 57 can squeeze out excess developing water on the conveying roller pair 54, and can prevent the developing water 9 from flowing out of the apparatus or to the pretreatment tank 21 side.
The overall length of the squeegee member 57 is equal to the overall length of the transport roller pair 54, but is not limited to this. However, when the length is shorter than the entire length of the transport roller pair 54, the effect of squeezing the developer is reduced. Here, it is optional to provide a squeegee member similar to the squeegee member 57 on the upper portion of the transport roller pair 55. The shape of the squeegee member 57 is not limited to the roller structure, and may be, for example, a non-rotating plate-shaped squeegee member. The squeegee member 57 may be made of any material that is not attacked by the developing water 9 and does not damage the conveying roller pair 54, and the same material as the squeegee member 27 can be used.

A brush roller 56 is arranged between the conveying roller pairs 54 and 55. This brush roller 56
Is for scraping off the silicone rubber layer corresponding to the image area on the plate surface by rubbing the surface of the plate 7.
The brush roller 56 is also supported by a side plate (not shown) similarly to the pair of conveying rollers 54, 55, and the driving force of a driving unit (not shown) is transmitted to the pair of conveying rollers 54, 55.
It rotates in the same direction (counterclockwise direction (B direction)) as the rotation direction of. Further, in some cases, the conveying roller pairs 54 and 55 may be rotated in a direction opposite to the rotating direction.

The brush roller 56 has a diameter of 20 to 5
Generally, a brush material of 00 μm is implanted in a groove shape material such as metal or plastic in a row and attached to the core, but the above brush material may be radially implanted in the core of metal or plastic. It may be one in which a brush material is embedded in a base material such as a plastic sheet or cloth and wound around a core.

When the brush material of the brush roller 56 is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polypropylene, the plate surface is not damaged by the brush and the force of the brush is not increased. The silicone rubber in the image area cannot be removed due to the shortage, and it is possible to prevent the development failure. The rotation number of the brush roller 56 is 10 to 1000 rpm (preferably 200 to 600 r).
pm).

By rotating the brush roller 56 and reciprocating it in the axial direction, the effect of scraping off the silicone rubber layer on the image area of the plate 7 is improved.

Downstream of the brush roller 56, the plate 7
A flip-up prevention plate 58 is provided above the conveyance path of. The splash-up prevention plate 58 is supported by a side plate (not shown). The brush roller 56 is a conveyance roller pair 54,
When the plate 7 rotates in the same direction as the rotating direction of the plate 55, it is possible to prevent the end of the plate 7 from being flipped up on the downstream side of the brush roller 56 to bend the plate by the flip-up prevention plate 58. When the brush roller 56 rotates in the reverse direction, if the splash-repelling prevention plate 58 is provided on the upstream side of the brush roller 56, it is possible to prevent the tip of the plate 7 from being flipped up and the plate 7 from coming off from the original transport path.

Any material can be used as the material for the repelling prevention plate 58 as long as it does not damage the plate, but rubbers such as silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, fluorohydrocarbon rubber, etc. Resins such as polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel and nickel titanium, and composite materials thereof are used.

At the lower part of the brush roller 56, the brush holder 5 is provided.
9 is provided. When the plate 7 passes, the plate 7 is supported from the back side by the brush support 59 so that the plate 7 does not bend, and the surface is strongly rubbed by the brush roller 56, so that the silicone rubber layer corresponding to the image area is formed. You can scrape off.

Any material can be used as the material of the brush holder 59 as long as it can be transported smoothly, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, polyacetal and the like. Resins,
Metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel and titanium, and composite materials thereof are used. The brush support 59 has a surface roughness of 5 to 200.
By performing processing in the range of 0 μm (preferably 10 to 200 μm), when the plate 7 is conveyed over the developing water adhering to the surface of the brush holder 59, the direction opposite to the plate conveying direction due to the viscosity of the developing water. It is possible to prevent the conveyance failure due to the force exerted on.

A shower pipe 60 is arranged between the conveying roller pair 54 and the brush roller 56. The shower outlet 60A is provided in the shower pipe 60 so as to face the brush roller 56 at an appropriate interval along the axial direction. The shower pipe 60 is connected to a developing water circulating device, which will be described later, by a shower pipe 62 via a flow rate adjusting valve 61. As a result, the developing water 9 is sent to the shower pipe 60, discharged to the brush roller 56, and applied onto the plate 7.

The shower pipe 63 is a brush roller 5.
6 and the conveying roller pair 55. In this shower pipe 63, shower discharge ports 63A are provided facing the conveying roller pair 55 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 63 is connected to a developing water circulating device, which will be described later, through a pipe line branched from the shower pipe 62 via a flow rate control valve 64. As a result, the developing water 9 is sent to the shower pipe 63, discharged to the conveying roller pair 55, and applied onto the plate 7.

A brush cover 65 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is arranged above the brush roller 56. The brush cover 65 prevents the brush roller 56 from scattering the developing water 9 elsewhere.

The developing water circulating device includes a circulating pump 66, a pressure gauge 67, filter replacement valves 68 and 70, and a filter 6.
9, a shower pipe 62, and a bypass pipe 71.

As the circulation pump 66, a commercially available general-purpose pump can be used, and its operation is controlled by the controller 37. The suction pump side of the circulation pump 66 communicates with the bottom of the developing tank 52, and the discharge port side thereof communicates with the shower pipe 62. By the operation of the circulation pump 66, the developing water 9 in the developing tank 52 passes through the shower pipe 62 and the shower pipe 6
It is designed to be sent to 0 and 63.

A filter 6 is provided in the middle of the shower pipe 62.
9 and filter replacement valves 68 and 70 are arranged. With this filter 69, the shower pipe 62
Dust in the developing water passing through the inside (mainly development dregs scraped from the surface of the plate 7) is filtered to prevent clogging of the shower discharge ports 60A and 63A of the shower pipe. The filter 69 has a filtration accuracy of 10 to 500 μm, preferably 1
Those having a thickness of 0 to 300 μm are used. Further, the filter replacement valves 68 and 70 are provided to prevent the developing water 9 in the developing tank 52 from flowing out by closing these valves when the filters are replaced.

A pressure gauge 67 is provided between the circulation pump 66 and the filter 69 so that the pressure of the developing water 9 entering the filter 69 can be detected. Pressure gauge 67
Is connected to the control unit 37, and the pressure detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. A flow meter may be used instead of the pressure gauge 67. When the pressure of the developing water 9 entering the filter 69 exceeds a predetermined value, the display 38 connected to the control unit 37 displays a message prompting replacement of the filter 69.

By providing the bypass pipe 71, the developing water 9 in the developing tank is circulated and stirred, and the temperature of the entire developing water becomes uniform.

A new developing water supply port 7 is provided in the developing tank 52.
2 and an overflow port 73 are provided. The new developing water supply port 72 has a solenoid valve 74, a filter 75, and a valve 7.
A new developing water supply pipe 77 is connected via 6 to a new developing water supply device (not shown). As a result, new developing water is supplied into the developing tank 52. The solenoid valve 74 is connected to a power source in the control unit 37 and is opened / closed according to the number of processed sheets. The filter 75 is provided to filter foreign matter in the new developing water that passes through the new developing water supply pipe 77. The valve 76 is provided to adjust the supply amount of new developing water and prevent the new developing water from flowing out when the filter 75 is replaced.

The overflow port 73 is connected to an unillustrated waste liquid treatment device by an overflow pipe 78.
As a result, the excess amount of the developing water 9 due to the supply of new developing water is discharged to the waste liquid treatment device. A cap 79 is provided above the overflow port 73 so that the developer water discharged from the shower pipes 60 and 63 directly enters the overflow port 73, and the discharge amount exceeds the supply amount and the developer water 9 decreases. To prevent. The discharged developing water contains the pretreatment liquid 8 and the developing residue, but the developing water may be reused by removing them.

In the pretreatment unit 2, the pretreatment liquid 8 is squeezed by the conveying roller pair 25, but since it cannot be completely removed, it is carried to the developing unit 3 and mixed in the developing water 9. Developing water 9
When the concentration of the pretreatment liquid therein increases, the silicone rubber layer in the non-image area of the plate 7 is likely to be scratched, causing a problem that the brush roller 56 is scratched. However, by supplying new developing water and causing it to overflow,
Since the concentration of the pretreatment liquid in the developing water 9 can be suppressed to a certain value or less, the silicone rubber layer in the non-image area is not scratched, and the developing water exchange operation is unnecessary.

A temperature detector 80, a heater 81, and a float switch 82 are arranged in the developing tank 52. The temperature detector 80 is connected to the control unit 37, and the temperature detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. The heater 81 is connected to the power source in the control unit 37, and is turned on / off based on the temperature detection result. Thereby, the temperature of the developing water 9 is 10 to 60 ° C., preferably 20.
Controlled to ~ 50 ° C. The float switch 82 detects the decrease of the developing water 9 and is connected to the controller 37. When the decrease of the developing water 9 is detected, the heater 81 is turned off and the circulation pump 66 is stopped. This prevents the heater 81 from being powered on while the electrically heated surface of the heater 81 is exposed from the liquid surface, and the circulating pump 66 from running idle when air is trapped. Then, the display 38 indicates that the amount of the developing water 9 is abnormally reduced.

Next, the ventilation zone 83 will be described.

Since the alcohol type developing solution (pretreatment solution) is used in the pretreatment section and the treatment solution containing water as a main component is used in the development section, the water vapor pressure in the development section rises, and the pretreatment section and the development section Even if there is a partition or the like, if it is connected through the transport path (it is a closed system), the water vapor pressure in the pretreatment section also rises. Then, there arises a problem that the water content of the alcohol-based pretreatment liquid stored in the pretreatment section rises, and the effect of dissolving or swelling a part of the photosensitive layer decreases.

In this embodiment, in order to solve this problem, a ventilation zone 83 is provided between the pretreatment section 2 and the developing section 3. The ventilation zone 83 is an open system connected to the outside air. Since the main component of the developing water 9 is water, the water vapor pressure of the air in the developing tank 51 rises, and this air leaks out from the slit hole at the entrance of the developing section of the transfer path, but there is a ventilation zone 83. Therefore, this air is discharged into the outside air without entering the pretreatment tank 21, and the rise of the water vapor pressure in the developing section 3 is not transmitted to the pretreatment section 2. Therefore, the water vapor pressure of the air in the pretreatment tank 21 increases, which is a problem in the case of a closed system without a ventilation zone, and a part of the photosensitive layer is dissolved or swollen due to an increase in the water content of the pretreatment liquid 8. It is possible to prevent a decrease in the effect. Flexed to plate 7,
Even if there is distortion, the height of the slit holes is preferably 10 mm or more, and more preferably 20 mm so that the plate 7 does not come in contact with the upper and lower sides of the slit holes such as the pretreatment section outlet and the developing section inlet.
mm or more. On the other hand, the length of the ventilation zone 83 is preferably 10 mm or more, more preferably 20 mm or more. If a forced ventilation means such as a fan is provided in the ventilation zone 83 or in any of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the ventilation zone 83 to create a flow of air, the ventilation effect is further improved.

It is conceivable to provide a means for ventilating the developing tank 51 so that the water vapor pressure of the air in the developing tank 51 does not rise, but it becomes easy for dust and foreign matter to enter the developing tank 51, and these filters 69 Are more likely to be clogged,
Alternatively, there arises a problem that the removal of the silicone rubber layer in the image area is disturbed.

It is conceivable to provide means for ventilating the pretreatment tank 21 so that the water vapor pressure of the air in the pretreatment tank 21 does not rise, but a problem arises for the same reason as the developing tank 51.

Next, the dyeing section 4 will be described.

The dyeing tank 91 of the dyeing section 4 in this embodiment.
Is an inverted mountain-shaped dyeing tank 9 having an upper surface opened at the bottom.
However, the dyeing tank 91 is not limited to the inverted mountain shape but may have another shape such as a box shape, and the dyeing tank 92 can be provided independently of the dyeing tank 91. The dyeing solution 92 is stored in the dyeing tank 92.

Although the upper portion of the dyeing tank 91 is opened for maintenance and inspection, an upper lid 93 is usually placed on the dyeing tank 91 to prevent dust from entering the dyeing solution 10 and to suppress heat dissipation of the dyeing solution 10. .

On the upper part of the dyeing tank 91, a pair of conveying rollers 94 and 95 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7. The conveying roller pairs 94 and 95 are supported by a side plate (not shown), rotate by receiving the driving force of a driving means (not shown), and convey the plate 7 in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. . The surface of the pair of transport rollers 94, 95 is wrapped with rubber,
Care is taken not to damage the surface of the plate 7 being conveyed. The material of the rubber may be the same as the rubber on the surface of the pair of conveying rollers 24, 25. The hardness of rubber is 10
It is preferably -100 to 100 degrees, and more preferably 20 to 40 degrees. The conveying roller pair 94 is installed at the forefront of the conveying path of the plate 7 in the dyeing tank 91 and plays a role of damming the dyeing solution 10 applied on the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of conveying rollers is arranged on the upstream side of the brush roller 96, but two or more pairs may be provided. The transport roller pair 95 is installed at the rearmost part of the transport path of the plate 7 in the dyeing tank 91 and plays a role of squeezing the dyeing liquid 10 from the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of conveying rollers is arranged on the downstream side of the brush roller 96, but two or more pairs may be provided in order to squeeze the dyeing liquid 10 applied on the plate 7. In this embodiment, the conveying roller pair 115 is provided on the downstream side of the dyeing tank 91.
Although a pair is arranged, two or more pairs may be provided, and
It may not be provided. Further, although a pair of upper and lower rollers are used as the conveying rollers in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rollers may be provided only on the plate surface, and the back surface side may be a plate-like or net-like one other than the rollers. The holding pressure of the transport roller pair 94, 95 between the plates 7 can be set to, for example, 0.01 to 20 kg / cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² ).

A squeegee member 97 having a roller structure is provided in contact with the upper portion of the upper roller of the conveying roller pair 94.
The squeegee member 97 is supported by a side plate (not shown) like the transport roller pairs 94 and 95, and
Is configured to rotate following the rotation of. The squeegee member 97 can squeeze out the excess dyeing solution on the conveying roller pair 94, and can prevent the dyeing solution 10 from flowing out of the apparatus or to the developing tank 51 side.
The overall length of the squeegee member 97 is equal to the overall length of the transport roller pair 94, but is not limited to this. However, when the length is shorter than the entire length of the transport roller pair 24, the effect of squeezing the dyeing solution is reduced. Here, it is optional to provide a squeegee member similar to the squeegee member 97 above the conveying roller pair 95. The shape of the squeegee member 97 is not limited to the roller structure, and may be, for example, a non-rotating plate-shaped squeegee member. The squeegee member 97 may be made of any material that is not affected by the dyeing solution 10 and does not damage the conveying roller pair 94, and the same material as the squeegee member 27 can be used.

A brush roller 96 is arranged between the conveying roller pairs 94 and 95. This brush roller 96
Is for rubbing the surface of the plate 7 to remove the silicone rubber layer in the image area on the plate surface left in the developing section 3 and to perform the dyeing with the dyeing solution 10 uniformly. The brush roller 96 is also supported by a side plate (not shown) similarly to the pair of conveying rollers 94 and 95, and the driving force is transmitted by a driving unit (not shown) to convey the pair of conveying rollers 94 and 9.
5 is rotated in the opposite direction (clockwise (C direction)). Further, depending on the case, the pair of conveying rollers 94 and 95 may be rotated in the forward direction.

As the brush roller 96, the same one as the brush roller 56 can be used.

When the brush material of the brush roller 96 is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polypropylene, the plate surface is not damaged by the brush and the force of the brush is not increased. Due to the shortage, the silicone rubber in the image area cannot be removed, and thus it is possible to prevent defective development and to reliably dye. The rotation number of the brush roller 96 is 10 to 1000 r
It is set to pm (preferably 100 to 500 rpm).

By rotating the brush roller 96 and reciprocating it in the axial direction, the effect of removing the silicone rubber layer on the image area of the plate 7 and the effect of dyeing by the dyeing solution 10 are improved.

On the upstream side of the brush roller 96, the plate 7
A flip-up prevention plate 98 is provided above the conveyance path of. The splash-up prevention plate 98 is supported by a side plate (not shown). The brush roller 96 is a conveyance roller pair 94,
When rotating in the direction opposite to the rotating direction of 95, the tip of the plate 7 is repelled on the upstream side of the brush roller 96, and the repelling prevention plate 98 can prevent the plate 7 from coming off the original transport path. When the brush roller 96 rotates in the forward direction, if the splashing prevention plate 98 is provided on the downstream side of the brush roller 96, it is possible to prevent the end of the plate 7 from being splashed and the plate to be bent.

Any material can be used for the splash-repelling prevention plate 98 as long as it does not damage the plate, and the same material as the splash-repelling prevention plate 58 can be used.

At the lower part of the brush roller 96, the brush holder 9 is provided.
9 is provided. When the plate 7 passes, the plate 7 is supported from the back surface by the brush support 99 so that the plate 7 does not bend, and the surface of the plate 7 is strongly rubbed by the brush roller 96, so that the image area left behind in the developing unit 2 is removed. The silicone rubber layer is removed and dyed uniformly. Any material can be used for the brush receiving base 99 as long as the material can be conveyed smoothly, and the same material as the brush receiving base 59 can be used. By subjecting the brush pedestal 99 to a surface roughness in the range of 5 to 2000 μm (preferably 10 to 200 μm), when the plate 7 is conveyed over the dyeing solution attached to the surface of the brush pedestal 99, Due to the viscosity of the dyeing solution, a force acts in the direction opposite to the plate conveyance, and it is possible to prevent conveyance defects.

A shower pipe 100 is arranged between the conveying roller pair 94 and the brush roller 96. This shower pipe 100 is provided with shower outlets 100A facing the brush roller 96 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 100 is connected to a dyeing liquid circulating device, which will be described later, through a shower pipe 102 via a flow rate control valve 101. As a result, the dyeing solution 10 is sent into the shower pipe 100, discharged to the brush roller 96, and applied to the plate 7.

The shower pipe 103 is arranged between the brush roller 96 and the conveying roller pair 95. The shower pipe 103 is provided with shower outlets 103A facing the conveying roller pair 95 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 103 is connected to a dyeing liquid circulating device, which will be described later, through a pipe line branched from the shower pipe 102 via a flow rate control valve 104. As a result, the dyeing solution 10 is sent to the shower pipe 103, discharged to the pair of transport rollers 95, and applied to the plate 7.

A brush cover 105 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is arranged above the brush roller 96. The brush cover 105 is used for the dyeing solution 10 by the brush roller 96.
To prevent the other from scattering.

The dyeing liquid circulating device includes a circulation pump 106, a pressure gauge 107, and filter replacement valves 108 and 11.
0, a filter 109, a shower pipe 102, and a bypass pipe 111.

As the circulation pump 106, a commercially available general-purpose pump can be used, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 37. The suction port side of the circulation pump 106 communicates with the bottom of the dyeing tank 92, and the discharge port side communicates with the shower pipe 102. By operating the circulation pump 106, the dyeing solution 10 in the dyeing tank 92 is sent to the shower pipes 100 and 103 through the shower pipe 102.

A filter 1 is provided in the middle of the shower pipe 102.
09 and filter replacement valves 108 and 110 are arranged. By the filter 109, the residue (mainly the development residue scraped off from the surface of the plate 7) in the dyeing solution passing through the inside of the shower pipe 102 is filtered, and the shower discharge ports 100A and 103A of the shower pipe are prevented from being clogged. There is. The filter 109 has a filtration accuracy of 10 to 500 μ.
m, preferably 10 to 300 μm. In addition, filter replacement valves 108 and 110
Is provided to prevent the dyeing solution 10 in the dyeing tank 92 from flowing out by closing these valves when the filter is replaced.

A pressure gauge 107 is provided between the circulation pump 106 and the filter 109 so that the pressure of the dyeing solution 10 entering the filter 109 can be detected.
The pressure gauge 107 is connected to the control unit 37, and the pressure detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. A flow meter may be used instead of the pressure gauge 107. When the pressure of the dyeing solution 10 entering the filter 109 exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit 37
A display prompting replacement of the filter 109 is displayed on the display 38 connected to the.

By providing the bypass pipe 111, the dyeing solution 10 in the dyeing tank 92 is circulated and stirred, and the temperature of the entire dyeing solution becomes uniform.

Inside the dyeing tank 92, a temperature detector 112,
A heater 113 and a float switch 114 are arranged. The temperature detector 112 is connected to the control unit 37, and the temperature detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. The heater 113 is connected to the power supply in the control unit 37, and the power is turned on / off based on the temperature detection result.
Thereby, the temperature of the dyeing solution 10 is controlled to 5 to 60 ° C, preferably 5 to 50 ° C. Also float switch 11
Reference numeral 4 is for detecting the decrease of the staining liquid 10, and the control unit 3
It is connected to 7. When the decrease of the staining solution 6 is detected,
The heater 113 is turned off, and the circulation pump 106 is stopped. As a result, the power is supplied to the heater 113 in a state where the heating surface of the heater 113 is exposed from the liquid surface, and the circulation pump 10 is in a state in which air is trapped.
Prevents 6 from running idle. Then, a display prompting the replenishment of the staining solution 10 is displayed on the display 38.

Next, the cleaning section 5 will be described.

The cleaning tank 121 of the cleaning unit 5 in this embodiment.
Is a washing tank 1 having an inverted mountain shape and having an open top on the bottom.
However, the cleaning tank 121 is not limited to the inverted mountain shape, and may have a box shape or another shape, and the cleaning tank 122 can be provided independently of the cleaning tank 121.
The cleaning liquid 122 is stored in the cleaning tank 122.

The upper portion of the cleaning tank 121 is opened for maintenance / inspection, but the upper lid 123 is usually placed on the cleaning tank 1 for cleaning.
The dust is prevented from being mixed into the cleaning liquid 1, and the heat radiation of the cleaning liquid 11 is suppressed.

On the upper part of the cleaning tank 121, a pair of conveying rollers 124 and 125 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7. The pair of conveying rollers 124 and 125 are supported by a side plate (not shown), rotate by receiving a driving force of a driving unit (not shown), and convey the plate 7 in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. . The surface of the conveying roller pair 124, 125 is wrapped with rubber so that the surface of the conveyed plate 7 is not damaged. As the rubber material, there are two pairs of conveying rollers.
The same as the rubber on the surface of Nos. 4 and 25 can be used. The hardness of rubber is preferably 10 to 100 degrees, preferably 20 to 40.
Good degree. The transport roller pair 124 is arranged at the forefront of the transport path of the plate 7 in the cleaning tank 121, and plays a role of damming the cleaning liquid 11 applied on the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of conveying rollers is arranged on the upstream side of the brush roller 126, but two or more pairs may be provided. The transport roller pair 125 is installed at the rearmost part of the transport path of the plate 7 in the cleaning tank 121 and plays a role of squeezing the cleaning liquid from the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of conveying rollers is arranged on the downstream side of the brush roller 126, but two or more pairs may be provided to squeeze the cleaning liquid 11 applied on the plate 7. Further, although a pair of upper and lower rollers are used as the conveying rollers in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rollers may be provided only on the plate surface, and the back surface side may be a plate-like or net-like one other than the rollers. The holding pressure of the plate 7 between the pair of conveying rollers 124 and 125 can be set to, for example, 0.01 to 20 kg / cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² ).

A squeegee member 127 having a roller structure is provided in contact with the upper part of the upper roller of the conveying roller pair 124. The squeegee member 127 is a pair of transport rollers 124, 125.
Similarly, is supported by a side plate (not shown) and is configured to rotate following the rotation of the conveying roller pair 124. The squeegee member 127 is used to convey the transport roller pair 12
It is possible to squeeze out the excess cleaning liquid attached to No. 4 and prevent the cleaning liquid 11 from flowing out of the apparatus or to the dyeing tank 91 side. The overall length of the squeegee member 127 is equal to the overall length of the transport roller pair 124, but is not limited to this. However, when the length is shorter than the entire length of the transport roller pair 124, the effect of squeezing the cleaning liquid is reduced. here,
It is optional to provide a squeegee member similar to the squeegee member 127 on the conveying roller pair 125. The shape of the squeegee member 127 is not limited to the roller structure, and may be, for example, a non-rotating plate-shaped squeegee member. The material of the squeegee member 127 is not affected by the dyeing solution,
Any material that does not damage the transport roller may be used, and the same material as the squeegee member 27 can be used.

A brush roller 126 is arranged between the conveying roller pair 124 and 125. The brush roller 126 is supported by a side plate (not shown) similarly to the pair of conveying rollers 124 and 125, and the driving force is transmitted by a driving unit (not shown) to reverse the rotation direction of the conveying roller pair 124 and 125 (clockwise). It rotates in the direction (D direction). Also, in some cases, a pair of transport rollers 1
You may rotate in the forward direction of the rotation direction of 24 and 125. When the plate conveying speed is increased, the number of times the brush rollers 56 and 96 rub the surface of the plate 7 in the developing unit 3 and the dyeing unit 4 decreases, so that the silicone rubber layer in the image area cannot be completely removed. However, the remaining silicone rubber layer can be removed by rubbing with the brush roller 126 of the cleaning unit. That is, conversely,
By providing the brush roller 126, the conveying speed can be improved. Further, the brush roller 126 also serves to improve the cleaning effect of the cleaning liquid 11.

As the brush roller 126, the same one as the brush roller 56 can be used. Brush roller 126
By using at least one selected from the group of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polypropylene as the brush material, the brush surface was left without damage to the plate surface by the developing section 3 and the dyeing section 4. It is possible to remove the silicone rubber layer in the image area and surely wash. The rotation number of the brush roller 126 is 10 to 1000.
It is set to rpm (preferably 100 to 500 rpm).

By rotating the brush roller 126 and reciprocating it in the axial direction, the effect of removing the silicone rubber layer on the image area of the plate 7 and the effect of cleaning with the cleaning liquid are improved.

A repelling prevention plate 128 is provided on the upstream side of the brush roller 126 and above the conveyance path of the plate 7. The splash-up prevention plate 128 is supported by a side plate (not shown). When the brush roller 126 rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the pair of conveying rollers 124 and 125,
The flip-up prevention plate 1 which prevents the tip of the plate 7 from being repelled upstream of the brush roller 126 and the plate 7 being disengaged from the original transport path.
28 can prevent this. Brush roller 12
In the case where 6 rotates in the forward direction, if the splash-repelling prevention plate 128 is provided on the downstream side of the brush roller 126, it is possible to prevent the plate 7 from being flipped up and bending the plate. Any material can be used as the material for the splash prevention plate 128 as long as it does not damage the plate, and the same material as the splash prevention plate 58 can be used.

A brush pedestal 129 is provided below the brush roller 126. The plate 7 is supported from the back side by a brush holder 129 so that the plate 7 does not bend when the plate 7 passes, and the front surface is strongly rubbed by the brush roller 126, so that the developing unit 3 and the dyeing unit 4 leave it. The silicone rubber layer on the image area is removed and the cleaning effect is improved.

Any material can be used for the brush holder 129 as long as the material can be transported smoothly.
The same thing as the brush holder 59 can be used. The brush receiving base 129 has a surface roughness of 5 to 2000 μm (preferably 1
When the plate 7 is conveyed over the cleaning liquid adhering to the surface of the brush holder 129, a force acts in the direction opposite to the plate conveyance due to the viscosity of the cleaning liquid by performing the processing in the range of 0 to 200 μm). It is possible to prevent defects.

In this embodiment, a pair of brush rollers for rubbing the plate surface and a pedestal for supporting the plate back surface are provided, but two or more pairs may be provided, and the brush roller for rubbing the plate back surface and the plate surface are supported. One or more pedestals may be provided.

A shower pipe 130 is arranged between the conveying roller 124 and the brush roller 126. The shower outlet 130A is provided in the shower pipe 130 so as to face the brush roller 126 at an appropriate interval along the axial direction. The shower pipe 130 is connected to a cleaning liquid circulating device, which will be described later, through a shower pipe 132 via a flow rate control valve 131. As a result, the cleaning liquid 11 is sent to the shower pipe 130, discharged to the brush roller 126, and further supplied to the surface of the plate 7.

The shower pipe 133 is arranged between the brush roller 126 and the conveying roller pair 125.
This shower pipe 133 is provided with shower outlets 133A facing the conveying roller pair 125 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. This shower pipe 133
Is connected to a cleaning liquid circulating device, which will be described later, through a pipe line that branches from the shower pipe 132 via a flow rate control valve 134. As a result, the cleaning liquid 11 is sent into the shower pipe 133, is discharged to the upper roller of the conveying roller pair 125, and is supplied to the surface of the plate 7.

A shower pipe 135 is arranged between the conveying roller pair 124 and the brush pedestal 129 below the conveying path (on the back side of the plate). This shower pipe 1
The shower discharge port 135 </ b> A is formed upward at 35. This shower pipe 135 is a flow control valve 13
The shower pipe 132 is connected to the cleaning liquid circulating device described later through the reference numeral 6. As a result, the cleaning liquid 11 is sent to the shower pipe 135 and supplied to the back surface of the plate 7.

Further, the shower pipe 137 is arranged between the brush receiving base 129 and the conveying roller pair 125 below the conveying path (on the back side of the plate). The shower outlet 137A is formed in the shower pipe 137 so as to face upward. The shower pipe 137 is connected to a cleaning liquid circulating device, which will be described later, through a pipe line branched from the shower pipe 132 via a flow rate control valve 138. As a result, the cleaning liquid 11 is sent to the shower pipe 137 and supplied to the back surface of the plate 7.

That is, in the dyeing section for dyeing the image area, the dyeing solution applied to the plate is squeezed by a rubber roller, but it cannot be completely removed and remains. However, there is a problem that it is stained with the dyeing solution. In order to solve this problem, a technique for cleaning the surface of the plate that has come out from the dyeing section is disclosed, but that is not enough, and if multiple plates with dyeing liquid remaining on both the front and back sides are stacked, However, there is a problem in that the front surface and the back surface are adhered to each other by the dyeing solution, or the dye is fixed to the silicone rubber layer which is a non-image area to reduce ink repulsion. In this embodiment, since the cleaning liquid is also supplied to the back surface of the plate 7, this problem can be solved.

A brush cover 139 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is arranged above the brush roller 126. The brush cover 139 prevents the cleaning liquid 11 from being scattered by the brush roller 126.

The cleaning liquid circulating device includes a circulation pump 140, a pressure gauge 141, and filter replacement valves 142 and 14.
4, a filter 143, a shower pipe 132, and a bypass pipe 145.

As the circulation pump 140, a commercially available general-purpose pump can be used, and its operation is controlled by the controller 37. The suction port side of the circulation pump 140 communicates with the bottom of the cleaning tank 122, and the discharge port side communicates with the shower pipe 132. By operating the circulation pump 140, the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning tank 122 is sent to the shower pipes 130, 133, 135, 137 through the shower pipe 132.

The filter 1 is provided in the middle of the shower pipe 132.
43 and filter replacement valves 142 and 144 are arranged. By this filter 143, the residues (mainly the development residues scraped off from the surface of the plate 7) in the cleaning liquid passing through the shower pipe 132 are filtered, and the shower discharge ports 130A, 133A, 135A, 137A of the shower pipes are filtered.
Prevents clogging of the. The filter 143 has a filtration accuracy of 10 to 500 μm, preferably 10 to 300 μm.
Are used. Further, the replacement valves 142 and 144 are provided to prevent the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning tank 122 from flowing out by closing these valves when the filter is replaced.

A pressure gauge 141 is provided between the circulation pump 140 and the filter 143 so that the pressure of the cleaning liquid 11 entering the filter 143 can be detected.
The pressure gauge 141 is connected to the control unit 37, and the pressure detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. A flow meter may be used instead of the pressure gauge 141. When the pressure of the cleaning liquid 11 entering the filter 143 exceeds a predetermined value, the controller 37
A display prompting replacement of the filter 143 is displayed on the display 38 connected to the.

By providing the bypass pipe 145, the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning tank 122 is circulated and stirred, and the temperature of the entire cleaning liquid becomes uniform.

A new cleaning liquid supply port 146 and an overflow port 147 are provided in the cleaning tank 122. The new cleaning liquid supply port 146 has a solenoid valve 148 and a filter 1.
49, a new cleaning liquid supply pipe 151 is connected via a valve 150 to a new cleaning liquid supply device (not shown). As a result, a new cleaning liquid is supplied into the cleaning tank 122. The solenoid valve 148 is connected to a power source in the control unit 37 and is opened / closed according to the number of processed sheets. The valve 150 is provided to adjust the supply amount of new cleaning liquid and prevent the new cleaning liquid from flowing out when the filter 149 is replaced.

The overflow port 147 is connected to a waste liquid treatment device (not shown) by an overflow pipe 152. As a result, the cleaning liquid 1 is supplied by supplying a new cleaning liquid.
The surplus of 1 is discharged to the waste liquid treatment device. A cap 153 is provided above the overflow port 147, and the shower pipes 130, 133, and 13 are provided.
It is prevented that the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzles 5 and 137 directly enters the overflow port and the discharge amount exceeds the supply amount and the cleaning liquid 11 decreases. The discharged cleaning liquid contains a pretreatment liquid, a dyeing liquid, and a development residue, but the cleaning liquid may be reused by removing them.

In the dyeing section 4, the dyeing solution 10 is squeezed by the pair of conveying rollers 95, but since it cannot be completely removed, it is carried to the cleaning section 5 and mixed with the cleaning solution 11. Cleaning liquid 1
When the concentration of the dyeing solution in 1 increases, the cleaning power for cleaning the plate 7 decreases. However, by supplying the new cleaning liquid and causing the overflow, the concentration of the dyeing liquid in the cleaning liquid 11 can be suppressed to a certain value or less, so that the cleaning power is stable and the cleaning liquid replacement work is unnecessary.

The temperature detector 15 is provided in the washing tank 122.
4, a heater 155, and a float switch 156 are arranged. The temperature detector 154 is connected to the control unit 37, and the temperature detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. The heater 155 is connected to the power supply in the control unit 37, and the power is turned on / off based on the temperature detection result. Thereby, the temperature of the cleaning liquid 11 is controlled to 5 to 60 ° C, preferably 5 to 50 ° C. The float switch 156 detects the decrease of the cleaning liquid 11, and is connected to the control unit 37. When the decrease in the cleaning liquid 11 is detected, the heater 155 is turned off and the circulation pump 140 is turned off.
Is supposed to stop. As a result, the heater 15
The heater 155 is prevented from being powered on when the heating surface of No. 5 is exposed from the liquid surface, and the circulating pump 140 is prevented from running idle when air is trapped. Then, the display 38 indicates that the cleaning liquid 11 is abnormally reduced.

Next, the liquid removing section 6 will be described.

The liquid removing tank 161 of the liquid removing section 6 in this embodiment.
Is box-shaped and has an open bottom.

On the upper part of the liquid removing tank 161, a pair of conveying rollers 162 and 163 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7. The pair of conveying rollers 162, 163 are supported by a side plate (not shown), and are rotated by the driving force of a driving means (not shown) being transmitted to convey the plate 7 in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. Water-absorptive cloths 162A and 162B are wound around the surfaces of the conveying roller pairs 162 and 163 so as to absorb the cleaning liquid on the plate 7 which is left unsqueezed by the conveying roller pair 125 of the cleaning unit 5. Water absorbent fabric 162A, 1
As 62B, one having a higher water absorption is more preferable, and one having an evaluation value of the water absorption rate of 3 mm / 10 min or more by the Bayrec method (JIS L 1096) is preferable. More preferably, it is 30 mm / 10 min or more. As such a highly water-absorbent fabric, for example, a cotton towel-like material (generally called a molton) used in a dampening water device of a printing machine can be used. In this embodiment, two pairs of conveying rollers wound with a water-absorbent cloth are arranged, but one pair may be provided, or three or more pairs may be provided to surely absorb the cleaning liquid. Conveyor roller pair 1
The clamping pressure of the plate 7 of 62, 163 is, for example, 0.01 to 2
0 kg / cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / c
m ² ) can be set.

A fan 164 is provided on the upper surface of the liquid removal tank 161. Outside air flows into the liquid removal tank 161 by the fan 164, and air in the tank flows out from the opening on the bottom surface of the liquid removal tank 161. Cloth 162A wrapped around a pair of transport rollers,
163A absorbs the cleaning liquid that has not been completely squeezed in the cleaning unit 5 and becomes wet, but the flow of air created by the fan 164 accelerates the drying. In this embodiment, the fan 164 is attached to the upper surface of the liquid removal tank 161, and the bottom surface is opened. However, the fan may be attached to any of the front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower surfaces of the liquid removal tank, and either surface may be opened. Good. The larger the opening area, the faster the drying.

As shown in FIG. 2, providing a heat source 165 such as a far infrared heater in the liquid removing tank 161 to warm the air in the liquid removing tank 161 is also effective for drying the cloth. Furthermore, this warm air is circulated using a blower 166,
Cloths 162A, 163A from warm air nozzles 167, 168
It is even more effective when sprayed on.

It is conceivable to evaporate the cleaning liquid on the plate 7 only by a heat source, a blower, a hot air nozzle, etc. without winding water-absorbent cloth on the transport rollers 162, 163, but the dye mixed in the cleaning liquid is evaporated. Therefore, when a plurality of plates are stacked, the dye causes a problem that the front surface and the back surface stick to each other.

Next, development of a plate using the developing device of this embodiment will be described.

The above-mentioned lithographic printing plate precursor 7 which does not require dampening water (hereinafter abbreviated as "plate 7") is exposed with an image by an exposure device (not shown), the cover film is peeled off after exposure, and the development shown in FIG. It is placed on the insertion stand 171 of the device 1. Insertion table 1
Inlet sensor 172 indicates that plate 7 is placed on top of 71
Is detected, the developing device 1 is started, and the transport roller pair 24 draws the plate 7 into the pretreatment unit 2. Edition 7 here
The exposed portion of the above is cured, and the photosensitive layer of the unexposed portion is in a state in which it can be partially dissolved or swollen by the pretreatment liquid 8.

The plate 7 drawn into the preprocessing unit 2 is indicated by the arrow A.
The pretreatment liquid 8 controlled at a predetermined temperature is applied while being conveyed in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed. This makes edition 7
Part of the photosensitive layer in the unexposed area (image area) is dissolved or swelled, and the silicone rubber layer is easily peeled off. After the pretreatment liquid 8 is squeezed by the pair of transport rollers 25, the plate 7 is transported to the developing unit 3.

The plate 7 drawn into the developing section 3 by the pair of conveying rollers 54 is conveyed between the brush roller 56 and the brush receiving base 59. While the developing water 9 controlled to a predetermined temperature is applied through the brush roller 56, the developing roller 9 is rubbed by the rotating brush roller 56 to remove the silicone rubber layer in the unexposed portion (image area) of the plate 7. , A positive image is formed on the plate 7.

The developing water 9 applied to the surface of the plate 7 is collected in the developing tank 52 together with the scraped off development dust.

The developing tank 52 has a new developing water supply port 72.
The new developing water is supplied from, and the surplus is discharged from the overflow port. As a result, the concentration of the pretreatment liquid mixed in the developing water without being fully squeezed by the conveying roller pair 25 is suppressed to a certain value or less, and the silicone rubber layer in the non-image area is easily scratched. To prevent.

Since the main component of the developing water 9 is water, the water vapor pressure of the air in the developing tank 51 rises, and this air leaks out from the slit hole which is the transfer path. This air is discharged to the outside air without entering the pretreatment tank 21. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water content of the pretreatment liquid 8 from increasing and the effect of dissolving or swelling a part of the photosensitive layer from decreasing.

After the developing water 9 is squeezed by the conveying roller pair 55, the plate 7 is conveyed to the dyeing section 4.

The plate 7 drawn into the dyeing section 4 by the pair of conveying rollers 94 is conveyed between the brush roller 96 and the brush receiving base 99. While applying the dyeing solution 10 controlled to a predetermined temperature through the brush roller 96,
By rubbing with the rotating brush roller 96, the silicone rubber layer of the image area left behind in the developing unit 3 is removed, and the photosensitive layer of the image area is dyed. As a result, there is a clear difference between the image area and the non-image area, and the plate inspection can be facilitated.

The dyeing solution 10 applied to the surface of the plate 7 is collected in the dyeing tank 92 together with the development residue scraped off.

After the dyeing solution 10 is squeezed by the pair of conveying rollers 95, the plate 7 is conveyed to the cleaning section 5.

The plate 7 drawn into the cleaning section 5 by the pair of transport rollers 124 is a brush roller 12 having a developing function.
6 and the brush holder 129. The brush roller 126 is rotated while being applied with the cleaning liquid 11 whose temperature is controlled through the brush roller 126.
By rubbing with, the silicone rubber layer of the image area left in the developing section 3 and the dyeing section 4 is removed, and the surface of the plate 7 is washed. Further, the back surface of the plate 7 is cleaned by the cleaning liquid 11 supplied from the upward shower pipes 135 and 137 provided on the lower side of the transport path.

Cleaning liquid 11 applied to both the front and back sides of plate 7.
Are collected in the washing tank 122 together with the development residue scraped off and the dyeing solution washed off.

The cleaning tank 122 has a new cleaning liquid supply port 1
The new cleaning liquid is supplied from 46, and the surplus is discharged from the overflow port. As a result, the concentration of the dyeing liquid mixed in the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning liquid is kept below a certain value, and the cleaning effect is stabilized.

After the cleaning liquid 11 is squeezed by the pair of conveying rollers 125, the plate 7 is conveyed to the liquid removing section 6.

The plate 7 is drawn into the liquid removing section 6 by the pair of conveying rollers 162. The cleaning liquid remaining on the plate 7 without being completely squeezed by the conveying roller pair 125 is sucked up by the water-absorbent fabrics 162A and 163A wound around the conveying roller pair 162 and 163. As a result, all the cleaning liquid remaining on the front and back surfaces of the plate 7 and the dye mixed in the cleaning liquid are removed.

The plate 7 is carried out by the carrying roller 163 to a commercially available auto stocker 173, and is stacked and stocked.

When the exit sensor 174 senses that the plate 7 has been completely carried out, the developing device 1 stops.

In the present embodiment, the development of a positive type lithographic printing plate precursor which does not require a dampening water, in which the exposed portion is hardened to become a non-image area, has been described. It can also be used for developing a negative type fountain solution-free lithographic printing plate precursor in which the formed portion is decomposed to form an image area.

[0136]

According to the present invention, when a plurality of plates are stacked,
The front surface and back surface stick to each other due to the cleaning liquid and the dye mixed in the cleaning liquid, the dye sticks to the silicone rubber layer which is the non-image area to reduce the ink repulsion, and the hand of the operator who transports the plate You can prevent it from getting dirty.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a developing device for a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require fountain solution according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of essential parts showing another example of the developing device for a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require fountain solution according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Developing device 2: Pretreatment part 3: Developing part 4: Dyeing part 5: Washing part 6: Draining part 7: No fountain solution lithographic printing plate 83: Ventilation zone

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 21, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0113

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

On the upper part of the liquid removing tank 161, a pair of conveying rollers 162 and 163 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7. The pair of conveying rollers 162, 163 are supported by a side plate (not shown), and are rotated by the driving force of a driving means (not shown) being transmitted to convey the plate 7 in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. Water-absorptive cloths 162A and 162B are wound around the surfaces of the conveying roller pairs 162 and 163 so as to absorb the cleaning liquid on the plate 7 which is left unsqueezed by the conveying roller pair 125 of the cleaning unit 5. Water absorbent fabric 162A, 1
As 62B, one having a higher water absorption is more preferable, and one having an evaluation value of the water absorption rate of 3 mm / 10 min or more by the Bayrec method (JIS L 1096) is preferable. More preferably, it is 30 mm / 10 min or more. Such highly absorbent fabric, for example, used in dampening water apparatus for a printing press, towel-like material of cotton (commonly what is called a Morton) may be used, such as, cotton Not limited to wool, hemp and other natural fibers and Reyo
Synthetic fibers such as fibers may be used alone or in combination.
However, materials other than these may be used . In this embodiment, two pairs of conveying rollers wound with a water-absorbent cloth are arranged, but one pair may be provided, or three or more pairs may be provided to surely absorb the cleaning liquid. Plate 7 of conveying roller pair 162, 163
The holding pressure can be set to, for example, 0.01 to 20 kg / cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² ).

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A developing section for removing a silicone rubber layer of an image area of a lithographic printing original plate not requiring dampening water, a dyeing section for dyeing the image area, and a lithographic printing original plate not requiring dampening water are washed. A developing device for a lithographic printing original plate not requiring dampening water, which is provided with a cleaning unit, and a liquid removing unit for removing the cleaning liquid remaining on the lithographic printing original plate not requiring dampening water is provided behind the cleaning unit. A developing device for a lithographic printing plate that does not require dampening water. 2. The developing device for a lithographic printing plate precursor not requiring fountain solution according to claim 1, wherein the liquid removing section is provided with one or more pairs of rollers wound with a water absorbent cloth. 3. A lithographic printing plate precursor unnecessary for fountain solution according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a pretreatment section for dissolving or swelling a part of the photosensitive layer in the image area is provided before the developing section. Developing device.