JPH087429B2 - Automatic developing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial application field) The present invention is to continuously develop, fix,
The present invention relates to an automatic developing device that performs a developing process by sending to each process of washing.

(Technical Background of the Invention) Conventionally, a roller transport system, a loop transport system, and a horizontal transport system have been known for performing continuous development processing of a film. The roller transport method transports a deep processing liquid tank vertically by a large number of rollers, but has a problem that the processing liquid tank is deep and the apparatus becomes large. The loop transfer method is a method in which a film is stretched between rollers arranged above and below a processing liquid tank and transferred, but it has the same problem as the roller transfer method. In the horizontal transport method, the processing liquid is sprayed onto a film that is transported horizontally to develop the film.However, in order to perform high-speed processing, the distance between the processing liquid and the film, that is, the horizontal bath becomes long. However, there is a problem that the device becomes large.

On the other hand, the treatment liquid causes fatigue and deterioration depending on its use.
Therefore, even if the processing conditions such as the processing time are kept constant, the quality of the finished product changes due to fatigue and deterioration of the processing liquid, resulting in a problem that the quality of the processing becomes uneven.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic developing apparatus suitable for high-speed processing and downsizing, and capable of stabilizing the processing quality even if the processing solution is fatigued or deteriorated.

(Structure of the Invention) According to the present invention, the object
In an automatic developing apparatus that sequentially sends each process of development, fixing, and washing to perform continuous development processing, at least one processing step is performed by irradiating ultrasonic waves from below toward a film transferred in a processing solution. A sound wave generating means, a processing amount detecting means for accumulating the processing amount by the processing liquid, a preheating means for heating the film entering the processing liquid prior to the processing, and the processing so that the development finish density becomes constant. And a preheating temperature control device that changes the preheating temperature of the film according to the amount.

That is, the present invention is premised on increasing the treatment speed by ultrasonic waves, and monitors the treatment amount for fatigue and deterioration of the treatment liquid, and changes the preheating heating temperature in accordance with the treatment amount. It is a thing.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a developing process, FIG. 2 is a view showing a processing liquid pack, FIG. 2A is an external perspective view thereof, and FIGS. 2B and 2C. Shows the internal state before and after use, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 denotes a developing tank.
Is provided with a film guide portion 22 having a bottom that is arcuate in side view, and a vibrating portion 24 that opens so as to intersect the film guide portion 22 obliquely in the film running direction (right direction).
A pair of feed rollers 26 for loading the film 12 on which a latent image of a micro image is formed into the processing tank 20 is provided at the left end of the film guide portion 22, and a pair of feed rollers 28 for carrying out the film 12 are provided at the right end. ing. Feeding roller on the loading side
Reference numeral 26 is a heat roller having a built-in electric heater 26A, and the roller 26 itself can heat to a predetermined temperature.

A liquid level control lid 30 is made of, for example, neoprene rubber or polyurethane rubber and has an arc-shaped cross section.
It is attached to the lid plate 34 via 32. This liquid level control lid
A gap of about 3 to 4 mm is formed between the film 30 and the bottom surface of the film guide 22, and the film 12 is guided by the guide groove 31 (FIG. 3) so as to travel through this gap. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a groove 31 into which the left and right edges of the film 12 are inserted is formed in the processing tank 20, and the film 12 is guided and transferred by the groove 31. Here, the film 12 is controlled so that its emulsion surface 12A faces upward.

A vibrator 10 having a diameter of 25 mm is attached to the bottom of the vibrating part 24,
The perpendicular line of the vibrator 10, that is, the central axis X which is the direction of maximum directivity, crosses the film 12 obliquely in the film running direction. The film 12 is set so as to enter the near-field of the transducer 10 on the central axis X, for example, 10
It is desirable to set it within the range of up to 50 mm. Here, the short-range sound field refers to a range closer to the oscillator 10 than a position farthest from the oscillator 10 among the positions where the sound pressure propagating in the treatment liquid is periodically maximized. By transporting the film 12 obliquely with respect to the central axis X within this range, the film 12 can be uniformly processed without being affected by the uneven sound pressure.

The processing liquid is supplied to the processing tank 20 so that the processing liquid always has a constant level. That is, the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid tank 36 to the pump 38.
Is sent to the constant liquid surface tank 40, and is held at a constant liquid surface height in the tank 40. From here, the metering pump 42 sends the processing liquid into the film guide portion 22 on the upstream side of the vibrating portion 24. . The processing liquid flows over the partition wall of the loading chamber 44 of the downstream side of the film guide section 22, that is, the lower side of the feed roller 28, flows into the loading chamber 44, and enters the processing liquid pack 46 therefrom.

The processing solution pack 46 is made of waterproof paper in a box shape, and the processing solution tank 36 made of a flexible plastic container is housed on one side of the new processing solution pack 46 before use.
A water-absorbing polymer 48 is contained on the other side (Fig. 2B).
On the upper surface of the treatment liquid pack 46, a treatment liquid outlet 46a and a waste liquid inlet 46b which respectively communicate with the treatment liquid tank 36 and the water absorbing polymer 48 are opened, and after these are sealed with a thin film material,
Further, the upper surface thereof can be opened and closed with adhesive seal lids 46c and 46d. The processing liquid pack 46 includes these seal lids 46.
With c and 46d opened, they are placed on a vertically movable tray 49 (FIG. 1), and are pushed upward by this tray 49 and loaded. At this time, the processing liquid inflow pipe of the pump 38
The processing liquid discharge pipe 44a communicating with 38a and the loading chamber 44 breaks a thin film blocking the processing liquid outlet 48a and the waste liquid inlet 48b,
The treatment liquid tank 36 and the water-absorbing polymer 48 communicate with each other.

Therefore, when the treatment liquid in the tank 36 decreases, the tank volume 36 decreases, but the water-absorbing polymer 48 gels and the second c
It expands as shown by 48A in the figure. When the processing liquid in the tank 36 runs out and the pack 46 is replaced, the tray
You can lower 49 and let the pipes 38a, 44a exit the pack 46. Although the waste liquid is gelled, there is no danger of the liquid spilling, but the processing liquid outlet 46a and the waste liquid inlet 4 are provided by the seal lids 46c and 46d.
It is even more reliable if you block 6b. As a result, handling of the processing liquid becomes very easy.

The height of the partition wall of the loading chamber 44 accommodating the feed roller 28 determines the height of the processing liquid surface in the processing tank 20, and, for example, based on the arc-shaped bottom of the film guide portion 22. It is desirable to set it to about 7 mm. Reference numeral 50 is a valve for discharging the processing liquid in the vibration unit 24 to the tank 46.

Therefore, a fixed amount of the processing liquid is processed by the metering pump 42.
And the liquid surface is kept constant by the partition wall of the loading chamber 44. The film 12 is fed at a constant speed by the rollers 26 and 28, and moves downward in the film guide portion 22 of the processing tank 20 while drawing a convex arc. Since the feed roller 26 on the inlet side of the processing tank 20 is a heat roller, this roller 26
The film 12 is heated to an appropriate temperature when being sandwiched and fed. The vibrator 10 generates ultrasonic waves at a constant frequency (for example, 1.7 MHz) and constant energy, and the ultrasonic waves strike the film 12 at an angle. Therefore, the film 12 can move within the ultrasonic wave irradiation region including the central axis X by a distance larger than the periodic interval of the ultrasonic wave intensity, and is not affected by the ultrasonic wave periodic intensity.

Ultrasonic waves do not heat the entire processing solution,
It has the function of selectively heating polymer substances such as 12 as a sound absorbing material. As shown in FIG. 3, the amount of the processing liquid on the upper surface of the film 12 is significantly smaller than the amount of the processing liquid below the film 12, so that the processing liquid on the upper surface of the film 12 is quickly heated. Since the emulsion surface 12A of the film 12 is located on the side of the heated processing liquid, the processing of the film 12 is performed very quickly. Further, since the film 12 is preheated by the feed roller 26, the processing speed in the processing liquid is increased and the processing by ultrasonic irradiation is accelerated.

In FIG. 1, 60 is a preheating temperature control device. A processing amount is input to the device 60, and the preheating temperature is obtained according to the processing amount. In this embodiment, the feed roller 26 is rotated at a constant speed, and the rotation time of the feed roller 26 is used as the processing amount. That is, this rotation time is integrated by the timer 62, and this integrated value T is input to the management device 60. The timer of 62 may be replaced with a counter for the number of revolutions, and the length of the film 12 fed by the feed roller 26 may be integrated to use this integrated value L as the processing amount.

The management device 60 controls the temperature of the heater 26A to a predetermined temperature by the heater circuit 64. That is, since the processing liquid becomes fatigued and deteriorates as the processing amount increases, the management device 60 controls the preheating temperature to gradually increase according to the processing amount so that the development finish concentration becomes constant. to manage.

In this embodiment, since the liquid level control lid 30 is located close to the upper surface of the film 12, the liquid level control lid 30 keeps the film 12 and the processing liquid on the upper surface warm and enables the uniform processing. Further accelerate processing. If the liquid level control lid 30 is made of a polymer material such as the above-mentioned polyurethane rubber or neoprene rubber, the lid 30 itself can be heated by the sound absorbing function. Therefore, the heating of the film 12 is further promoted and the treatment is promoted. Neoprene rubber is particularly preferable because it has excellent heat resistance. At this time, if the upper surface of the liquid level control lid 30 is held by the lid plate 34 via the heat insulating material 32 as in this embodiment, the heat retaining effect of the liquid level control lid 30 is further improved and the processing is further promoted. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform good processing without processing unevenness in a short time.

In this embodiment, since the central axis X of the vibrator 10 intersects in the running direction of the film 12, the ultrasonic wave promotes the movement of the processing liquid in the running direction of the film, and almost new processing is performed in the processing tank. The treatment can be continued using the liquid.

Although one vibrator 10 is used in this embodiment, a plurality of vibrators 10 may be used in the present invention. 2 in Figures 4A and 4B
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment using a single circular vibrator 10 and a cross-sectional view of this embodiment seen from the film transfer direction. In this embodiment, the vibrators 10 and 10 are arranged so that the central axes X of the vibrators 10 and 10 are gathered near the film 12.

5A and 5B are a perspective view of an embodiment using three rectangular vibrators 210 and a cross-sectional view of this embodiment seen from the film transfer direction. Here, the ultrasonic wave emission direction (center axis X) of each transducer 210 is gathered toward the vicinity of the film 12. In the examples of FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B, the surface of the treatment liquid is raised by ultrasonic vibration. The liquid surface treatment lids 130 and 230 press the ridges to prevent an unstable flow of the treatment liquid and make the flow uniform. Note that 132 and 232 are heat insulating materials.

In these embodiments, the liquid level control lid 30 is provided above the film 12.
Although the present invention is provided, it goes without saying that the present invention also includes those without this.

Although the liquid level of the processing tank 20 is kept constant at the height of the partition wall of the loading chamber 44 in this embodiment, the liquid level may be controlled by using another liquid level sensor and a drain valve. Good. Since the treatment liquid oxidizes and deteriorates after a long period of time, when deterioration of the treatment liquid occurs, the valves 50 are opened while the pumps 38 and 42 are operated, and the treatment liquid in the treatment liquid tank 36 is sent to the water absorbing polymer 48. It may be gelled and discarded.

Although the present invention is applied to the developing process in the above-described embodiments, the present invention also includes those applied to other processes.

FIG. 6 is an overall view of an automatic developing apparatus in which the processing apparatus of FIG. 1 is applied not only to a phenomenon step but also to a fixing step and a washing step. In this figure, A, B, and C respectively indicate developing, fixing, and washing devices, which are processing devices almost similar to those in FIG. 1, and each use a developing solution, a fixing solution, and a cleaning solution as processing solutions. . Further, the preheating management device for changing the preheating temperature according to the amount of processing is preferably provided in the developing device A which has the largest influence on the development density, but it goes without saying that it may be provided in the other devices B and C.

In this figure, 100 is a supply reel for film that has not been subjected to phenomenon processing and 102 is a take-up reel that winds up the developed film. Undeveloped film 12 is a drive roller
The toner is guided to the developing device A by being sandwiched between the contact roller 104 and the contact roller 106. At this time, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the film 12 are
Detected by 108. The rotation of the contact roller 106 is monitored by an encoder (not shown). the film
12 is preheated by the feed roller 26 of each processing apparatus A, subjected to development processing, further fixed and washed with apparatuses B and C, and then wound on the take-up reel 102. Devices B and C
The film 12 may be preheated also by the feed roller 26. At this time, the film 12 coming out of the washing device C
The outlet roller 110 is rollingly contacted with the roller, and the rotation of the outlet roller 110 is monitored by an encoder (not shown). In the vicinity of the exit roller 110, an exit sensor 112 is configured to monitor the leading edge and the trailing edge of the film 12.

This device operates as follows. First, the photographed film 12 is set on the reel 100, and the power switch (not shown) is turned on, so that the pumps 38 and 42 operate to keep the processing liquid at the specified liquid level. Starts spinning. When the film 12 is fed from the reel 100 while being sandwiched between the rollers 104 and 106, the leading end of the film 12 is detected by the entrance sensor 108, and the vibration of each of the processing devices A, B, and C is detected based on the output of the sensor 108. The child 10 turns on and starts vibrating.
The film 12 is processed by each of the processing devices A, B, and C and then wound on the take-up reel 102. At this time, when the exit sensor 112 detects the end of the film 12, the vibrator 10 is turned off and the vibration is stopped.

In this apparatus, films (jams) in the apparatuses A, B, and C are detected as follows. Ie entrance sensor
If the exit sensor 112 does not detect the leading edge of the film within a certain time after the leading edge of the film 12 has been detected, it is determined that the jam has occurred. Also, since the feed amount of the film 12 can be determined by an encoder that detects the rotation of the contact roller 106 and the exit roller 110, the sensors 108, 112
If the roller 110 stops while is ON (during film passage), it is determined that a jam has occurred. It should be noted that if the sensor 112 detects the end of the film within a fixed time after the sensor 108 detects the end of the film, it may be determined as normal and it may be confirmed that the development is normally performed.

(Effect of the invention) As described above, the present invention provides a preheating means for treating a film entering a treatment liquid in promoting treatment by using ultrasonic waves in at least one treatment step of development, fixing and washing with water. The heating is performed prior to the above, and the preheating temperature is changed according to the processing amount. In this way, since the processing is accelerated by the ultrasonic waves, the processing step of the film can be shortened and therefore the processing tank can be downsized. Also, since the preheating temperature is changed according to the treatment amount, even if the treatment liquid is fatigued or deteriorated,
It is possible to always perform appropriate processing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a development processing tank which is an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a view showing a treatment liquid pack, FIG. 2A is an external perspective view thereof, FIGS. 2B and 2C are views showing internal states before and after use, and FIG. 3 is III in FIG. It is a III-line sectional view. FIGS. 4A and 4B and FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing other arrangement examples of the vibrator and the like. FIG. 6 is an overall view of an automatic developing apparatus in which the processing apparatus of FIG. 1 is applied not only to the developing step but also to the fixing step and the water washing step. 10, 210 ... Transducer, 12 ... Film, 20 ... Processing tank, 26 ... Feed roller as preheating means, 26A ... Heater, 60 ... Preheating temperature control device, 62 ... Timer (counter), A ... Development device, B ... Fixing device, C ... Washing device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic developing apparatus in which a film, which has been photographed, is successively sent to each process of developing, fixing and washing to continuously develop the film, wherein at least one processing step is a film transferred in a processing solution. Ultrasonic generating means for irradiating ultrasonic waves from below toward, a processing amount detecting means for integrating the processing amount by the processing liquid, a preheating means for heating the film entering the processing liquid prior to the processing, An automatic developing device, comprising: a preheating temperature control device that changes the preheating temperature of the film in accordance with the processing amount so that the development finish density becomes constant.