JPH09264446A - Closing valve device and automatic developer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify and shorten labor and work for the maintenance of a drain valve. SOLUTION: A motor 130 and a valve 112 are separatable, and the groove 142 and connecting groove 144 of a rotary shaft 140 on the side of the motor 130 are severally fitted in a rotary shaft 12 and a projecting part 128 on the side of the valve 112 to certainly transmit the drive of the motor 130 to the rotary shaft 126 of the valve 112 for changing over a spot between a pair of openings 114 into an opened state or a closed state.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an opening / closing valve device and an automatic developing device using the opening / closing valve device,
In particular, the present invention relates to an automatic developing device having a processing portion composed of a plurality of processing liquid tanks for developing a photographic light-sensitive material and an opening / closing valve device attachable to the automatic developing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A photosensitive material having an image printed thereon is subjected to processing liquid treatment such as development, fixing and washing with a photosensitive material processing device such as an automatic developing device. In such an apparatus, a developing tank, a fixing tank, and a washing tank are arranged in the processing liquid processing section for processing the processing liquid. Of these tanks, the water washing tank stores washing water for washing the photosensitive material that has undergone the development processing and the fixing processing, and is drained when the apparatus is stopped or after the apparatus is stopped in order to suppress the generation of algae. ing.
When performing drainage, a drainage channel opening / closing means, for example, a drainage valve provided with a valve body and a drive source is opened. Further, in such a drain valve, since the switching is performed by the drive unit that operates according to the instruction from the main body of the automatic developing device, the drive source and the valve body are integrated so that the switching instruction by the drive source is smoothly transmitted to the valve body. Has become.

However, the wastewater of the processing solution contains dust of the photosensitive material and crystals of aluminum hydroxide caused by the hardening agent (aluminum alum) of the fixing solution, which are the valve bodies of the drainage valve. It has been known that when attached to the, the torque required for rotation increases and the load on the drive source increases. In such a case, it is necessary to replace the valve body, but since the valve body and the drive source are integrated and attached to the main body of the automatic developing device, the parts to be removed and replaced from the wiring inside the automatic developing device It takes time and effort for maintenance such as mounting. Further, in order to replace the valve element, the entire unit including the drive source is replaced, and even if there is no abnormality in the drive source, it cannot be removed and reused.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above facts, and provides an opening / closing valve device and an automatic developing device which can simplify the labor and replacement work of valve body maintenance. The purpose is to do.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an on-off valve device comprising a valve arranged such that a valve is interposed in the middle of a pipe, and a drive for rotating the valve to open and close the pipe. And a connecting means for detachably connecting the valve to the drive source fixed at a predetermined position of the apparatus.

According to the on-off valve device of the first aspect,
Since the valve is detachably connected to the drive source fixed at a predetermined position of the apparatus such as the automatic developing machine by the connecting means, when replacing the valve, the drive source fixed to the apparatus should be replaced. Only the valve can be replaced without removing it. As a result, maintainability such as valve replacement and repair can be improved, and labor and work can be simplified and cost can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an on-off valve device according to the first aspect, wherein the connecting means includes a positioning means for mounting the drive source and the valve at one position in the rotational direction of the output shaft of the drive source. It is characterized by that.

According to the on-off valve device of the second aspect,
By the positioning means, the coupling means for connecting the valve and the drive source positions the valve and the drive source at one position within the rotation direction 360 ° of the output shaft of the drive source. The driving force of the driving source can be appropriately transmitted to the valve body by connecting them, and the mounting position is not erroneous.

An automatic developing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention forms a processing liquid tank for storing a plurality of processing liquids for developing a photographic light-sensitive material, and a discharge passage connected to the processing liquid tank for discharging the processing liquid. In an automatic developing device equipped with a discharge pipe,
A valve provided on the maintenance side of the automatic developing device in the middle of the discharge pipe, a drive source that is connected to the valve to open and close the valve by rotational drive, and the valve is set to a predetermined position of the drive source. And a connecting means for detachably connecting.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the valve removably connected to the drive source by the connecting means is arranged in the middle of the discharge pipe on the front side of the maintenance opening, the automatic developing device can be removed. When exchanging the valve, the valve is located at a place where maintenance is easy, so that it is possible to remove and replace only the valve while keeping the drive source fixed to the drive developing device. As a result, only the valve can be easily replaced, maintainability can be improved, and labor and work can be simplified.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

Inside the box-shaped automatic developing machine frame of the automatic developing device, a processing liquid processing section for sequentially dipping and processing a sheet film, which is a sheet-shaped photosensitive material, in a plurality of processing liquids while being conveyed, A drying unit for drying the sheet film processed by the processing liquid processing unit is provided.

The processing liquid processing section has a developing tank 22, a fixing tank 24 and a washing tank 26 which respectively store a developing solution, a fixing solution and washing water.
It has. A conveyance path is formed for sequentially immersing the sheet film in the treatment liquid in these treatment tanks for treatment.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the developing tank 22 and the fixing tank 24, a drainage mechanism 90 is provided below the developing tank 22 and the fixing tank 24 to discharge the processing liquid stored in each tank. Outlets 22A and 24A are provided. A waste liquid pipe 92 (only the waste liquid pipe for developing liquid is shown) is connected to the discharge port 22A of the developing tank 22 and the discharge port 24A of the fixing tank 24, respectively, and the discharge ports 22A and 24A are connected to the waste liquid pipe 92. The parts are fixed by a hose clamp 94.
As a result, the waste liquids of the developing liquid and the fixing liquid are stored in a waste liquid tank (not shown) via the waste liquid pipe 92.

As shown in FIG. 2, as a drainage mechanism 90 for the washing tank 26, a discharge port 26A is provided below the washing tank 26, and a drainage pipe 96 is connected to the discharge port 26A. As a result, the flush water stored in the flush tank 26 is drained through the drain pipe 96 along the drain direction indicated by the arrow B when the valve body in the valve unit 110 is opened. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the drainage downstream side of the drainage pipe 96 is connected to one inlet of the Y-shaped hose 100 via a valve unit 110. Y-shaped hose 10
Rinsing water overflowing from the washing tank is supplied to the other inlet of 0 through a pipe (not shown). The discharge side of the Y-shaped hose 100 is connected to a drainage part (not shown), and the drainage that has passed through the valve unit 110 and the water overflowing from the washing tank join together and are discharged in the direction of arrow A. .

Hose clamps 102 and 104 are attached to the respective connecting portions of the valve unit 110, the drainage pipe 96 and the inlet of the Y-shaped hose 100, and the connecting portions are tightened to ensure the connection.

As shown in FIG. 3, the valve unit 1
Reference numeral 10 includes a valve 112 having a substantially T-shape and a motor 130 that drives the valve 112, and the valve 112 and the motor 130 can be separated from each other.

The valve 112 is composed of a pair of openings 114 forming a part of a drainage path at both ends thereof, and a main body 116 for accommodating, for example, a ball-shaped valve sandwiched therebetween. A bracket 118 is attached to the main body 116 so as to extend and project in a direction orthogonal to the opening direction of the opening 114 (upper surface side in FIG. 4).
20 is drilled.

A location facing the location where the bracket 118 of the main body 116 is attached (lower surface side in FIG. 3)
A cylindrical connecting portion 122 is provided on the upper end of the cylindrical member 122, and a connecting surface 124 is formed at the lowermost end of the connecting portion 122 (see FIG. 4). Connecting surface 1
One end of a half-moon-shaped rotating shaft 126 projects from 24, and the other end of the rotating shaft 126 is connected to a valve (not shown) housed in the main body 116. Further, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 122 is expanded in a fan shape, and a protruding portion 128 is formed by cutting out a part of the connecting surface 124.

The motor 130 has a cylindrical body and is shown in FIG.
A cylindrical support portion 132 is eccentrically arranged on the upper surface side. The support portion 132 is formed with a connection groove 134 into which the connection portion 122 of the valve 112 can be inserted.
A tightening portion 136 is formed on a part of the peripheral surface of No. 4.
A screw 138 as a tightening member is screwed into the tightening portion 136 from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side of the coupling groove 134. As a result, the connecting portion 122 of the valve 112 is fitted into the connecting groove 134 of the support portion 132 of the motor 130,
By screwing the screw 138 of the tightening portion 136 in the inner circumferential direction, the valve 112 is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the connecting portion 122 to fix the valve 112 in the connecting groove 134.

On the bottom surface of the connecting groove 134, the apex of the rotary shaft 140 for transmitting the rotation of the motor 130 is arranged.
A half-moon-shaped groove 142 is formed at the apex of the rotary shaft 140 so as to match the half-moon shape of the rotary shaft 126 of the valve 112. As a result, the valve 112 is inserted into the connection groove 134 of the motor 130, and the valve 112 is inserted into the half-moon shaped groove 142.
Of the motor 130 by inserting the rotary shaft 126 of
Is reliably transmitted to the rotary shaft 126 of the valve 112.

A groove portion 144 having a diameter increased corresponding to the shape of the protrusion 128 of the valve 112 is formed in a part of the peripheral surface of the connecting groove 134 of the motor 130 in FIG. Groove 1
By accommodating the protrusion 128 of the valve 112 in 44, the valve 112 is fitted into the connecting groove 134 of the supporting portion 132 of the motor 130, and is positioned at one point on the 360 ° inner peripheral surface of the connecting groove 134. The motor 130 is connected to the motor 130.

Therefore, the motor 130 and the valve 112 can be separated from each other, and the rotary shaft 140 on the motor 130 side can be separated.
The groove 142 and the groove portion 144 of the valve 112 and the rotary shaft 126 and the protrusion portion 128 on the valve 112 side are fitted to each other, whereby the drive of the motor 130 is reliably transmitted to the rotary shaft 126 of the valve 112, and the pair of openings 114. The space can be switched to an open state or a closed state.

The motor 130 has a built-in limit switch (not shown), and is connected to the valve opening / closing control unit 82 by a cord 148 connected to the connection unit 146 provided on the upper surface of the motor 130 in FIG. The open / close state of the motor 130 can be known by outputting an open signal and a close signal from the limit switch.

A pair of screw holes 150 are formed on the upper surface of the motor 130 in FIG. 3 and can be fixed to a mounting bracket 152 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting bracket 1
52 is provided with a supporting surface 152A having a U-shaped groove 154 corresponding to the shape of the supporting portion 132 of the motor 130 formed at one end, and the holding portion 1 is provided on both sides of the U-shaped groove 154.
56 are provided. The other end of the mounting bracket 152 is provided with a mounting surface 152B that extends toward the bottom surface of the processing liquid processing unit and is bent at a right angle. Mounting surface 15
2B is fixed to the bottom surface near the processing tanks 22 and 24 of the processing liquid processing section by the retaining section 158.

As a result, the support surface 152B of the mounting bracket 152 is fixed to the bottom surface of the processing liquid processing part, and the U-shaped groove 154 of the mounting surface 152A is arranged at a right angle to the drainage direction of the drainage path. Has become. By inserting the connecting portion 122 of the valve unit 110 into the U-shaped groove 154 arranged in the right angle direction, the opening 1 of the valve 112 is opened.
14 is opened parallel to the drainage direction.

A valve opening / closing control unit 82 is connected to the processing control unit 80 shown in FIG.
On the basis of an instruction from the processing control unit 80, the valve of the valve unit 110 is opened or closed to drain or store the wash water in the wash tank 26.

The operation of the present embodiment will be described below. In the processing solution processing section, the sheet film 12 is treated with a developing solution, a fixing solution,
After being sequentially dipped in washing water to be treated, it is sent to the drying unit 18, dried, and discharged to the discharge tray 48. On the discharge tray 48, the processed sheet film 1
2 are stacked.

Next, the drainage mechanism 90 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described. When the valve unit 110 is closed, the valve 11 is opened based on an instruction from the valve opening / closing control unit 82.
The second rotary shaft 126 is fixed at a predetermined closed position. When the rotary shaft 126 is fixed at the closed position, the drainage that has passed through the drainage pipe 96 maintains a state where it reaches the opening 114 on the drainage upstream side of the valve 112. In the closed state, drainage does not reach the opening 114 on the downstream side of drainage due to the drainage path being closed by the main body 116, and is not drained to the Y-shaped hose 100.

When the valve opening / closing control unit 82 gives an instruction to open based on the instruction from the processing control unit 80, the valve opening / closing control unit 8 controls the valve unit 110 whose valve is closed.
2 instructs opening of the valve.

When the opening is instructed, the valve unit 11
The zero motor 130 is driven to rotate the rotary shaft 140 to a predetermined open position. When the rotary shaft 140 rotates, the rotary shaft 126 of the valve 112, one end of which is fitted in the half-moon shaped groove 142 provided in the rotary shaft 140, rotates accordingly. In the valve 112, the protrusion 128 fits into the groove 144 of the support 132, so that the rotation of the rotary shaft 140 of the motor 130 is reliably transmitted to the rotary shaft 126, and a valve (not shown) housed inside the main body 116. Is driven to open the valve unit 110.

When the valve unit 110 is opened, the drainage that has reached the drainage upstream opening 114 of the valve 112 and is blocked by the main body 116 passes through the downstream opening 114 and flows out to the Y-shaped hose 100. Then, drainage is performed.

On the other hand, when the valve 112 through which the drainage passes in the valve unit 110 is clogged due to dust or the like, the screw 138 of the tightening portion 136 provided on the support portion 132 of the motor 130 is loosened. Rotate. The screw 138 is removed, and the support portion 13 of the motor 130 is removed.
When the connection between the valve 2 and the connecting portion 122 of the valve 112 is sufficiently loosened, the valve 112 and the motor 130 are separated by pulling the valve 112 away from the motor 130 (toward this side in FIG. 1). . For the motor 130 from which the valve 112 is detached, another valve 1
12 are connected.

As a result, the cord 14 of the motor 130 is
Simple and quick valve 1 without connecting 8 etc.
Only 12 can be exchanged.

Incidentally, the valve 112 used in this embodiment.
May be made of stainless steel or resin.
For resin, ABS, Noryl, which has excellent chemical resistance,
PP etc. can be mentioned. Since these can be manufactured by molding, the cost can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the ball valve is used as the valve of the valve 112, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is a valve that constitutes a part of the drainage diameter and is arranged at a position separate from the drive unit. If the present invention is applied, the same effect can be obtained.

Further, although the automatic developing device 10 having the valve unit 110 has been described in the present embodiment, the valve unit 110 can be used for purposes other than the automatic developing device. For example, it can be applied to a drainage valve of a water tank other than the treatment liquid tank, a mixed solution injection valve, and the like.

[0040]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, since the valve can be attached to and detached from the drive source fixed at a predetermined position by the connecting means, the maintainability of opening and closing is improved. Therefore, the labor and the work can be simplified and shortened.

Further, since the connection between the valve and the drive source is positioned at one position of 360 ° by the positioning means, the connection can be surely made and the drive force of the drive source can be properly transmitted to the valve. It can be installed in the correct position.

Further, since the valve body is applied to an automatic developing device and the valve is attached in the middle of the drain pipe on the front side of the processing liquid tank and the drive source is installed on the back side of the processing liquid tank, only the valve can be easily replaced. Can improve the maintainability,
The labor and the work can be simplified and shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a drainage mechanism of an automatic developing device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a drainage mechanism of a washing tank of the automatic developing device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a valve unit of the automatic developing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the valve body of the valve unit according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 22 developing tank 24 fixing tank 26 water washing tank 80 processing control unit 82 valve opening / closing control unit 90 drainage mechanism 110 valve unit 112 valve (valve) 130 motor (driving source) 134 connection groove 142 groove 144 groove section

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A valve arranged so that a valve is interposed in the middle of a pipeline, a drive source for rotating the valve to open and close the pipeline, and the drive source fixed at a predetermined position of the apparatus. An opening / closing valve device comprising: a connecting means for detachably connecting the valve to the. 2. The opening / closing valve device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means includes a positioning means for mounting the drive source and the valve at one position in a rotational direction of an output shaft of the drive source. . 3. An automatic system comprising: a processing solution tank for storing a plurality of processing solutions for developing a photographic light-sensitive material; and a discharge pipe connected to the processing solution tank to form a discharge path for discharging the processing solution. In the developing device, a valve provided in the middle of the discharge pipe on the maintenance side of the automatic developing device, a drive source connected to the valve to open and close the valve by rotational drive, and a predetermined drive source of the drive source. And a connecting means for detachably connecting the valve to the position.