JPH1062948A - Photosensitive material processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photosensitive material processing device capable of uniformly applying a small amt. of processing liquid over the entire area of a photosensitive material. SOLUTION: A develop applying mechanism 43 has a developer supplying pipe 122 bored with plural discharge holes 121 below this mechanism, a developer receiving section 124 which is bored with plural apertures 123 in order to drop the developer supplied from this developer supplying pipe 122 at the bottom end thereof, a diffusion film 126 for guiding the developer dropped from the aperture 123 of the developer receiving section 124 to a coating roller 125 rotating in contact with a planographic printing plate M, a backflow preventive film 127 which comes into contact with the coating applying roller 125 and a back up roller 128 which comes into contact with the coating roller 125.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus for processing a photosensitive material with a processing solution.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Photosensitive materials such as films, photographic papers, printing plates and the like are processed with a processing solution such as a developing solution, a fixing solution, a stabilizing solution, and washing water after an image is recorded. As a photosensitive material processing apparatus for performing such processing, a photosensitive material is transported into a processing tank storing a processing liquid by a transporting unit including a plurality of transport roller pairs or the like, and the photosensitive material is immersed in the processing liquid. An immersion-type processing apparatus that performs processing by such a method is known.

In such an immersion type processing apparatus,
Since the processing solution deteriorates due to processing fatigue accompanying the processing of the photosensitive material or temporal fatigue due to carbon dioxide or oxygen in the atmosphere, the deterioration of the processing solution is recovered by replenishing the processing solution with a replenisher. Therefore, the components of the processing liquid at the start of the processing are different from the components of the processing liquid when the processing is continued thereafter, and it is impossible to perform strictly uniform processing. In addition, such an immersion type processing apparatus has a problem that the amount of waste liquid of the processing liquid is large and the maintainability of the apparatus is poor.

As a photosensitive material processing apparatus for solving such problems, instead of immersing the photosensitive material in the processing solution, an amount of the processing solution required for processing the photosensitive material is applied to the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive material. There is also used a coating type processing apparatus for performing the processing. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-237455, such a coating type processing apparatus has a processing liquid supply nozzle having a plurality of processing liquid discharge holes, and the surface thereof is formed by forming a groove on the surface. The processing liquid is discharged onto a roughened roller (hereinafter, referred to as a "roughening roller"), and the roughening roller is brought into contact with the photosensitive material and rotated, so that the roughening roller is rotated through the roughening roller. A processing apparatus for applying a processing liquid to a photosensitive material is disclosed.

[0005]

In such a coating type processing apparatus, it is preferable to use the processing liquid as little as possible from the viewpoint of the running cost required for the processing and environmental problems. On the other hand, in such a coating type processing apparatus, if the supply amount of the processing liquid to the photosensitive material is small, it becomes difficult to uniformly supply the processing liquid to the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive material. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
In the processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 37455, when the amount of the processing liquid supplied to the processing liquid supply nozzle becomes small, the processing liquid discharged to the roughening roller from the plurality of processing liquid discharge holes is reduced. The supply amount becomes uneven in the axial direction of the roughening roller, and accordingly, the amount of the processing liquid applied to the photosensitive material also becomes uneven.

[0006] When the amount of the processing liquid applied to the photosensitive material becomes non-uniform, the photosensitive material after the development processing becomes uneven in processing. The occurrence of such processing unevenness is particularly remarkable in a lithographic printing plate utilizing a silver complex salt diffusion transfer method (DTR method) in which development proceeds rapidly.

[0007] For this reason, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-27682, a processing liquid is supplied from a slit-shaped opening formed between two sheets to a processing liquid application section comprising a pair of non-rotating rod-shaped members. By passing the photosensitive material through a pool of processing liquid formed between a pair of rod-shaped members,
A photosensitive material processing apparatus for applying a processing liquid to the photosensitive material has been proposed.

According to this photosensitive material processing apparatus, a small amount of processing liquid can be supplied relatively uniformly, but even in this case, the amount of processing liquid applied to the photosensitive material is supplied between a pair of rod-shaped members. Since the amount of the processing solution to be applied depends on the amount of the processing solution to be applied, there is naturally a limit in applying a strictly uniform amount of the processing solution over the entire area of the photosensitive material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive material processing apparatus capable of uniformly applying a small amount of a processing solution over the entire area of the photosensitive material. .

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for applying a processing liquid supplied from a processing liquid supply unit to a photosensitive material via a coating member, wherein the processing liquid supply unit is provided. A processing liquid diffusion section (A) for diffusing the processing liquid supplied thereto and causing the processing liquid to flow down, and a contact member for contacting the coating member; and allowing the flowed processing liquid to flow between the coating member and the contact member. A treatment liquid diffusion section (B) for diffusing and flowing down through the coating member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the application member comprises an application roller having a surface formed in an uneven shape.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid diffusion section (B) has a processing liquid diffusion capacity higher than that of the processing liquid diffusion section (A). It has become large.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid diffusion section (A) and the processing liquid diffusion section (B) each have an opening through which the processing liquid passes. And the total area of the openings of the processing liquid diffusion section (A) is set to be larger than the total area of the openings of the processing liquid diffusion section (B).

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid diffusing section (A) is a processing liquid receiving section having a plurality of openings through which the processing liquid passes. have.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid supply unit has an opening through which the processing liquid flows down to the processing liquid receiving unit. The plurality of openings are formed at positions different from the flow-down position of the processing liquid from the opening of the processing liquid supply unit to the processing liquid receiving unit.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the invention, the plurality of openings of the processing liquid receiving portion are
Perforations are provided on both sides of the processing liquid flowing down from the opening of the processing liquid supply section to the processing liquid receiving section.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the abutting member abuts on the application member with an elastic force.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the application member includes an application roller for applying a processing liquid to the conveyed photosensitive material, and a conveying direction of the photosensitive material. Is disposed downstream of the contact member and contacts the surface of the coating member, whereby the processing liquid flowing down from the processing liquid diffusion section (A) flows back in the direction of transport of the photosensitive material. The image forming apparatus further includes a regulating unit that prevents the processing liquid from being re-adhered to the conveyed photosensitive material after being applied by the applying member.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a lithographic printing plate making apparatus provided with a photosensitive material processing apparatus according to the present invention.

This plate making apparatus uses a lithographic printing plate M using a silver complex salt diffusion transfer method (DTR method) as a photosensitive material,
The lithographic printing plate M is subjected to image exposure and development processing. The exposure apparatus 2 performs exposure to the lithographic printing plate M, and performs the development processing to the exposed lithographic printing plate M. And a development processing device 3.

A lithographic printing plate using a silver complex salt diffusion transfer method (DTR method), particularly a lithographic printing plate having a physical development nucleus layer on a silver halide emulsion layer is disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 3,728. No. 4,114,769, No.4,160,670, No.4,336,321, No.4,501,811, No.4,510,228, No.4,621,041 The exposed silver halide is subjected to chemical development by DTR development to become black silver to form a hydrophilic non-image area, while the unexposed silver halide crystal is The silver salt complexing agent in the developer forms a silver complex and diffuses to the physical development nucleus layer on the surface. Form. In such a lithographic printing plate using the silver complex salt diffusion transfer method (DTR method), particularly in the early stage of development, the silver complex is likely to move, so that an image flow is likely to occur due to the turbulence of the developing solution. It has the characteristic that uneven development due to uneven supply of the developer is likely to occur due to the rapid progress.

First, the configuration of the exposure apparatus 2 will be described. The exposure device 2 exposes the image of the original to the lithographic printing plate M by projecting the reflected light from the original mounted on the original holder 12 onto the surface of the lithographic printing plate M by the projection optical system 13. is there.

The original holder 12 has a light-transmitting plate 14 for placing an original, and an upper lid 15 that can be opened and closed with respect to the light-transmitting plate 14. 1, it is configured to be reciprocally movable in the left-right direction between a position indicated by a solid line and a position indicated by a two-dot chain line. Further, the projection optical system 13 is fixed below the reciprocating movement path of the original holder 12, and a rod-shaped light source 17 for irradiating illumination light to the surface of the original horizontally moved while being held by the original holder 12; The apparatus includes a plurality of folding mirrors 18 for guiding light reflected from a document by the light source 17 and a projection lens 19 for projecting the reflected light guided by the plurality of folding mirrors 18 onto a lithographic printing plate M.

When exposing an image of a document on the lithographic printing plate M by this exposure device, the document holder 12 is arranged at a position shown by a solid line in FIG. The document is mounted on the document holder 12 by closing the upper lid 15 after placing the document. Then, with the light source 17 turned on, the document holder 12 is moved to the left in FIG. In synchronization with this, the leading end of the lithographic printing plate M wound in a roll by the plurality of transport rollers 22 and the guide member 23 is moved to the original holder 12.
Is transported at the same speed as the moving speed. As a result, the document held in the document holder 12 is sequentially irradiated with light from the light source 17. Then, the reflected light from the original is irradiated onto the surface of the lithographic printing plate M moving at the same speed as the original holder 12 via the plurality of folding mirrors 18 and the projection lens 19, and the image of the original is printed on the lithographic printing plate M. Exposed.

The lithographic printing plate M to which the image has been exposed is sequentially transported from the exposing device 2 to the subsequent developing device 3 for processing. Further, a cutting device 25 having a cutter 24 that moves in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M is disposed on the exit side of the exposure device 2. Cut at the rear end of the exposed part.

Since the transport speed of the lithographic printing plate M in the exposure device 2 is lower than the transport speed of the lithographic printing plate M in the developing device 3, the lithographic printing plate M is simply transferred to the exposure device 2 and the developing device 3. Cannot be conveyed. When the lithographic printing plate M is cut by the cutting device 25, it is necessary to stop the transport of the lithographic printing plate M. For this reason, a lithographic printing plate M buffer unit 26 is provided between the exposure device 2 and the development processing device 3, and when the lithographic printing plate M that has been exposed in the exposure device 2 is transported, the buffer unit 26 By stopping the rotation of the pair of rollers 27 and 28 disposed for a certain period of time, the lithographic printing plate M is stored in the buffer unit 26 for a certain length, and then conveyed to the developing device 3. ing.

Next, the configuration of the developing apparatus 3 according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view showing the developing device 3 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an outline diagram showing a piping system thereof.

The developing device 3 includes a developing section 32 for applying a developing solution (activator) to the exposed lithographic printing plate M and performing a developing process, and a stabilizing solution (stabilizer) for the lithographic printing plate M after the developing process. Stabilizer 33 for applying and stabilizing
And a drying unit 34 for drying the lithographic printing plate M after the stabilization process.

The developing section 32 includes a roller 2 of the buffer section 26.
Lithographic printing plate M conveyed to developing section 32 by 7, 28
And a pair of introduction rollers 41 and 42 for nipping and transporting, and a later-described detail for measuring and applying a fixed amount of developer to the photosensitive surface of the lithographic printing plate M transported by the pair of introduction rollers 41 and 42. , A pair of squeezing rollers 44 and 45 for removing the developing solution subjected to the developing process from the lithographic printing plate M, and a plurality of guide members for guiding the lithographic printing plate M 46, 47, 48, 49, 5
0.

The lower roller 41 of the pair of introduction rollers 41, 42 is a heat roller having a built-in heater for heating the lithographic printing plate M passing therethrough. The lithographic printing plate M is heated in advance prior to the development process because a small amount of a temperature-controlled developer is applied to the lithographic printing plate M and the lithographic printing plate M is heated by the heat capacity of the lithographic printing plate M when developing. This is to prevent the temperature of the developer that has come into contact with the developer from decreasing.

As shown in FIG. 3, the developing solution application mechanism 43 is connected to a developing solution tank 52 for storing the developing solution via a pump 53. A collection tray 54 is provided below the developer application mechanism 43. The developing solution in a developing solution tank 52 is pumped by a pump 53 to a developing solution application mechanism 43.
And supplied onto the lithographic printing plate M. Then, the developer not applied to the lithographic printing plate M, such as the developing solution flowing out from both ends and the rear end of the lithographic printing plate M, is collected on a collecting tray 5.
4. Drop on top. Further, since this developer can be reused, the collection tube 5 provided at the lower end of the collection tray 54 is provided.
5, the liquid is dropped into the liquid receiving portion 56 of the developer tank 52 and collected in the developer tank 52. The developer tank 52 has a built-in panel heater 57 and is configured to maintain the developer circulating in the developer circulation path from the developer tank 52 to the developer application mechanism 43 at a predetermined temperature. ing.

A collection tray 58 is provided below the pair of squeezing rollers 44 and 45. The fatigue developing solution removed from the lithographic printing plate M by the pair of squeezing rollers 44, 45 passes through the collecting hole 63 of the liquid receiving member 62 provided below the pair of squeezing rollers 44, 45, and the collection tray 5
8 is dropped. Further, since this developer cannot be reused, it is discharged to the drainage tank 64 via the collection pipe 59 provided at the lower end of the collection tray 58.

The configuration of the developer application mechanism 43 and the operation of applying the developer to the lithographic printing plate M are described below.
This will be described in detail later.

The stabilizing section 33 is provided with a stabilizing liquid applying mechanism 73 for measuring and applying a fixed amount of a stabilizing liquid to the photosensitive surface of the lithographic printing plate M conveyed from the developing section 32 and a stabilizing process. The lithographic printing plate M includes a pair of squeezing rollers 74 and 75 for removing the stabilizing liquid from the lithographic printing plate M, and a plurality of guide members 76, 77 and 78 for guiding the lithographic printing plate M.

As shown in FIG. 3, the stabilizing liquid application mechanism 73 is connected via a pump 83 to a stabilizing liquid tank 82 for storing the stabilizing liquid. A collection tray 84 is provided below the stable liquid application mechanism 73. The stable liquid in the stable liquid tank 82 is supplied to the stable liquid applying mechanism 73 by the pump 83.
And supplied onto the lithographic printing plate M. Then, the stabilizing liquid that has not been applied to the lithographic printing plate M, such as the stabilizing liquid flowing out from both ends and the rear end of the lithographic printing plate M, is dropped onto the collection tray 84 because it can be reused. Further, the stable liquid drops into the liquid receiving section 86 of the stable liquid tank 82 via the recovery pipe 85 provided at the lower end of the recovery tray 84, and is collected in the stable liquid tank 82.

A collection tray 88 is provided below the pair of squeezing rollers 74 and 75. The stable liquid removed from the lithographic printing plate M by the pair of squeezing rollers 74 and 75 is dropped onto the collection tray 88 via the collection holes 93 of the liquid receiving member 92 provided below the pair of squeezing rollers 74 and 75. I do. Further, since this stable liquid cannot be reused, it is discharged to the drainage tank 64 via a collecting pipe 89 provided at the lower end of the collecting tray 88.

The configuration of the above-described stabilizing solution applying mechanism 73 and the operation of applying the stabilizing solution to the lithographic printing plate M are described below.
This will be described in detail later.

The drying unit 34 includes a rubber roller 102 that supports and transports the lithographic printing plate M transported from the stabilizing unit 33,
A mirror roller 103 for preventing uneven drying of the lithographic printing plate M by contacting the rubber roller 102 with a predetermined pressure;
Cleaning liquid reservoir 104 for supplying the cleaning liquid via
A drying mechanism 107 having a fan 105 and a heater 106 for blowing hot air onto the lithographic printing plate M to dry it, and a plurality of transport rollers 108 for transporting the lithographic printing plate M;
09 and 110. The cleaning liquid storage unit 104 is provided as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.
The cleaning liquid supply pipe 105 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning liquid 4 and 45 is connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 105 via a pump 106.

The development processing of the lithographic printing plate M by the development processing device 3 is performed as follows.

That is, the lithographic printing plate M on which an image has been recorded by the exposure device 2 at the preceding stage is placed on a pair of introduction rollers 41 and 4.
The developing solution is applied by the developer application mechanism 43 to apply an amount of the developing solution necessary for developing the lithographic printing plate M.
The lithographic printing plate M to which only the developing solution necessary for the developing process is applied is supplied from the developing solution applying mechanism 43 to the pair of squeezing rollers 4.
The developing process is completed on the photosensitive surface while being transported through the space developing section reaching to 4, 45. And the lithographic printing plate M
The developing solution adhered to the developing process and removed by the pair of squeezing rollers 44 and 45 is removed. Subsequently, the lithographic printing plate M is applied with a stabilizing solution application mechanism 73 with an amount of stabilizing solution necessary for stabilizing the lithographic printing plate M. The lithographic printing plate M to which only the necessary amount of the stabilizing liquid for the stabilizing process is applied is stabilized while being conveyed to the pair of squeezing rollers 74 and 75, and the stabilizing process attached to the lithographic printing plate M is performed. Is removed by the pair of squeezing rollers 74 and 75. Then, the lithographic printing plate M for which the stabilization process has been completed.
After the unevenness of drying is prevented by being pressed by the mirror surface roller 103, the drying is performed by the drying mechanism 107 and discharged onto the discharge tray 29 shown in FIG.

In this developing apparatus 3, since only the necessary amount of the developing solution for the lithographic printing plate M is applied to the lithographic printing plate M and the developing process is performed, the amount of the developing solution required for the process can be reduced. It becomes possible. Further, since a substantially unused processing liquid is supplied to the lithographic printing plate M, the lithographic printing plate M can always be uniformly processed.

Next, the configurations of the developing solution applying mechanism 43 and the stabilizing solution applying mechanism 73, which are characteristic portions of the present invention, will be described.

First, the structure of the developer application mechanism 43 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the developer application mechanism 43.

The developing solution applying mechanism 43 includes a developing solution supply pipe 122 having a plurality of discharge holes 121 formed thereunder,
A plurality of openings 1 for allowing the developer to flow down to the lower end thereof
And a developer receiving portion 124 having a hole 23 formed therein.
The developer flowing down from the opening 123 of the lithographic printing plate M
A diffusion film 126 for guiding the application roller 125 rotating while contacting the application roller 125; a backflow prevention film 127 contacting the application roller 125; and a backup roller 128 contacting the application roller 125. Note that the arrows in FIG. 4 indicate the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M.

The developing solution supply pipe 122 is connected to the developing solution tank 52 via a pump 53, and discharges the developing solution from a plurality of discharge holes 121 by driving the pump 53. As shown in FIG. 5, three discharge holes 121 are juxtaposed in a direction orthogonal to the direction of transport of the lithographic printing plate M.

The developer receiving section 124 is connected to the developer supply pipe 12.
2 functions as a processing liquid diffusing section (A) for once receiving the developing solution discharged from 2 and diffusing it in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. As shown in FIG. 5, at the lower end of the developer receiving portion 124, six openings 123 are formed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the planographic printing plate M. The opening 123 is provided in the developer supply pipe 122 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M.
The discharge holes 121 are arranged on both sides of a position corresponding to each position. That is, the openings 123 are arranged on both sides of each of the three positions where the developer flows downward from the discharge holes 121 to the developer receiving portion 124.

The diffusion film 126 is made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film having a thickness of about 0.3 mm, and is attached to the side wall of the developer receiving portion 124 by the mounting plate 130. The upper end of the portion of the diffusion film 126 that hangs down from the developer receiving portion 124 is
It is arranged close to the opening 123 of the developer receiving section 124, and its lower end is in contact with the surface of the application roller 125 with elasticity.

The application roller 125 is, as shown in FIG. 10, composed of a wire bar in which a wire 125b of about 0.4 mm is wound around a metal roller 125a of about 14 mm in diameter. For this reason, the application roller 12
On the surface of 5, a plurality of grooves are formed by wires 125b in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of transport of the lithographic printing plate M. Therefore, when the application roller 125 and the diffusion film 126 are in contact with each other, a plurality of openings 125 c formed by grooves of the application roller 125 are formed at the contact portions between the application roller 125 and the diffusion film 126. This opening 125c
Is a reference for the amount of application when the developer applied to the lithographic printing plate M is measured. The application roller 125
The opening 1c of the developer receiving portion 124 is smaller than the total area of the six openings 123 formed in the developer receiving portion 124 described above.
23 and the diameter of the wire 125b wound around the application roller 125 are selected.

The developer flowing down from the opening 123 of the developer receiver 124 is applied to the application roller 125 and the diffusion film 12.
6 and temporarily diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. Then, the developer is applied to the application roller 125 along with the rotation of the application roller 125.
Through the opening 125c formed by the groove
And the backup roller 128 in the contact direction. Therefore, the application roller 125 and the diffusion film 12
Reference numeral 6 functions as a processing liquid diffusing section (B) for once receiving the developing liquid flowing down from the opening 123 of the developing liquid receiving section 124 and diffusing the developing liquid in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M.

The application roller 125 does not necessarily need to rotate, but it is preferable to rotate the application roller 125 when the application roller 125 has a cleaning effect by contact with the backup roller 128. Further, instead of using a wire bar as the application roller 125, a roller having its surface subjected to threading or groove processing may be used.

The backflow prevention film 127 is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), like the diffusion film 126.
And is attached to the developer receiving portion 124 by the mounting plate 120. The lower end of the backflow prevention film 127 is located upstream of the contact portion between the application roller 125 and the diffusion film 126 with respect to the rotation direction of the application roller 125 (that is, with respect to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M, On the downstream side of the contact portion between the 125 and the diffusion film 126), it is in contact with the surface of the application roller 125. The backflow prevention film 127 is connected to the developer receiving portion 12.
The developing solution flowing down from the opening 123 of the coating roller 12
5 functions as a regulating means for preventing outflow to the upstream side in the rotation direction. Therefore, the backflow prevention film 127 can prevent the backflowing developer from adhering again to the surface of the planographic printing plate M to which the developer is applied and conveyed.

The backup roller 128 is a transport assisting means for applying a driving force to the lithographic printing plate M to assist the transport of the lithographic printing plate M. The backup roller 128 urges the lithographic printing plate M toward the surface of the coating roller 125. Force means and application roller 1
25 functions as a cleaning unit for cleaning the surface. The backup roller 128 is made of, for example, silicon rubber, chloroprene rubber (CR), nitrile butadiene rubber (N
Preferably, the roll is made of a material such as BR) or ethylene / propylene rubber (EPDM) and has a sponge structure having a JIS hardness of about 10 to 40 degrees.

Backup roller 128 and coating roller 1
A liquid reservoir for the developer that has passed between the application roller 125 and the diffusion film 126 is formed at the contact portion with the liquid developer 25.
Then, when the lithographic printing plate M passes through the reservoir,
A developer is applied to the photosensitive surface of the lithographic printing plate M. At this time, the photosensitive surface of the lithographic printing plate M is
The developer applied to the photosensitive surface of the lithographic printing plate M is pressed against the surface of the application roller 125 by
It is metered to a certain amount by the opening 125c formed by the groove of the application roller 125. Therefore, the photosensitive surface of the lithographic printing plate M that has passed through the contact portion between the backup roller 128 and the application roller 125 is always coated with a certain amount of developer required for development.

The backup roller 128
By driving a motor (not shown), the lithographic printing plate M rotates at the same peripheral speed as the transport speed of the lithographic printing plate M, and assists in transporting the lithographic printing plate M. On the other hand, the application roller 125 rotates at a peripheral speed that is about 1.5 times the peripheral speed of the backup roller 128. Therefore, when the planographic printing plate M does not pass between the backup roller 128 and the application roller 125, the surface of the application roller 125 is constantly wiped by the backup roller 128, and the groove portion of the application roller 125 Accumulation of silver sludge on the surface is prevented.

In the developing solution applying mechanism 43, the developing solution discharged from the three discharge holes 121 in the developing solution supply pipe 122 flows down to the developing solution receiving portion 124, and further flows.
The developer flows down from the six openings 123 provided in the developer receiving portion 124 toward the diffusion film 126. At this time,
The developer flowing down from the three discharge holes 121 to the developer receiving portion 124 is distributed to two openings 123 disposed on both sides of each discharge hole 121 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. Then, the light is diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. Then, the developer further flows down to the contact portion between the diffusion film 126 and the application roller 125, and passes through the opening 125 c formed by the groove of the application roller 125. At this time, the developer is further diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M.

As described above, in the developing solution applying mechanism 43, the developing solution receiving section 124 functioning as the processing liquid diffusing section (A), the application roller 125 and the diffusion film 126 functioning as the processing liquid diffusing section (B). Since the developing solution is diffused in two stages, it becomes possible to uniformly diffuse the developing solution in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M.
For this reason, it becomes possible to supply the developing solution to the lithographic printing plate M extremely uniformly, and even when the supply amount of the developing solution is small, the lithographic printing plate M is subjected to the development processing without causing uneven development. be able to. Note that another processing liquid diffusion unit may be provided between the processing liquid diffusion units (A) and (B).

In particular, in this embodiment, the total area of the openings 125c formed by the grooves of the application roller 125 is equal to the six openings 123 formed in the developer receiving section 124 described above.
Is smaller than the total area of the developing solution, the developer receiving portion 1 functioning as the processing solution diffusing portion (A)
24, the processing solution diffusion part (B)
Roller 125 and diffusion film 1 functioning as
The diffusion ability of the developer 26 becomes large. Therefore, the developing solution is uniformly diffused by the application roller 125 and the diffusion film 126 as the processing solution diffusing portion (B) which finally affects the amount of the developing solution applied to the lithographic printing plate M. It becomes possible to diffuse the developer extremely uniformly by the developer application mechanism 43.

For this reason, the development proceeds rapidly, and when the application of the developer becomes uneven, the developer is applied to the lithographic printing plate M using the silver complex salt diffusion transfer method (DTR method), which tends to cause uneven development. This is particularly effective when performing development processing.

Here, the “diffusion capacity” refers to the ability to spread the developing solution in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the lithographic printing plate M.

In the above embodiment, the backflow prevention film 127 is used as a regulating means for preventing the developing solution flowing down from the opening 123 of the developing solution receiving portion 124 from flowing backward in the direction of transport of the lithographic printing plate M. As described in FIG. 6, the backflow prevention film 127 is used.
Instead, a backflow prevention roller 129 that rotates in contact with the application roller 125 may be provided and used as a regulating unit. However, as in the above embodiment, the developer receiving portion 1
In the case where the backflow prevention film 127 is attached to the 24, the backflow prevention film 127 can be attached and detached and positioned integrally with the developer receiving portion 124, so that maintenance of the developer application mechanism 43 can be performed more easily. This can be easily performed.

Next, the configuration of the stabilizing liquid application mechanism 73 will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the stabilizing liquid application mechanism 73.

The stable liquid application mechanism 73 includes a stable liquid supply pipe 132 having a plurality of discharge holes 131 formed thereunder.
A plurality of openings 1 for allowing the stable liquid to flow down at the lower end thereof
And a stable liquid receiving portion 1
The stable liquid flowing down from the opening 133 of the lithographic printing plate M
A diffusion film 136 for guiding the application roller 135 rotating in contact with the coating roller 135; and a leaf spring 138 in contact with the application roller 135. The arrows in FIG. 7 indicate the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M as in FIG.

The stable liquid supply pipe 132 is connected to the above-mentioned stable liquid tank 82 via a pump 83, and discharges the stable liquid from the plurality of discharge holes 131 by driving the pump 83. The three discharge holes 131 are arranged side by side in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the planographic printing plate M.

As in the case of the developer receiving section 124 described above, the stable liquid receiving section 134 once receives the stable liquid discharged from the stable liquid supply pipe 132 and diffuses it in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. As a processing liquid diffusion unit (A) for the purpose. The lower end of the stable liquid receiving portion 134 has six openings 13 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the planographic printing plate M.
3 are drilled. The openings 133 are arranged on both sides of a position corresponding to each of the three discharge holes 131 of the stable liquid supply pipe 132 in a direction orthogonal to the direction of transport of the lithographic printing plate M. That is,
As in the case of the developer application mechanism 43 described with reference to FIG. 5, the openings 133 are arranged on both sides of each of the three positions where the stable liquid flows down from the discharge holes 131 to the stable liquid receiving portion 134. become.

The diffusion film 136 is formed by laminating an unevenly processed film on a stainless steel thin plate having a thickness of about 0.03 mm, and is attached to the side wall of the stable liquid receiving portion 134 by the mounting plate 140. . Diffusion film 13
6, the upper end of the hanging portion from the stable liquid receiving portion 134 is disposed close to the opening 133 of the stable liquid receiving portion 134, and the lower end of the lower portion contacts the surface of the application roller 135 with elastic force. In contact.

The application roller 135 is a roller that rotates at the same peripheral speed as the transport speed of the lithographic printing plate M, and has a surface formed of a single-cell sponge. When the application roller 135 and the diffusion film 136 are in contact with each other, an opening is formed at the contact portion between the application roller 135 and the diffusion film 136 due to the unevenness of the surface of the diffusion film 136. The total area of the openings due to the irregularities on the surface of the diffusion film 136 is smaller than the total area of the six openings 133 formed in the stable liquid receiving section 134 described above.
The shape and the like of the unevenness of the diffusion film 136 are selected.

The stable liquid flowing down from the opening 133 of the stable liquid receiving portion 134 is applied to the application roller 135 and the diffusion film 13.
6 and temporarily diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. Then, the stabilizing liquid is supplied to the diffusion film 13 with the rotation of the application roller 135.
6. The coating roller 135 passes through the opening formed by the irregularities on the surface.
And the leaf spring 138 moves in the contact direction. Accordingly, the application roller 135 and the diffusion film 136 receive the stable liquid flowing down from the opening 133 of the stable liquid receiving portion 134 and diffuse the processing liquid in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. It functions as part (B).

At a contact portion between the leaf spring 138 and the application roller 135, a reservoir of a stable liquid that has passed between the application roller 135 and the diffusion film 136 is formed. When the lithographic printing plate M passes through the liquid reservoir, the lithographic printing plate M
A stable liquid is applied to the photosensitive surface. The plate spring 138 is provided with an overflow hole 137 for preventing the stable liquid from being stored more than necessary and preventing the liquid reservoir from becoming excessively large.

In this stable liquid application mechanism 43, the stable liquid discharged from the three discharge holes 131 in the stable liquid supply pipe 132 flows down to the stable liquid receiving portion 134,
It flows down from the six openings 133 provided in the stable liquid receiving portion 134 toward the diffusion film 136. At this time,
The stable liquid that has flowed down from the three discharge holes 131 to the stable liquid receiving unit 134 is distributed to two openings 133 disposed on both sides of each discharge hole 131 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the planographic printing plate M. Then, the light is diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. Then, the stabilizing liquid further flows down to the contact portion between the diffusion film 136 and the application roller 135, and passes through the opening formed by the unevenness of the diffusion film 136. At this time, the stabilizing liquid is further diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M.

As described above, also in the stable liquid application mechanism 73, similarly to the developer application mechanism 43, the stable liquid receiving section 134 that functions as the processing liquid diffusion section (A) and the processing liquid diffusion section (B) that functions as the processing liquid diffusion section (B). Since the stabilizing liquid is diffused in two stages: the application roller 135 and the diffusion film 136, the stabilizing liquid can be uniformly diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the planographic printing plate M. For this reason, it is possible to supply the stable liquid to the lithographic printing plate M extremely uniformly. In addition, in the stable liquid application mechanism 73, since the application roller 135 particularly employs a roller having a sponge surface, the photosensitive surface of the lithographic printing plate M swollen by the developing solution is not damaged.

Also in this embodiment, the total area of the openings due to the unevenness of the surface of the diffusion film 136 is reduced by the six openings 133 formed in the stable liquid receiving portion 134 described above.
Is configured to be smaller than the total area of the stabilizing solution receiving section 1 which functions as the processing liquid diffusing section (A).
34, the processing liquid diffusion part (B)
Roller 135 and diffusion film 1 functioning as
The dispersion capacity of the stabilizing liquid of No. 36 becomes large. Accordingly, the stable liquid is uniformly diffused by the coating roller 135 and the diffusion film 136 as the processing liquid diffusing section (B) which finally affects the amount of the stable liquid applied to the lithographic printing plate M. The stable liquid application mechanism 73 makes it possible to diffuse the stable liquid very uniformly.

Next, another embodiment of the developing solution application mechanism in the processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a developer application mechanism 143 according to another embodiment. Note that the same members as those of the developer application mechanism 43 shown in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the developing solution applying mechanism 43 shown in FIG. 4, the developing solution receiving portion 124 and the diffusion film 126 are used to form the processing solution diffusing portions (A) and (B). In the processing liquid application mechanism 143 shown in (1), the processing liquid diffusion portions (A) and (B) are formed using a plurality of unevenly processed films 153 and 154.

That is, in FIG. 8, 152 is 0.03 m
The embossed film 154 and the embossed film 153 are formed in this order on the stainless steel thin plate 152. The surface of the embossed film 154 is in contact with the surface of the application roller 125 composed of a wire bar with elastic force due to the elasticity of the stainless steel plate 152. A liquid receiving film 155 made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is disposed at a position where the liquid receiving film 155 comes into contact with the surface of the embossed film 153. The embossed films 153 and 154 are formed by pressing a resin film, for example, so that the surface thereof is embossed into an uneven shape. As shown in FIG.
The surface is composed of a hexagonal convex part 156 and a concave part 157 formed so as to surround the convex part 156.

In the developing solution applying mechanism 143, the developing solution discharged from the three discharge holes 121 of the developing solution supply pipe 122 is supplied between the liquid receiving film 155 and the embossed film 153 by the concave portions 15 of the embossed film 153.
7 and flow down through the opening (A) formed by it. At this time, the developer is diffused in a direction orthogonal to the direction of transport of the lithographic printing plate M. This developer further flows down to the contact portion between the application roller 125 and the embossed film 154, and the opening (B) formed by the concave portion 157 of the embossed film 154 and the opening 125c of the application roller 125 shown in FIG. Pass through. At this time, the developer is further diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M.

In order to make the area per unit length of the opening (A) larger than the area per unit length of the opening (B) in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M, embossing is performed. The size of the concave portion 157 of the film 153 is set to be larger than the size of the concave portion 157 of the embossed film 154. These relationships are as follows.

That is, when the area per unit length in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the planographic printing plate M formed by the opening 125c of the coating roller 125 by the wire 125b of the coating roller 125 shown in FIG.
The area S2 per unit length formed by the concave portions 157 of the
In order to prevent the reservoir of the developer formed at the contact portion with the area 8 from becoming excessively large, the area S0 of 0.1 to 0.8
The size of the concave portion 157 of the embossed film 154 is set to be twice as large. On the other hand, the embossed film 15
3 of the embossed film 153 so that the area S1 per unit length of the opening (A) formed by the three recesses 157 is 1-2 times the area S0 + S2 per unit length of the opening (B). The size of the recess 157 is set.
Since the length in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M through which the developer passes is common to the application roller 125 and the embossed films 153 and 154, the areas S0 and S1 per unit length described above are used. , S2 becomes the total area ratio as it is.

As described above, in the developing solution applying mechanism 143, the liquid receiving film 155 and the embossed film 153 functioning as the processing liquid diffusing portion (A), and the coating roller 125 and the embossing film 153 functioning as the processing liquid diffusing portion (B) are provided. Since the developer is diffused in two stages with the embossed film 154, the developer can be uniformly diffused in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the lithographic printing plate M. For this reason, it becomes possible to supply the developing solution to the lithographic printing plate M extremely uniformly, and even when the supply amount of the developing solution is small, the lithographic printing plate M is subjected to the development processing without causing uneven development. be able to.

Further, in this embodiment, since the total area of the opening (A) is larger than the total area of the opening (B), it functions as the processing liquid diffusion section (A). The spreading ability of the developing solution by the coating roller 125 and the embossing film 154 functioning as the processing solution diffusing portion (B) becomes larger than the spreading ability of the developing solution by the liquid receiving film 155 and the embossed film 153, thereby making the developing solution more uniform. It becomes possible to spread.

Although not shown in the above embodiment, the developer application mechanism 143 shown in FIG. 8 can also be used to prevent the backflow prevention film 127 shown in FIG.
The same restricting means as the backflow prevention roller 129 shown in FIG.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the lithographic printing plate M using the silver complex salt diffusion transfer method (DTR method) is used as the photosensitive material has been described.
The present invention can be applied to a photosensitive material processing apparatus using other various photosensitive materials.

[0082]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing liquid diffusion section (A) for diffusing and flowing down the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply section, and a contact member contacting the coating member. And a processing liquid diffusion section (B) for diffusing the processing liquid that has flowed down between the coating member and the contact member and flowing down through the coating member.
Therefore, the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit is diffused in two steps and then applied to the photosensitive material, and even when the processing liquid to be applied to the photosensitive material is small, the photosensitive The processing liquid can be uniformly applied to the material.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the coating member is constituted by the coating roller whose surface is formed in an uneven shape, the processing liquid is accurately measured by the rotation of the coating roller to expose the photosensitive member. It can be applied to the material.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the processing liquid diffusing section (B) has a larger diffusion capacity for the processing liquid than the processing liquid diffusing section (A), the processing liquid diffusing section (B) has a larger capacity. It becomes possible to apply the uniformized processing solution flowing down to the photosensitive material.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the total area of the opening of the processing liquid diffusion section (A) is set to be larger than the total area of the opening of the processing liquid diffusion section (B). It is possible to apply the uniformized processing liquid flowing down from the processing liquid diffusion section (B) to the photosensitive material.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the processing liquid diffusing section (A) has the processing liquid receiving section provided with a plurality of openings through which the processing liquid passes. After the processing liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit is diffused into the plurality of openings, it flows down from the plurality of openings, so that the processing liquid can be uniformly applied to the photosensitive material with a simple configuration. .

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of openings of the processing liquid receiving section are formed at positions different from the positions where the processing liquid flows from the opening of the processing liquid supply section to the processing liquid receiving section. Therefore, the processing liquid supplied from the opening of the processing liquid supply unit flows down from the opening of the processing liquid receiving unit after being received by the processing liquid receiving unit. After diffusing, it is possible to uniformly coat the photosensitive material.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the plurality of openings of the processing liquid receiving section are respectively formed on both sides of the position where the processing liquid flows down from the opening of the processing liquid supply section to the processing liquid receiving section. Therefore, the processing liquid flowing down from the opening of the processing liquid supply unit is dispersed into the opening of the processing liquid receiving unit formed on both sides of the flow-down position, and then the processing liquid flows from the opening of the processing liquid receiving unit. It will flow down, and after diffusing the processing liquid with a simple configuration,
It is possible to uniformly apply to the photosensitive material.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the contact member comes into contact with the application member with elastic force, the processing liquid can be uniformly diffused between the application member and the contact member.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since there is provided a regulating means for preventing the processing liquid flowing down from the processing liquid diffusion section (A) from flowing backward in the conveying direction of the photosensitive material, the processing liquid is provided. The processing liquid that has flowed down from the diffusion section (A) can be effectively prevented from being re-adhered to the photosensitive material to which the processing liquid is applied by the coating member and conveyed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a lithographic printing plate making apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a developing device 3;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a piping system of the developing device 3;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a developer application mechanism 43.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a discharge hole 121 and an opening 123.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the developer application mechanism 43.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a stable liquid application mechanism 73.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a developer application mechanism 143 according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view showing a part of the embossed films 153 and 154.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a part of an application roller 125 in an enlarged manner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 2 Exposure device 3 Developing device 32 Developing unit 33 Stabilizing unit 34 Drying unit 43 Developing solution applying mechanism 73 Stabilizing solution applying mechanism 121 Discharge port 122 Developing solution supply pipe 123 Opening 124 Developing solution receiving unit 125 Application roller 126 Diffusion film 127 Backflow Prevention film 131 Discharge hole 132 Stabilizing liquid supply pipe 133 Opening 134 Stabilizing liquid receiving part 135 Coating roller 136 Diffusion film 143 Processing liquid coating mechanism 152 Stainless film 153 Embossed film 154 Embossed film 155 Liquid receiving film 156 Convex part 157 Concave part M Planographic printing Edition

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Kyonosuke Yamamoto, Inventor 3-4-2, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Mitsubishi Paper Mills Co., Ltd. (72) Atsushi Urasaki 3-4-2, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo No. Mitsui Paper Co., Ltd. (72) Yoshikazu Takano Inventor 3-4-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Paper Co., Ltd. (72) Eiji Miyasaka 480-1 Takamiyacho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture Nippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Hikone District Office (72) Inventor Masaharu Kimura 1 at 480 Takamiyacho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture Dai Nippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Hikone Area Office (72) Inventor Yasuhiro Kawaguchi 480 Takamiyacho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture No. 1 Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Hikone area office

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A processing apparatus for applying a processing liquid supplied from a processing liquid supply unit to a photosensitive material via a coating member, wherein the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit is diffused and caused to flow down. A processing liquid having a diffusion part (A) and a contact member that comes into contact with the coating member, and the processing liquid that flows down is diffused between the coating member and the contact member, and flows down through the coating member. And a diffusion unit (B). 2. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coating member comprises a coating roller whose surface is formed in an uneven shape. 3. The processing liquid diffusion section (B) has a larger diffusion capacity of the processing liquid than the processing liquid diffusion section (A).
Or the photosensitive material processing apparatus according to any one of 2. 4. The processing liquid diffusion section (A) and the processing liquid diffusion section (B) each have an opening through which the processing liquid passes, and the processing liquid diffusion section (A) has an opening. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the total area of the processing liquid diffusion section (B) is set to be larger than the total area of the opening of the processing liquid diffusion section (B). 5. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid diffusion section (A) has a processing liquid receiving section provided with a plurality of openings for allowing the processing liquid to pass therethrough. 6. The processing liquid supply section has an opening through which a processing liquid flows down to the processing liquid receiving section, and a plurality of openings of the processing liquid receiving section are formed from the opening of the processing liquid supply section. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the photosensitive material processing apparatus is provided at a position different from a position where the processing liquid flows down to the processing liquid receiving portion. 7. A plurality of openings of the processing liquid receiving section are formed on both sides of a position where the processing liquid flows down from the opening of the processing liquid supply section to the processing liquid receiving section. 3. A photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1. 8. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact member contacts the coating member with elastic force. 9. The application member includes an application roller that applies a processing liquid to a conveyed photosensitive material,
The processing liquid is disposed downstream of the contact member with respect to the conveying direction of the photosensitive material, and is brought into contact with the surface of the coating member. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a regulating means for preventing the processing liquid from flowing back toward the substrate and preventing the treatment liquid from being re-adhered to the conveyed photosensitive material after being applied by the application member.