JPH02176751A - Photosensitive material processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable fast processing by detecting the insertion of a photosensitive material and raising drying temperature, performing temperature control based upon the set temperature range of a drying part, and processing the photosensitive material in a 20-60sec. total processing time. CONSTITUTION:The detection signal of an insertion detection sensor G which detects the insertion of the photosensitive material into an automatic developing machine and the detection signal of a temperature detection sensor H which detects the drying temperature of the drying part C are inputted to a control part E, which drives a conveyance part B and the drying part C when the photosensitive material is inserted to raise the drying temperature of the drying part C for a specific time. Then the temperature of the drying part is controlled according to the set temperature range stored in a set temperature range storage part I and the photosensitive material is processed in the 20-60sec. total processing time. Consequently, the fast processing is enabled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing method, and more particularly to a photosensitive material processing method that enables high-speed processing and can significantly reduce operating costs.

[Prior Art] For example, automatic processors are used to develop digital photosensitive materials, but they are especially popular in hospitals and other places for developing X-ray photosensitive materials where it is necessary to know the imaging results quickly. . Conventional automatic processors that process X-ray photosensitive materials require a processing time of 99 days from the time they are brought in until they are taken out, partly due to the nature of the photosensitive material.
Time periods of about 0 seconds are often used. However, there is a strong desire to know the photographic results more quickly, and if the processing time for photosensitive materials can be reduced by about half, to about 45 seconds, for example, it will be possible to meet this desire.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, the biggest problem in shortening the processing time of an automatic processor to about 45 seconds or less is that the drying of the photosensitive material tends to be insufficient. For example, if you change the processing liquid in an automatic processor that takes about 90 seconds to one that can be developed in a short time and increase the feeding speed of the photosensitive material, even if the development process is sufficient, it will not dry properly. Sometimes that is enough.

In this way, if the feeding speed of the photosensitive material is increased in order to perform rapid processing, less water is removed by squeezing or sucking in the squeeze section, so the temperature control of the drying section is
It is necessary to process the photosensitive material in a short time.

In addition, in automatic processing machines that develop X-ray photosensitive materials, which require quick access to photographic results, in order to process photosensitive materials at any time, it is necessary to shut down the machine even when not processing photosensitive materials, as drying air When the temperature drops below the set value, it takes a considerable amount of time for it to reach the set value again and become stable, making it impossible to develop immediately.

Therefore, it must be kept in operation even when photosensitive materials are not being processed.

However, if an automatic processor that processes photosensitive materials at high speed is in constant operation, the amount of power and water consumed will be enormous, and operating costs will inevitably increase. Further, the rollers, roller bearings, etc. of the photosensitive material conveyance mechanism are susceptible to wear and tear, resulting in shortened performance and life of the conveyance mechanism.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and provides a photosensitive material processing method that enables high-speed processing of photosensitive materials, significantly reduces operating costs of automatic processors, and further improves performance and service life. (to do something)

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the photosensitive material processing method of the present invention includes means for detecting the insertion of the photosensitive material and increasing the drying temperature, and a means for increasing the drying temperature based on the set temperature range of the drying section. The total processing time of photosensitive materials is 2.
It is characterized by processing in 0 to 60 seconds.

[Operation] In this invention, the drying temperature is increased by detecting the insertion of the photosensitive material, and the temperature is controlled based on the set temperature range of the drying section, so that the photosensitive material is processed in a total processing time of 20 to 60 seconds.

In this way, to enable high-speed processing of photosensitive materials,
A measurement temperature range for the drying section is set, and by processing the photosensitive material based on this measurement temperature range, high-speed processing becomes possible.

Furthermore, since the drying temperature is increased by inserting the photosensitive material, even if the equipment is stopped, stable processing can be performed in a short time by inserting the photosensitive material, reducing power and water consumption. Operating costs can be significantly reduced, and the performance and durability of the device can be improved.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing temperature control of an automatic processor, Figure 2
The figure is a diagram showing the operating state of temperature control.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral A is a processing section that develops the exposed photosensitive material, B is a transport section that transports the photosensitive material, and C is a drying section that dries the photosensitive material processed in processing section A. It is controlled by a control section E provided at the operation section.

The processing section A is composed of a developing tank, a fixing tank, and a washing tank, and these are equipped with, for example, a circulation pump that circulates the developing solution and fixing solution, a liquid temperature heater, etc., and these are equipped with the operating section. It is driven by the operating switch F. The conveying section B is composed of a group of rollers provided in the processing section A and the drying section C, and this roller group is driven by a motor. The drying section C has a drying heater, a blower, etc., and is designed to dry the photosensitive material processed in the processing section A.The total processing time from this IA processing section A to drying in the drying section C is It is configured so that it can be processed in 20 to 60 seconds.

The control section E receives a detection signal from an insertion detection sensor G, which detects when a photosensitive material is inserted into the automatic developing machine, and a detection signal from a temperature detection sensor H, which detects the drying temperature of the drying section C. When the photosensitive material is inserted, the control section E drives the conveying section B and the drying section C to raise the drying temperature of the drying section C for a predetermined period of time, and automatically stops when the predetermined temperature is reached. This increase in drying temperature in drying section C takes 20 minutes for the total processing time.
In order to enable processing in ~60 seconds, the temperature is raised quickly.

Temperature control of the drying section C is performed based on the set temperature range stored in the set temperature range storage section I, and by detecting the drying temperature, the drying temperature is kept within a certain upper limit value and lower limit value range. The conveying section B and the drying section C are controlled to process the photosensitive material in a total IA processing time of 20 to 60 seconds. The upper and lower limits of the drying temperature are preferably set to 30 to 70°C, more preferably 40 to 60°C.

Then, from the insertion detection sensor G to the control unit E for a predetermined time,
If the detection signal is not manually input for the entire processing time of the automatic developing machine, the driving of the conveying section B and the drying section C is stopped.

Next, the operating state of the automatic developing machine will be explained based on FIG. 2.

Figure 2 shows that the drying section operates intermittently when photosensitive material is inserted into the automatic processor at regular intervals and when no photosensitive material is inserted for a long time.
It is a graph showing changes in drying temperature, with time on the horizontal axis and drying temperature on the vertical axis.

When the automatic developing machine is driven by operating the operation button F, the drying section C is controlled by the control section E, and the drying temperature is increased to the set temperature upper limit a (point t1), and the control section E controls the set temperature. When it is determined based on the range that the set temperature is the upper limit a, the drying section C is stopped. Therefore, the drying temperature decreases from point t1 to point t2. When the photosensitive material is inserted into the automatic developing machine while it is descending in this way (point t2), the detection signal from the insertion detection sensor G is manually input to the control section E, and the drying section C is driven for the set time T. , the drying temperature rises to the upper limit set temperature a.

After a predetermined period of time has elapsed without any photosensitive material being inserted, the drying temperature drops again, and at points t3 to t4, the drying air temperature drops to a level close to the lower limit. That is, when the photosensitive material is not inserted into the automatic processor for a predetermined period of time or more, in this case, even if the photosensitive material is inserted at point t4, the set time T elapses before the drying temperature reaches the upper limit a (point t5). ).

In this case, the drying temperature does not need to be maintained at the upper limit of the set temperature a every time the photosensitive material is inserted, but it is sufficient that it is within the set temperature range, and the drying temperature range is within the range of the set temperature. It is set up so that it can be processed in seconds.

In this way, even though the drying temperature is within the set temperature range, it is necessary to drive the drying section C when the photosensitive material is inserted into the automatic processor. For example, as shown by the broken line at point t4 in FIG. 2, when the washed and damp photosensitive material is fed into the drying section C, the drying temperature rapidly decreases as shown by the arrow, and continues to dry. This is to prevent the drying section C from becoming damp when many sheets of film are dried, and since only the drying air at the lower limit of the set temperature hits the photosensitive material, the photosensitive material is discharged without being completely dried.

In addition, in drying section C, there is a large difference between the time the drying air reaches the set temperature from the lower limit to the upper limit and the time it takes to naturally fall from the upper limit to the lower limit.
When processing is performed in 0 to 60 seconds, the drying section C is controlled so as to improve the temperature rise.

In addition, the transport section B is driven not only when the photosensitive material is inserted into the automatic processor, but also when the drying temperature is detected to remove fixer components, silver complex salts, etc. that are brought in by the photosensitive material and accumulated. This is to maintain clean water, and to prevent crystallization by rotating at relatively short intervals to prevent the developer from forming particles on the surface of the transport roller to which the developer is attached, causing uneven development. .

Next, FIG. 3 shows a concrete automatic developing machine to which the present invention is applied.

The photosensitive materials processed with this automatic processor have excellent sensitivity, fog, and graininess even when processed at high speeds, such as ultra-fast processing where the total processing time is 20 to 60 seconds.
In addition, a silver halide photosensitive material is used that has at least a small amount of gelatin and is less likely to cause darkening due to scratches or pressure desensitization.
Regarding the treatment liquid and treatment method, please refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-2315.
Reference is made to Publication No. 4.

The main body 1 of the device is designed to block external light, and an operation panel 10 is provided at the upper front side thereof, and an operation switch F and a display (not shown) are attached thereto. This operation switch F performs operations such as starting and stopping the operation, switching the conveyance speed, and setting the burial temperature, and the display displays the processing temperature, malfunctions, and the like.

This operation section has a built-in control section E and a set temperature range storage section I shown in Fig. 1, which control the processing section A, conveyance section B, and drying section C as described above. It has become.

Photosensitive material loading section J Photographed photosensitive materials are inserted one by one through the insertion slot 20 provided at the upper rear side of the apparatus main body 1.
0 is provided with an insertion detection sensor G, which detects the insertion of the photosensitive material and inputs it manually to the control section E. As a result, the transport section B
At the same time, the drying section C is driven to raise the drying temperature.

Furthermore, the insertion interval of the photosensitive material is set by detecting the insertion of the photosensitive material. That is, for example, when the processing time is about 45 seconds, the inserts are inserted at 2 second intervals, and the distance between the inserted photosensitive material and the next inserted photosensitive material is set to about 60 mm. Further, when the processing time is about 90 seconds, the insertion interval is set to about 3 seconds, and the distance between the photosensitive materials is set to about 45 mm.

The photosensitive material loading section J is also provided with a photosensitive material width detecting means (not shown), which detects the width of the photosensitive material and outputs the information to the control section E. Control part E
Then, the area of the photosensitive material is calculated from this information and used as a reference for replenishing the processing solution.

A photosensitive material unloading section K is provided on the opposite side of the apparatus main body 1 from the photosensitive material loading section J, and the dried photosensitive material is discharged after being developed into the basket 30.

Conveying Section B Inside the apparatus main body 1, a conveying section B composed of rollers is provided between a photosensitive material loading section J and a photosensitive material unloading section, and is driven by a motor (not shown). This conveyance section B transports the photosensitive material to the developing tank 21, fixing tank 22, and washing tank 2 of the processing section A.
3. It is configured to be conveyed to the squeeze section 24 and the drying section C in this order. Rubber rollers can be preferably used as the rollers in the conveyance section B, and examples of rubber materials include silicone rubber or ethylene propylene rubber (
For example, EPDM) is preferably used. This conveyance section B
The rollers are driven at a constant speed, and the bus length is, for example, 51.0 mm at the photosensitive material loading section J and 621 mm at the developer tank 21.
, 348 in fixing tank 22, '8mm, 306 in washing tank 23
．． 2'mm, 242.4mm at the squeeze section 24, and 344.5mm at the drying section C, for a total of 1913.9mm.

Therefore, if the processing time of the photosensitive material is about 45 seconds,
1.2 seconds at photosensitive material loading section J, 1 second at developer tank 21 and transition section
4.6 seconds, fixing tank 22 and transition section 8.2 seconds, washing tank 23
7.2 seconds at the transition section, 5.7 seconds at the squeeze section 24, and 8.1 seconds at the drying section C, and short-time processing is performed at each section.

Furthermore, in rapid processing where the total processing time is 20 to 60 seconds, for example, by changing the path length in the developer tank 21, the fixing tank 22, the washing@23 and the drying section C, it is possible to for 10 to 20 seconds, and 4 for fixing tank 22 and transition section.
15 seconds, 5 to 12 seconds at the washing tank 23 and the transition section, and 5 to 15 seconds at the drying section C.

Developing Tank 21, Fixing Tank 22, Washing Tank 23 The developing tank 21, fixing tank 22, and washing tank 23 are constructed by integrally forming three tanks to prevent liquid leakage.
Capacity of 1 6. OJ2. The capacity of the fixing aI22 is 9. 7IL, the capacity of the washing tank 23 is 6. 7j2.

Further, a liquid level sensor (not shown) is provided in the multi-tank, so that the liquid level can be detected and the liquid amount can be managed. In addition to using electrodes as a liquid level sensor, it is also possible to use an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor that detects the liquid level based on the transmittance of the liquid using a pair of light emitting part and light receiving part, and a non-contact type sensor. By controlling the liquid level of the processing solution A, it is possible to eliminate variations in processing time and control the processability of the photosensitive material. In addition, in order to eliminate variations in processing time, a drive motor is selected that does not cause variations in speed when driving the roller at a constant speed even when voltage or load changes. In addition, so that it is possible to change the processing time depending on the type of photosensitive material, the speed can be changed by one-touch switching (and the temperature setting value can be automatically changed at the same time), and the processing time can be changed automatically by automatically determining the type of photosensitive material. This allows speed changes to be made.

In this case as well, the changed speed remains constant.

The developing tank 21, the fixing tank 22, and the washing tank 23 each have a tank (not shown) for controlling temperature, and the temperature regulating tank is formed of a molded product, and can also be formed integrally with the processing tank. In addition, by paying attention to the shape, it is possible to form the container so that there is no liquid remaining when the liquid is discarded. Developer tank 2
For example, a 750W two-wood heater is used in the temperature control tank 1, a single 750W heater is used for the temperature control tank of the fixing tank 22, and a temperature sensor detects the temperature of the temperature-controlled processing liquid. is provided. As this temperature sensor, for example, a thermistor, platinum sensor, or silicon sensor is used. Information from the temperature sensor is manually input to the control section E to control the multi-liquid to an appropriate temperature.

Squeeze Section 24 The roller of the squeeze section 24 in this automatic developing machine is constructed as described above, but the roller material, squeeze characteristics, etc. are constructed as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 63-38982.

Drying Section C In the drying section C, washing water is further squeezed out or sucked out by the roller group of the squeeze section 24, and then sent to the drying section C. In the drying section C, the photosensitive material is transferred to the beta roller 4.
It is sent by the No. 0 feed roller group. During this time, nozzle ducts 50 are installed on both sides of the photosensitive material P along the conveyance path.
A plurality of nozzle ducts 50 are arranged, and each two of the nozzle ducts 50 are
Moisture-unsaturated heated air is blown onto the photosensitive material P from the slit nozzles 51 to dry it.

Standing duct 56 sucks outside air and circulating air, respectively.
The air heated by a heater 57 provided midway enters the nozzle duct 50 extending into the drying section C from the riser duct 56, and is exposed to light through two slit nozzles 51 provided in each nozzle duct 50. This is done by blowing out onto the surface of the material P. In order to prevent the internal pressure of the drying section C from increasing due to the intake of outside air by the ventilation fan 52 and the evaporation of moisture from the photosensitive material P,
It is discharged to the outside of the drying section C from an exhaust hole provided in the side wall 54 of the drying section C, and at this time, the exhaust fan 58 causes the development 4!
It is discharged to the outside of the machine together with the air from the upper space from 21 to the washing tank 23.

This drying section C is provided with a temperature detection sensor H, which inputs a detection signal to the control section E. This temperature detection sensor H manages the temperature state of the drying section C, and the control section E
The drying temperature is controlled as described above.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in this invention, the insertion of the photosensitive material is detected, the drying temperature is increased, the temperature is controlled based on the set temperature range of the drying section, and the photosensitive material is processed for a total processing time of 20 to 60 seconds. By processing with , high-speed processing becomes possible.

In addition, since the drying temperature is raised by inserting the photosensitive material, even if the equipment is stopped, stable processing can be performed in a short time by inserting the photosensitive material, significantly reducing operating costs of automatic processors. Moreover, the performance and durability of the device can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an automatic developing machine to which the photosensitive material processing method of the present invention is applied, Fig. 2 is a graph showing the temperature control state of the drying section, and Fig. 3 is a cross section of the automatic developing machine to which the present invention is applied. It is a diagram. In the figure, symbol A is a processing section, B is a conveyance section, C is a drying section, D is an operation section, E is a control section, F is an operation switch, G is an insertion detection switch, and H is a temperature detection sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The total processing time for photosensitive materials is 20 to 20 minutes using an automatic developing machine that has means for detecting the insertion of the photosensitive material and increasing the drying temperature, and means for controlling the temperature based on the set temperature range of the drying section.
A photosensitive material processing method that processes in 60 seconds.