JPH03149552A - Photosensitive material processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a drying irregularity from occurring on a photosensitive material by providing a diffuser which is used for making hot air quantity blowing against the photosensitive material in a width direction almost uniform in the dryer room of a dryer part. CONSTITUTION:Plural hot air blowing out ports 84 are formed to the upper wall and the lower wall of the dryer room 78. The ports 84 communicate the duct aperture part 86A of a duct which covers the circumference of the dryer room 78 and the dryer room 78. Besides, the cross-sectional area of the opening part 86A is made smaller toward a downstream side in the ventilation direction of the hot air. Then, a set of long-sized diffusers 92 and 95 along to a direction which is perpendicular to the carrying direction of the hot air is arranged to the upper part 86B and the lower part 86C of the opening part 86A. Thus, the hot air quantity blowing against the photosensitive material in the dryer room 78 in the width direction is made almost uniform by the diffusers 92 and 95 and the drying irregularity is prevented from occurring on the photosensi tive material.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a photosensitive material in which an image-exposed photosensitive material is sequentially conveyed to processing sections such as a developing section, a fixing section, a washing section, a squeezing section, and a drying section. Related to material processing equipment.

[Prior art]

In a photosensitive material processing apparatus that automatically transports and processes image-exposed photosensitive material, processing sections such as a developing section, a fixing section, a washing section, a squeezing section, and a drying section are successively arranged adjacent to each other.

The photosensitive material is sequentially transported to each of these processing sections, where it is developed,
After fixing, the photosensitive material is washed with water in a washing section, and the washing water is squeezed out of the wet photosensitive material in a squeeze section, and then subjected to processing such as drying in a drying section, and then accumulated in a stocker.

Each of the processing sections described above is arranged inside a housing of a photosensitive material processing apparatus, and has a structure in which the upper part can be opened and closed with a lid.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above photosensitive material processing apparatus, the fourth
As shown in the figure, a fan 104 blows warm air W into the drying chamber 102 of the drying section 100 in a direction (fourth direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction of the photosensitive material (direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 4).
Air is blown from the right side to the left side in the figure. For this reason, it is difficult to uniformize the amount of hot air blown across the width of the photosensitive material, resulting in the problem of uneven drying of the photosensitive material.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned facts, and an object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive material processing apparatus that can prevent the occurrence of uneven drying of a photosensitive material.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim (1):
The image-exposed photosensitive material is transferred to a developing section, a fixing section, a washing section,
Sequentially conveyed to processing sections such as squeeze section and drying section, developed,
A photosensitive material processing apparatus that performs processing such as washing with water after fixing, squeezing, and then drying in a drying section, wherein the amount of hot air blown in the width direction of the photosensitive material in the drying chamber of the drying section is approximately uniform. It is characterized by the provision of a diffuser for

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim (2):
A plurality of the diffusers are provided in the drying chamber of the drying section at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the photosensitive material.

[For production]

According to the present invention, a diffuser is provided in the drying chamber of the drying section to make the amount of warm air blown approximately uniform in the width direction of the photosensitive material. Therefore, the amount of hot air blown in the width direction of the photosensitive material in the drying chamber is made substantially uniform by the diffuser, so that uneven drying of the photosensitive material can be prevented.

In addition, when a plurality of diffusers are provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the photosensitive material in the drying chamber of the drying section, the amount of hot air blown in the width direction of the photosensitive material in the drying section drying chamber can be made more uniform. It is possible to prevent uneven drying of the photosensitive material.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the photosensitive material processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention.

The photosensitive material processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment has a function of developing a film 20 as a photosensitive material, a function of fixing it, a function of washing it with water, and a function of drying it.

The photosensitive material processing apparatus 10 is equipped with a housing 18 provided with an openable and closable lid 12, 14, 16 for blocking light from the outside. An insertion table 22 for inserting the film 20 is provided on the upper front side of the housing 18, and a film stocker 24 for storing processed films is provided on the rear side.
I am prepared for this.

An insertion opening 26 into which the film 20 is inserted is formed near the insertion stand 22 of the housing 18, and a detector 28 for detecting passage of the film 20 is attached near the insertion opening 2G. - The detector 28 is composed of a plurality of light-emitting elements and light-receiving elements arranged in the width direction of the film, facing each other near the film insertion opening 26, and the light emitted from the light-emitting elements is blocked by the film. Each light receiving element is turned on or off depending on the width and length of the inserted film. Note that the detector 28 may be a type of detector that is turned on and off when a light receiving element receives light from a light emitting element reflected by a film.

Inside the casing 18, a box-shaped processing tank main body 30 with an open top is arranged. The inside of this processing tank main body 30 is partitioned by a wall 32, and includes a developing tank 34, a fixing tank 3,
6. Washing tanks 38 are formed in sequence. The height of the developer tank 34 is slightly longer than the heights of the fixing tank 36 and the washing tank 38. Also, the height dimension of the fixing tank 36 is the same as that of the washing tank 3.
The height dimension is the same as that of 8.

A transport rack 40 is inserted into the developer tank 34 , and a transport rack 42 is arranged inside the fixing tank 36 and the washing tank 38 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the transport rack 40 has a pair of side plates 44 (however, only one side plate is shown in FIG. A plurality of transport rollers 46 are arranged in a shape and rotatably supported, and a film 20 is disposed below the side plate.
An oid 48° is arranged to invert the . The conveying roller 46 is rotated by the driving force of a driving means (not shown) and conveys the film 20.

This transport rack 40 transports the film 20 inserted into the developer tank 34 downward to the bottom, and then reverses and transports the film 20 inserted into the developer tank 34 .
The developer is conveyed upward toward the upper part of the developer tank 34 and sent out from within the developer tank 34 . Thereby, the film 20 is developed with the developer stored in the developer tank 34.

The transport rack 42 has a pair of side plates 50 (however, only one side plate is shown in FIG. 2, and the other side plate is omitted),
Two rollers 5 are arranged vertically between these side plates 50.
2, a large diameter roller 54 disposed below them,
It consists of a small diameter roller 56 placed in contact with these rollers 52, 54. Further, a guide 58 for inverting the film 20 is arranged at the lower part of the side plate 50.

The rollers 52, 54, and 56 are transferred with the driving force of a drive unit (not shown) to nip and convey the film 20.

The transport rack 42 transports the film 20 fed into the fixing tank 36 or washing tank 38 downward toward the bottom, then reverses, transports it upward, and sends it out from the fixing tank 36 or washing tank 38 . As a result, the film 20 conveyed through the fixing tank 36 is fixed with the fixing liquid stored in the fixing tank 36. Further, the film 20 conveyed through the washing tank 38 is washed with washing water stored in the washing tank 38 .

Also, inside the developer tank 34, a pair of conveying rollers 60 is provided on the side of the insertion port 26.
is located. The film 20 inserted from the insertion opening 26 is inserted between the pair of transport rollers 60, and the developing tank 3
Send it towards the inside of 4.

Furthermore, a developing tank 34 is provided between the developing tank 3-4 and the fixing tank 36.
An upper reversing guide 62 is arranged to reverse the film 20 sent out from inside downward and guide it toward the fixing tank 36.

Further, a crossover rank 64 is arranged between the fixing tank 36 and the washing tank 38 for inverting the film 20 sent out from the fixing tank 36 into the washing tank 38 and inserting the film for re-washing. .

As shown in FIG. 2, a squeeze section 66 is provided on the downstream side of the washing tank 38 in the transport direction of the film 20, and a drying section 68 is provided further downstream thereof.

A squeeze rack 70 is arranged in the squeeze section 66. This squeeze rack 70 is rotatably supported by a pair of side plates 72 (however, only one side plate is shown in FIG. 2, and the other side plate is omitted), and is arranged between these side plates 72. Pairs of transport rollers 74, 76 are provided. These transport roller pairs 74 and 76 are rotated by the driving force of a drive means (not shown), and pinch and transport the film 20 sent out from the washing tank 38 toward the drying section 68. This squeezes out the washing water adhering to the film 20.

A box-shaped drying chamber 78 is arranged in the drying section 68 . Is there a film insertion slot on the squeeze rack side of this drying chamber 78? 8A is provided, and the film 20 is inserted into the drying chamber 78A.

Is this the film slot? 8A is provided with a pair of entry guides 79. Further, a plurality of pairs of conveying rollers 80 are arranged in the drying chamber 78 along the horizontal direction. The plurality of pairs of transport rollers 80 are rotated by the driving force of a drive means (not shown) and transport the film 20 toward the film stocker 24 . Further, a plurality of pairs of guides 82 are disposed between these pairs of conveyance rollers 80 and approach each other in the direction of conveyance of the film 20.

A plurality of hot air outlets 84 are formed in the upper wall 78C1 and the lower wall 78D of the drying chamber 78.

As shown in FIG. 1, this hot air outlet 8
-4 communicates the duct opening 86A of the duct 86 surrounding the drying chamber 78 with the drying chamber 78.

Further, the duct opening 86A is located on the downstream side in the hot air blowing direction (the first
(left side of the figure) has a smaller cross-sectional area (in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 1). Furthermore, the upper part 86B of the duct opening 86A
A pair of elongated diffusers 92.95 are arranged in the lower part 86C, respectively, in a direction perpendicular to the hot air conveyance direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1).

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper part 86 of the duct opening 86A
A base 93 of an upper diffuser 92A constituting one of the pair of diffusers 92 is welded to the upstream side of B in the hot air blowing direction. A wind cutting portion 94 is erected from the downstream end of the base portion 93 in the hot air blowing direction. This wind section 9
The length along the hot air blowing direction of No. 4 is 15 ma+, and the angle θ of inclination toward the downstream side in the hot air blowing direction with respect to the upper surface of the upper portion 86B of the wind blowing portion 94 is 30°.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a lower diffuser 9 constituting a pair of diffusers 92 is located at a position corresponding to the lower diffuser 92A of the duct opening 86A.
2B is welded. This lower diffuser 92B has the same shape as the upper gain user 92A, and is vertically symmetrically welded to the lower part 86C of the duct opening 86A. Note that a detailed explanation of the lower diffuser 92B will be omitted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, one of a pair of diffusers 95 is provided at a position separated from the upper diffuser 92A by a distance L (L=200 mm) downstream in the hot air blowing direction at the upper portion 86B of the duct opening 86A. An upper diffuser 95A is arranged. Above this diffuser 9
The length M of the wind blowing section 96 of 5A along the hot air blowing direction is 4.
5 mm, and the inclination angle α of the wind blowing portion 96 toward the downstream side in the hot air blowing direction with respect to the horizontal plane is 9−.

Also, the direction perpendicular to the hot air blowing direction of the wind blowing section 96 (the third
Flange portions 97 are formed at both ends (in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing), and these flanges 97 are arranged so that the gap N between the wind section 96 and the upper part 86B of the duct opening 86A is 1211111. , are welded to both side surfaces 86D of the upper part 86B of the duct opening 86A in the hot air blowing direction.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a lower diffuser 95B forming a pair of diffusers 95 is arranged at a position corresponding to the upper diffuser 95A in the lower part 86C of the duct opening 86A.

This lower diffuser 95B is the upper diffuser 95
It has the same shape as A and is vertically symmetrically welded to the lower part 86C of the duct opening 86A. Right, lower diffuser 9
A detailed explanation of 5B will be omitted.

An air intake port (not shown) is formed in the duct 86,
A fan 88 is arranged in the middle of the duct 86. Further, a heater (not shown) is arranged in the middle part of the duct 86.

Therefore, the air sucked into the duct 86 from the air intake port by the operation of the fan 88 is heated by the heater and becomes warm air, and the air volume is made approximately uniform in the width direction of the film 20 by each pair of diffusers 92. The hot air passes through the duct opening 86A and is supplied from the hot air outlet 84 into the drying chamber 78. As a result, the film 20 becomes
While being conveyed by the pair of conveying rollers 80, the sheet is dried without uneven drying.

Furthermore, a film output lower 8 is provided on the film stocker 24 side, and the film 20 in the drying chamber 78 is sent out.

A pair of transport rollers 90 is arranged on the film stocker 24 side of the drying section 68. The film 20 sent out from the inside of the drying chamber 8 is inserted into the transport roller pair 90 and sent out to the film stocker 24.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

The film 20 fed into the interior through the insertion opening 26 is inserted into the developer tank 34 by a pair of transport rollers 60, and is transported downward by a transport rack 40 and then transported upward and sent out from the developer tank 34. As a result, it is immersed in the developer in the developer tank 34 and developed.

The film 20 fed out from the developing tank 34 is turned downward by the upper reversing guide 62 and transferred to the fixing tank 36.
sent inside.

The film 20 fed into the fixing tank 36 is transported downward by the transport rack 42 and then transported upward and sent out from the fixing tank 36 . As a result, the image is immersed in the fixing solution in the fixing tank 36 and fixed.

The film 20 sent out from the fixing tank 36 is reversed downward by the crossover rack 64 and sent into the washing tank 38 . The film 20 sent into the washing tank 38 is conveyed downward by the conveyance rack 42, then reversed, conveyed upward, and conveyed to the squeeze section 66.

The film 20 conveyed to the squeeze section 66 is transferred to the washing tank 38.
The adhering moisture is squeezed out in the drying chamber 7 of the drying section 68.
8 is transported horizontally. Warm air is supplied to the drying chamber 78, and while the film 200 is being transported horizontally by a pair of transport rollers 80, the hot air is blown onto the front and back surfaces of the film 200 from the upper and lower hot air outlets 84A, thereby drying the film 200.

In this case, in this embodiment, an upper gap user 92A and a lower diffuser 92B are provided on the upper surface 86B and lower surface 86C of the duct opening 86A at a predetermined interval in the hot air blowing direction (width direction of the film 20), respectively. A plurality of pairs of diffusers 92 are provided. Therefore, the warm air blown into the duct opening 86A by the operation of the fan 88 is transferred by each pair of diffusers 92.
The air volume is made substantially uniform in the width direction of the film 20 and is supplied into the drying chamber 78 from the hot air outlet 84 after passing through the duct opening 86A. As a result, the film 20 is dried evenly while being transported by the transport roller pair 80.

Further, the film 20 dried in the drying section 68 becomes a processed film and is accumulated in the film stocker 24.

The processing of the photosensitive material processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied includes not only development, fixing, washing, and drying, but also other processing such as color development, bleaching, stabilization, and rinsing.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the present invention has the above structure, it has an excellent effect of preventing uneven drying of the photosensitive material.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a photosensitive material processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied,
This figure is a partially enlarged sectional view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a drying section of a conventional photosensitive material processing apparatus. IO...Photosensitive material processing device, 20...Film, 68...Drying section, 78...Drying chamber, 92.95...Pair of diffusers, 92A, 95A...Upper diffuser, 928.95
B...Lower diffuser.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) The image-exposed photosensitive material is sequentially conveyed to processing sections such as a developing section, a fixing section, a washing section, a squeezing section, and a drying section, and after being developed and fixed, it is washed with water, squeezed, and then dried in a drying section. A photosensitive material processing apparatus for performing the above processing, characterized in that a diffuser is provided in the drying chamber of the drying section to substantially uniformize the amount of warm air blown in the width direction of the photosensitive material. Device. (2) The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the diffusers are provided in the drying chamber of the drying section at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the photosensitive material.