JPH0425837A - Photosensitive material processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten crossover time and to prevent the carry over of a processing liquid by adopting the structure in which the liquid levels of adjacent processing tanks are respectively specified and a photosensitive material passes between a pair of blades provided on a partition wall. CONSTITUTION:A communicating passage 7 in which the photosensitive material S passes is provided on the partition wall 4 between a preprocessing tank (e.g. a developing tank) and post processing tank (e.g. a bleach/fixing tank) 3 of this device. The communicating passage 7 is liquid tightly shielded by a pair of the blades 8. The liquid level of the tank 2 is set in the position higher than the tight contact surfaces of the thin parts 82 of the blades 8 and the liquid level of the tank 2 is set lower than the above-mentioned tight contact surface. The photosensitive material S passes the communicating passage 7 if this device is constituted in such a manner and, therefore, the route length of the crossover is shortened and since the processing liquid is removed by the thin part 82, the carry over of the processing liquid is decreased. A leaking developer 20 is preferably recovered by providing a trough 9 on the partition wall 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus applied to automatic processors, wet-type copying machines, and the like.

<Prior art> A photosensitive material processing device such as an automatic processor or a wet-type copying machine processes exposed silver halide photosensitive material (hereinafter referred to as photosensitive material) using a processing solution in a plurality of processing tanks arranged in parallel. An image is obtained by sequentially immersing the film in water, developing, desilvering, and washing with water, and then drying it.

For example, in an apparatus for processing color photosensitive materials, a developing tank,
A bleach/fix tank, a washing tank, and a dryer are installed in this order, and in these, development, bleaching/fixing, washing, and drying are performed in this order.

By the way, in such a photosensitive material processing apparatus, there are the following three problems to be solved.

■ Shorten the time (distance) required for crossover of photosensitive materials between adjacent processing tanks.

■ Minimize the amount of processing liquid adhering to the photosensitive material carried into the next processing tank as much as possible.

For example, if the developer is brought into the bleach/fix tank, the bleach/fix solution may deteriorate, leading to problems such as poor color recovery and poor desilvering.

■ To prevent the processing liquid from scattering or splashing due to the entering of the photosensitive material into the processing liquid or the movement of pulling it out of the processing liquid, and from mixing into adjacent different types of processing liquids.

In particular, if the scattered bleach/fix solution gets mixed into the developer,
The developer becomes contaminated and deteriorates, causing color development fog, uneven processing, and poor color gradation balance, and the photographic properties of the resulting images are significantly reduced.

To solve the above problem, the length of the crossover path is shortened by dividing the adjacent processing tanks with a single partition wall and crossing over the photosensitive material horizontally at the top of the partition wall. The invention has been disclosed (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-302253).

However, in this invention, it is not possible to prevent the processing liquid from being brought in or mixed in due to scattering, etc. as shown in (1) and (2) above.

As a solution to the above problem (1), an invention has been disclosed in which the tip of a blade is pressed against the surface of a photosensitive material to squeeze out the attached processing liquid, and the processing liquid is sprayed onto that part to clean it (JP-A-1999-1120). -30251 publication).

However, in this invention, since only one side of the photosensitive material is squeezed by the blade, it is not possible to sufficiently reduce the amount carried into the next tank, and furthermore, the problems shown in (1) and (3) above are not solved. . In particular, since the processing liquid is sprayed, it is easy for the processing liquid to scatter;
In fact, it is worse than before in terms of issues.

As a solution to the above problem (2), an invention has been disclosed in which the upper opening of the processing tank is covered with a flat plate, and this flat plate is provided with a slit (narrow width) inlet opening and outlet opening through which the photosensitive material passes (particularly Publication No. 1-302252).

However, in this invention, the photosensitive material lifted up from the processing liquid faces upward, passes through the exit opening formed in the flat plate in a vertical state, and then rises further, forming an arched shape at a position considerably higher than the liquid level. Since it makes a turn and descends toward the processing liquid in the next tank, the crossover time shown in (1) above is long (it takes a long time), and furthermore, it is impossible to prevent the processing liquid from being brought in as shown in (2) above.

Therefore, at present, a photosensitive material processing apparatus that can simultaneously solve the above-mentioned problems (1), (2), and (2) has not yet been developed.

In addition, in the three conventional inventions mentioned above, it is extremely difficult and impossible to combine all three inventions due to the structure such as the arrangement pattern of the rollers required to obtain the effects of those inventions. Even if this were the case, the structure would be extremely complex, and the effects would likely be insufficient.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> The purpose of the present invention is to shorten the cross-over time of the photosensitive material, and to prevent the processing liquid adhering to the photosensitive material from being carried into the next tank and from being mixed with a different type of processing liquid due to scattering of the processing liquid. An object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive material processing apparatus that prevents contamination.

<Means for Solving the Problems> Such objects are achieved by the present invention described in (1) and (2) below.

(1) It has two adjacent processing tanks filled with different processing solutions, and means for conveying the photosensitive material installed in these processing tanks, and near the top of the partition wall between the two processing tanks, A communicating path is formed through which the photosensitive material passes, and at least a pair of blades are installed in the communicating path, the tips of which are in close contact with each other when the photosensitive material does not pass through, and substantially liquid-tightly shields the communicating path; A processing liquid is placed in one of the processing tanks up to a position higher than a passage position of the photosensitive material in the communication path,
A photosensitive material processing apparatus characterized in that the other of the processing tanks is filled with a processing liquid up to a position lower than the passage position of the photosensitive material in the communication path.

(2) The photosensitive material processing apparatus described in (1) above, which is provided with a processing liquid recovery means for recovering the processing liquid with a higher liquid level when the processing liquid with a higher liquid level leaks out when the photosensitive material passes through the photosensitive material.

<Function> In the present invention, when the photosensitive material crosses over, the photosensitive material does not first go out of the processing tank, but passes through a communication path provided in the partition between adjacent processing tanks and moves to the next tank. Therefore, the crossover path length is short, and the crossover time can therefore be shortened.

Further, since the processing liquid adhering to the surface of the photosensitive material is wiped off by a pair of blades provided in the communication path, the amount of processing liquid brought into the next tank is significantly reduced. In this case, a pair of blades is provided so that their tips are in close contact with each other, and the photosensitive material passes between the pair of blades, so the processing liquid is wiped off from both sides of the photosensitive material, that is, the emulsion side and the back side. .

In addition, since the communication path is completely liquid-tightly shielded by the blade when the photosensitive material does not pass through, the processing liquid with a higher liquid level leaks out and the processing liquid with a lower liquid level leaks out. However, even if the processing liquid with a lower liquid level splashes or jumps up, the processing liquid is blocked from flowing through the communication path, and the processing liquid with a higher liquid level is This prevents contamination from entering the tank, especially into the front tank.

In particular, since it is possible to prevent the bleaching/fixing solution (or bleaching solution) from mixing with the developer in the front tank, there is no deterioration due to contamination of the developer, and images with good photographic properties can be obtained.

In this case, since the blades are provided in pairs so that their tips are in close contact with each other, the effect of shielding the communication path is high (
Moreover, even if the blade is deformed, the liquid wiping effect and the communication path sealing effect are unlikely to deteriorate.

Additionally, when the photosensitive material passes through, a small amount of processing liquid with a higher liquid level may leak out from near the edges of both sides of the photosensitive material of the blade that has been pushed apart by the photosensitive material.
When a processing liquid recovery means is provided, this leaked processing liquid is recovered, so that it does not mix into the processing liquid whose liquid level is lower.

<Example> Hereinafter, the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail based on a preferred example shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged sectional side view showing an example of the configuration of a photosensitive material processing apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 has at least two adjacent processing tanks 2 and 3, and the image processing tanks 2 and 3 are separated by one partition wall 4.

Note that it is not preferable to provide a space between the processing tanks 2 and 3 because it increases the crossover length of the photosensitive material S.

The photosensitive material S is processed in the processing tank 2 and then in the processing tank 3.
is called post-treatment tank 3.

The pre-treatment tank 2 and the post-treatment tank 3 contain treatment liquids 20 and 30 having different compositions, respectively. In this case, the combinations of processing solutions 20.30 include developer and bleach/fix solution, developer and bleach solution, developer and fixer, bleach/fix solution,
Fixer and washing water, bleaching solution and fixer, fixer and washing water, washing water and stabilization, first developer and washing water, washing water and reversal solution, reversal solution and color developer, developer and stop. liquid, stop solution and bleach solution, stop solution and bleach/fix solution, stop solution and fix solution, among others, developer solution and bleach/fix solution, developer solution and bleach solution, or reversal solution and color developer solution. It is preferable to apply the above combinations in order to effectively exhibit the effect of preventing deterioration of the processing liquid.

Therefore, hereinafter, the processing liquid 20 will be representatively described as the developer 20, and the processing liquid 30 will be described as the bleaching/fixing solution 30.

Note that the formulation of the treatment liquid 20.30 is not particularly limited.

Pre-processing tank (developing tank) 2 and post-processing tank (bleaching/fixing tank)
3 includes a conveying means 5 for conveying the photosensitive material S along a predetermined path.
is installed.

This conveying means 5 includes rollers 5 that nip and convey the photosensitive material S.
1, and a guide 52 that is arranged along the conveyance path of the photosensitive material S and guides the leading end of the photosensitive material S between rollers 51 and 51 or to a communication path 7 to be described later.

Note that each roller 51 is rotated in the direction of an arrow in the figure by a drive system (not shown), and conveys the photosensitive material S.

Further, the guide 52 may be of a rail shape into which both end portions of the photosensitive material S are respectively inserted.

A lid 6 is installed at the upper openings of the pre-treatment tank 2 and the post-treatment tank 3 to cover them. As a result, the developer 20
Also, evaporation and scattering of the bleaching/fixing solution 30 can be prevented.

A communication path 7 is formed near the top of the partition wall 4 to communicate the inside of the pre-treatment tank 2 and the inside of the post-treatment tank 3. This communication path 7
, through which the photosensitive material S passes, is narrow enough to allow this (for example, about 5 to 30 mm in width), and is elongated in the width direction of the photosensitive material S.

A pair of blades 8 that shield the communication path 7 are installed in the communication path 7.

This blade 8 has a flange portion 81 that does not substantially deform.
and a thin portion 82 whose thickness gradually decreases toward the tip and which can be easily deformed by the entry of the photosensitive material S.

The blade 8 is fixed to the communication path 7 by a fixing device (not shown) such as a bolt at its flange portion 81.
are attached to opposite edges of the photosensitive material entrance side.

Such a blade 8 is made of, for example, various rubbers such as natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, fluororubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber, soft polyvinyl chloride, It is made of an elastic material (elastomer) such as a soft resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ionomer resin, fluororesin, or silicone resin, or a combination of two or more of these.

When the photosensitive material S is not passing through the blade 8, the tips of the thin portions 82 of the blade 8 are in close contact with each other, and the communication path 7 is substantially liquid-tightly shielded.

When the photosensitive material S passes, the photosensitive material S passes through the blade 8.
The light-sensitive material S enters between the thin-walled portions 82 and the thin-walled portions 82 that were in close contact with each other are pushed apart by the thickness of the photosensitive material S.

In this state, the photosensitive material S advances in the direction of the arrow in the figure and passes through the communication path 7 while its both surfaces are in contact with the inner surface of the thin-walled portion 82 . At this time, the developer 20 adhering to the surface of the photosensitive material S (the emulsion surface and its back surface) is transferred to the thin m portion 82 of the blade 8.
wiped away by

After the photosensitive material S passes through the communication path 7, the blade 8
The original state is restored, and the thin wall portion 82 is brought into close contact with the spacer, and the communication path 7 is again shielded.

Liquid level of developer 20 (standard liquid level, same below)
is set at a passage position of the photosensitive material S in the communication path 7, that is, at a position higher than the contact surface between the thin portions 82 of the blade 8.

On the other hand, the liquid level of the bleaching/fixing solution 30 is set at a position lower than the passage position of the photosensitive material S in the communication path 7.

With this configuration, the crossover length of the photosensitive material S, that is, the length that the photosensitive material S is conveyed in the air between adjacent processing tanks, is the length of the photosensitive material S immersed in the bleaching/fixing solution 30 from the tip of the blade 8. This will be the length until the end. Therefore, compared to the conventional apparatus in which the photosensitive material S passes over the upper end of the partition wall 4 and transfers to the post-processing tank 3, the crossover length, that is, the crossover time is significantly shortened.

Furthermore, since the blade 8 substantially liquid-tightly shields the communication path 7 when the photosensitive material S is not passing through, the developer 20 will not leak out and mix into the bleach/fix solution 30 in the post-processing tank 3. do not have.

When the photosensitive material S passes through the photosensitive material S, the blade 8 wipes off the developer 20 adhering to the surface of the photosensitive material S, so that the amount of the developer 20 brought into the bleaching/fixing solution 30 is significantly reduced.

Moreover, even if the bleaching/fixing solution 30 splashes or scatters due to the movement of the photosensitive material S into the solution, the communicating path 7 is blocked by the blade 8, so the bleaching/fixing solution 30 is prevented from entering the pretreatment tank 2 side through the communication path 7. In particular, if the bleach/fix solution 30 mixes into the developer 20 in the pre-treatment tank 2, the developer will be contaminated and deteriorated, resulting in color development fog, uneven processing, and poor color gradation balance, resulting in decreased photographic properties. However, the present invention eliminates such drawbacks.

In addition, the liquid level of the developer 20 and the bleach/fixer 30
of the photosensitive material S in the communication path 7.
It is not preferable to set it at a position lower or higher than the passing position of , and is outside the scope of the present invention. The reason for this is that in the former case, although it is advantageous in preventing contamination of the processing liquid, the crossover length becomes long, and in the latter case, the conveyance path of the photosensitive material S at the time of crossover is entirely connected to both processing liquids 20. 30, and the crossover length is shortened, but because of this, the bleaching/fixing i? ! 30 will be mixed into the developer 20, causing the above-mentioned problems.

As shown in FIG. 1, the height difference H0 between the liquid level of the developer 20 and the passage position of the photosensitive material S in the communication path 7 is 1 to 15.
It is preferable to set it to about m1Il, especially about 2 to 5IllLn.

When Hl is less than 1 mm, the photosensitive material IE1.
This is because S may float up, causing uneven processing, and if it exceeds 15 mm, the liquid pressure applied to the blade 8 will increase, making it easy for liquid leakage to occur depending on the conditions of the blade.

Also, the passing position of the photosensitive material S in the communication path 7 and the bleaching and
The height difference H2 with respect to the liquid level of the fixing liquid 30 is preferably about 5 to 30 mm, particularly about 10 to 20 mm. H2
If the width is less than 5 mm, the bleaching/fixing solution 30 will enter the communication path 7, and if the bleaching/fixing solution 30 shakes, the slight difference between the thin section 82 of the blade 8 that occurs when the photosensitive material passes through, which will be described later, may occur. There is a possibility that the bleaching/fixing solution 30 may mix into the developer 20 through the gap. Furthermore, if H2 exceeds 30 mm, the crossover length cannot be sufficiently shortened.

The contact pressure between the thin parts 82 of the blade 8 is 0, 0.
1 to 0, about 1 kg/cm", especially 0.02 to 0
, 05 kg/cm" is preferable.

Further, the length of the contact surfaces between the thin portions 82 in the direction in which the photosensitive material advances when the photosensitive material S does not pass through is preferably about 2 to 20 mm, particularly about 3 to 10 mm.

The average inclination angle of the thin portion 82 of the blade 8 with respect to the surface of the photosensitive material S is preferably about 20 to 70', particularly about 30 to 45 degrees.

By setting the contact surface pressure, the contact surface length, and the average inclination angle as described above, the wiping effect of the developer 2o and the sealing effect of the communication path 7 become higher. In particular, even if the thin wall portion 82 is deformed (for example, wavy deformation, for example, λ), the wiping effect of 2° of the developer and the sealing effect of the communication path 7 are maintained.

Note that the adhesion force between the thin-walled portions 82 is usually given by the elastic force of the thin-walled portions, but if a magnetic material is mixed in the thin-walled portions 82 (for example, a rubber magnet), the thin-walled portions are attracted to each other. It is also possible to give or increase adhesion by applying the adhesive.

Furthermore, even if the photosensitive material S slides on the thin-walled portion 82, there will hardly be any adverse effects such as scratches on the emulsion surface, but if this cannot be ignored, or if the sliding resistance is to be reduced, This may be achieved by performing a surface treatment such as smoothing the inner surface of 82 or coating the inner surface with a lubricant such as silicone or Teflon.

If the blade 8 becomes dirty or deteriorates, it can be easily cleaned or replaced by attaching and detaching the fixture.

In addition, the shape and mounting position of the blade 8 are as follows.

The configuration is not limited to the one shown in the drawings, and for example, a blade may be attached to the inner surface of the communicating path 7 or near the exit of the photosensitive material of the communicating path 7.

In the illustrated configuration example, a pair of blades 8 are attached to the communicating path 7, but in the present invention, two or more pairs of blades are installed along the traveling direction of the photosensitive material S in the communicating path 7. 8 can also be installed in multiple stages. This results in
The wiping effect of the developer 20 and the sealing effect of the communication path 7 are increased.

For example, if two pairs of blades are installed, even if the developer leaks from the blade on the pre-processing tank 2 side, the leaked developer and the scattered bleach/fixer or bleach will be removed by the blade on the post-processing tank 3 side. - Since mixing and contact of the fixing liquid with vapor is prevented, deterioration of the processing liquid due to the flow of the mixed liquid into the pre-processing tank or the post-processing tank is prevented.

Furthermore, when two or more pairs of blades are provided in the communication path, each pair of blades may have the same shape or different shapes. especially,
If the values of the contact surface pressure, the length of the contact surface, the average inclination angle, etc. between the thin-walled portions 82 of the blades 8 described above are increased as the blades are closer to the pre-treatment tank 2, the wiping effect of the developer 20 and the communication path can be improved. The sealing effect of No. 7 is further increased, which is preferable.

In this case, each pair of blades may have different functions. For example, the blade near the pre-processing tank 2 can be used mainly as a blade (squeegee) for wiping off the developer, and the blade near the post-processing tank 3 can be used as a blade for sealing the communication path 7.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional side view showing another example of the structure of the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention. The photosensitive material processing apparatus 1'' shown in the figure has the following features, except that it is equipped with a processing liquid recovery means for recovering the developer 20 when it leaks out when the photosensitive material S passes through the blade 8. This is similar to the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, on the wall surface of the partition wall 4 on the side of the bleaching/fixing tank 3, at a position below the communication path 7, there is provided a processing liquid recovery means extending in the width direction of the photosensitive material S. Then, a pipe 9 is installed.

When the photosensitive material S passes through the blade 8, the photosensitive material S
Since a slight gap equal to the thickness of the photosensitive material S is created between the thin-walled portions 82 on both side edges of the , a small amount of developer 20 may leak from this gap, but this leaked developer 20 is It flows along the lower inner surface 71 in the communication path 7 and is stopped by the gutter 9. Therefore, the leaked developer 20
It does not get mixed into the bleach/fix solution 30, and the effect of preventing deterioration of the bleach/fix solution 30 is further enhanced.

The developer 20 that has been stopped by the gutter 9 is collected in a tank (not shown) through a pipe (not shown) connected to the end of the gutter 9, and is not to be disposed of. preferable.

Such a processing liquid recovery means is not limited to the illustrated gutter 9, but for example, as having the same function as the gutter 9,
il! extends in the width direction of the photosensitive material S on the lower inner surface 71 in the communication path 7! (not shown), a porous material (not shown) such as a sponge or fibrous body that can absorb liquid is placed in the middle of the flow path of the developer 20, or any other developer that has leaked out. Any configuration that collects 20 is possible.

As mentioned above, when two or more pairs of blades are installed in the communication path 7, there is a gap between at least one pair of adjacent blades.
Preferably, a treatment liquid recovery means is provided. For example, if a pair of blades is installed near the photosensitive material outlet and inlet of the communication path 7, a groove similar to that described above can be formed on the lower inner surface 71 between the pair of blades, In this case, the sealing effect of the communication passage is high (
This is preferable in that it is also possible to effectively remove and recover the processing liquid between the pair of blades.

In the configuration example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid level of the processing liquid in the pre-processing tank 2 is higher than the passage position of the photosensitive material S, and the liquid level of the processing liquid in the post-processing tank 3 is lower. However, the type of processing solution (e.g. bleach/fix solution and washing water)
In some cases, these may be reversed. in this case,
Since the processing liquid with a lower liquid level will not leak into the processing liquid with a higher liquid level, in general, for processing liquids for which it is desired to preferentially prevent the processing liquid from entering the adjacent processing tank, It is preferable to keep the liquid level low.

In the present invention, the type of photosensitive material S to be processed is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include color negative film, color reversal film, color photographic paper, color positive film, color reversal photographic paper, photographic material for plate making, and X-ray photographic photosensitive material. Examples include various photosensitive materials such as black and white negative film, black and white photographic paper, and microphotosensitive materials.

Further, the form of the photosensitive material S is not particularly limited, and may be sheet-like,
It may be in the form of a long strip.

Further, the present invention can be applied to, for example, an automatic developing machine, a wet type copying machine,
It can be applied to various photosensitive material processing devices such as printer processors, video printer processors, coin machines for making photo prints, and color paper processing for plate inspection.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, according to the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, the crossover time when the photosensitive material moves between adjacent processing tanks is short, and the processing liquid attached to the surface of the photosensitive material can be reduced. It is possible to prevent the processing liquid from being brought into the next tank and from being mixed into different processing liquids between adjacent processing tanks due to scattering, splashing, etc. of the processing liquid.

In particular, when a processing liquid recovery means is provided, even if a small amount of processing liquid leaks from the side with a higher liquid level, this leaked processing liquid will be collected, and this will be transferred to the side with a lower liquid level. It will not be mixed into the processing liquid.

Therefore, processing time can be shortened, and deterioration of the processing liquid due to contamination can be reduced, and images with good photographic properties can be obtained.

Furthermore, the photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention can exhibit the above effects with a simple structure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are partially enlarged cross-sectional side views showing an example of the configuration of a photosensitive material processing apparatus of the present invention, respectively. Explanation of symbols 1.1...Photosensitive material processing device 2...Pre-processing tank 20...Processing solution (developer) 3...Post-processing tank 30...Processing/? ! (Bleach/fixing solution) 4... Partition wall 5... Conveying means 51... Roller 52... Guide 6... Lid 7... Communication path 71... Lower inner surface 8... Blade 81...Flange part 82...Thin wall part 9...S...Photosensitive material

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) It has two adjacent processing tanks filled with different processing solutions, and means for conveying the photosensitive material installed in these processing tanks, and near the top of the partition wall between the two processing tanks, A communicating path is formed through which the photosensitive material passes, and at least a pair of blades are installed in the communicating path, the tips of which are in close contact with each other when the photosensitive material does not pass through, and substantially liquid-tightly shields the communicating path; A processing liquid is placed in one of the processing tanks up to a position higher than a passage position of the photosensitive material in the communication path,
A photosensitive material processing apparatus characterized in that the other of the processing tanks is filled with a processing liquid up to a position lower than the passage position of the photosensitive material in the communication path. (2) The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising processing liquid recovery means for recovering the processing liquid with a higher liquid level when the processing liquid with a higher liquid level leaks out when the photosensitive material passes through the photosensitive material.