JPH049948A - Processing device for photographic sensitive material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To uniformly control the inside of a drying section to a desired temp. and humidity and to enhance the dimensional stability of a photosensitive material for printing by providing the supply opening of a humidifying means near the suction port of the drying fan of a hot wind circulating path. CONSTITUTION:The supply opening of an ultrasonic humidifier 470 is provided near the suction part of the drying fan 452 of this device. Sensors 182, 183 detect the temp. and humidity in a hot wind duct when the photosensitive mate rial used for color printing is transported to an insertion port 100. A control section 490 operates the humidifier 470 and a heater 404 according to the above- mentioned detection data and the characteristic data 185 of the photosensitive material and control the temp. and humidity of the drying section 400. The drying section 400 is already controlled to the temp. ad humidity conditions to stabilize the sizes of the photosensitive material when the front end of the photosensitive material arrives at the drying section from a crossover section 405.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an improvement in the drying section of a photosensitive material processing apparatus equipped with a size control device for silver salt photosensitive materials.

[Conventional technology]

For printing photosensitive materials used in plate making for color printing, the dimensions of the developed and finished state must be controlled so that color shift does not occur even when three to four films of each separated color are superimposed. Therefore, when exposing each photosensitive material separately into each color, the environmental conditions of the image exposure device and its vicinity should be the same, and when developing and finishing each photosensitive material,
It is necessary to set the temperature and humidity conditions and processing speed of the processing equipment to predetermined values so that each photosensitive material can be finished to the same size. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the dimensional magnification during exposure and after development is almost the same. In particular, it is important to ensure that there is no dimensional deviation between the photosensitive materials exposed and developed using the respective separated colors. Ideally, the temperature and humidity conditions of the exposure device and its surroundings during image exposure, as well as the development processing conditions, should be strictly controlled, and the plate-making work should be performed using photosensitive materials that are less prone to color shift due to dimensional changes. It is.

However, the actual working environment conditions are temperature lO throughout the year.
Since the temperature fluctuates within a range of ~30° C./humidity lO ~90%, a normal air conditioner may not be able to control the temperature and humidity to an appropriate level. Therefore, the dimensions of the photosensitive material change due to its characteristics of shrinking in low humidity and expanding in high humidity, and apart from this, the dimensions of the photosensitive material change even before and after processing, resulting in problems such as color fading.

[Invention or problem to be solved]

For this reason, the environmental temperature and humidity conditions when each photosensitive material is exposed are detected in some way and stored or recorded.
For this purpose, it is desirable to determine the optimum temperature and humidity conditions during development and develop and finish the photosensitive materials.

To this end, it is important to install a humidifier in the dry area and control the humidity and temperature. However, if a humidifier is installed in the drying section and warm air with uniform humidity is not produced, and warm air with various humidity levels is mixed, the drying state of the photosensitive material will be uneven and uniform expansion and contraction will not be achieved. Otherwise, the image will be distorted. Furthermore, if too much humid warm air is present, water droplets may form on the surface of the photosensitive material, resulting in uneven drying and contamination.

An object of the present invention is to solve these problems and provide a photosensitive material processing apparatus that can accurately control dimensions and produce high-quality development finishes.

[Means to solve the problem]

This object is achieved by a photosensitive material processing apparatus characterized in that an outlet of a humidifying means is provided in the vicinity of a drying fan suction port in a hot air circulation path of a drying section.

〔Example〕

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG.
This will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1(b), (c), and (cl), which are sectional views taken along lines AA, BB, and CC of IEI(a). However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The photosensitive material processing apparatus l includes at least a photosensitive material insertion section 100.
and developer tank 211. It consists of an immersion processing section 200 consisting of a fixing tank 221, a washing tank 231, and an upper lid 201, a transition section 405 to a drying section 400, a drying section 400, and an overall top plate 202. and hot air duct 403 and hot air nozzle chamber 411, 412, 421, 42
2,431,432, Hita 404, drying section upper rack cover 441, drying fan 452, hot air circulation tough l-45
1, an exhaust tact 453 which is branched from the warm air duct 403 that accommodates the circulation duct and the heater, and an exhaust 7-an 455 provided at the terminal end of the exhaust tact 453.

The ultrasonic humidifier 470 is also provided with a water tank 471 and a circulation fan 453. When the humidifier outlet is provided near the drying fan suction port as in the present invention,
Even if there is no circulation fan in the circulation system, the same performance can be obtained as with one provided. The generated ultrasonic waves then generate mist in the warm air, which then turns into water vapor. The mist is placed near the mist outlet of the humidifier 470 or the suction port of the drying fan 452 so that the mist is efficiently and uniformly stirred into the drying section. Also,
The humidity and temperature inside the hot air duct fluctuate due to this.
Internal humidity sensor 472. Internal temperature sensor 47
3, the humidifier 470
Also, whether the heater 404 is turned on or off is controlled.

Further, a water droplet collecting member 476 is provided which has a key-shaped cross section and collects water that is condensed from the water tank 471 of the ultrasonic humidifier 470 when it hits the wall of the circulation duct 451 and returns it to the water tank 471. This prevents the inside of the circulation duct from getting wet.

Here, the operation of this photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 will be explained.

When no photosensitive material enters the insertion slot of the apparatus, the temperature of the drying section is kept several times lower than the temperature of the drying section during processing, and the heater 404 and drying fan 452 are turned on. Waiting at 0FFL. In addition, the ultrasonic humidifier 470 is also stopped, and the humidity in the drying section 400 is 1.
It is maintained at about 0%.

When the photosensitive material is inserted into the insertion slot 100, the temperature and humidity are read by the sensors 182 and 183 set around the exposure device, and sent to the control unit 490, where the stored data and characteristic data 185 of the photosensitive material are read. In response, the ultrasonic humidifier 470 and heater 404 are operated to control the temperature and humidity of the drying section of the processing apparatus. Then, place the tip of the photosensitive material or the insertion part lOO.
through the immersion processing section, and from the transition section 405 to the drying section 4.
This is so that the temperature and humidity conditions of the drying section 400 can be obtained to stabilize the above-mentioned dimensions exactly when the drying section 400 is about to reach 0.00. And the humidity was around 10%.
For example, the humidity may be increased to 30% of the optimum humidity of the photosensitive material and the temperature may be about 40°C, or the optimum temperature of the photosensitive material may be increased to 45°C. These optimum temperatures and humidity have been obtained experimentally for each case of changing the temperature and humidity during exposure, and the optimum temperature and humidity are preprogrammed in the control unit. After the material enters the insertion port 100, it takes no particular time, i.e. usually 17) hours, e.g. 30 hours.
In ~70 seconds, the tip of the photosensitive material moves from the inlet section 100 to the drying section 4.
When the temperature reaches 00, the adjustment of the drying section to the optimum temperature and humidity conditions can be completed.

In the present invention, the humidifier 4 immediately before the drying fan 452 draws air.
Since 70 outlets are provided, the mist is evaporated by the heater 404 and stirred by the drying fan 452, making it possible to send uniform air into the drying section 400.

However, if the air outlet of a humidifier is installed in the air outlet of the drying fan 452, the fog will be blown away by strong winds before it evaporates, resulting in dew condensation inside the tact chamber, which will reduce the humidifying effect and cause the duct to become dirty, resulting in humidity inside the drying area. It also becomes uneven.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it has become possible to uniformly control the temperature and humidity within the drying section to an optimum temperature and humidity. This eliminates problems such as color shift due to dimensional instability of the printing photosensitive material during the plate-making process, making it possible to perform high-quality plate-making, and maintaining dimensional stability without losing speed regardless of environmental conditions. Good processing can now be carried out efficiently, and a stable development finish can be achieved without causing uneven drying or contamination.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1(a) is a sectional view of a photosensitive material processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(b) is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1(a). FIG. 1(c) is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1(a). FIG. 1(d) is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1(a). 1... Photosensitive material tip mounting [100... Insertion section 200.
...Liquid immersion processing section 400...Drying section 403...
Warm air duct l-404...Heater 451...Circulation duct 452...Drying 7 Anne 453...Circulation fan
453...Exhaust duct 455-...Exhaust 7 amps
461...Shutter 462...Solenoid
470... Ultrasonic humidifier 473... 476... Aquarium internal humidity sensor Internal temperature sensor Water drop collection member Fig. 1 (b)

Claims (1)

[Claims] What is claimed is: 1. A photosensitive material processing apparatus, characterized in that an air outlet of a humidifying means is provided near a drying fan suction port in a hot air circulation path of a drying section.