Photography – Fluid-treating apparatus – Having testing – calibration – or indicating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-18
2001-02-27
Rutledge, D. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Fluid-treating apparatus
Having testing, calibration, or indicating
C396S626000, C073S30400R, C340S620000, C340S618000, C324S665000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193424
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for automatically diluting concentrated replenishers and a liquid level control apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for automatically diluting concentrated replenishers to prepare replenishers having desired concentrations, and a liquid level control apparatus for controlling the liquid levels of the replenishers and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of photosensitive material processing apparatuses have already been proposed, which dilute concentrated replenishing solutions or replenishers in replenisher tanks to prepare replenishers, which are supplied to processing tanks (e.g., Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 10-115903). The concentrated replenisher is bottled or the like at a manufacturing plant, and the quantity thereof is accurately controlled. In order to prepare a proper replenisher by diluting the concentrated replenisher, it is necessary to accurately control the quantity of a diluting solution in the photosensitive material processing apparatus.
Accordingly, the conventional apparatus precisely feedback-controls the quantity of the diluting solution for diluting the concentrated replenisher. The feedback control, however, is complicated and increases the cost of the system.
In a system that supplies a variety of concentrated replenishers at the same time by means of a processing agent kit having a plurality of cartridges or bottles filled with the concentrated replenishers (e.g., a concentrated developing solution and a concentrated fixing solution) required for the photosensitive material processing apparatus; it is necessary to use up the replenishers at the same time. It is difficult to control the photosensitive material processing apparatus in such a way as to use up the replenishers at the same time.
If the replenishers are not used up at the same time, when one of the bottles in the processing agent kit becomes empty, the processing agent kit still holding the replenishers in the other bottles can be thrown away. This, however, is undesirable in order to reduce industrial wastes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a concentrated replenisher automatic diluting apparatus and method that can easily and accurately dilute concentrated replenishers and that can set the amount of agents included in the replenishers supplied to processing tanks to ideal values in a system where a variety of concentrated replenishers are supplied from a processing agent kit at the same time and the concentrated replenishers are diluted.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a liquid level control apparatus that prevents the overflow of the replenishers when a liquid level detector goes wrong.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to a concentrated replenisher automatic diluting apparatus in a photosensitive material processing system, comprising: a container holding a replenisher supplied to a photosensitive material processing tank; a first liquid level detector provided in the container to detect that a liquid level of the replenisher held in the container has reached a lower limit level; a second liquid level detector provided in the container to detect that the liquid level of the replenisher held in the container has reached an upper limit level; a first supplier which supplies a concentrated replenisher to the container; a second supplier which supplies a diluting solution to the container; and a controller which controls the first and second suppliers; wherein a supply of a predetermined amount of the concentrated replenisher to the container and a supply of the diluting solution to the container are started in accordance with a detection of the lower limit level of the replenisher held in the container by the first liquid level detector, and the supply of the diluting solution to the container is stopped in accordance with a detection of the upper limit level of the replenisher held in the container by the second liquid level detector.
According to the present invention, when the liquid level of the replenisher held in the container reaches the lower limit level, the predetermined amount of the concentrated replenisher and the diluting solution are supplied to the container. The diluting solution is supplied even after the predetermined amount of the concentrated replenisher is supplied to the container. When the liquid level of the replenisher held in the container reaches the upper limit level, the supply of the diluting solution is stopped. Consequently, an appropriate amount of the diluting solution can be added to the predetermined amount of the concentrated replenisher.
The present invention is also directed to a concentrated replenisher automatic diluting apparatus in a photosensitive material processing system, comprising: a plurality of containers, each of which holds each of different kinds of replenishers supplied to corresponding each of photosensitive material processing tanks; a first liquid level detector provided in at least one of the plurality of containers to detect that a liquid level of the replenisher held in the one of the plurality of containers has reached a lower limit level; a plurality of second liquid level detectors, each of which is provided in each of the plurality of containers to detect that each liquid level of each replenisher held in each container has reached each upper limit level; a first supplier which supplies each of different kinds of concentrated replenishers to each of the plurality of containers; a second supplier which supplies a diluting solution to each of the plurality of containers; and a controller which controls the first and second suppliers; wherein each supply of each predetermined amount of each of different kinds of concentrated replenishers to each of the plurality of containers and each supply of the diluting solution to each of the plurality of containers are started in accordance with a detection of the lower limit level of the replenisher held in the one of the plurality of containers by the first liquid level detector, and each supply of the diluting solution to each of the plurality of containers is stopped in accordance with each detection of each upper limit level of each replenisher held in each container by each of the plurality of second liquid level detectors.
According to the present invention, the replenisher in one of the containers in which the liquid level is detected as having reached to the lower limit level is prepared in the same manner as described above. On the other hand, the replenishers in the other containers are prepared in synchronism with the preparation of the replenisher in the one of the containers. Specifically, when the liquid level of the replenisher in the one of the containers reaches the lower limit level, the supply of the concentrated replenishers and the diluting solution is started with respect to all the containers. The replenishers in the containers are supplied to the processing tanks by independent replenishing pumps, and thus, the replenishing amount varies with the processing tanks. A thicker replenisher is prepared in a container from which a smaller amount of the replenisher is supplied (i.e., the container with a larger residual amount of the replenisher). On the other hand, a thinner replenisher is prepared in a container from which a larger amount of the replenisher is supplied (i.e., the container with a smaller residual amount of the replenisher). Consequently, the amount of agent included in the replenisher supplied to the processing tank can be settled at an ideal value.
Preferably, the supply of the predetermined amount of the concentrated replenisher to the container and the supply of the diluting solution to the container are started at the detection of the lower limit level of the replenisher held in the container by the first liquid level detector or after a predete
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rutledge D.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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