Conveyors: power-driven – Conveying system having plural power-driven conveying sections – With means for altering the speed of a section
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-26
2004-11-30
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveying system having plural power-driven conveying sections
With means for altering the speed of a section
C198S571000, C198S784000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06823984
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic developing device provided with a preheating section for heating a photosensitive planographic printing plate prior to a developing process. Moreover, it relates to an automatic developing device provided with a pre-water washing section in addition to the preheating section.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing device for processing a photosensitive material such as a photosensitive planographic printing plate with a processing liquid while being conveyed by a roller. More specifically, it relates to a roller washing method for eliminating the processing liquid adhered to the roller.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing device for processing a photosensitive material by soaking in a processing liquid. More specifically, it relates to a photosensitive material processing device for circulating a processing liquid by suctioning the processing liquid in a processing vessel and jetting into the processing vessel.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing device for processing a photosensitive material while being conveyed by transmitting driving force to a conveying roller for the photosensitive material disposed along the conveying path of the photosensitive material.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing device for processing a photosensitive material such as a photosensitive planographic printing plate with a processing liquid while being conveyed by a roller pair.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a preparation method for a processing liquid for preparing a processing liquid according to the capacity of a processing vessel of the above-mentioned processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to a photosensitive planographic printing plate comprising a photosensitive layer formed on a supporting body made of an aluminum, or the like, a light receiving part and a light unreceiving part are produced in the photosensitive layer by exposure, and thereafter the unnecessary photosensitive layer is eliminated by performing a developing process with a developing liquid so as to form an image.
Among the photosensitive planographic printing plates, there is a so-called photo polymer plate comprising a photosensitive layer of a photo adhesion layer, a photo polymerization layer, or the like, and further with the surface protection by an overcoat layer. According to the photo polymer plate, the printing resistance is improved by firmly bonding the photo polymerization layer of the light receiving part onto the supporting body via the photo adhesion layer by being heated to a predetermined temperature. Moreover, the overcoat layer covering the photo polymerization layer is water-soluble.
Therefore, according to an automatic developing device for processing the photo polymer plate, a preheating section and a pre-water washing section are provided on the upstream side with respect to the developing section for reliably eliminating the photo polymerization layer of the light unreceiving part at the time of the developing process by eliminating the overcoat layer by brushing the surface of the photo polymer plate while supplying washing water after heating the photo polymer plate prior to the developing process.
The preheating section provided in such an automatic developing device in general heats the photo polymer plate by the radiation heat discharged from a far infrared radiation heater, and by the zone temperature in the preheating section.
The operation of heating the photo polymer plate by the preheating section is controlled by the heating temperature and the heating time. However, in order to heat in a short time, a high zone temperature should be provided. Under a high zone temperature, the rear end portion of the aluminum plate passing through the preheating section is heated to a high temperature due to the heat conduction of the aluminum plate as the supporting body of the photo polymer plate, and the rear end portion easily exceeds the upper limit temperature.
Moreover, the photo polymer plate can easily wrinkle by the thermal expansion at the time of heating, or by nipping by the conveying roller pair while being heated. Furthermore, when dispatching the highly heated plates to the pre-water washing section, adhering water to the heated plate therein results in stains.
When the heating process is attempted with a lowered heating temperature in order to avoid such a problem (first problem), the heating operation needs a longer performing time, and thus the preheating section requires a larger space.
Further, the photo polymer plates have different thermal capacities depending on the supporting body thickness and the plate size. Consequently, the heating temperature needs to be adjusted according to the thickness and the size for heating at appropriate temperature and of an appropriate duration. Therefore this adjustment of the heating temperature complicates the heating process for the photo polymer plate.
Next, among the photosensitive materials, there is a photosensitive planographic printing plate (hereinafter referred to as a “PS plate”) comprising a photosensitive layer on a supporting body made of an aluminum or the like. A PS plate processor as a photosensitive material processing device for processing the PS plate comprises a plurality of processing steps such as developing, water washing, desensitizing processes and the like. The PS plate after image-wise exposure is treated in the developing step of processing the PS plate by soaking in a developing liquid. water washing, desensitizing process using a processing liquid, such as a developing step of processing the PS plate by soaking in a developing liquid, a water washing step of applying a water washing process by blowing washing water onto the PS plate, a desensitizing step of performing a desensitizing process by coating a desensitizing process liquid such as a gum liquid onto the surface of the PS plate after the water washing process.
According to the desensitizing process step for the PS plate, a thin film for protecting the plate surface is formed on the front and rear surfaces of the PS plate by coating a gum liquid evenly on the front and rear surfaces of the PS plate while conveying the PS plate by a conveying roller pair disposed outside the stored gum liquid, and squeezing off the excessive gum liquid by the conveying roller pair.
Here, when the gum liquid used for the desensitizing process for the PS plate is adhered to the circumferential surface of the conveying roller pair (roller), problems such as rotation disability of the roller pair, conveyance failure, pollution, damage and the like of the PS plate may occur. Therefore, in the PS plate processor, the circumferential surface of the roller to which the gum liquid adheres is washed with a washing liquid according to a preset schedule such as the time of stopping the drive of the PS plate after finishing the PS plate processes so as to wash off the gum liquid from the roller surface.
Additionally, among the PS plates, there is one having a width of about 1100 mm orthogonal to the conveyance direction. In a PS plate processor for processing such a PS plate, the length along the axis direction of the roller for conveying the PS plate is elongated as well. The elongated roller has difficulty in evenly supplying a washing liquid in the axis. Thus a larger amount of the washing liquid is used for removing the gum liquid from the roller successfully. Consequently, the amount of waste liquid increases as well.
Moreover, among the PS plate processors, there is one using the washing liquid after washing the roller as a diluting liquid for the gum liquid. According to this PS plate processor, a problem exists that the gum liquid can be diluted excessively due to the large amount of the washing liquid for removing the gum liquid from the roller (second problem).
Next, th
Iwamoto Takayuki
Matsuda Shin-ichi
Nozawa Ryoei
Bidwell James R.
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
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