Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Post imaging processing – Physical developing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-28
2001-12-25
Wu, Shean C. (Department: 1756)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Post imaging processing
Physical developing
C430S434000, C430S499000, C430S963000, C396S636000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06333144
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing processing apparatus in which a silver halide color photographic photosensitive material (hereinafter referred to as a photosensitive material) is subjected to developing processing, and a developing processing method in which the developing processing apparatus can be applied.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a developing processing apparatus, there has been proposed a system in which a photosensitive material is subjected to developing processing in such a manner that a processing solution is jetted from jetting holes of a blowoff chamber, which blowoff chamber is disposed on a conveying path of the photosensitive material, toward an emulsion surface of the photosensitive material, and a processing solution in a processing tank is agitated (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2-46,453).
The above-mentioned developing processing apparatus and a developing processing method using the same cause no problem in developing processing for a small-size photosensitive material for photography and the like. However, when a photosensitive material having a large transverse dimension is used, non-uniform processing is caused and a desired photographic property is not obtained.
It is considered that the above-described problem arises from an arrangement pattern of jetting holes and a hole diameter of the jetting holes. In order to prevent clogging of the jetting holes, which causes non-uniform processing, it is preferable that the hole diameter of the jetting holes be made larger. However, the capacity of conventional pumps is small, and therefore, flow velocity of jet flow decreases and a desired photographic property cannot be obtained. Further, as long as the number of jetting holes is reduced, the flow velocity of jet flow can be increased even in conventional pumps, but in this case, non-uniform processing is caused.
However, in conventional developing processing apparatuses and developing processing methods using the same, the arrangement pattern of jetting holes and the hole diameter of the jetting holes are not set due to viewpoints like the above. Further, in the conventional cases, no solutions based on an examination of other causes of non-uniform processing has been found.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a developing processing method and apparatus in which a necessary jet flow can be realized even in conventional pumps and a desired photographic property can be obtained without causing non-uniform processing arising from clogging.
A first aspect of the present invention is a developing processing apparatus equipped with a blowoff chamber having jetting holes from which a processing solution is jetted toward an emulsion surface of a photosensitive material, wherein the jetting holes are formed in such a manner that a hole diameter thereof is in a range of 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm and intervals thereof in a transverse direction of the photosensitive material are each in a range of 3.0 mm to 4.5 mm, and the jetting holes are arranged in a staggered manner in a direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed; and a number of the jetting holes is set in accordance with capacity of a pump for sending the processing solution to the blowoff chamber so that flow velocity of the processing solution jetted from the jetting holes becomes a value in a range of 680 to 1,200 mm/sec.
The apparatus of the first aspect is a photosensitive material processing apparatus provided to process a photosensitive material and having a processing tank in which a processing solution is filled, and the photosensitive material processing apparatus comprises a blowoff chamber having a jetting holes, the jetting holes being formed in such a manner that a hole diameter thereof is in a range of 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm and intervals thereof in a transverse direction of the photosensitive material are each in a range of 3.0 mm to 4.5 mm, and the jetting holes are arranged in a staggered manner in a direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed, and a number of the jetting holes is set so that flow velocity of the processing solution jetted from the jetting holes becomes a value in a range of 680 to 1,200 mm/sec.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, developing processing is carried out in such a manner that the processing solution is jetted from the jetting holes of the blowoff chamber to the emulsion surface of the photosensitive material.
Further, the hole diameter of the jetting holes is in the range of 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm. In this case, clogging of the jetting holes does not easily occur and the processing solution can be jetted from the jetting holes stably for a long period of time, and therefore, non-uniform processing is rarely caused.
The jetting holes are arranged in rows and in a staggered manner. The intervals of adjacent jetting holes in the transverse direction of the photosensitive material are each in the range of 3. 0 mm to 4. 5 mm. If the jetting holes are arranged to form a two-row zigzag pattern repeatedly, intervals of the jetting holes are each substantially in the range of 1.5 mm to 2.25 mm when the jetting holes are viewed from the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed. Further, if the jetting holes are arranged to form a three-row zigzag pattern repeatedly, intervals of the jetting holes are each substantially in the range of 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm when the jetting holes are viewed from the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed.
By substantially shortening the intervals of the jetting holes in the transverse direction of the photosensitive material as described above, non-uniform processing does not occur even with photosensitive materials having a large transverse dimension and desired photographic properties can be obtained. Examples of the photosensitive materials having a large transverse dimension include photographic printing papers of sixmo-size (203 mm×254 mm) or quarto-size (254 mm×305 mm).
The developing processing method and apparatus according to the present invention can be applied most suitably to a color paper developing processing method and apparatus in which photosensitive materials of various sizes can be processed, for example, from E size (82.5 mm×117 mm) or L size (89 mm×127 mm), having a small transverse dimension, to the above-described photosensitive materials having a large transverse dimension.
Further, the number of jetting holes is set in accordance with the capacity of the pump for sending the processing solution to the blowoff chamber so that the flow velocity of the processing solution jetted from the jetting holes is set to be in the range of 680 to 1,200 mm/sec. As a result, even when conventional pumps are used, the jet flow velocity can be increased, and therefore, ability to agitate the processing solution can be maintained.
A second aspect of the present invention is structured in such a manner that, in the above-mentioned first aspect, the photosensitive material is nipped and conveyed by rollers disposed at upstream and downstream sides of the blowoff chamber in the direction in which the photosensitive material is conveyed such that an interval between the jetting holes and the emulsion surface of the photosensitive material is in a range of 2.0 mm to 20.0 mm.
Due to the above-mentioned structure, non-uniform processing of the photosensitive material does not occur in a region of the photosensitive material directly facing the jetting holes and in the peripheries thereof.
A third aspect of the present invention is structured in such a manner that, in the above-described first aspect, the number of jetting holes is set in accordance with a capacity of a pump for sending the processing solution to the blowoff chamber such that the flow velocity of the processing solution jetted from the jetting holes is in the range of 700 to 1,000 mm/sec. and th
Nomura Hideaki
Sanada Kazuo
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Wu Shean C.
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