Photography – Fluid-treating apparatus – Having photographic medium feed
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-03-20
Rutledge, D. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Fluid-treating apparatus
Having photographic medium feed
C396S617000, C396S619000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203219
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus for processing a photosensitive material by immersing the photosensitive material in a processing solution contained in a processing tank. More particularly, the invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus wherein feed rollers nip a photosensitive material to transport it into a processing tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a photosensitive material processing apparatus for developing a photosensitive material such as photographic printing paper, the photosensitive material is processed by immersing it in a processing solution contained in a processing tank.
The photosensitive material is generally nipped by feed rollers and transported into the processing tank, and processed in the processing solution while being conveyed.
Floating materials such as silver, sulfide, soiling and the like are floating in the processing solution. The floating materials adhere in part to the rollers through deposition or adsorption and are transferred onto the photosensitive material, resulting in deterioration of the quality.
A photofinishing laboratory typically shuts down the apparatus in the evening and starts it again either the next morning or the morning two days later (if, for example, the morning is after a holiday).
When the apparatus which was shut down for a long time is started so that the first photosensitive material to be processed passes between the rollers, the floating materials adhered to the feed rollers may transfer to the photosensitive materials and deteriorate the quality of the photosensitive material.
Further, when photosensitive materials with different widths are processed, only a small amount of floating materials adhere to and accumulate on the areas which frequently nip the photosensitive materials, causing no deterioration of the quality of the photosensitive materials. On the other hand, floating materials accumulate for a long period on the areas which are less frequently used, resulting in the inferior quality of the photosensitive materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the aforementioned in view, an object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive material processing apparatus in which the quality of the photosensitive material does not deteriorate when the apparatus is shut down for a long time or photosensitive materials with different widths are processed.
The operating environments of a photosensitive material processing apparatus include a photosensitive material processing state, a heat control state (only the circulation pump is operating while the processor is not driven), and a shutdown state. The amount of floating materials adhering to the rollers varies in the respective states.
In the photosensitive material processing state, only a small amount of floating materials accumulates as the processing solution in the processing tank or so-called tank solution is circulating. Moreover, the agitation effect caused by the surfaces of the rollers as they rotate allow only a small amount of floating materials to adhere to the rollers. Namely, in the processing state of the photosensitive material, floating materials do not accumulate on the surfaces of the rollers in such an amount that soiling transfers to the photosensitive materials.
In the heat control state where the circulation pump is in operation, the accumulation of the floating materials in the solution can be reduced to a minimum as the tank solution is circulating. However, as the rollers are kept stalled for a long time, localized accumulation of the floating materials occurs, resulting in the deterioration of the quality of the photosensitive materials.
In the apparatus shutdown state, the floating materials easily accumulate on the rollers as the tank solution is static. As the rollers are static, the accumulations are concentrated locally on the nip areas of pairs of rollers. Therefore, this is the state where soiling occurs especially easily.
In order to prevent the deterioration in quality on the surfaces of the rollers after a long apparatus shutdown or when the surfaces of the rollers have not nipped a photosensitive material for a lengthy period, it is imperative to prevent the floating material from adhering to the rollers as occurs in the shutdown state and the heat control state.
A photosensitive material processing according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a processing tank for processing said photosensitive material by immersing the photosensitive material in a processing solution contained therein, feed rollers provided in said processing tank for nipping and transporting said photosensitive material, and shutters retractably provided above said feed rollers.
The operation of the present photosensitive material processing apparatus of the first embodiment will now be described.
In the photosensitive material processing apparatus, the photosensitive material is transported into the processing tank by the feed rollers so as to be processed in a predetermined manner by the processing solution contained in the processing tank.
When the processing of the photosensitive materials is not conducted for a long time, such as a holiday or during the night, or when the apparatus is in the heat control state, the shutters are disposed above the feed rollers. This can prevent the floating materials in the processing solution from precipitating on the feed rollers.
When the photosensitive material is processed, the shutters are retracted from the feed path of the photosensitive material.
Preferably, the shutters are disposed as close to the feed rollers as possible.
Alternatively, the shutters may be linked with the feed rollers in such a manner that the shutters are retracted from the feed path when the feed rollers rotate, and are disposed above the feed rollers when the feed rollers are stalled.
A photosensitive material processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention comprises a processing tank for processing said photosensitive material by immersing the photosensitive material in a processing solution contained therein, feed rollers provided in said processing tank for nipping and transporting said photosensitive material, a photosensitive material feed path provided in said processing tank along which said photosensitive material passes, and shutters provided retractably with respect to the photosensitive material feed path situated above said feed rollers.
The operation of the present photosensitive material processing apparatus of the second embodiment will now be described.
In the photosensitive material processing apparatus, the photosensitive material is transported along the photosensitive material feed path in the processing tank by the feed rollers so as to be processed in a predetermined manner by the processing solution contained in the processing tank.
When the processing of the photosensitive materials is not conducted for a long time, such as a holiday or during the night, or when the apparatus is in the heat control state, the shutters are moved into the photosensitive material feed path above the feed rollers to block the photosensitive material feed path. This can prevent the floating materials in the processing solution from precipitating on the feed rollers.
When a photosensitive material is processed, the shutters are retracted from the photosensitive material feed path.
Preferably, the shutters are disposed as close to the feed rollers as possible.
Alternatively, the shutters may be linked with the feed rollers in such a manner that the shutters are retracted from the photosensitive material feed path when the feed rollers rotate, and are moved into the photosensitive material feed path when the feed rollers are stalled.
A photosensitive material processing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention comprises a processing tank for processing said photosensitive material by immersing the photosensitive material i
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rutledge D.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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