Photography – Fluid-treating apparatus – Having photographic medium feed
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-13
2003-11-25
Rutledge, Della J (Department: 2851)
Photography
Fluid-treating apparatus
Having photographic medium feed
C396S622000, C396S626000, C396S636000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06652168
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processor for processing a photosensitive material by immersing the photosensitive material in a processing solution in a processing tank. In particular the invention relates to a photosensitive material processor causing a replenisher to overflow stably and sequentially in continuous processing chambers for processing, being able to maintain stable performance and process the photosensitive material rapidly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photosensitive material, for example, a color paper, is processed through processes such as color development, bleach-fixing, washing and the like after exposure.
A color developer is used for color development, a bleach-fixing solution is used for bleach-fixing and tap water or ion exchanged water is used for washing.
These processes are usually performed by a photosensitive material processor such as an automatic developer.
An automatic developer is ordinarily provided with a color development tank, a bleach-fixing tank, and a plurality (about four) of washing tanks, and a so-called cross-over type developer is common. When conveying a photosensitive material from a processing tank to the next processing tank, the automatic developer takes out the photosensitive material once from the processing tank and conveys the photosensitive material through the air to the next tank.
In recent years, there has been a desire by the marketplace for quick processing of photosensitive material, and a photosensitive material processor of a type that sequentially transports the photosensitive material through a plurality of processing tanks without conveying the photosensitive material through the air has been proposed.
An example of the type of photosensitive material processor that sequentially transports the photosensitive material through a plurality of processing tanks in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-015812. In FIG. 4 of this publication, a type of a photosensitive material processor including a plurality of washing tanks arranged vertically and horizontally which allows the photosensitive material to pass through the plurality of washing tanks in sequentially, is shown.
On each partition wall of adjacent tanks in the conveyance direction of the photosensitive material, a slit-shaped passage equipped with a blade made from an elastic material is provided. The photosensitive material is conveyed to the washing tank that is downstream by deforming the blade elastically. The slit-shaped passage is arranged to be closed by the blade after the photosensitive material has passed.
However, in the photosensitive material processor disclosed in JP-A No. 9-015812, there is no opening that contacts the air or free water surface. Thus, a so-called cascade, in which the washing water flows in a counterflow, which is opposite to the flow of the photosensitive material processing, by an overflow, cannot be performed as it can in existing washing tanks. Consequently, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of water pumps to pump washing water to each washing tank sequentially. This complicates construction of the photosensitive material processor and increases the cost thereof.
Another photosensitive material processor, which is able to reduce the number of pumps by disposing a bypass between processing tanks, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,020.
However, a washing solution in a first chamber of the washing tank, which is upstream relative to the processing direction, is the dirtiest and has the highest specific gravity because of adherent solutions (such as a fixing solution) being brought into the first chamber by the photosensitive material to be processed.
As a result, in the bypass in which solution always continues as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,020, a purpose thereof is achieved when the photosensitive material is processed continuously. However it has been found that an unfavorable back flow occurs from the difference in the specific gravity of the washing solutions when processing of the photosensitive material stops.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a photosensitive material processor having a simple construction and capable of quick processing without back flow of the processing solution occurring.
A first aspect of the invention is a device for processing a photosensitive material using processing solution, the device comprising: a plurality of processing chambers for storing processing solution therein, at least one of the processing chambers being lower than another processing chamber, paths connecting each processing chamber to another, a blade disposed at the path for permitting the photosensitive material to pass along the path by deforming resiliently and for inhibiting passage along the path of the processing solution in the processing chamber when the photosensitive material is not passing, a conveyance mechanism for conveying the photosensitive material through the processing chambers, a replenishment device for replenishing the processing solution, in accordance with a processed quantity of the photosensitive material, to at least one processing chamber that is downstream of another chamber relative to conveyance direction of the photosensitive material, a bypass for placing each processing chamber that is downstream of another processing chamber relative to conveyance direction of the photosensitive material in fluid communication with the another processing chamber for passage of the processing solution therethough, and a check valve disposed at each bypass for allowing the processing solution which flows from the processing chamber that is downstream relative to conveyance direction of the photosensitive material to the another processing chamber, and for preventing the processing solution from flowing from the another processing chamber to the downstream processing chamber, the check valve comprising a valve seat and a valve body, the valve body has a specific gravity different from a specific gravity of the processing solution and is urged against the valve seat by a force generated by the difference of specific gravity between the valve body and the processing solution.
In above arrangement of the photosensitive material processor, the photosensitive material is conveyed sequentially through the in a plurality of processing chambers by the conveying device and processed by the processing solution of each processing chamber while being conveyed.
When the photosensitive material is conveyed to the next processing chamber, a leading edge portion of the photosensitive material deforms elastically the blade by abutting on the blade. Thus, the photosensitive material can enter into the next processing chamber through the narrow path.
The photosensitive material contacts the blade and slides while being conveyed, which prevents the processing solution on the upstream side adhered on the photosensitive material from entering into the processing chamber on the downstream side.
Furthermore, the blade inhibits passage of the processing solution when the photosensitive material is not being conveyed.
A replenishment device replenishes the processing solution in the processing chamber that is downstream relative to conveyance direction of the photosensitive material according to processing quantity of the photosensitive material (namely, deterioration of the processing solution).
By replenishing of the processing solution in the processing chamber that is downstream relative to conveyance direction of the photosensitive material, the processing solution is replenished via bypass in the processing chamber that is upstream relative to conveyance direction of the photosensitive material.
The valve body is urged against the valve seat with the force generated by the difference in specific gravity between the processing solutions. However, the flow of the processing solution from the replenishment is not prevented beca
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rutledge Della J
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