Gas separation: processes – Degasification of liquid
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-13
2002-01-08
Smith, Duane S. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation: processes
Degasification of liquid
C095S266000, C096S155000, C096S156000, C096S193000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06336959
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a solution feeding apparatus and a solution feeding method using said apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method which may be used, for example, to replenish a processing solution for processing a silver halide photographic material using an automatic developing apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typical examples of methods of processing a silver halide photographic material after exposure of the photographic material to a light image include those which are employed for processing a monochrome photograph and comprised of such processes as developing, fixing, water washing and drying; those employed for processing a color negative film and comprised of such processes as color developing, fixing water washing, stabilizing and drying; and those employed for processing a color paper and comprised of such processes as color developing, bleaching fixing, water washing, stabilizing and drying. These processes are usually conducted with an automatic developing apparatus by using respective processing solutions. As use of an automatic developing apparatus is becoming more commonplace, using a rinse or other substitute solution in lieu of water washing is on the increase. Compositions of these solutions and fixing solutions change as a result of processing a silver halide photographic material. In addition, with the elapse of time, developing solutions and fixing solutions suffer from decrease in their effectiveness due to air oxidation. In order to prevent these problems and maintain the processing solutions sufficiently effective during continuous processing using an automatic developing apparatus, it is common practice to replenish each respective processing solution with a replenishment solution having a composition either the same as or similar to that of the processing solution.
Each solution for processing a silver halide photographic material is usually supplied in the form of a condensed liquid and needed to be diluted with water to a given concentration before actually used. In this case, the dilution has to be done precisely; a silver halide photographic material processed with an inaccurately diluted processing solution may result in a finished photograph having a considerably poor quality.
Some kind of solution, such as a color developing solution or a bleaching fixing solution, is supplied in a plurality of solution parts in order to increase the preservability of the condensed solution by separating ingredients from other ingredients that are not desirable to contact therewith. When actually used, such a solution has to be prepared by mixing the concentrated stock solutions, each of which usually consists of two to four solution parts, while diluting the mixture with water. During this mixing process, various accidents, such as mistaking a solution part for that of another processing solution, often happen. It is not uncommon that such a mistake seriously and irreparably impairs the quality of the finished photograph.
As described above, preparation of processing solutions imposes a heavy burden on the operator, because it is not only complicated but also requires precision. Furthermore, it often happens that a condensed solution or a prepared solution spill or spatter onto nearby objects, such as a human body, clothes or furniture and equipment, sometimes contaminating or otherwise damaging the objects. In order to prevent these problems, it has been practiced to supply each processing solution in the form of a ready-to-use solution, with the conditions of the solution adjusted beforehand. Nevertheless, supplying a solution in the form of a concentrated stock solution still has advantages in that it occupies less space for distribution or storage and that it has superior stability in preservation.
When solutions that have been prepared as above are used as replenishment solutions, the replenishment solutions for respective processing solutions are usually stored in separate replenisher tanks, from which a necessary quantity of each respective replenishment solution for the current stage of processing a silver halide photographic material is fed into a solution tank in the automatic developing apparatus with a pump or by other appropriate means. At that time, as the replenishment solutions in the replenisher tanks are stored in such a state as to be exposed to the air, they present the possibility of becoming concentrated due to evaporation of moisture as well as quality deterioration resulting from air oxidation. Should a processing solution be replenished with a replenishment solution that has thus become deteriorated or changed in quality, effectiveness of the processing solution decreases, resulting in poor image quality of the finished photograph.
Examples of means to prevent such a deterioration include a method that calls for disposing a floating lid or a floating ball in a replenisher tank to cover the surface of replenishment solution and thus reduce the area of the surface of the replenishment solution in contact with the air. However such a method has not yet succeeded in completely isolating a solution from air. In view of preservation of the environment and natural resources, the quantity of replenishment solution used for processing a silver halide photographic material is on the decrease in recent years. Therefore, if a replenishment solution is prepared in the same amount as before, it is stored in a replenisher tank for a longer period of time until it is used up and more prone to change in quality. Further, reduction in the amount replenished presents a problem in that even a minimal change in quality of a replenishment solution would make it difficult to maintain the constant effectiveness of the processing solution in an automatic developing apparatus and influence the quality of the finished photographs.
In order to prevent these problems, it is often practiced in recent years to feed a given quantity of water from a diluent water storage tank into a processing solution tank in an automatic developing apparatus simultaneously with sucking a formulated concentrate of processing solution out of its container and directly feeding it into the processing solution tank. Such a method has a benefit in that it eliminates the necessity of preparation of replenishment solutions. In many cases, the above method calls for a flow sensor installed in a container and acting as a solution depletion sensor to detect the solution in the container has been used up. Accordingly, such a method typically calls for using a stock solution container made of a polyethylene bottle or other hard-type bottle that will be free from the problem of becoming deformed when the content is reduced. When such a bottle is used, the quantity of air inside the container increases with the decrease of the stock solution in the container. Therefore, the method is not capable of solving the problem of the concentrated stock solution deteriorating due to contact with the air. The method presents another problem in that it is difficult to form a structure where the solution depletion sensor is prevented from registering detection by mistake when there still remains the solution in the container. In other words, it is difficult to use up the solution in the container; a certain amount of solution tends to remain in the container and often contaminate a human body, clothes or other objects in the environment at the time of disposal of the used container.
In order to solve the above problems, the applicant of the present invention had previously offered solution feeding methods and apparatuses used for said methods, which are disclosed in Japanese Patent Public Disclosure Nos. 52533-1999 and 102056-1999. The problem of a stock solution deteriorating due to exposure to air can be solved by any one of the above inventions by using a container made of a deformable material as a container to be filled with a concentrated stock solution and inserting a tube or other appropriate member into the stock solut
Chugai Photo Chemical Co., LTD
Hahn Loeser + Parks LLP
Smith Duane S.
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