Patent
1992-05-05
1993-12-21
Rutledge, D.
354324, G03D 308
Patent
active
052724999
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for processing photographic silver halide photosensitive material (sometimes abbreviated as photosensitive material, hereinafter).
2. Background of the Invention
Black-and-white photosensitive material after exposure is processed through a series of steps including black-and-white development, fixation, and washing while color photosensitive material after exposure is processed through a series of steps including color development, desilvering, washing, and stabilization.
There are used black-and-white developer for black-and-white development, fixer for fixation, color developer for color development, bleaching, blix and fixing solutions for desilvering, city water or deionized water for washing, and stabilizer for stabilization.
Photosensitive material is processed by dipping it in the respective processing solutions which are normally adjusted to a temperature of 30.degree. to 40.degree. C.
These steps are generally performed by means of a processing apparatus, typically automatic processor. The running process (continuous process) using such a processing apparatus generally relies on a replenisher mode of making up a replenisher in accordance with the quantity of photosenstivie material processed for maintaining the activity of the processing solution constant.
In this regard, crossover rollers are disposed above or between the processing tanks for carrying forward the photosensitive material.
As mentioned above, the processing tanks are filled with processing solutions having different functions or compositions. On passage of the photosensitive material across the crossover rollers, the processing solutions adhere to the crossover rollers, causing contamination.
For overcoming this and other problems, it has been employed to clean crossover rollers.
Included are a method of removing crossover rollers from an automatic processor and manually cleaning them everyday prior to the onset of processing for preventing any contaminant on the crossover rollers from adhering to the surface of photosensitive material to be first processed, and a method of injecting cleaning water against crossover rollers at the end of operation (Japanese Patent Application Kokai (JP-A) No. 187243/1988).
The former method of removing crossover rollers for cleaning has been widely used in the art. However, cleaning must be done at a limited time and the need for roller removal is cumbersome. The latter method of injecting cleaning water against crossover rollers cannot fully remove contaminants because the amount of cleaning water injected is limited.
A further approach is to provide a rinsing bath in conjunction with a crossover roller for always cleaning the roller with water.
This approach of using a rinsing bath is effective for fully cleaning the crossover roller. Not only sufficient cleaning action is ensured, but the location of a rinsing bath between developing and fixing tanks prevents the occurrence of development irregularities (physical development irregularities) caused by fixer penetrating into the photosensitive material being processed before developer components are fully dissolved away therefrom. Further,
The replenisher used therein is conventionally prepared by using a replenisher concentrate consisting of one or more parts, more particularly, by adding water to a predetermined amount of concentrate and agitating them by means of a chemical mixer or the like to form a dilute solution.
However, this replenisher preparation method requires a stock tank of a large volume for storing the replenisher, which is undesirable in these days when a compact apparatus is needed.
Under these circumstances, the applicant previously proposed partial stocks diluted with a diluent to a processing tank, characterized by comprising the steps of: filled with the partial stocks in amounts corresponding to a desired mix proportion of the partial stocks, discrete compartments partitioned in a stock tank, respectively, and corresponding to the desired mix pro
REFERENCES:
patent: 4987438 (1991-01-01), Goto et al.
patent: 5019850 (1991-05-01), Ishikawa et al.
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rutledge D.
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