JP2003280158A - Processing apparatus and processing method for photosensitive material - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: In a processing apparatus and a processing method for a photosensitive material using a coating means, a processing apparatus and a processing method for stably obtaining the performance of the photosensitive material regardless of an environmental temperature are provided. (1) A photosensitive material processing apparatus having a processing liquid application unit, the photosensitive material processing apparatus having a temperature control unit for the application unit. (2) A photosensitive material processing apparatus having a photosensitive material support member at a position facing and apart from the coating means, and having a temperature control means for the support member. (3) The temperature control means is a neutralizing solution or a washing solution.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus having a processing liquid coating means, and a processing method for processing a photosensitive material using the processing liquid coating means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Photosensitive materials such as films, photographic papers, printing plates, etc. are used for developing, fixing, stabilizing and
It is treated with a treatment liquid such as washing water. As a photosensitive material processing apparatus for performing such a process, a photosensitive material is conveyed into a processing tank in which the processing liquid is stored by a conveying means composed of a plurality of pairs of conveying rollers, and the photosensitive material is dipped in the processing liquid. There is known an immersion type processing apparatus that performs processing by performing the above.

In such an immersion type processing apparatus,
The processing liquid is deteriorated by the processing of the light-sensitive material and the carbon dioxide gas and oxygen in the atmosphere. In order to recover the deterioration of the processing liquid, a method of replenishing the processing liquid with a replenisher is generally used, but the components of the processing liquid at the start of the processing and the components of the processing liquid when the processing is continued after that. Unlike, it is impossible to perform a strictly uniform treatment. In addition, there are problems that the amount of processing liquid used and the amount of waste liquid are large, the running cost is high, and the maintainability of the apparatus is poor.

As a photosensitive material processing method for solving these problems, for example, JP-A-62-237455, JP-A-6-8956, and JP-A-6-2767.
As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-174970 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-174970, there is known a coating-type processing method in which a photosensitive material is coated with a necessary amount of processing liquid for processing.

Particularly, the processing apparatus using a slot die disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-174970 has an advantage that stable uniform coating is possible even with a small amount of processing liquid, and substantially no waste liquid is generated. . However, in these processing methods, if the environmental temperature changes, the processing temperature also changes, and as a result, a constant processing state cannot be obtained. As a result, there has been a problem that the performance of the processed light-sensitive material cannot be obtained sufficiently and stably.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-312036 discloses a processing apparatus having a flat member for preliminarily forming a film of a processing liquid, which is opposed to and separated from the tip of a slot die. This film of the processing solution is for compensating for the insufficient development at the tip of the photosensitive material, but the flat member for forming the film of the processing solution with the tip of the slot die is not affected by the ambient temperature. In particular, when the ambient temperature is low, the flat member is cooled, the temperature of the liquid film is lowered, and as a result, insufficient development of the leading end portion of the photosensitive material cannot be compensated.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus and a processing method for a photosensitive material using a coating means, which is capable of stably obtaining the performance of the photosensitive material regardless of environmental temperature. And to provide a processing method.

[0008]

The above objects of the present invention have been basically achieved by the following inventions. (1) A photosensitive material processing apparatus having a processing liquid coating means, characterized in that it has a temperature control means for the coating means. (2) A support member for the photosensitive material is provided at a position facing and separated from the coating unit, and a temperature adjusting unit for the support member is provided (1).
The processing apparatus for the photosensitive material described in 1. (3) In the method of processing a photosensitive material, which comprises at least a step of applying the processing solution to a photosensitive material by using a processing solution coating means and developing the photosensitive material, and a step of neutralizing or washing with water, the method is used for the neutralizing or washing step. A method of processing a light-sensitive material, characterized in that the temperature of the coating means is controlled directly or indirectly by a neutralizing solution or a washing solution. (4) In the method for processing a photosensitive material, which comprises at least a step of applying the processing solution to a photosensitive material by using a processing solution applying means and developing the photosensitive material, and a step of neutralizing or washing with water, the method is used for the neutralizing or washing step. A method of processing a light-sensitive material, comprising directly or indirectly controlling a temperature of a support member for the light-sensitive material, which is provided facing the coating means and is spaced apart from the coating means by a neutralizing solution or a washing solution.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Generally, a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material or a light-sensitive lithographic printing plate is subjected to a neutralization treatment or a water washing treatment after a development treatment, or a fixing treatment or a finishing treatment if necessary, and then a warm air is used. The process is completed through a drying process. The present invention proposes a processing apparatus having a means for controlling the temperature of a coating means of a processing liquid or a support member of a photosensitive material provided at a position facing and spaced from the coating means, and a processing method thereof. .

In the present invention, an electric heater such as a panel heater or a bar heater is used as a means for controlling the temperature of the coating means or the supporting member, and is attached to the inside or the outside of the coating means or the supporting member to control the temperature. Conditioning method, temperature control method using hot air in the drying process,
Alternatively, there may be mentioned a method in which a neutralized solution or a washing solution that has been adjusted in temperature is used to directly or indirectly act on them to adjust the temperature.

In the method using the temperature-controlled neutralizing solution or the washing solution, there is a method in which the neutralizing solution or the washing solution itself is circulated to act from the inside or outside of the coating means or the supporting member to directly control the temperature. A method of indirectly adjusting the temperature of the coating means or the supporting member in the same manner as above by passing a pipe for feeding another liquid such as water through a tank storing a neutralizing liquid or a washing liquid and circulating the other liquid. There is.

Further, the coating means used in the present invention includes a roller coating system, a shower system, a slot die system and the like, and the slot die system is particularly preferably used. Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings with respect to a processing apparatus and a processing method for a photosensitive lithographic printing plate using a slot die. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a mode in which the washing process is performed after the development process is shown. After the washing process,
For example, the finishing process and the drying process are omitted.

Reference numeral 1 is a slot die. The material is not particularly limited as long as it can satisfy the corrosion resistance against the processing liquid and the mechanical accuracy, and for example, stainless steel is preferable. In addition, general structural steel such as chrome plated plastics and the like can be used. In the case of manufacturing with metal, annealing treatment may be performed in advance in order to eliminate stress strain during machining.

The processing liquid is supplied to the slot die 1 from the side surface in the width direction of the slot die 1. The supplied processing liquid is once spread in the width direction by the central manifold 1a, and is uniformly discharged from the slit 1b provided in the lower portion. The treatment liquid supply port may be normally provided at one place in the widthwise center of the slot die 1, but may be provided at a plurality of places in the widthwise direction of the slot die 1. Although the cross-sectional shape of the manifold 1a is circular in this embodiment, it is not limited to this and may be any shape. However, a shape in which bubbles are unlikely to accumulate is preferable. The cross-sectional area of the manifold 1a may not be constant over the width direction of the slot die 1. For example, the cross-sectional area may be gradually reduced toward the end to further improve the uniformity of the flow rate of the processing liquid flowing out in the width direction. May be.

Reference numeral 19 is a support member for the photosensitive material (hereinafter, simply referred to as a support member). The support members 19 are provided vertically below the slot die 1 so as to face each other and are spaced apart from each other, and support the photosensitive material to which the processing liquid is applied by the slot die 1, and at the same time, form a liquid film of the processing liquid supplied from the slot die 1. It is formed between the slot die 1 and the slot die 1 and has a role of improving the insufficient development and uniform coating property of the tip portion of the photosensitive material. The supporting member 19 is preferably a flat plate-shaped member, and the surface facing the slot die 1 is preferably about 2 to 20 mm in the photosensitive material conveying direction, and the distance from the slot die 1 is preferably within 2 mm. It is more preferably within 1 mm.

In the present invention, the slot die 1 and / or the support member 19 as the coating means are provided with temperature control means for controlling the temperature thereof. As the temperature control means, the one described above is used. In FIG. 1, the temperature adjusting means of the support member 19 is 2a, and the temperature adjusting means of the slot die 1 are 2b and 2c. Although the temperature adjusting means is provided inside the support member and the slot die in FIG. 1, it may be provided outside. Using these temperature adjusting means, the temperature of the slot die 1 and the supporting member 19 is adjusted so that the temperature thereof is almost the same as that of the developing solution. In the present invention, the temperature is adjusted to about 20 to 35 ° C.

The temperature adjusting method, which is one embodiment of the present invention, using the neutralizing liquid or the washing liquid directly as the temperature adjusting means will be described in detail. That is, this is a method of circulating the temperature-controlled washing liquid to control the temperature of the slot die 1 and the support member 19.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a water washing section, which controls the temperature of the water washing solution stored in the water washing tank 16 to 25 to 40 ° C. by the heater 12 and sends it by the pump 7. After passing through the filter 8, this washing liquid is sent to the pipe 2a which is a temperature adjusting means provided inside the supporting member 19, and the temperature adjusting means provided inside the slot die 1 after passing through the supporting member 19 while controlling the temperature. The temperature of the slot die 1 is also adjusted by sending the liquid to the tube 2b. Then, it is supplied to the shower pipes 9a and 9b of the water washing section 21 through a pipe 2c which is a temperature adjusting means by a connecting pipe (not shown).

The washing tank 16 is provided with a temperature sensor 13 so that the washing liquid can be maintained at a constant temperature. As a result, the temperature of the slot die 1 is kept constant by the temperature-controlled washing liquid, the temperature of the treatment liquid supplied to the inside of the manifold 1a can be stabilized, and the temperature of the supporting member 19 is adjusted. As a result, the temperature of the liquid film is prevented from lowering, and the insufficient development at the tip portion is resolved.

The processing route of the photosensitive material will be described below in order. Reference numeral 17 is a processing path for the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material is conveyed from the left to the right in the drawing by a driving device (not shown). The leading edge of the photosensitive material being conveyed is the sensitive material detector 1
8, the pump 4 is driven by the signal and the developer 3 is supplied to the slot die 1. The photosensitive material is coated with the processing liquid uniformly supplied from the slit 1b of the slot die 1. When the photosensitive material detector 18 detects the end portion of the photosensitive material, the photosensitive material conveying speed and the distance from the photosensitive material detector 18 to the slit 1b are calculated (calculation device is not shown) for a predetermined time. The pump 4 is stopped later.

The photosensitive material developed in the developing section 20 as described above is conveyed to the water washing section 21. Wash part 2
1 stops the development of the developed photosensitive material,
It has a role of stabilizing the surface of the light-sensitive material by removing the light-sensitive layer which has been processed. In the processing route of FIG. 1, the photosensitive material which has been coated with the developing solution is conveyed by the pair of conveying rollers 6 and 1.
4, and the washing liquid is supplied by the shower pipe 9a. Immediately thereafter, the rotating scrub roller 10 removes the processed photosensitive layer. At this time, in order to increase the efficiency of removal, the scrub roller 10
It is desirable that the peripheral speed of is higher than the conveying speed, that is, the peripheral speed of the conveying roller pair. Next, the shower pipe 9b supplies the washing liquid again to further clean the surface of the photosensitive material and stabilize the characteristics. The photosensitive material, which has been processed and stabilized by washing with water, is conveyed by the conveying roller pair 15 and is carried out through a finishing liquid (gum liquid) coating process and a drying process (not shown).

In the present invention, the pump used for supplying the treatment liquid and circulating the washing liquid is not particularly limited, but in order to supply the treatment liquid, the rotational speed of the pump (in the case of a gear pump etc. ) And the number of strokes (in the case of a vibration type pump such as a diaphragm type) are variable, that is, a metering pump is preferable. Further, in order to make the application of the treatment liquid uniform, a pump called pulsation having a small non-uniform flow rate is preferable. In some cases, for example, an air damper type pulsation preventer may be installed in the pipeline after the pump. Further, a syringe type liquid supply device can also be preferably used.

Further, as a pump for circulating the washing liquid, it is necessary to constantly and stably feed the temperature-controlled liquid, so that it has excellent durability and is not affected by the temperature environment (small magnet pump. Etc.) is preferred.

When the coating amount on the photosensitive material requires extremely high accuracy, a flow meter is arranged in the path of the processing liquid pipe and the pump or the metering valve is feedback-controlled based on the signal of the flow meter. Can be taken.

The flow rate of the processing liquid supplied to the slot die can be determined by multiplying the desired wet coating amount of the processing liquid, the coating width of the photosensitive material and the conveying speed of the photosensitive material, respectively.

Although not shown in this embodiment, a liquid receiving tray or the like may be arranged below the slot die to collect the liquid in consideration of the possibility that a small amount of surplus is generated when the processing liquid is applied.

[0027]

According to the present invention, the temperature of the processing solution becomes unstable due to the ambient temperature, and the problem that the processing performance of the light-sensitive material cannot be obtained stably is solved, and the temperature of the processing solution is always kept constant. And stable processing performance can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 slot die 2a Temperature control means (washing liquid circulation pipe) 2b Temperature control means (washing liquid circulation pipe) 2c Temperature control means (washing liquid circulation pipe) 3 developer 10 scrub roller 11 Scrub support plate 12 heater 13 Temperature sensor 19 Photosensitive material support member

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for processing a photosensitive material, which comprises a means for applying a processing liquid, comprising a temperature control means for the applying means. 2. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support member for the photosensitive material at a position facing and spaced from the coating unit, and a temperature adjusting unit for the support member. 3. The photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coating means is a slot die including at least a slit and a manifold. 4. A method of processing a photosensitive material, which comprises at least a step of applying the processing solution to a photosensitive material using a processing solution applying means to develop the photosensitive material, and a neutralizing or washing step. A method of processing a light-sensitive material, characterized in that the temperature of the coating means is controlled directly or indirectly by a neutralizing solution or a washing solution used for. 5. A method of processing a photosensitive material, which comprises at least a step of applying the processing solution to a photosensitive material using a processing solution applying means and developing the photosensitive material, and a step of neutralizing or washing with water. A method of processing a light-sensitive material, comprising directly or indirectly controlling a temperature of a support member for the light-sensitive material, which is provided facing the coating means and is spaced apart, by a neutralizing solution or a washing solution used for. 6. The method of processing a photosensitive material according to claim 4, wherein the coating means is a slot die including at least a slit and a manifold.