JP4273413B2 - Sorting and conveying apparatus and sorting and conveying method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sorting / conveying apparatus and a sorting / conveying method for reversing the photosensitive material exposed by an exposure unit and distributing the photosensitive material to a plurality of sorting paths, and more particularly to chucking the photosensitive material. It is related with what comprised the structure which sorts and conveys.

  As a sorter configured as described above, when the photographic paper (photosensitive material of the present invention) exposed in the exposure processing unit and fed out in the horizontal direction is a small size, it is alternately received by the left and right chucking rollers, After this receipt, the photographic paper is switched to a hanging form by changing the posture of each chucking roller, and it is raised while moving in the direction of the corresponding sorting conveyance path, and the photographic paper chucked on each chucking roller is When transporting a large sized photographic paper that cannot be sorted, it is received in the form of chucking both ends of the photographic paper with the left and right chucking rollers. After that, change the posture of each chucking roller to switch to a form where the photographic paper hangs down. Is an apparatus configured to perform a receive pass operation the introduction rollers of the upper existing lift (see Patent Document 1).

  In this Patent Document 1, a plate-shaped conveyance body is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to a pair of left and right vertical guide rails provided on a holding plate serving as a base, and the horizontal guide rail provided on the conveyance body in a horizontal posture. And a mechanism for supporting the chucking roller with respect to the moving body and changing the posture of the chucking roller. With this structure, when the exposed photographic paper is received by the chucking roller, if the photographic paper is of a size that can be sorted, one chucking is performed at the position where the photographic paper is discharged. When the photographic paper is discharged, the chucking roller is rotated forward to feed the photographic paper, the chucking roller is rotated 90 degrees, the front and back sides of the photographic paper are replaced, and the trailing edge of the photographic paper is In the state of being directed upward, the chucking roller is moved up and moved toward the corresponding sorting path, and the printing paper is fed to the sorting path by reversing the chucking roller at the upper end position.

JP 2002-55400 A (paragraph numbers [0019] to [0037], FIGS. 3 to 9)

  As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-260, development processing in which the photosensitive material after exposure is developed in a state where the photosensitive material is distributed to a plurality of distribution paths can improve the development processing capability, and thus high-speed processing is desired. It has an essential structure for the device. However, as described in Patent Document 1, in the case of including a plurality of chucking rollers, a mechanism for reciprocating each chucking roller in the conveyance direction of the photosensitive material, and the chucking roller in the width direction of the photosensitive material. Since the number of chucking rollers is required to be reciprocally operated, the complexity of the apparatus cannot be avoided, and the number of parts increases. In addition, as described in Patent Document 1, in the case where a chucking roller is provided at the other end of the conveyance body, one end of which is supported by the vertical guide rail, there is a surface that is difficult to adjust to set the position of the chucking roller. is there.

  An object of the present invention is to constitute a sorting apparatus and a sorting method capable of sorting photosensitive materials with a simple structure.

A feature of the present invention is a sorting and conveying apparatus that reverses the front and back of a photosensitive material exposed in an exposure unit, and distributes and conveys the photosensitive material to a plurality of sorting paths,
In order to reverse the front and back of the photosensitive material, a photosensitive material is received from the front end side, and after changing the transport direction, a single reverse mechanism that discharges the photosensitive material from the rear end side is provided, and the photosensitive material is divided into a plurality of sorts. A single sorting unit that receives the photosensitive material from the reverse mechanism for sorting into the path;
The sorting unit includes a single clamping mechanism that receives the photosensitive material discharged from the reverse mechanism, feed means for moving the clamping mechanism in a direction parallel to the sorting path, and the clamping mechanism orthogonal to the sorting path. Shift means for moving in the direction of movement, two first guide bodies that are parallel to the plurality of distribution paths on both sides of the plurality of distribution paths, and both ends guided by the two first guide bodies. And a shift frame that is supported so as to be movable in a direction parallel to the sorting path, and a shift frame that supports the clamping mechanism and is supported so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the plurality of sorting paths. with the door, it is configured to distribute the photosensitive material on all of the sorting path by a single of the clamping mechanism There is a point.

  With this configuration, the photosensitive material exposed in the exposure unit is fed into the reverse mechanism from the front end side, and is discharged from the rear end side after the transport direction is changed by the reverse mechanism. The material is received in a single clamping mechanism. Further, it is possible to distribute the photosensitive material by moving the holding mechanism in the direction in which the feed unit is parallel to the distribution path and the shift unit in the direction orthogonal to the distribution path. In other words, by independently providing a single reverse mechanism for reversing the photosensitive material and a single clamping mechanism for distributing the photosensitive material, the number of components can be reduced while performing the distribution at high speed. As a result, a sorting apparatus capable of sorting photosensitive materials at a high speed while having a simple structure is rationally constructed.

  In the present invention, as the reverse mechanism, a pressure-conveying type roller pair for receiving a photosensitive material from the front end side, a conveyance driving mechanism for driving the pressure-conveying type roller pair, and the reverse mechanism in the width direction of the photosensitive material. A rotation drive mechanism that rotates about the axis of the axis along the posture, and when the photosensitive material is received, the reverse conveyance mechanism is set to the reception posture, and the pressure-conveying conveyance type roller pair is driven to rotate forward. After receiving, the conveyance mechanism is configured to control the conveyance drive mechanism and the rotation drive mechanism so as to reversely drive the pressure-conveyance conveyance type roller pair in a state where the reverse mechanism is set to the discharge posture. Also good.

  With this configuration, the conveyance control unit controls the conveyance driving mechanism and the rotation driving mechanism, so that the photosensitive material is received with respect to the pressure-conveying conveyance type roller pair in a state where the reverse mechanism is set in the receiving posture. It is possible to discharge the photosensitive material from the pressure-conveying type roller pair in a state where the discharge posture is set.

The present invention, the distribution unit, a shift frame which is movably supported in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of distribution paths for the transport frame by the second guide member, said feed means, both ends of the conveyor frame It may be configured to include two transport operating belts that apply a moving force to the part, and the shift means may be configured to include a shift operating belt that moves the shift frame.

  In this configuration, both end portions of the transport frame are guided by the first guide body, and a moving force from the transport operation belt acts on both end portions, so that the photosensitive material sandwiched by the sandwiching mechanism is transported in a direction parallel to the sorting path. Even in this case, it is possible to stably move the posture of the transport frame without disturbing the posture of the transport frame, and the shift frame is guided in the direction perpendicular to the distribution path by the second guide body with respect to the transport frame. Since the moving force from the shift operating belt acts on the photosensitive material, stable movement is possible even when the photosensitive material clamped by the clamping mechanism is conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the sorting path. In other words, by supporting both ends of the transport frame, for example, compared to a structure in which only one end is supported, it is not necessary to increase the strength of the transport frame itself. High conveyance is also realized.

  According to the present invention, the photosensitive material discharged from the reverse mechanism is received by the sandwiching mechanism after the sandwiching mechanism is set at a standby position close to the reverse mechanism by the control of the feed unit and the shift unit, and the feed A distribution control means for performing an operation of transferring the photosensitive material by moving the clamping mechanism to a distribution position corresponding to any one of the plurality of distribution paths at a position separated from the reverse mechanism by the control of the means and the shift means May be provided.

  With this configuration, the distribution control unit controls the feed unit and the shift unit, so that the photosensitive material discharged from the reverse mechanism can be received by the clamping mechanism and sent out on a plurality of transport paths.

  The present invention includes an intermediate gear that rotates with a driving force from a driving system that applies a conveying force to the photosensitive material in the reverse mechanism, and a passive mechanism that cooperates with a driving system that applies the conveying force to the photosensitive material in the clamping mechanism. In the case where a gear is provided and the transport mechanism is set at the standby position, a gear-type transmission mechanism may be provided in which the intermediate gear and the passive gear are engaged with each other and the driving force is transmitted from the reverse mechanism to the clamping mechanism.

  With this configuration, when the photosensitive material discharged from the reverse mechanism is received by the clamping mechanism, the intermediate mechanism of the reverse mechanism and the passive gear of the clamping mechanism mesh with each other by setting the clamping mechanism to the standby position. As a result of driving the drive system that applies the conveying force in the clamping mechanism in conjunction with the discharge of the photosensitive material from the photosensitive member, the conveying force can also be applied to the photosensitive material in this clamping mechanism to enable smooth reception. That is, it is not only necessary to provide a drive source such as an electric motor that applies a conveying force to the photosensitive material in the sandwiching mechanism, but the sandwiching mechanism can transport the photosensitive material at a speed synchronized with the reverse mechanism.

The present invention is a sorting and conveying method for performing reversal of the front and back of a photosensitive material exposed in an exposure unit, and sorting and transporting the photosensitive material to a plurality of sorting paths,
In order to reverse the front and back of the photosensitive material by a single reverse mechanism, the photosensitive material is received from the front end side, and after changing the transport direction, the photosensitive material is discharged from the rear end side, and the sorting unit removes the photosensitive material from the reverse mechanism. The photosensitive material that receives the photosensitive material and moves in the width direction of the photosensitive material is distributed to a plurality of distribution paths, and
The sorting unit receives the photosensitive material discharged from the reverse mechanism by a single clamping mechanism, moves the clamping mechanism in a direction parallel to the sorting path by a feed unit, and moves the clamping mechanism by the shifting unit. You may comprise so that it may distribute by moving to the direction orthogonal to a path | route.

  With this configuration, the photosensitive material exposed in the exposure unit is reversed by a single reverse mechanism and then distributed by a single clamping mechanism. In other words, by using a single reverse mechanism that reverses the photosensitive material and a single clamping mechanism that sorts the photosensitive material, when the photosensitive material is reversed by the reverse mechanism even with a small number of parts, the sorting by the clamping mechanism It is possible to operate at high speed. As a result, a sorting method capable of sorting photosensitive materials at high speed even with a simple structure has been rationally constructed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Configuration of photo printing device]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a photographic printing apparatus is configured to include an operating unit A and a print processing unit B. The operating section A includes a film scanner 3 that captures image information of the photographic film 1 into three primary colors of R, G, and B and converts it into a digital signal, a display 4 that displays processing information, and a keyboard 5. A processing device 7 comprising a general-purpose computer is provided on the upper surface and below the table 6. The processing device 7 includes a media drive 8 that acquires image data recorded on a CD-R, DVD-R, or the like, or image data recorded on a semiconductor medium.

  The print processing unit B cuts the photographic paper 2 as the photosensitive material into a print size in the exposure unit EX, and then exposes the image data. After this exposure, the print unit B is reversed in the vertical conveyance device CV to replace the front and back sides. In the state, it is transported upward and sent to the development processing unit DE, subjected to development processing in a plurality of development processing tanks of the development processing unit DE, dried by the drying processing unit DR, and then sent onto the conveyor belt 9, and further conveyed to the conveyor belt 9 9 is sent out to a sorter (not shown). The reason why the front and back sides of the photographic paper 2 are reversed in the vertical conveying device CV is that the image surface (photosensitive surface) is positioned on the upper surface side of the photographic paper 2 fed from the conveyor belt 9 to the sorter.

  The exposure unit EX feeds the photographic paper 2 (an example of a photosensitive material) from the photographic paper magazine M with a pressure supply roller 11, cuts it into a print size with a cutter 12, and horizontally with a nipping-type lateral conveyance mechanism 13. Image data in a form in which the laser beam from the exposure unit Em is operated in the main scanning direction while the photographic paper 2 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction in the exposure unit Em. The exposure is performed. The exposure unit Em includes an exposure engine 15 that sends laser beams of the three primary colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) downward, and the photographic paper 2 from the lateral conveying device 13. A pair of exposure transport rollers 17 disposed on the upper and lower transport sides of the photographic paper 2 with respect to the beam emitting portion 15a of the exposure engine 15, and a driven roller 18. It has.

[Structure of vertical transfer device]
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the vertical conveyance device CV receives the photographic paper 2 sent out from the exposure unit Em in a single row in the horizontal direction, and moves upward (in the conveyance direction) with the front and back sides of the photographic paper 2 reversed. A reverse mechanism R is provided on the downstream side, and a single clamping mechanism C is provided to which the photographic paper 2 discharged from the reverse mechanism R is delivered. When the size of the photographic paper 2 delivered from the reverse mechanism R at the standby position W is less than a preset size, the clamping mechanism C removes the two photographic papers 2 as shown in FIG. The transfer mechanism LS distributes and conveys the sheet to the distribution path LS, and performs an operation (operation in the distribution mode) of feeding to the receiving roller 80 provided in the receiving unit D at the transfer position T. If the size of the photographic paper 2 delivered from the printer is greater than or equal to a preset size, the photographic paper 2 is transported upward in the vertical transport path LC at the central position without being distributed as shown in FIG. In the delivery position T, an operation of feeding into the receiving roller 80 provided in the receiving unit D (operation in the single row conveyance mode) is performed. The photographic paper 2 received by the receiving roller 80 is sent to the development processing unit DE.

  The clamping mechanism C drives the clamping mechanism C in a vertical direction (a direction parallel to the sorting path LS), and drives the clamping mechanism C in a lateral direction (a direction orthogonal to the sorting path LS). And a shift unit S, which constitute a sorting unit.

  The vertical conveying device CV includes a plate-shaped main frame 21, supports the reverse mechanism R with respect to a pair of bracket portions 21 a integrally formed by bending the main frame 21, and the main frame 21. 2, two first guide rods 31 (an example of a first guide body) are provided in the vertical orientation on the outer side of the two distribution paths LS, and the both ends are supported by the first guide rods 31 in the vertical direction. A conveyance frame 32 that is movable in the direction is provided, and the clamping mechanism C is provided so as to be reciprocal in the horizontal direction with respect to the conveyance frame 32.

[Reverse mechanism structure]
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 and FIG. 13, the reverse mechanism R includes a rotating frame 22 that is rotatably supported around the first axis X <b> 1 in a lateral posture with respect to the bracket portion 21 a, The rotating frame 22 includes a driving roller 23, a pressure roller 24 opposed to the driving roller 23, and a swing frame 25 that supports the pressure roller 24. The frame 22 is supported so as to be swingable around the second axis X2 in a posture parallel to the first axis X1. The drive roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 constitute a pressure roller pair.

  Further, the reverse mechanism R has a “receiving posture” for receiving the photographic paper 2 sent out from the exposure unit EX as shown in FIG. 6 by turning 90 degrees around the first axis X1, as shown in FIG. As shown in the drawing, it is configured to be switchable to a “discharge posture” in which the photographic paper 1 is sent upward by rotation around the first axis X1, and when the photographic paper 2 is received in the “receiving posture”, the drive roller The photographic paper 2 is introduced by driving 23 in the forward direction, and after this introduction, when switching to the “discharging posture”, the driving roller 23 is driven in the reverse direction to drive the photographic paper 2 to the rear end. The paper is discharged from the side, thereby functioning to reverse the front and back of the photographic paper 2.

  The support shaft 23a of the drive roller 23 is supported by the bracket portion 21a, and the shaft center position of the support shaft 23a of the drive roller 23 is made to coincide with the first shaft core X1, and is fixed to the rotating frame 22. The timing belt B1 is wound between the timing pulley type rotation pulley P1 and the output shaft of the stepping motor type rotation motor M1, so that the rotation frame 22 is driven by the driving force from the rotation motor M1. The “accepting posture” and the “discharging posture” are switched. This rotation motor M1 constitutes a rotation drive mechanism.

  By winding a timing belt B2 between a timing pulley type driving pulley P2 provided at one end of the support shaft 23a of the driving roller 23 and a stepping motor type driving motor M2, a driving motor M2 is wound. The driving roller 23 is configured to be freely driven in the forward and reverse directions by the driving force. This drive motor M2 constitutes a transport drive mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 13, a swing operation shaft 26 for swinging the swing frame 25 is disposed on the same axis as the second axis X 2, and an operation arm 27 is attached to the shaft end of the swing operation shaft 26. A biasing force of a spring 28 is applied to the operation arm 27, and an idler roller 29 functioning as a cam follower is supported at the swinging end of the operation arm 27, and a rotating cam 30 corresponding thereto is provided. ing. The timing cam B3 is wound between a timing pulley type rotary pulley P3 connected to the rotary cam 30 and a stepping motor type cam motor M3, so that the rotary cam 30 can be rotated. . A guide plate 25a is provided for the swing frame 25, and a pair of compression coil springs 22s for biasing the pressure roller 24 supported by the swing frame 25 toward the drive roller 23 is provided.

  With this configuration, the idle roller 29 is pressed against the cam surface of the rotating cam 30 by the biasing force of the spring 28, and the operation arm 27 is swung according to the shape of the cam surface when the idle roller 29 and the rotating cam 30 are rotated relative to each other. Thus, a state in which the pressure roller 24 is pressure-bonded to the driving roller 23 and a state in which the pressure roller 24 is separated from each other (open posture) are displayed.

  The cam surface of the rotary cam 30 is composed of a small-diameter surface 30a having the smallest radius, a medium-diameter surface 30b having a larger diameter, and a large-diameter surface 30c having the largest diameter. When the idle roller 29 is in contact, the pressure roller 24 is pressed against the drive roller 23, and when the idle roller 29 is in contact with the medium diameter surface 30 b, the pressure roller 24 is slightly from the drive roller 23. In the state where the idle roller 29 is in contact with the large diameter surface 30c, the pressure roller 24 is greatly separated from the drive roller 23.

  Further, a shaft 45 on the opposite side of the drive pulley P2 of the support roller 23a of the drive roller 23 is provided with a knob 45 that is artificially rotated, and is further swingable with respect to the support shaft 23a. The bracket 46 is idled and supported, and a spring 47 that biases the bracket 46 is provided. The output gear G1 that rotates together with the support shaft 23a and the intermediate gear G2 that idles and supports the bracket 46 are engaged with each other. Although not shown in the drawings, the print processing section B includes a door that can be opened and closed on the side where the knob 45 is disposed.

[Structure of sorting device]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, linear bushings 33 slidably fitted to the first guide rod 31 are provided at both end positions of the transport frame 32 to support the transport frame 32 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. is doing. A timing belt B4 (an example of a transport operation belt) wound around a timing pulley type linkage pulley 34P formed at both ends of the connection shaft 34 is provided with a connecting shaft 34 in a lateral orientation at the upper position of the main frame 21. The timing belt B <b> 4 is arranged at a position parallel to the first guide rod 31 and is connected to both ends of the transport frame 32. A stepping motor type feed motor M4 for driving the one timing belt B4 is provided, and the conveying frame 32 can be moved up and down in a horizontal posture by the driving force of the feed motor M4. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, fitting portions 32T are formed at both ends of the conveyance frame 32, and the teeth of the timing belt B4 are fitted into the fitting portions 32T to hold the pressing plate 32P. The timing belt B4 is firmly connected to the transport frame 32 by being connected and fixed at.

  The clamping mechanism C includes a first clamping roller 35 that is maintained in a pressure-bonded state, a second clamping roller 36, and a pair of guide plates 37 that are vertically oriented to guide the photographic paper 2. The first and second clamping rollers 35 and 36 and the guide plate 37 are supported by a shift frame 38. The pair of guide plates 37 are arranged at positions close to both the front and back surfaces of the photographic paper 2 sandwiched by the first and second sandwiching rollers 35 and 36, and are arranged at the upper end of the central portion in the width direction. Forms a pair of protrusions 37a. The protruding portion 37a is disposed at a position where it enters an intermediate position between the roller portions 80b of the receiving roller 80 of the receiving unit D described later.

  A slide member 40 is slidably fitted to a guide rail 39 (an example of a second guide body) provided in the transport frame 32 in a lateral orientation, and the shift frame 38 is supported by the slide member 40. Thus, the clamping mechanism C is supported so as to be reciprocally movable in the lateral direction. As shown in FIG. 16, the overall cross-sectional shape of the transport frame 32 is set to a channel shape, and a part of the vertical wall portion of the transport frame 32 is bulged so that the mounting surface 32a of the guide rail 39 is formed. Forming.

  A timing belt B5 (an example of a shift operation belt) is wound around an output shaft of a shift motor M5 provided at one end of the conveyance frame 32 and a pulley P5 supported by the conveyance frame 32. The timing belt B5 By connecting and fixing to the shift frame 38, the clamping mechanism C can be shifted in the lateral direction by the driving force of the shift motor M5. The shift means S is composed of a shift operation system composed of the shift motor M5 and the timing belt B5, and the feed means F is composed of a feed operation system composed of the feed motor M4 and the timing belt B4.

  As shown in FIG. 15A, a support frame 32F is formed on the opposite side of the transport frame 32 from the side where the shift motor M5 is provided, and is coaxial with the axis of the first clamping roller 35. The transport frame 32 includes a shaft body 41 that is relatively movable in the axial direction and is slidable in the axial direction relative to the first clamping roller 35 and that rotates integrally with the first clamping roller 35. ing. The support frame 32F supports a passive gear G3 that meshes with the intermediate gear G2 and an input gear G4 that meshes with the passive gear G3, and connects the input gear G4 and the shaft body 41. Further, the shaft portion of the passive gear G3 is provided with a contact sleeve 42, and the shaft portion of the input gear G4 is provided with a ratchet mechanism comprising a rotation preventing claw wheel 43 and a claw body 44.

  With this configuration, by moving the transport frame 32 to the lower moving end, the guide surface 46a formed at the end of the bracket 46 contacts the contact sleeve 42 as shown in FIG. By swinging the bracket 47 against the urging force of the spring 47, the passive gear G3 is engaged with the intermediate gear G2 so as not to generate an impact. When G2 and the passive gear G3 mesh with each other, the driving force from the reverse mechanism R is transmitted to the first clamping roller 35 of the clamping mechanism C, and the photographic paper 2 can be conveyed by the clamping mechanism C. .

  As shown in FIG. 9, a pair of operating rods 51 projecting upward with respect to the shift frame 38 are provided so as to project upward by the biasing force of the spring 52. A contact portion 51 a is formed at the upper end of the operation rod 51.

  The receiving unit D supports the pressure receiving roller 80 with respect to the receiving frame 71 disposed at the upper end position of the main frame 21, and on one of the lower surfaces of the receiving frame 71 with the opening interposed therebetween. A resin guide member 72 is provided. A pair of guide rollers 65 for pressing the photographic paper 2 against the guide surface 72 a of the guide member 72 is provided at a position facing the guide member 72. That is, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, a pair of swing arms 64 that are swingable about a support shaft 63 in a posture parallel to the first and second shaft cores X1 and X2 are provided. A swing roller 64 supports a guide roller 65 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the first and second shaft cores X1 and X2, and the swing arm 64 has the first and second shaft cores. An operated shaft 66 is formed in a posture parallel to X1 and X2, and a torsion spring 68 for urging the guide roller 65 toward the guide surface 72a of the guide member 72 is provided.

  Further, the operated shaft 66 is in contact with the contact portion 51a of the operating rod 51 when the clamping mechanism C transports the photographic paper 2 along any of the vertical transport path LC and the sorting path LS. When the clamping mechanism C transports the photographic paper 2 along the vertical transport path LC, the pair of operation rods 51 are operated shafts corresponding to the left and right guide rollers 65. 66, when the clamping mechanism C transports the photographic paper 2 along the path of the sorting path LS, the operating rod 51 contacts the operated shaft 66 corresponding to the corresponding guide roller 65. The positional relationship is set to.

  Concave portions that support both ends of the support shaft 63 of the guide roller 65 are formed in the receiving frame 71, and the guide roller 65 is swingable by fixing the pressing plate 69 to the receiving frame 71 with screws 70. Is supported by the receiving frame 71. The torsion spring 68 is disposed at a position where the torsion spring 68 is wound around the support shaft 63. One end of the torsion spring 68 is engaged with the swing arm 64, and the other end is fixed to the receiving frame 71. I have been in contact with. An opening 69a that allows the other end of the torsion spring 68 to be inserted into the pressing plate 69, a bent portion 69b that prevents the end introduced from the opening 69a from dropping off, and a fixing screw 70 are inserted therethrough. A pair of holes 69c is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the receiving roller 80 includes a shaft portion 80a and a plurality of roller portions 80b that rotate integrally with the shaft portion 80a, and the guide member 72 receives the photographic paper 2 as a receiving roller. A guide surface 72a having a slanted cross-sectional shape is formed so as to guide in the direction of 80, and a set distance from the center in the lateral direction in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the photographic paper 2 conveyed by the conveyance frame 32. A protruding portion 72T that protrudes most downward (upstream in the conveyance direction of the photographic paper 2) is formed at a position that is spaced apart from the protruding portion 72U, and the amount of protrusion decreases from the protruding portion 72T toward the outer end in the width direction. (See FIG. 10).

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a control unit 90 (as a distribution control unit) that controls the rotation motor M1, the drive motor M2, the cam motor M3, the feed motor M4, and the shift motor M5 is provided below the main frame 21. A control cable 91 at the end position of the transport frame 32, and an auxiliary frame 32 c that moves up and down integrally with the transport frame 32 only at the hanging portion of the control cable 91 from the transport frame 32. On the other hand, by fixing through the fixing member 92, the posture of the control cable 91 is prevented from being disturbed.

  Although not shown in the drawing, the part to which the photographic paper 2 of the vertical conveying device CV is fed is provided with a sensor for determining whether or not the photographic paper 2 is present, and a detection signal from this sensor is input to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 executes control for transporting the photographic paper 2 in a preset sequence based on a signal from the sensor. The control unit 90 functions as a conveyance control unit that conveys the photographic paper 2 by the reverse mechanism R, and also functions as a distribution control unit that controls the distribution unit to distribute the photographic paper 2. The operation mode is as described later.

[Transfer sequence]
When the photographic paper 2 is conveyed by the vertical conveying device CV, the rotating frame 22 of the reverse mechanism R is previously shown in FIG. 6 by the driving force from the rotating motor M1 before the photographic paper 2 is sent out from the exposure unit Em. As shown in FIG. 14A, the pressure roller 24 is driven by bringing the idler roller 29 into contact with the inner diameter surface 30b of the rotating cam 30 by the driving force from the cam motor M3. The posture is set slightly apart from the roller 23.

  When the photographic paper 2 is sent out from the exposure unit Em in this setting state, the photographic paper 2 is in a pressure-bonded state by the exposure conveyance roller 17 and the driven roller 18 of the exposure unit Em, and the leading edge of the photographic paper 2 is After the drive roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 are fed to a position where they can be pressure-bonded, the drive motor M2 is driven to rotate forward to start the rotation of the drive roller 23, and at substantially the same time from the cam motor M3. By setting the rotating cam 30 to the posture shown in FIG. 14B by the driving force from the cam motor M3 with the driving force, the pressure roller 24 is moved with the idle roller 29 in contact with the small-diameter surface 30a of the rotating cam 30. Displacement is made to the drive roller 23 side, and the pressure-sensitive roller 24 and the drive roller 23 pressure-bond the photographic paper 2 so that the printing paper 2 is fed out from the exposure unit Em. Introducing the printing paper 2 relative to the rotating frame 22 at a speed.

  By continuing the introduction, the drive motor M2 is stopped at the timing when the photographic paper 2 is fed until the rear end of the photographic paper 2 slightly protrudes from the guide plate 25a. In this stopped state, the rotating frame 22 is rotated 90 degrees by the driving force from the rotating motor M1, so that the rotating frame 22 is set to the “ejection posture” as shown in FIG. Is directed upward and the leading end portion of the photographic paper 2 hangs downward. Further, when the rotating frame 22 is rotated 90 degrees in this way, the idle roller 29 is kept in contact with the small diameter surface 30a of the rotating cam 30, as shown in FIG. The state in which the photographic paper 2 is pressure-bonded by the roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 is maintained.

  After the rotation frame 22 is set to the “discharge posture” as described above, the shift frame 38 is moved to the center position in the lateral direction of the transport frame 32 (on the extension of the vertical transport path LC) by the driving force from the shift motor M5. The conveying frame 32 is lowered to the lower end by the driving force from the feed motor M4 and the holding mechanism C of the shift frame 38 is set at the standby position W. When the clamping mechanism C is set at the standby position W as described above, the intermediate gear G2 and the passive gear G3 reach the meshing state as shown in FIG.

  In this state, when the drive motor M2 is driven in the reverse direction, the drive roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 rotate in the direction of discharging the photographic paper 2, and the power transmitted from the intermediate gear G2 and the passive gear G3 is linked with this rotation. The first clamping roller 35 and the second clamping roller 36 of the clamping mechanism C rotate in a direction in which the photographic paper 2 is conveyed upward. As a result, the photographic paper 2 that has been pressure-bonded to the drive roller 23 and the pressure roller 24 is discharged from the rotating frame 22 and delivery to the clamping mechanism C is started. Further, when the photographic paper 2 is discharged from the rotating frame 22 in this way, after the photographic paper 2 is securely clamped by the first clamping roller 35 and the second clamping roller 36 of the clamping mechanism C, the cam motor M3 By setting the rotating cam 30 to the posture shown in FIG. 14D with the driving force of FIG. 14, the idle roller 29 is pushed up by the large-diameter surface 30 c of the rotating cam 30. The resistance acting on the photographic paper 2 from the drive roller 23 or the pressure roller 24 is reduced.

  Further, when the photographic paper 2 is nipped by the first nipping roller 35 and the second nipping roller 36, the nipping position is set at the center position in the width direction of the photographic paper 2 in the sorting conveyance mode and the single row conveyance mode, which will be described later. In this sandwiched state, the photographic paper 2 is disposed at a position sandwiched between the pair of guide plates 37.

  As described above, after the photographic paper 2 from the rotating frame 22 is transferred to the first nip roller 35 and the second nip roller 36 of the nip mechanism C, the photographic paper 2 starts from the upper end of the guide plate 37 provided in the shift frame 38. Is stopped after the reverse rotation of the drive motor M2 is continued until a predetermined amount is exposed, so that the photographic paper 2 is clamped only by the first clamping roller 35 and the second clamping roller 36 of the clamping mechanism C. In this clamping state, the ratchet mechanism including the claw wheel 43 and the claw body 44 functions so that the first clamping roller 35 and the second clamping roller 36 do not rotate due to the weight of the photographic paper 2.

  When the conveying frame 32 is moved up and down by the driving force from the feed motor M4 as described above, the pair of timing belts B4 operate in synchronization with the connecting shaft 34, so that a biased conveying force is applied to the conveying frame 32. Since both ends of the transport frame 32 are guided by the first guide rod 31, the transport frame 32 can be smoothly moved up and down while being maintained in a horizontal posture.

  The transport sequence for transferring the photographic paper 2 from the rotating frame 22 to the clamping mechanism C is common regardless of the size of the photographic paper 2, but the width of the photographic paper 2 is less than a preset dimension. In this case, transport in the sorting transport mode is performed, and transport in the single-row transport mode is performed when the width of the photographic paper 2 is equal to or larger than a preset dimension.

[Distributed transfer mode]
When the width of the photographic paper 2 is less than a preset size, the conveying frame 32 is raised by the driving force from the feed motor M4 and at the same time the shift frame 38 is moved to the 2 by the driving force from the shift motor M5. One of the two distribution paths LS is operated. When the transport frame 32 is lifted and the shift frame 38 is operated, the operation of placing the shift frame 38 on the distribution path LS is completed first, and then the transport frame 32 is lifted. As a result of the ascending, the contact portion 51a at the tip of the operating rod 51 comes into contact with the corresponding operated shaft 66 and pushes it up. As a result, the guide roller 65 is swung to the retracted position around the support shaft 63 and the photographic paper 2 passes. Open the route.

  Thereafter, when the clamping mechanism C reaches the delivery position T shown in FIGS. 7 and 12 on the one distribution path LS, the receiving roller 80 of the receiving unit D presses the upper end portion of the photographic paper 2, Delivery in the form of extracting the photographic paper 2 from the clamping mechanism C is executed. After the delivery of the photographic paper 2 is completed as described above, the guide frame 65 is moved to the retracted position by the contact force from the operation rod 51 by lowering the transport frame 32, and the guide roller 65 is biased by the urging force of the torsion spring 69. It swings toward the member 72 side and pushes in the direction of the guide member 72 in a form in which the hanging portion of the photographic paper 2 is curved.

  Further, when the transport frame 32 is lowered, the shift frame 38 is set at the standby position W as described above in a state where the shift frame 38 is set at the center position in the lateral direction of the transport frame 32 (coincident with the vertical transport path LC). As a result, the photographic paper 2 discharged from the rotating frame 22 is received. When the next photographic paper 2 is received in this way, the photographic paper 2 is transferred on the other distribution path LS of the two distribution paths LS by operating the shift frame 38 in the reverse direction. Become. In this way, by alternately distributing the photographic paper 2 to the two distribution paths LS, the photographic paper 2 is sent to the development processing unit DE in two rows, thereby realizing efficient development processing.

(Single row transfer mode)
When the width of the photographic paper 2 is equal to or larger than a preset dimension, the conveying frame 32 is raised by the driving force from the feed motor M4, and the contact portion 51a at the tip of the operation rod 51 is moved left and right by this raising. By pushing up against the driven shaft 66, the left and right guide rollers 65 are swung to the retracted position around the support shaft 63 to open the path through which the photographic paper 2 passes. That is, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the clamping mechanism C is set to the standby position W, the clamping mechanism C is positioned on the vertical conveyance path LC, so that the photographic paper 2 is loaded in the single-line conveyance mode. When transporting, control is performed to simply raise the transport frame 32 with the photographic paper 2 being sandwiched by the sandwiching mechanism C.

  Even when the transport frame 32 is simply raised as described above, the relative relationship between the guide plate 37 and the guide member 72 is such that the photographic paper 2 held by the holding mechanism C passes through the vicinity of the guide member 72. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, even when the end 2E in the width direction of the photographic paper 2 hangs down by its own weight at the upper end position of the photographic paper 2, the transport frame 32 is moved. In conjunction with the raising operation, the protruding portion 72T of the guide member 72 is first brought into contact with the portion of the photographic paper 2 where the sag is the smallest (the portion closer to the center in the width direction). As shown in b), by bringing the end portion in the width direction of the photographic paper 2 into contact with the introduction portion 72U connected to the projecting portion 72T, the contact point P of the photographic paper 2 rises in the width direction. And move outward , So that Okurikomeru the receiving roller 80 without correcting the sag of photographic paper 2, leading to problems such as bending by the force acting on the photographic paper 2 from the contact point P.

  Further, the photographic paper 2 sandwiched between the first and second sandwiching rollers 35 and 36 of the sandwiching mechanism C has its photosensitive surface directed toward the main frame 21, and this photographic paper 2 is photosensitive in the photographic paper magazine M. Since the surface of the photographic paper 2 is stored in the form of a roll having the outer side, the direction in which the upper end of the photographic paper 2 sandwiched between the first and second sandwiching rollers 35 and 36 is curved is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. As shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, when the clamping mechanism C reaches the delivery position T shown in FIG. 8B, the receiving roller 80 of the receiving unit D presses the upper end portion of the photographic paper 2 so that the photographic paper 2 is removed from the clamping mechanism C. Delivery in the form of extraction is executed. After the delivery of the photographic paper 2 is completed as described above, the guide frame 65 is moved to the retracted position by the contact force from the operation rod 51 by lowering the transport frame 32, and the guide roller 65 is biased by the urging force of the torsion spring 69. It swings toward the member 72 side and pushes in the direction of the guide member 72 in a form in which the hanging portion of the photographic paper 2 is curved.

  In this single row conveyance mode, the conveyance frame 32 reciprocates in the vertical direction, so that even a relatively large size photographic paper 2 can be continuously fed to the development processing unit DE.

  As described above, in the present invention, the size in the width direction of the clamping mechanism C is limited in order to suppress the overall enlargement of the print processing unit B, but in the present invention, the single reverse mechanism R is used. After the photographic paper 2 is reversed, the single nip mechanism C is operated in the lateral direction together with the single shift frame 38 to distribute the photographic paper 2. For example, the photographic paper 2 is reversed. Compared with the one provided with a plurality of chucking rollers that perform sorting, the size can be reduced, the number of parts can be reduced, and the sorting operation speed is not reduced, and the single transport frame 32 can be reduced. Both ends of the photographic paper 2 are guided by the first guide rod 31, and the conveying force from the timing belt B4 is applied to the both ends, so that the posture of the conveying frame 32 is maintained properly and the photographic paper 2 can be stably conveyed. Ri divided are the ones that can be performed. Further, when a relatively large size photographic paper 2 is transported by the clamping mechanism C, the transport frame 32 may be deformed even if the end of the photographic paper 2 in the width direction is bent by its own weight. When the photographic paper 2 is brought into contact with the protruding portion 72T of the guide member 72 with respect to a portion where the deformation amount of the photographic paper 2 is small, the portion extending from the protruding portion 72 to the outside in the width direction is moved. On the other hand, the photographic paper 2 is guided in the direction of the receiving roller 80 of the receiving unit D while the deformation of the photographic paper 2 is corrected by bringing a part having a large amount of deformation into contact.

  Further, in this sorting and conveying apparatus, when the photographic paper 2 discharged from the reverse mechanism R is received by the pinching mechanism C, the pinching mechanism C is set at the standby position W so as to be pinched with the intermediate gear G2 of the reverse mechanism R. When the first clamping roller 35 of the clamping mechanism C is rotated in conjunction with the discharge of the photographic paper 2 from the reverse mechanism R by meshing with the passive gear G3 of the mechanism C, the photographic paper 2 is also in the clamping mechanism C. Therefore, the holding mechanism C can be smoothly received, and the holding mechanism C does not have to include a drive source such as an electric motor that applies the conveying force to the photographic paper 2. The photographic paper 2 can be conveyed at a synchronized speed.

[Another embodiment]
In the present invention, three or more distribution paths may be formed in addition to the embodiment described above. Even when three or more sorting paths are formed in this way, it is possible to configure a sorting and conveying unit with a single clamping mechanism.

Configuration diagram of photo printing device Side view showing the photographic paper supply path to the exposure unit in the print processing unit Vertical front view showing exposure unit and vertical transport device Side view of vertical conveyor Perspective view of vertical conveyor Longitudinal front view of the vertical transfer device with the reverse mechanism set to the accepting posture Longitudinal front view of the vertical transfer device with the reverse mechanism set to the discharge posture Diagram showing how photographic paper is transported along the vertical transport path Longitudinal front view showing a form in which photographic paper is transferred from the clamping mechanism to the receiving roller The perspective view which shows the relative positional relationship of the guide member and photographic paper at the time of delivery The figure which shows the form which a guide member contacts photographic paper at the time of delivery The figure which shows the conveyance form of the photographic paper with the distribution route Schematic diagram showing the structure of the reverse mechanism The figure which shows the operation form of the reverse mechanism continuously Front view showing the gear structure that transmits power from the reverse mechanism to the clamping mechanism The figure which shows the support structure of the guide rail with respect to the conveyance frame Sectional view showing the fixing structure of the timing belt to the conveyance frame Exploded perspective view showing the fixing structure of the timing belt to the conveyance frame The exploded perspective view which shows the support structure of the guide roller with respect to a receiving frame The top view which shows the support structure of the guide roller with respect to a receiving frame

Explanation of symbols

2 Photosensitive materials 23 and 24 Roller pair 31 First guide body 32 Conveying frame 38 Shift frame 39 Second guide body 90 Conveying control means C Holding mechanism F Feeding means S Shifting means B4 Conveying operation belt B5 Shifting operation belt G2 Intermediate gear G3 Passive Gear M1 Rotation drive mechanism M2 Transport drive mechanism R Reverse mechanism EX Exposure unit LS Sorting path W Standby position

Claims (5)

A sorting / conveying device that reverses the front and back of a photosensitive material exposed in an exposure unit, and distributes the photosensitive material to a plurality of distribution paths,
In order to reverse the front and back of the photosensitive material, a photosensitive material is received from the front end side, and after changing the transport direction, a single reverse mechanism that discharges the photosensitive material from the rear end side is provided, and the photosensitive material is divided into a plurality of sorts. A single sorting unit that receives the photosensitive material from the reverse mechanism for sorting into the path;
The sorting unit includes a single clamping mechanism that receives the photosensitive material discharged from the reverse mechanism, feed means for moving the clamping mechanism in a direction parallel to the sorting path, and the clamping mechanism orthogonal to the sorting path. Shift means for moving in the direction of movement, two first guide bodies that are parallel to the plurality of distribution paths on both sides of the plurality of distribution paths, and both ends guided by the two first guide bodies. And a shift frame that is supported so as to be movable in a direction parallel to the sorting path, and a shift frame that supports the clamping mechanism and is supported so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the plurality of sorting paths. with the door, it is configured to distribute the photosensitive material on all of the sorting path by a single of the clamping mechanism Distributing transport device.   The reverse mechanism includes a pressure-conveying-type roller pair that receives the photosensitive material from the front end side, a conveyance driving mechanism that drives the pressure-conveying-type roller pair, and an axis in a posture along the width direction of the photosensitive material. A rotation drive mechanism that rotates around the core, and when receiving the photosensitive material, the reverse conveyance mechanism is set in a receiving posture, and the pressure-conveying conveyance type roller pair is driven to rotate forward. And a conveyance control means for controlling the conveyance driving mechanism and the rotation driving mechanism to reversely drive the pressure-conveying conveyance type roller pair in a state where the reverse mechanism is set to a discharge posture. The sorting and conveying apparatus described. Said distributing unit includes a shift frame which is movably supported in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of distribution paths for the transport frame by the second guide member, said feed means, moving force to the both ends of the conveyor frame The sorting and conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising two conveying operation belts that act, and wherein the shift means includes a shift operating belt that moves the shift frame.   The photosensitive material discharged from the reverse mechanism is received by the clamping mechanism after the clamping mechanism is set to a standby position close to the reverse mechanism by the control of the feeding means and the shifting means, and the feeding means and the shifting means And a distribution control means for performing an operation of transferring the photosensitive material by moving the clamping mechanism to a distribution position corresponding to any one of the plurality of distribution paths at a position separated from the reverse mechanism. The distribution conveyance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3.   An intermediate gear that rotates with a driving force from a driving system that applies a conveying force to the photosensitive material in the reverse mechanism, and a passive gear that is linked to a driving system that applies a conveying force to the photosensitive material in the clamping mechanism; 5. The distribution according to claim 4, further comprising a gear-type transmission mechanism that engages the intermediate gear and the passive gear to transmit the driving force from the reverse mechanism to the clamping mechanism when the transport mechanism is set at the standby position. Conveying device.

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