JPH04116654A - Photographic sensitive material processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the heat source of a drying machine without being influenced by the set position by guiding the exhausted heat of the combustion gas of a base burner which is used as a heat source for heating developer and processing liquid for fixing through a heat pipe and taking it as the heat source of hot air for drying a photosensitive material to which washing is executed. CONSTITUTION:A portable cylinder 12 is connected to the gas burner 14 so as to perform burning. The heat pipe 18 incorporating a heat transfer medium is provided between the gas exhaust path 21 of a combustion chamber 11 and an adjacent air chamber 20 so that its heat receiving part 18a may be positioned in the center part of the path 21 and its heat radiating part 18b may be positioned in the heat chamber 20. As a result, the heat pipe 18 radiates the residual heat of the exhausted gas of the gas burner which is received by the heat receiving part 18a by a fan 19 in the heat radiating part 18b, thereby obtaining the hot air for drying which is used in the drying machine 4. Thus, the heat source of the drying machine 4 is optionally and rapidly utilized at any place.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention develops, fixes, and washes photographic materials.

The present invention particularly relates to a rotating type photosensitive material processing apparatus for drying processing.

(Prior art) In the development process after image exposure of silver salt photographic light-sensitive materials (hereinafter referred to as photographic light-sensitive materials), exposed silver halide grains are reduced to form a blackened silver image made of fine metallic silver. processing operations such as development processing, fixing processing to melt and remove undeveloped silver halide, water washing processing to remove fixer and water-soluble #i complex salt, and photographic light-sensitive material after the processing operations. Drying work is required for drying.

Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, there is a developing tank 1 for processing, a fixing tank 2, a washing tank 3, a drying tank Ia4 for drying, and each of the processing tanks 1, 2.3. An automatic photographic material processing apparatus is used, which comprises transport roll groups 6 provided inside and outside each tank for transporting the photographic material between the inside and outside of the tank and the dryer 4.

The processing operations of development and fixing in this processing device differ slightly depending on the composition of each processing solution and the type of photographic material, but each processing solution is maintained at an appropriate temperature in the range of approximately 35°C to 40°C. This is done by immersing the photographic material in water for a certain period of time.

In addition, the processing liquid can be heated by direct heating using a heater or the like, or by using a heat exchanger 26 and a heat exchange coil pipe 8 as shown in FIG.
The heat source of the heat exchanger 26 is mostly a heater powered by a commercial type S22 or a heating method using a sheathed wire 25 or the like.
Dry! As with the heat exchanger 26, a heater 23 powered by a commercial power source 24 is used as a heat source for Ia4. In the case of a heating system that uses a heat exchanger etc. to heat the processing liquid.

The developing solution in the developing tank 1 and the fixing solution in the fixing tank 2 are partially heated by being circulated through a pump P through heat exchange coils 7 and 8 in a heat transfer medium of a heated heat exchanger. It is designed to heat to the required temperature and maintain the appropriate temperature without causing any heat.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, the amount of processing liquid in the above-mentioned processing apparatus ranges from several liters to several tens of liters, and there is also a desire to shorten the preheating preparation time before operation as much as possible. Easily available electric power is used as a heat source for heating the liquid, and some heaters have a capacity exceeding several kilowatts. For this reason, most of the conventional photosensitive material processing equipment is a stationary type installed in a darkroom, etc. However, as X-ray vehicles for mass medical examinations have recently become popular, there is a trend for peashell-shaped processing equipment to be installed in them. The heat source for heating the processing liquid used therein must have a large calorific value and can be procured at will without being restricted by the location of use.

Therefore, on the same date as the present application, the inventors filed a patent application for a photographic material processing apparatus that uses a gas burner that supplies and burns fuel gas from a portable cylinder instead of conventional electricity as a heat source for heating the processing liquid. Furthermore, as for the heat source of dry #I84, an efficient heat source that is not restricted by the location of use is desired instead of a heater that uses electric power.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a peashell-shaped photographic material processing apparatus that can be used anywhere and anytime as a heat source for drying photographic materials that have been fixed and washed with water.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention uses a gas burner supplied with fuel from a portable cylinder as a heat source for heating a processing solution for developing and fixing an exposed photographic material. In the photographic material processing apparatus used, a heat receiving part of a heat pipe is provided in the heat exhaust part of the gas burner, and the air heated by the heat radiating part of the heat pipe is used for drying the photographic material after washing with water.

(Function) As a result, the heat receiving part of the heat pipe is heated by the exhaust heat of the gas burner, and the heat is transferred to the heat radiating part via the internal heat transfer medium, so that hot air can be obtained by blowing air to the heat radiating part. By sending this hot air to a dryer, the photographic material can be dried after being washed with water.

(Example〕 The present invention will be explained below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the photographic material processing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1 and a heat exchange air chamber forming the heat source of the dryer. This is a route map.

8 in the figure, 5 is the heat exchanger, IO is the heat exchange logging tank, 11
is a combustion chamber, 12 is a portable cylinder, 13 is a control valve, 1
4 is a gas burner, 15 is a water level detection sensor, 16 is a temperature sensor, 17 is a water valve, 18 is a heat pipe, 19 is a fan, 20 is an air chamber for heat exchange of the drying air of the dryer 4, and 21 is a gas discharge path. It is. In addition, 1 to 8 and P
is the same as in FIG. 3, so the explanation will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, an annular heat exchange water tank 10 filled with wood as a heat transfer medium is provided in the upper part of the combustion chamber 11 forming a semi-closed heating section, and a gas burner 14 is arranged in the combustion chamber 11. do. Most of the heat generated by the combustion gas from the gas burner 14 is used to heat the water tank 10, and then is released into the atmosphere as exhaust gas through a gas exhaust passage 21 formed in the center of the water tank 10. A portable cylinder 12 is installed outside the combustion chamber 11, and a control valve 13 is installed.
Fuel gas such as propane gas is supplied to this cylinder 12 through
This allows the gas to be supplied to the gas burner 14 at any time.

Inside the water tank IO, there are heat exchange coils 7 and 8, and the developer is passed through the circulation vibrator from the developing tank 1 and the fixing tank 2 shown in FIG. When the fixer is supplied, it is circulated and heated without being partially heated, and the gas burner 1
The control valve 13 of No. 4 is automatically controlled to maintain the temperature of the processing liquid at a required temperature. Incidentally, since the controlling temperatures of the developing solution and the fixing solution are different, the pipe diameter of the heat exchange flexible pipe 7.8 or the rotational speed of the pump are changed accordingly.

The water tank IO is supplied with water from the outside by a water valve 17, and water is supplied automatically by a water level detection sensor 15 or manually by measurement.

Furthermore, a heat pipe 18 containing a heat transfer medium is provided between the gas exhaust path 21 of the combustion chamber 11 and the adjacent air chamber 20.
The heat receiving part 18a is located at the center of the gas discharge passage 21, and the heat radiating part 18b is located inside the heat chamber 20. As a result, the heat pipe 18 radiates the residual heat of the gas burner exhaust gas received by the heat receiving part 18a by the fan 19 in the heat radiating part 18b, thereby obtaining hot air for drying used in the dryer 4.

To process photosensitive materials, first use a portable cylinder 1.
2 is connected to the gas burner 14, and after filling the water tank 10 with a predetermined amount of water, the main burner is ignited by the pilot burner of the gas burner 14. The water temperature in the water tank 10 gradually rises due to the combustion of the gas burner 14, and when it reaches a predetermined temperature, the pump P
, P to circulate the developing solution and fixing solution through the heat exchange coils 7 and 8, each processing solution is heated through the processing tank without being partially heated, and the entire temperature rises uniformly and quickly to a predetermined temperature. . Note that since the temperature sensor 16 is provided with a predetermined temperature gradient, desired temperature control can be performed depending on the material used.

Most of the heat of the combustion gas from the gas burner 14 is used as a heat source for heating the processing liquid and used to heat water 4610, and then in the exhaust passage 21, the remaining heat is given to the heat receiving part 18a of the heat pipe 18 and released into the atmosphere. Ru. In this way, the heat trapped in the heat receiving part 18a at one end of the heat pipe 18 is conducted to the heat radiating part 18b at the other end via the built-in heat transfer medium, and at the heat radiating part, air is blown from the fan provided in the air chamber 20. The heat is radiated by the hot air and is sent into the dryer 4 as dry hot air to dry the photographic material after washing with water. Note that one sensor 15a of the water level sensor 15 is activated to stop the water supply, and the other detection end 15b is installed near the bottom of the water tank lO to perform second water level detection, and when the water level drops to the point 15b. When this happens, the gas burner 14 is turned off to prevent dry cooking.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, in the present invention, the exhaust heat of the combustion gas of the gas burner used as a heat source for heating the processing solution for development and fixing is guided through the heat pipe to dry the photosensitive material after washing with water. Since the dry hot air was used as a heat source for heating processing solutions for developing and fixing, it was possible to use a heat exchanger equipped with a gas burner that receives fuel supplied from a portable cylinder as a heat source for heating processing solutions for developing and fixing. It can be used even in places where it is not possible, and especially as a rotary type automatic processing system, it is not dependent on the installation location, and a more economical processing system can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a photographic material processing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1 and an air chamber that is a heat source of a dryer. Third
The figure is a schematic diagram of a conventional photographic material processing apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Development processing tank, 2... Fixing processing tank, 3... Washing processing tank, 4... Dryer, 5... Heat exchanger, 6...
・Conveyance roller group, 7, 8...Heat exchange flexible tube, 10-
... Heat exchange water tank, 11... Combustion chamber, 12... Portable gas cylinder. 13... Control valve, 14... Gas burner, 15.
...Water level detection sensor, 16...Temperature sensor, 17...
・Water valve, 18...Heat pipe, 18a...Heat absorption part, is b-...Heat radiation part, 20...Air chamber, 21-...Gas discharge path Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a photographic material processing apparatus that uses a gas burner supplied with fuel from a portable cylinder as a heat source for a heat exchanger to heat the processing solution that develops and fixes the exposed photographic material, the photographic material is processed with water after washing. A photographic material processing apparatus characterized in that air heated by a heat radiating section of a heat pipe having a heat receiving section disposed in the heat exhaust section of the heat exchanger is used for drying.