Photosensitive material processing apparatus

A photosensitive material exposing apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor, which conveys a photosensitive material along a predetermined conveyance path;
• an exposure section, which exposes the photosensitive material to light in accordance with image information and forms latent images on the photosensitive material,
• wherein the photosensitive material is in the form of a long strip and is fed into the conveyance means and conveyed in this form, and
• the exposure section carries out scanning exposing operations on the long strip of the photosensitive material and thereby forms latent images on the long strip of the photosensitive material;
• and
• loop forming means for forming a first looped portion in the long strip of the photosensitive material located on the side upstream from the exposure section and for forming a second looped portion in the long strip of the photosensitive material located on the side downstream from the exposure section, said looped portions serving as buffers for conveyance, said exposure section and said loop forming means being located in the conveyance path.

A photosensitive material exposing apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor, which conveys a photosensitive material along a predetermined conveyance path;
• an exposure section, which exposes the photosensitive material to light in accordance with image information and forms latent images on the photosensitive material,
• wherein the photosensitive material is in the form of a long strip, is fed into the conveyance means and is conveyed in this form;
• mark forming means for forming a mark on the long strip of the photosensitive material;
• and
• a sensor detecting the presence or absence of a mark, wherein the exposure section carries out a scanning exposing operation on the long strip of the photosensitive material subsequent to the detection of a mark by said sensor and thereafter forms a latent image on the long strip of the photosensitive material, said exposure section, said mark forming means and said sensor being located in the conveyance path.

A photosensitive material exposing apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor, which conveys a photosensitive material along a predetermined conveyance path;
• and
• an exposure section, which exposes the photosensitive material to light in accordance with image information and forms latent images on the photosensitive material,
• wherein the photosensitive material is in the form of a long strip and is fed into the conveyor and conveyed in this form, and
• the exposure section, which carries out scanning exposing operations on the long strip of the photosensitive material in accordance with units of image information and thereby forms latent images on the long strip of the photosensitive material, and the conveyor which, in cases where a next unit of image information to be used after a latent image is formed by the exposure section has not yet been determined, temporarily ceases the conveyance of the long strip of the photosensitive material after the formation of the latent image, reversely conveys the long strip of the photosensitive material by a predetermined amount, and thereafter waits for entry of the next unit of image information, are located in the conveyance path.

A photosensitive material exposing apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor, which conveys a photosensitive material along a predetermined conveyance path;
• an exposure section, which exposes the photosensitive material to light in accordance with image information and forms latent images on the photosensitive material,
• wherein the photosensitive material is in the form of a long strip and is fed into the conveyor and conveyed in this form,
• the exposure section carries out scanning exposing operations on the long strip of the photosensitive material in accordance with units of image information and thereby forms latent images on the long strip of the photosensitive material;
• a plurality of detectors, each of which detects an edge of the long strip of the photosensitive material being conveyed and detects an amount of meandering of an edge of the long strip of the photosensitive material being conveyed, said exposure section and said detector being located in the conveyance path;
• and
• a timing signal generator which controls the position, at which the exposure along each scanning line by the exposure section is started, in association with the meandering of the long strip of the photosensitive material based upon a detection signal, generated from amounts of meandering of at least two different edges of the long strip detected by at least two of said plurality of detectors.

A photosensitive material exposing apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor, which conveys a photosensitive material along a predetermined conveyance path;
• an exposure section, which exposes the photosensitive material to light in accordance with image information and forms latent images on the photosensitive material;
• and
• a development processing section developing the latent images,
• wherein the photosensitive material is in the form of a long strip and is fed into the conveyor and conveyed in this form, and
• the exposure section comprises a rotatable body conveying the long strip of the photosensitive material such that the long strip of the photosensitive material may be in close contact with the rotatable body, a motor directly driving said rotatable body, and a scanning exposing unit scanning exposing operations on the long strip of the photosensitive material, and is located in the conveyance path, wherein said motor has a number of poles such that the oscillation frequency of said rotatable body is reduced.

A method of conveying a long strip of photosensitive material through a photosensitive material processing apparatus comprising the steps of:

• conveying the long strip along a predetermined conveyance path;
• exposing, during said conveying step, the long strip to light in accordance with image information, thereby forming latent images of the long strip;
• forming a permanent, variable length looped portion in the long strip of photosensitive material on which latent images have been formed;
• and
• delivering the long strip of the photosensitive material from the looped portion to a development processing section, said permanent, variable length looped portion buffering said conveying of the long strip between said exposing step and said delivering step.

A photosensitive material exposing apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor which conveys a long strip of a photosensitive material along a predetermined conveyance path;
• an exposure section which exposes the long strip to light in accordance with image information and forms latent images on the long strip;
• and
• a conveyance buffer including a guide which guides the long strip along a variable length looped portion in said predetermined conveyance path to buffer conveyance of the long strip from variations in conveyance speed along said predetermined conveyance path.