Photosensitive material processing apparatus and photosensitive material processing method

A photosensitive material conveying/processing method in which a photosensitive material accommodated in a cartridge is withdrawn, the photosensitive material is conveyed to a developing processing section having a plurality of photosensitive material conveying lines disposed parallel to one another, and the photosensitive material is processed in the developing processing section, said method comprising the steps of:

• nipping and conveying, by conveying rollers, a photosensitive material withdrawn from a cartridge;
• inspecting, by a photosensitive material inspecting device, the photosensitive material, which is being conveyed, to determine whether the photosensitive material is damaged, and if the photosensitive material is undamaged, continuing conveying the photosensitive material;
• detecting, by an infrared ray sensor, a final end vicinity mark provided on the photosensitive material, and separating the photosensitive material from the cartridge;
• stopping conveying of the photosensitive material after the photosensitive material has been conveyed a predetermined amount in a conveying direction, and reshaping, by a reshaping means, a final end of the photosensitive material into a predetermined configuration;
• conveying the photosensitive material toward a position at which is provided a suction means disposed so as to oppose a reverse surface of at least one linear conveying portion of a conveying belt which is rotatably supported by three entraining rollers and which forms a substantially triangular locus of movement;
• continuing conveying the photosensitive material until the final end of the photosensitive material is detected by another infrared ray sensor provided at a vicinity of an entrance to a developing processing section;
• attracting and holding the photosensitive material and temporarily stopping driving of the conveying belt, when the final end of the photosensitive material is detected;
• rotating the conveying belt reversely, delivering the photosensitive material to a conveying roller of the developing processing section with the final end of the photosensitive material being a conveying direction leading end, and stopping attraction of the photosensitive material;
• and
• returning a photosensitive material distributing means to a home position.

A photosensitive material conveying/processing method in which a photosensitive material accommodated in a cartridge is withdrawn, the photosensitive material is conveyed to a developing processing section having a plurality of photosensitive material conveying lines disposed parallel to one another, and the photosensitive material is processed in the developing processing section, said method comprising the steps of:

• nipping and conveying, by conveying rollers, a photosensitive material withdrawn from a cartridge;
• inspecting, by a photosensitive material inspecting device, the photosensitive material, which is being conveyed, to determine whether the photosensitive material is damaged, and if the photosensitive material is undamaged, continuing conveying the photosensitive material;
• detecting, by an infrared ray sensor, a final end vicinity mark provided on the photosensitive material, and separating the photosensitive material from the cartridge;
• conveying the photosensitive material on a conveying belt rotatably supported by two entraining rollers which are separated from one another in a vertical direction;
• conveying a leading end of the photosensitive material to a reshaping means disposed at a conveying direction downstream side of the conveying belt, and reshaping, by the reshaping means, the leading end of the photosensitive material into a predetermined configuration;
• rotating the conveying belt reversely and returning the photosensitive material by a predetermined amount toward a suction means disposed between two linear conveying portions of the conveying belt so as to oppose a reverse surface of the conveying belt;
• attracting and holding the photosensitive material and temporarily stopping driving of the conveying belt, when the leading end of the photosensitive material is detected by another infrared ray sensor provided at a vicinity of an entrance to a developing processing section;
• reversing the rotation of the conveying belt, delivering the photosensitive material to a conveying roller of the developing processing section with the leading end of the photosensitive material being a conveying direction leading end, and stopping attraction of the photosensitive material;
• and
• returning a photosensitive material distributing means to a home position.

A photosensitive material conveying/processing method in which a photosensitive material accommodated in a cartridge is withdrawn, the photosensitive material is conveyed to a developing processing section having a plurality of photosensitive material conveying lines disposed parallel to one another, and the photosensitive material is processed in the developing processing section, said method comprising the steps of:

• nipping and conveying, by conveying rollers, a photosensitive material withdrawn from a cartridge;
• inspecting, by a photosensitive material inspecting device, the photosensitive material, which is being conveyed, to determine whether the photosensitive material is damaged, and if the photosensitive material is undamaged, continuing conveying the photosensitive material;
• detecting, by an infrared ray sensor, a final end vicinity mark provided on the photosensitive material, and separating the photosensitive material from the cartridge;
• conveying the photosensitive material toward a position at which is provided a suction means disposed so as to oppose a reverse surface of at least one linear conveying portion of a conveying belt which is rotatably supported by three entraining rollers and which forms a substantially triangular locus of movement;
• stopping conveying of the photosensitive material after the photosensitive material has been conveyed a predetermined amount in a conveying direction;
• rotating the conveying belt reversely so as to convey a final end of the photosensitive material to a reshaping means, and reshaping the final end of the photosensitive material, by the reshaping means, into a predetermined configuration;
• rotating the conveying belt forward, and continuing conveying of the photosensitive material until the final end of the photosensitive material is detected by another infrared ray sensor provided in a vicinity of an entrance to a developing processing section;
• attracting and holding the photosensitive material and temporarily stopping driving of the conveying belt, when the final end of the photosensitive material is detected;
• rotating the conveying belt reversely again, delivering the photosensitive material to a conveying roller of the developing processing section with the final end of the photosensitive material being a conveying direction leading end, and stopping attraction of the photosensitive material;
• and
• returning a photosensitive material distributing means to a home position.

A photosensitive material processing apparatus which processes photosensitive materials which have been photographed, comprising:

• a photosensitive material withdrawing section including a spool driver;
• a developing processing section having a plurality of photosensitive material conveying/processing lines which are disposed parallel to one another at a conveying direction downstream side of said photosensitive material withdrawing section;
• and
• a photosensitive material distributing device, provided between said photosensitive material withdrawing section and said developing processing section, which is configured for movement into and out of alignment with any one of the plurality of photosensitive material conveying/processing lines.