Patent ID: 7157665

Claim:
A heat development apparatus for heat developing a heat-developable recording material from one surface side by a heating unit, while transporting the heat-developable recording material by a transportation unit, the apparatus comprising: a transportation path from a beginning end to a terminal end of a heating region in which the heat developing is made by the heating unit, the transportation path being formed in an annular path having a substantially equal length with a transportation length of the heat-developable recording material, so that the beginning end and the terminal end of the heating region are arranged in proximity with each other, and further comprising, at the terminal end of the heating region, an inversion processing mechanism for inverting the heat-developable recording material transported by the transportation unit, and returning it to the beginning end of the heating region; and a transportation route switching unit for selectively switching a route of the heat-developable recording material transported by the transportation unit to a side of the inversion processing mechanism or a discharge-side transportation route.