JP2004094244A - Radiographic image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To construct a user maintenance mechanism that does not limit a recovering operation in the case that a stimulable phosphor sheet can not continuously be transported owing to, for example, a jam to operation done by a serviceman and enables a user to make a safe and easy recovery from the jam even when the stimulable phosphor sheet is an attached to a large-sized plate type member. <P>SOLUTION: In case of jam occurrence, an opening/closing door is opened and a transport means is manually slanted to enable the user to remove the jam by one self. Further, the transport means is constituted as a rotary transport system using a rack and pinion system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

<< The present invention relates to a radiation image reading apparatus for reading radiation image information accumulated in a stimulable phosphor sheet.

(4) In order to digitize radiation image information generated in hospitals and save / transmit the radiation image information, radiation image reading apparatuses that output image information as digital data have been widely used. As a radiation image reading device that outputs such digital data, a radiation image reading device using a stimulable phosphor sheet is well known.

(4) The stimulable phosphor sheet can detect a part of the radiation energy transmitted through the subject and, at the same time, accumulate the detected radiation energy inside the stimulable phosphor sheet. Further, the radiation energy accumulated in the stimulable phosphor sheet can be extracted as stimulable light by exciting with a laser beam having a predetermined wavelength. This stimulated emission can be extracted as an electric signal using a photoelectric conversion element such as a photomultiplier.

Generally, the stimulable phosphor sheet is used by being housed in a portable thin box-shaped housing called a cassette. In such a usage form, the user can easily carry the stimulable phosphor sheet together with the cassette, so that the radiography can be performed in the same manner as the conventionally used screen / film cassette. .

As disclosed in JP-A-1-237636, a method for handling a stimulable phosphor sheet is to take out a flexible stimulable phosphor sheet from a cassette with a suction cup or the like, and to remove the stimulable phosphor sheet. A contact transport system in which a conductive phosphor sheet is sandwiched between rollers and transported is well known.

Further, as disclosed in JP-A-11-160821, a method in which a stimulable phosphor sheet is attached to a rigid plate member and is brought into contact with only the plate member (does not contact the stimulable phosphor surface) Thus, a non-contact transport system for transporting a stimulable phosphor sheet and a plate member has also been proposed.

Further, as shown in the embodiment of the present invention, the stimulable phosphor sheet is adsorbed on the back plate side of the cassette, and after the cassette is taken into the apparatus, the front plate and the back plate of the cassette are separated, A non-contact transport system for transporting the stimulable phosphor sheet together with the back plate is also conceivable.
JP-A-1-237636 JP-A-11-160821

As described above, in order to read the radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet, a stimulable phosphor sheet, a cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet, or a cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet is used. Parts must be transported. However, while the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or a part of the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet is being conveyed, the conveyance cannot be continued due to, for example, a jam or the like (transfer abnormalities). ) May occur and the device must be stopped.

In the case of equipment used at medical sites, when the equipment stops due to a transport error, it not only informs the user that the transport error has occurred, but also immediately resolves the transport error and returns the equipment to use again. It is desired to make it. This is because, if the apparatus is stopped, not only the urgent image diagnosis of the patient cannot be performed, but also the subsequent medical treatment cannot be continued.

However, in a conventional radiation image reading apparatus using a stimulable phosphor, the operation of recovering from such a transport abnormality is limited to the operation of a service person. For this reason, when a transport abnormality occurs, the user calls the serviceman and must stop the radiographic work until the serviceman arrives.

It is common sense for copiers and printers to have a user maintenance mechanism that allows the user to clear the jam when the output paper is jammed, but radiation image reading using a stimulable phosphor The device does not implement such a user maintenance mechanism. The following can be considered as the reason.
1) In the case of copiers and printers, since the output paper is very inexpensive, it is assumed that the jammed output paper may be broken or damaged, making it unusable. In a radiation image reading apparatus using a stimulable phosphor, the stimulable phosphor sheet is very expensive, so that the stimulable phosphor sheet is broken or damaged and cannot be used. Is not allowed to be. Due to such restrictions, it is difficult to construct a mechanism for user maintenance.
2) In the case of a copying machine or a printer, even if the jammed output paper is lost, copying and printing can be performed again. On the other hand, the stimulable phosphor sheet used in the radiation image reading apparatus stores patient image information. If the stimulable phosphor sheet fails, it is necessary to re-image the patient, which is very undesirable because it exposes the patient to extra radiation.

In addition, the non-contact transfer method promises non-contact transfer to the stimulable phosphor surface, so there is an advantage that the stimulable phosphor surface is not stained or damaged unlike the contact transfer method. Since the stimulable phosphor sheet needs to be transported while being attached to a rigid plate-like member, it is difficult to transport the stimulable phosphor plate in a state where the stimulable phosphor plate is bent to some extent as in the contact transport method. However, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to construct a stable transport system.

For example, as described in JP-A-11-160821, after the stimulable phosphor sheet attached to the rigid plate member is pulled out downward, the stimulable phosphor sheet is drawn in the horizontal direction (with respect to the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet). (Vertical direction) parallel transport method has been proposed, but the mechanism for accurately transporting large-sized plate-like members in parallel is very complicated, which not only increases the size of the apparatus but also causes a large cost increase. Become.

In addition, in the method of transporting a large-sized plate-like member with a stimulable phosphor sheet in parallel in the horizontal direction, a user maintenance mechanism should be constructed in the event of a jam during transportation due to the complexity of the transport mechanism. It was difficult to do.

解決 In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention is configured as follows.

The invention according to claim 1 is a radiation image reading apparatus that reads radiation image information from a stimulable phosphor sheet,
Conveyance means for conveying a part of the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet,
The transport means is inclined by rotating a rotation shaft of a transport motor which is a driving unit of the transport means, and the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulable phosphor sheet is used. The radiation image reading apparatus is characterized in that a part of the cassette holding the phosphor sheet is made removable from the radiation image reading apparatus.

In the invention according to claim 2, an opening / closing door is provided in the radiation image reading apparatus main body in order to incline the transporting means,
2. The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the opening / closing door is opened, power supply to a mechanical drive system is shut off.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the inclination of the conveying means is implemented by rotating a pinion gear on a rack tooth having an uneven shape formed on an arc. Item 4. A radiation image reading device according to item 2.

The invention according to claim 4 is the radiation image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveying means is tilted by manually rotating a rotation knob. .

The invention according to claim 5, wherein the rotation knob is fitted to a cylindrical member provided on the transport motor shaft, and the rotation knob is rotated manually. An image reading device.

The invention according to claim 6, wherein the opening and closing door has a storage space for the rotation knob,
The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the door is not closed when the rotary knob is not stored in the storage location of the door. is there.

The invention according to claim 7 is a radiation image reading apparatus that reads radiation image information from a stimulable phosphor sheet,
A transport unit that transports a part of the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet,
The radiation image reading apparatus is characterized in that the conveying means is rotated by rotating a pinion gear on an uneven rack tooth formed on an arc.

The invention according to claim 8 is the radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotational movement of the transport unit is performed by driving a pinion gear by a transport motor unit.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the radiation image reading apparatus according to the eighth aspect, the rotational movement of the transporting means can be performed by manually rotating a rotary knob. is there.

In the invention according to claim 10, when the rotation knob is manually rotated, the rotation knob is fitted to a cylindrical member provided on a shaft of the transport motor, and the rotation knob is manually rotated. The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

According to the above configuration, the present invention has the following effects.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the photostimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the photostimulable phosphor sheet or a part of the cassette holding the photostimulable phosphor sheet is jammed, the conveying means is used. The conveying means is inclined by rotating the rotation axis of the conveying motor which is the driving unit of the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulable phosphor sheet. A part of the cassette holding the image can be removed from the radiation image reading apparatus. Therefore, even if a jam occurs during use, the user performs the jam clearing process without waiting for the arrival of the service person. Therefore, the medical practice can be continued without interruption. In addition, since a sufficient working space can be secured by inclining the conveying means, it is possible to safely clear the jam without damaging the stimulable phosphor sheet surface.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the power supply to the mechanical drive system is shut off by opening the opening / closing door, it is possible to avoid the danger of starting the mechanical operation during the jam clearing process. The operator can safely perform the jam clearing process.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the inclination of the conveying means is configured to be implemented by a rack and pinion system in which a pinion gear is rotationally moved on an uneven rack tooth formed on an arc. The rotation angle can be reliably, safely, and stably performed without a sudden change in the inclination angle due to slip or the like.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the conveying means can be tilted by manually rotating the rotary knob. Therefore, even if power is not supplied to the mechanical driving unit, the state of the mechanical mechanism required for the jam clearing process can be changed. Can be manually changed to a more workable state.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the rotary knob is fitted to the cylindrical member provided on the transport motor shaft, and the rotary knob is manually rotated. It will be easier.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the door is not closed when the rotary knob is not stored in the storage area of the door, the rotary knob is fitted to the cylindrical member on the motor shaft after the jam is released. The device does not operate in the combined state, and therefore, there is no fear of causing a torque fluctuation in the rotation of the motor, or the rotation knob coming off in the device during operation and breaking the device.

In the invention according to claim 7, the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the conveying means for conveying a part of the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet includes a pinion gear. Rotational movement is performed by the rack and pinion method, which rotates on the rack teeth of the uneven shape formed on the arc, so that the rotation angle of the transport means does not suddenly change due to slip etc. , Can be implemented safely and stably.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the rotational movement of the conveying means is performed by driving the pinion gear by the conveying motor unit, the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulable phosphor sheet is moved. Part of the held cassette can be transported quickly and stably.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the transporting means can be performed by manually rotating the rotation knob. Therefore, even if power is not supplied to the mechanical drive unit, the jam release processing can be performed. The required state of the mechanical mechanism can be manually changed to a state in which work is easier.

According to the tenth aspect, when the rotation knob is manually rotated, the rotation knob is fitted to a cylindrical member provided on the shaft of the transport motor, and the rotation knob is manually rotated. Therefore, it is possible to improve the workability of manually rotating the rotation knob.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The embodiments of the present invention show the most preferable embodiments of the present invention, and the terms of the present invention are not limited to these. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing a cassette 1 used in the radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention.

The cassette 1 is composed of a separable front plate 10 and a back plate 20. FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views when the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 of the cassette 1 are separated, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view when the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 of the cassette 1 are combined. 3 (A) to 3 (H) are cross-sectional views of the cassette 1 showing a state of the lock mechanism. FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B) are views for explaining the lock mechanism of the cassette 1, and FIGS. (B) is a view of the back plate 20 as viewed from the back side (the side opposite to the front plate 10).

Front plate 10 includes frame 11 and front plate 13. A nonwoven fabric 17 is attached to the inner surface of the front plate 13. The frame 11 includes a frame side surface 110, a frame bottom surface 111, an inclined surface 112 having a predetermined angle of inclination, an inward surface 113, a frame inner surface 114, a light-shielding projection 115, an insertion hole 14, and cuts 15a, 15b. And locking recesses 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d. The inclined surface 112, the inner surface 114 of the frame, and the light-shielding projection 115 form a concave portion 12 inside the frame 11.

As described above, by providing the inclined surface 112 on the frame 11, the positioning accuracy when the back plate 20 is combined with the front plate 10 can be roughly designed. That is, by providing the inclined surface 112 on the frame 11, the inclined surface 112 automatically guides the back plate 20 to the combined position even if the position at which the back plate 20 is combined with the front plate 10 is slightly shifted. Demands on the component accuracy and assembly accuracy on the side can be reduced. Further, even if the skeleton or mechanism of the device is slightly deformed during transportation of the device, the probability of causing a failure in the work of combining the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 can be extremely reduced.

The frame 11 is preferably made of a material that can withstand a large load during full load shooting, such as aluminum or hard plastic, and the front plate 13 is made of a strong and radiation absorbing material such as aluminum or carbon fiber reinforced plastic. It is preferable to be formed of a relatively small member.

In the case of the type in which the side surface of the cassette 1 is opened and closed or the side plate of the cassette 1 is pulled out, the outer periphery of the cassette side cannot be formed with a continuous structure, so that the structure is weak against the load from the front side. I have. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the frame 11 of the front plate 10 has a structure that covers the outer periphery of the front plate 13 without any break, the load applied from the front plate 10 side of the cassette 1 during photographing is evenly applied to the entire frame 11. Can be accepted. Therefore, the structure is extremely strong against the load applied from the front plate 10 side.

The back plate 20 is formed of the back plate main body 21, the X-ray absorbing sheet 25, the support plate 27, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 28.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is bonded to the support plate 27 via the X-ray absorption sheet 25, and the support plate 27 is attached to the surface of the bonding portion 214 with a strength that can be replaced with a double-sided tape or an adhesive. Glued. The X-ray absorbing sheet 25 is, for example, a lead sheet and absorbs X-rays transmitted through the stimulable phosphor sheet 28. As a result, backscattered rays from the structure of the cassette 1 located behind the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 such as the support 27 and the back plate main body 21 and other scattered rays that may be present further behind the cassette 1. It serves to prevent backscattered rays from the structure from reaching the stimulable phosphor sheet 28. The bonding portion 214 and the rib 215 form the air phase 23, which contributes to reducing the weight of the cassette. Thus, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 having the support plate 27 forms an integral structure in a form that can be peeled off from the back plate main body 21.

When it is desired to replace the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, the entire stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is peeled off from the bonding portion 214 together with the support plate 27, and then the support plate 27 to which the new stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is attached is attached with a double-sided tape or an adhesive. What is necessary is just to adhere | attach to the adhesion part 214. When a double-sided tape is used for bonding the support plate 27 and the bonding portion 214, it is preferable that the double-sided tape be bonded in advance to the bonding portion between the support 27 and the bonding portion 214. If the double-sided tape is bonded to the support 27 in advance, when the support plate 27 is peeled off from the back plate main body 21, the double-sided tape does not remain on the bonding portion 214 side of the back plate main body 21 and the stimulable phosphor is removed. Since the sheet 28 is peeled off together with the support plate 27, when the next support plate 27 to which the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is attached is adhered, a cleaning process of the bonding surface of the bonding portion 214 (the debris of the previous double-sided tape is removed). Cleaning process) becomes easy.

Further, in order to facilitate replacement of the support plate 27 to which the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is attached, the support plate 27 is attracted by a magnetic force instead of being bonded to the bonding portion 214 with a double-sided tape or an adhesive. You may comprise so that it may be. For example, a magnet is bonded to a part of the back surface of the support plate 27 (the surface to which the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is not bonded) (the surface to be bonded to the bonding portion 214), while the bonding portion 214 or The surface of the bonding portion 214 is made of a magnetic substance. With such a configuration, the support plate 27 to which the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is adhered can be easily removed from the back plate 20. The same effect can be obtained by disposing a magnetic material on a part of the back surface of the support plate 27 (adhesion surface with the adhesion portion 214) and forming the adhesion portion 214 or the surface portion of the adhesion portion 214 with a magnet. Needless to say, it can be obtained.

The support plate 27 is a resin plate having a thickness of about 0.5 mm to 3 mm, which is lightweight, has little deformation due to changes in temperature and humidity, and has good flatness, for example, a resin plate such as a glass epoxy resin plate or a paper phenol resin plate. Alternatively, a light and strong carbon fiber reinforced plastic or the like can be used. Further, a light metal plate such as aluminum or magnesium alloy may be used as the support plate 27.

If a metal is used for the support plate 27, it is preferable to make a small hole on the entire metal surface to reduce the weight.

The back plate main body 21 includes a back plate back surface 210, a back plate side surface 211, a rim 212, an adhesive portion 214, a rib 215, and a magnetic sheet 29 such as an iron foil. A concave portion 22 for receiving the light-shielding projection 115 is formed inside the rim 212.

When the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 are combined as shown in FIG. 2, the light shielding projection 115 of the front plate 10 acts to enter the recess 22 of the back plate 20, and the rim 212 of the back plate 20 engages with the recess 12 of the front plate 10. Acts to penetrate. In this manner, light is shielded so that external light does not reach the stimulable phosphor sheet 28. When a velvet, a sponge, or the like is attached to the concave portion 12 of the front plate 10, for example, the light shielding property can be further improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in a state where the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are united, a certain gap is provided between the tip of the inclined surface 112 of the front plate 10 and the inward surface 113 of the frame 11 and the back plate side surface 211. Is designed to occur. This gap is a gap necessary for smoothly combining the front plate 10 and the back plate 20. If the gap is about 0.2 to 2 mm, the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 can be sufficiently smoothly combined. This gap is also important in terms of absorbing manufacturing errors between the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 and thermal expansion of the back plate, and improves the reliability and stability of the union operation of the front plate 10 and the back plate 20. ing. In this embodiment, since the light shielding method by the combination of the concave and convex portions as described above is employed, the external light entering from this gap reaches the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 and Don't worry about putting on your body.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are united with each other, unless a pressure is applied from the front plate 13 of the front plate 10 toward the back plate 20, the front plate 10 is attached to the front plate 13. The space 120 between the nonwoven fabric 17 and the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is designed to be exactly zero, or to have a small space. Pressure is not applied to the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 from the front plate side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the back plate main body 21 is formed of a normal plastic so that the back plate main body 21 can be attracted to the magnet 58 of FIG. The sheet 29 is attached. The surface of the magnetic sheet 29 is covered with a laminated plastic (not shown) or coated with a paint, so that the magnetic sheet 29 is not exposed. For example, instead of pasting the magnetic sheet 29, the back plate body 21 itself may be formed of a magnetic plastic or the like. Further, a method of applying a magnetic substance to the back plate back surface 210 may be used.

The back plate back surface 210 is designed such that when attracted to the magnet 58, the back plate back surface 210 follows the plane formed by the magnet 58. That is, the back plate 20 has a certain degree of rigidity, and also has flexibility enough to follow the plane formed by the magnets 58. In this way, by providing the back plate 20 with a certain degree of flexibility, for example, even if the back plate 20 is deformed or warped due to aging or use conditions, the back plate 20 follows the plane on the magnet 58 side. Deformation and warpage are corrected. Therefore, the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 can always be kept flat when reading image information.

(4) When an image with a load (eg, bed imaging or full-load imaging) is performed from the front panel 10 side, the front panel 13 of the front panel 10 generates a considerable amount of warpage toward the back panel 20 side. At this time, if the rigidity of the back plate 20 is too high, the back plate 20 will maintain flatness, so that the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is pressed by a considerable amount from both the front plate 10 and the back plate 20. And irritates the stimulable phosphor. As described above, if the back plate 20 has both a certain degree of rigidity and a certain degree of flexibility, the back plate 20 can bend to some extent in a direction to escape from the pressing from the front plate 10. The photostimulable phosphor is not damaged.

論 Of course, the back plate 20 should not have more flexibility than necessary. If the back plate 20 has more flexibility than necessary, the durability of the cassette 1 will be reduced. Further, if the back plate 20 is given more flexibility than necessary, the amount of slack of the back plate 20 due to the weight of the back plate 20 becomes large, causing a problem in light shielding properties, or a problem that the flat surface of the stimulable phosphor surface may be damaged during photographing. Or problems with sex.

Further, the back plate body 21 is provided with a purpose of finishing the back plate body 21 in a light weight and increasing the bending strength, and a purpose of stopping a deformation amount when the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is pressed from the front plate 10 side. A rib 215 is formed. Further, the stimulable phosphor of the front plate 13 is so pressed that the front plate 13 does not damage the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 when pressed from the front plate 10 side. The nonwoven fabric 17 is disposed on the surface on the sheet 28 side. The nonwoven fabric 17 preferably has a size smaller than the front plate 13 and larger than the phosphor-coated surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 (which can cover the entire phosphor-coated surface). When the nonwoven fabric 17 is smaller than the phosphor-coated surface, the difference in X-ray absorption in the nonwoven fabric 17 is recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 as image information, which is not preferable. If the nonwoven fabric 17 has a texture, the difference in X-ray absorption due to the texture is recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 as image information. Therefore, it is preferable to use a nonwoven fabric having as little texture as possible. In addition, if the nonwoven fabric 17 is fluffed and the fibers of the nonwoven fabric 17 float inside the apparatus and adhere to a laser optical system or the like, the laser intensity at the time of reading becomes uneven, which causes image defects such as vertical stripes on the image. It is preferable to use a nonwoven fabric 17 having as little fuzz as possible. Further, it is preferable to use a nonwoven fabric which has been subjected to a fuzz prevention treatment by impregnating a resin or the like into the nonwoven fabric 17 or performing a surface treatment.

(4) The front plate 10 and the back plate 20 can be separated from each other, but radiation imaging or the like is usually performed in a united state as shown in FIG.

Next, the lock mechanism of the cassette 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (A) to 3 (H), 4 (A) and 4 (B).

(4) The cassette 1 is provided with a lock mechanism to keep the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 combined. 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d of the back plate 20 are lock claws, and the tips of the lock claws move from the openings 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d with the arrow Q1 or the arrow in accordance with the lock ON / OFF operation. It is configured to move in the direction of Q2.

32a, 32b of the back plate 20 are lock claws different from 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d. The lock claws 32a, 32b are configured to slide in the directions of the arrow Q1 or the arrow Q2 in the openings 33a, 33b with the lock ON / OFF operation.

The lock ON state refers to a state in which the tips of the lock claws 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d protrude outside the back plate side surface 211. At this time, the respective tips of the lock claws 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d are in a state of protruding into the locking recesses 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d of the front plate 10.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the cassette 1 taken along dotted lines U1 and U2 in FIG. 4A when the lock is ON.

In the lock ON state, the tips of the lock claws 32a and 32b are in a state moved in the direction of the arrow Q1. At this time, the cuts 15a and 15b (openings provided in the frame inward surface 113 and the inclined surface 112) of the front plate 10 and the lock claws 32a and 32b are out of phase, that is, the back plate 20 is displaced from the front plate 10. It cannot be separated. FIGS. 3E and 3F are sectional views of the cassette 1 taken along dotted lines U3 and U4 in FIGS. 4A and 4B at this time.

The lock OFF state refers to a state in which the tips of the lock claws 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d enter the inside of the back plate side surface 211. FIGS. 3C and 3D are sectional views of the cassette 1 taken along dotted lines U1 and U2 in FIG. 4A.

In the lock-off state, the lock claws 32a and 32b are in phase with the cuts 15a and 15b, so that the back plate 20 can be separated from the front plate 10. FIGS. 3G and 3H are cross-sectional views of the cassette 1 taken along dotted lines U3 and U4 in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

The lock claws 30a, 30b, 32a, 32b are configured to interlock with the connecting member 35. On the other hand, the lock claws 30c and 30d are configured to interlock with the connecting member 36. One end of the spring 38 a is connected to the connecting member 35, and the other end is connected to the back plate main body 21. Due to the spring 38a, the connecting member 35 is always receiving a force to move in the direction of the arrow Q1. The insertion hole 14 of the front plate 10 has a positional relationship corresponding to the insertion hole 34 of the back plate 20 at the time of merging. When the rod-shaped member is inserted only once in the direction of arrow P from the insertion hole 14 (insertion hole 34) and pushed when the lock is in the ON state, the connecting member 35 stops with the connecting member 35 moved a predetermined distance in the direction of arrow Q2. 3 (C) and 3 (D).

When the connecting member 35 moves in the direction of the arrow Q2, the rack and the pinion move due to the rack shape at the tip of the connecting member 35 and the connecting member 36 and the pinion 37, and the connecting member 36 also moves by the same distance in the direction of the arrow R2. And stop. At this time, the lock claws 32a and 32b also move by the same distance in the direction of arrow Q2 and stop in conjunction with the connection member 35, and the lock claws 32a and 32b enter the lock OFF state shown in FIGS.

That is, when the lock member is in the lock ON state, when the rod-shaped member is inserted only once in the direction of arrow P from the insertion hole 14 (insertion hole 34) and pushed, the state shifts to the lock OFF state, and the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are separated. It is possible. Next, as long as the rod-shaped member is not acted on from the insertion hole 14 (insertion hole 34), this lock-off state is continuously maintained.

When the rod-shaped member is inserted only once in the direction of arrow P from the insertion hole 14 (insertion hole 34) and pushed in the lock-off state, the connecting member 35 stops in a state where it has moved a predetermined distance in the direction of arrow Q1. Then, the state shifts to the lock ON state shown in FIGS.

When the connecting member 35 moves in the direction of the arrow Q1, the above-described rack and pinion operation occurs, and the connecting member 36 also moves by the same distance in the direction of the arrow R1 and stops. At this time, the lock claws 32a and 32b also move by the same distance in the direction of the arrow Q1, and enter the lock ON state shown in FIGS.

That is, when the rod-shaped member is inserted only once in the direction of arrow P from the insertion hole 14 (insertion hole 34) and pushed in the lock-off state, the state shifts to the lock-on state, and the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are separated. It becomes impossible state. Next, as long as the rod-shaped member is not acted on from the insertion hole 14 (insertion hole 34), this lock ON state is continuously maintained.

As described above, the cassette 1 of this embodiment employs a method (push-latch method) in which the lock-on state / lock-off state is switched every time the rod-shaped member is inserted from the insertion hole 14 (insertion hole 34) and pushed. are doing. The push-latch system is well known as a mechanism used when a ball-point pen core is inserted into or removed from the ball-point pen exterior. The push-latch mechanism is included in the push-latch section 39 of FIG. One end of the spring 38 b is connected to the push / latch portion 39, and the other end is connected to the back plate body 21. The push / latch portion 39 is constantly receiving a force to move in the direction of arrow Q1 by the spring 38b.

The cuts 15a and 15b of the front plate 10 and the lock claws 32a and 32b are arranged at a predetermined distance from a center position C (a position indicated by an arrow C) on the side surface of the cassette 1. By disposing the cuts 15a, 15b and the lock claws 32a, 32b so as to be shifted from the center position C on the side surface of the cassette 1 (however, either the pair of the lock claws 32a and the cut 15a or the pair of the lock claws 32b and the cut 15b) If one of the pairs is displaced from the center position C on the side surface of the cassette 1, the other pair may be arranged on the center position C on the side surface of the cassette 1). If the direction of 20 and the front plate 10 are not correct, they will not be combined. Thus, for example, when the user separates the cassette 1 for reasons such as cleaning the inside of the cassette or replacing the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 and trying to unite again after the work, the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 The risk of erroneous merging can be avoided.

機構 A mechanism for avoiding the risk of erroneously combining the directions of the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 in this way is called a reverse insertion prevention mechanism.

Also, at least one convex portion is provided on one of the frame 11 (for example, the inner surface of the frame side surface 110 and the inclined surface 112) of the front plate 10 and the outer peripheral portion of the back plate (for example, the outer surface of the back plate side surface 211). , The other is provided with at least one concave portion, and the convex portion and the concave portion are arranged so as to be aligned only when the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 face each other in a correct direction, thereby easily constructing a reverse insertion preventing mechanism. be able to.

For example, a convex portion having the same shape as the lock claws 32a, 32b is provided on the outer surface of the back plate side surface 211, a concave portion having the same shape as the cuts 15a, 15b is provided in the frame 11 of the front plate 10, and the convex portion and the concave portion are formed. By disposing them in the same positional relationship as the lock claws 32a, 32b and the cuts 15a, 15b in the lock OFF state, a reverse insertion prevention mechanism can be constructed.

When the lock mechanism is constituted only by the lock claws 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d (without the lock claws 32a, 32b), when the cassette 1 is held so that the front plate 10 faces upward in the vertical direction, the back plate The side where the lock claw 20 does not exist is loosened vertically downward by the weight of the back plate 20. As described above, the lock mechanism using the lock claws 32a and 32b can also serve as a mechanism (slack prevention mechanism) for preventing the back plate 20 from being loosened by its own weight.

However, such a loosening prevention mechanism is not always necessary for the relatively small size cassette 1 in which the back plate 20 is unlikely to loosen under its own weight.

In addition, in this embodiment, the insertion hole 14 and the insertion hole 34 are represented by a rectangular shape, but this does not limit the insertion hole 14 and the insertion hole 34 to a rectangular shape. For example, the shape may be circular.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views of the back plate 20 of the cassette 1 as viewed from the back side (the side opposite to the front plate 10). FIG. 5A shows the lock ON state, and FIG. 5B shows the lock OFF state.

コ ー ド A code storage element 200 is attached on the same side of the back plate back surface 210 as the insertion hole 34. The clip 201 is disposed on the back plate back surface 210 opposite to the code storage element 200.

In this embodiment, the code storage element 200 is a barcode label on which an optically readable pattern is printed, and the code storage element 200 (barcode label) extends from the corner of the cassette 1 regardless of the size of the cassette. It is bonded at a position of a predetermined distance X.

{Circle around (4)} As the code storage element 200, an element that can read the code information written in the code storage element 200 using a radio technology such as an electromagnetic wave or a microwave may be used. When an element capable of reading code information using a radio technology such as an electromagnetic wave or a microwave is used, even if the positional relationship between the code storage element 200 and the reading device of the code storage element 200 is slightly shifted, the code storage element 200 is recorded in the code storage element 200. This is convenient because the code information can be read with high accuracy. As such an element, for example, an element called a non-contact ID label (for example, an S label) can be used.

When reading the code information written in the code storage element 200 using a radio technology such as an electromagnetic wave or a microwave, the code storage element 200 should be arranged inside the back plate 20 instead of the back plate back surface 210. May be. Since reading and writing are performed by wireless technology, the code storage element 200 does not need to be present on the back surface 210 of the back plate. In this case, if a label printed with the identification number (ID number) of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 or the like is pasted on the back surface 210 of the back plate, the label can be visually recognized, so that it is easier to understand.

It is more convenient to use the barcode reading method and the wireless reading method together. In this case, it is important that the content of the barcode label is associated with the content recorded on the element read by wireless technology.

In the code storage element 200, the identification number (ID number) of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, the date of manufacture, the lot number, the version number of the stimulable phosphor, the size information of the cassette 1, the stimulable phosphor, A number indicating sensitivity correction information (or sensitivity information) of the sheet 28 is recorded as code information. If sensitivity correction information (or sensitivity information) of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is recorded, it is possible to read this information and correct the sensitivity of the stimulable phosphor sheet. For example, by changing the voltage applied to a photoelectric conversion element such as a photomultiplier to change the reading sensitivity of the photoelectric conversion element, the sensitivity variation of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is corrected, and the image information is always kept at a constant sensitivity. Can be read. Such sensitivity correction can also be achieved by, for example, performing a shift process on digital data obtained by AD-converting the output of a logarithmic amplifier in accordance with sensitivity information. In this case, there is no need to change the voltage applied to an electric conversion element such as a photomultiplier.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention.

(4) The apparatus main body 2 is provided with a cassette insertion port 3, a cassette discharge port 4, an opening / closing door 5, and a caster 6. Further, the apparatus main body 2 includes a transporting unit 40, a sub-scanning unit 50, a reading unit 60, a cassette insertion / ejection unit 70, a display / operation unit 80, and a main body skeleton unit 90. It has a structure that can be easily removed from 2.

副 The sub-scanning means 50 and the transport means 40 are constructed on the same substrate 92 of the main body frame 90. By arranging an anti-vibration rubber 93 between the substrate 92 and the bottom plate 91, an anti-vibration structure in which the vibration of the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70 is not transmitted to the sub-scanning unit 50 is realized.

{Circle around (4)} An anti-vibration rubber 94 is provided between the upper end of the sub-scanning means 50 and an apparatus frame (not shown) to reinforce the anti-vibration structure for the sub-scanning means 50.

With such a vibration-proof structure, while the image information is being read from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 by the reading means 60, the cassette 3 is inserted into the insertion port 3, the cassette 1 is taken out from the discharge port 4, Even if the main body 2 is vibrated, it is possible to prevent noise from occurring in the read image information due to vibration.

Further, since the sub-scanning unit 50 and the transport unit 40 are constructed on the same substrate 92, when the back plate 20 is transferred from the transport unit 40 to the sub-scanning unit 50, the transfer position may be shifted as described later. There is no. Thereby, the separation and uniting work of the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 can be stably and accurately performed.

Also, the substrate 92 is provided with an opening for allowing the mechanism on the transport means 40 to escape to the lower surface side of the substrate 92 so that the mechanism on the transport means 40 does not interfere with the substrate 92 when the transport means 40 is inclined. is there. The bottom plate 91 also has an opening for the same reason. In this manner, by providing the substrate 92 and the bottom plate 91 with openings for allowing the mechanism on the transport means 40 to escape, the height of the apparatus main body 2 can be reduced.

However, if an opening is provided in the bottom plate 91, external light may enter the apparatus main body 2 and cause a problem. Therefore, a removable light-shielding plate 95 having a V-shaped recess for covering the opening of the bottom plate 91 is prepared, and is attached to the bottom plate 91 so as to protrude downward as shown by 95a in FIG. By doing so, it is possible to prevent external light from entering the apparatus main body 2 while allowing the mechanism on the transporting means 40 to escape to the lower surface side of the bottom plate 91.

However, if the light-shielding plate 95 is attached in a state of being convex downward as shown in 95a in FIG. 6, the projection of the light-shielding plate 95 becomes an obstacle when the apparatus main body 2 is transported. Therefore, when transporting the apparatus main body 2, the light-shielding plate 95 is attached in a state of being convex upward as shown by 95b in FIG. By doing so, when the apparatus main body 2 is transported, the projection of the light shielding plate 95 does not become an obstacle.

As described above, the opening is provided in the bottom plate 91, and the V-shaped light-shielding plate 95 that shields the opening is configured to be attached in both the upwardly convex state and the downwardly convex state. The height of the apparatus main body 2 can be reduced while allowing the transfer means 40 to rotate while the apparatus is mounted on the bottom plate 91 so as to be convex upward during conveyance and convex downward when operating the apparatus main body 2. it can.

Next, the operation of the radiation image reading apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 7 is a view showing the relationship between the transporting means 40 and the sub-scanning means 50 of the radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a top view of the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70 of the radiation image reading apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a front view of the display / operation unit 80 of the radiation image reading apparatus according to the present invention. FIGS. 10A and 10B are views showing the relationship between the transporting means 40 and the sub-scanning means 50 at the time of transferring the back plate of the radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a positional relationship of the cassette 1 with respect to the upper reference and the center reference of the radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a transition diagram showing changes in the display contents of the display means 81 of the radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention.

First, a circuit breaker (not shown) is turned on to start the device. Next, when the operation switch 82 shown in FIG. 9 is pressed (operation 1), power is supplied to a control unit (not shown) of the apparatus main body 2 and the operation lamp 84 is turned on, and at the same time, the display means 81 (LCD panel in this embodiment) is turned on. Is displayed as shown in FIG. 9 or 811 in FIG. At the same time, initialization of the apparatus main body 2 and a control unit (not shown) starts. In order to make it easy for the user to understand the time lapse until the initialization is completed, a bar display is performed by ■ and □ as shown by 811 in FIG. 9 or FIG. A down-count display that replaces numbers with □ one by one is performed. Alternatively, the elapsed time until the end of the initialization may be displayed in seconds. When the initialization is completed, the display on the display means 81 becomes “READY” as shown by 812 in FIG. 12, and the cassette 1 can be inserted into the apparatus main body 2.

{The radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention has at least two operation modes. One is a reading mode for reading image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, and the other is an erasing mode for erasing image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28. When the device starts up, the reading mode is automatically selected. Two erasing modes, MODE1 (high-speed erasing) and MODE2 (low-speed erasing), are prepared. MODE1 (high-speed erasing) is an erasing mode that is performed before radiation imaging or after a certain period of time has elapsed since the last time image information was read, and is used, for example, after erasing all stimulable phosphor sheets every morning. Erase mode. On the other hand, MODE2 (low-speed erasing) is an erasing mode used when, for example, radiation imaging has been mistaken and image information is unnecessary.

Next, transition of the erasing mode and the contents displayed on the display means 81 will be described with reference to FIG.

To shift to the erase mode, press and hold the erase switch 83 in FIG. 9 for 3 to 5 seconds (operation 2). At the same time as the erasing lamp 85 is turned on by the operation 2, the display on the display means 81 changes from "READY" display to "ERASE {MODE} 1} / {QUICK" display as shown by 813 in FIG. The mode is shifted to MODE1 (high-speed erasing), and the countdown for 10 seconds is displayed in the same manner as at the time of initialization (from the state of all か ら to the state of □, the number of ■ is replaced with □ one by one with the passage of time) Count display). If left for 10 seconds in this state, the mode automatically returns to the reading mode. When the erase switch 83 is pressed 10 seconds after the display of “ERASE MODE 1 /” (operation 3), the display 814 of the display means 81 changes to “ERASE MODE 2 / ■■■”. (3) "SLOW" is displayed, and the mode shifts to MODE2 (low-speed erasing) in the erasing mode, and a 10-second countdown starts. If left for 10 seconds in this state, the mode automatically returns to the reading mode.

When the cassette 1 is inserted into the insertion slot 3 during the counting down (within 10 seconds after the mode transition) in both the mode 1 (high-speed erasing) in the erasing mode and the mode 2 (low-speed erasing) in the erasing mode, the cassette 1 Is taken into the apparatus main body 2 and erased. When the erasure is completed and the next erasure becomes possible, the down-count is again displayed on the display means 81, and thereafter, the next cassette 1 is similarly inserted into the insertion slot 3 until the down-count is completed. Thus, the erasing operation can be performed continuously.

As described above, when the erase mode is entered, the countdown is performed for 10 seconds, and by inserting the cassette 1 into the insertion slot 3 until the countdown is completed, the erase operation is continuously performed. This eliminates the need to re-enter the erase mode each time you want to erase. If the cassette 1 is not inserted into the insertion slot 3 by the end of the 10-second countdown, the mode automatically returns to the reading mode. The danger of accidentally erasing the phosphor sheet has been eliminated.

(4) When the user wants to end the operation of the radiation image reading apparatus (power off), press and hold the operation switch 82 for 5 seconds (operation 7). As a result of this operation, the display on the display means 81 is displayed as "Power OFF Made 5" as shown at 816 in FIG. 12, and the number of seconds display portion is switched to 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and after 5 seconds elapse, As shown at 12 817, “Power OFF Jun Bitchu” is displayed. Along with this display, a down count is started. When the preparation for the power OFF is completed, the display means 81 is turned off, and the power supplied to the control unit of the apparatus main body 2 is cut off.

Needless to say, the intention of the present invention is the same even if the above-described down-count display is changed to an up-count display.

Also, the time required to return from the erasing mode to the reading mode (10 seconds in this example), the time required to shift from 816 display to 817 display in FIG. 12 (5 seconds in this example), the operation switch 82 and the erasure The time for pressing the switch 83 for a long time is not limited to the time in this example.

In any state and in any mode, once an error occurs, the operation of the radiation image reading apparatus is stopped, and an error message shown at 815 in FIG. Here, “XXXXXX” indicates a portion where an error code is displayed, and “YYYYYYYYYYY” is a portion where an operation or work content to be performed by the user is displayed. As described above, since the operation or the work to be performed by the user is displayed on the display means 81 of the apparatus main body together with the error code, it is possible to immediately return from the error.

Next, the reading operation of the radiation image reading apparatus in the reading mode will be described with reference to FIG. Regarding the operation of inserting and ejecting the cassette 1 and the movement of the cassette 1 inside the apparatus, the erasing operation in the erasing mode is the same as that described below.

(6) As shown in FIG. 6, the cassette 1 on which the radiographic image has been taken is inserted into the insertion slot 3 in the direction of arrow A1. At this time, the insertion is performed so that the insertion hole 14 faces down and the front plate 13 of the front plate 10 faces obliquely downward. That is, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is inserted so that the reading surface faces obliquely downward. In this embodiment, the cassette 1 is inserted leftward along the left wall of the insertion slot 3.

カ A cassette detection sensor 701 in which 701a and 701b act as a pair is disposed on the insertion guide portions 71a and 71b of the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70. Reference numeral 701a denotes a light emitting unit that emits infrared light, and 702b denotes a light receiving unit that receives infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 701a. When the cassette 1 is inserted into the insertion slot 3, the infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 701a of the cassette detection sensor 701 is blocked by the cassette 1 and does not reach the light receiving unit 701b of the cassette detection sensor 701. The apparatus main body 2 detects insertion of the cassette 1 using the shielding of the infrared light as a cassette detection signal.

As shown in FIG. 8, at least two pairs of the cassette detection sensor 701 include one pair of 701a-1 and 701b-1 on the left side of the insertion slot 3 and one pair of 701a-2 and 701b-2 on the center of the insertion slot 3. Cassette detection sensor 701 is prepared. Only when all of at least two pairs of cassette detection sensors 701 have issued (output) a detection signal, the insertion roller 72a is driven by an insertion motor (not shown), and the cassette 1 is moved in the direction of arrow A1 by the driving of the insertion roller 72a. The cassette 1 is conveyed and the leading end of the cassette 1 reaches the insertion opening shutter 74. By driving the insertion roller 72a for a while even after the leading end of the cassette 1 reaches the insertion opening shutter 74, the cassette 1 can be aligned with the insertion opening shutter 74 so as to be horizontal even when the cassette 1 is inclined and inserted. Can be. The insertion roller 72b is a driven roller, and the cassette 1 is nipped by the insertion roller 72a and the insertion roller 72b with a sufficient force for conveyance.

When at least one pair of the at least two pairs of cassette detection sensors 701 does not issue a detection signal, it is recognized that the cassette 1 has not been inserted left-justified, and the display unit 81 (in this embodiment, characters or characters). A warning message is displayed to insert the cassette 1 left-justified into a liquid crystal panel capable of displaying symbols. By arranging a pair of cassette detection sensors 701a-2 and # 701b-2 in the insertion slot 3 as in this embodiment, the cassette detection sensor 701a is always inserted regardless of the size of the cassette 1 inserted in any direction. Since the detection signal is issued from -2, 701b-2, even if the cassette 1 is not inserted left-aligned, a warning message for always inserting the cassette 1 left-aligned can be displayed.

(4) At the same time as the warning message is displayed, the insertion slot indicator 76 flashes and an alarm sounds, so that the user does not overlook that the cassette 1 has been abnormally inserted.

Thus, immediately after the cassette 1 is inserted, the abnormal insertion is notified immediately (before a part of the cassette 1 is completely taken into the apparatus main body 2), so that the user can immediately insert the cassette without losing time. Corrective actions, such as reinserting the cassette 1 or shifting the cassette 1 to the left, can be performed.

When the rotation of the insertion motor (not shown) started upon detection of the cassette 1 is stopped, the code reading unit 702 reads the above-described various information including the size information of the cassette 1 from the code storage element 200 of the cassette 1. In this embodiment, the code storage element 200 is a barcode label, and the code reading means 702 is a barcode reader, but is not limited to this.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70 as viewed from above. In this embodiment, the code reading means 702 is arranged on the left side of the insertion slot 3, so that the cassette 1 is inserted to the left with respect to the insertion slot 3 so that the position of the code storage element 200 (bar code label) is changed. It is configured such that it faces the code reading means 702 (bar code reader) and the code storage element 200 (bar code label) comes within a readable range of the code reading means 702 (bar code reader). Since the code width (barcode label width) of the code storage element 200 is configured to be smaller than the readable range of the code reading unit 702 (barcode reader), the insertion position of the cassette 1 is slightly shifted. Even if the cassette 1 is slightly away from the left wall of the insertion slot 3, the information of the code storage element 200 (bar code label) on the cassette 1 can be accurately read by the code reading means 702 (bar code reader). It is configured as follows. With this configuration, the user does not need to use a nerve to insert the cassette 1, and the stress in inserting the cassette 1 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the cassette 1 is inserted leftward in the insertion slot 3, but it goes without saying that the cassette 1 may be inserted rightward. In this case, the code reading means 702 is arranged on the right side of the insertion slot 3.

挿入 An insertion slot indicator 76 is arranged in the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70. In a state where the cassette can be inserted into the insertion slot 3, that is, when the cassette 1 is not present in the insertion slot 3 and the insertion slot shutter 74 is closed, the insertion slot indicator 76 is turned on, and the cassette can be inserted into the display means 81. Is displayed, for example, READY is displayed.

When the cassette is not inserted into the insertion slot 3, that is, when the cassette 1 is present in the insertion slot 3, or when the cassette 1 is being taken into the apparatus main body 2, or when the cassette 1 is When the insertion slot shutter 74 is open immediately after the insertion, the insertion slot indicator 76 is turned off, indicating that the cassette is in the insertion prohibited state. The display means 81 displays a display indicating that the cassette 1 is being processed by the apparatus main body 2, for example, a display of BUSY.

In this embodiment, when the cassette is being processed by the apparatus main body 2, that is, after the cassette 1 is detected in the insertion slot 3, the next cassette 1 can be taken in through the reading process, the erasing process, and the cassette discharging process. Until the state is reached, the characters "BUSY" are displayed on the display means 81. During the display of “BUSY”, a bar is displayed by ■ and □ as shown at 818 in FIG. 12 so that the progress of the process can be easily understood. An up-count display or a down-count display is performed, in which each is replaced with ■. The display switching from □ to ■ is preferably performed according to the progress of the processing content. For example, processing for taking in the cassette 1 from the insertion opening 3 into the apparatus main body 2, processing for transporting the cassette 1 inside the apparatus main body 2, processing for reading image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, and processing for stimulable phosphor When the display switching from □ to ■ is sequentially performed at the timing when the processing contents change, such as the processing of erasing the image information remaining on the sheet 28 and the processing of discharging to the discharge port 4 of the cassette 1, the user is currently performing any processing. It is very convenient because it is possible to know the outline of the process and to estimate the time until the process is completed. The elapsed time until the end of the process may be displayed in seconds. When the reading process and the erasing process are completed, the cassette 1 is discharged to the discharge port 4 and the next cassette 1 can be taken in, the display means 81 indicates "READY" indicating that the cassette can be inserted. Is displayed.

When an abnormal insertion of the cassette 1 or an abnormal insertion of a cassette other than the cassette 1 occurs, the insertion slot indicator 76 flashes, and a warning error message indicating that the abnormal insertion has occurred is displayed on the display unit 81. A warning sound is also generated to notify the user of the abnormal insertion. As described above, when the abnormal insertion of the cassette 1 is detected, the cassette 1 is not taken into the apparatus main body 2.異常 Here, abnormal insertion refers to the following cases.

# 1) When at least one pair of the at least two pairs of cassette detection sensors 701 does not issue a detection signal (for example, when the cassette is not left-aligned). In this case, a warning error message indicating that the cassette 1 is to be left-justified is displayed on the display means 81.

(2) When the code reading unit 702 cannot read the code or reads a code that cannot be identified. In this case, a warning error message indicating that a reading error of the code storage element 200 (a bar code in this embodiment) has occurred is displayed on the display unit 81.

If the code reading unit 702 cannot read the code or reads a code that cannot be identified, the following cases are possible.

1) Cassette 1 is inserted upside down,
2) Cassette 1 is inserted upside down,
3) a different cassette or foreign object is inserted;
4) the code recorded on the code storage element 200 (bar code label) is dirty or destroyed;
5) the code storage element 200 (barcode label) is not affixed or not in the correct position;
When the code reading means 702 reads the code correctly, the insertion opening shutter 74 is opened, the insertion roller 72a is driven by an insertion motor (not shown), and the cassette 1 is moved along the dotted line a in the apparatus main body 2 in the direction of arrow A2. Is taken into.

When the cassette 1 is taken into the apparatus main body 2, the insertion shutter 74 is closed, and the insertion indicator 76 of FIG. 8 is turned on (the insertion indicator 76 is turned on when the cassette 1 can be inserted, and is turned off when the insertion is prohibited). 2) The next cassette 1 can be inserted. At this time, when the next cassette 1 is inserted (at this time, the insertion indicator 76 is turned off), if there is no abnormal insertion of the cassette 1, the insertion rollers 72a and 72b operate and the cassette 1 is coded by the code reading means 702. It advances to the reading position of the storage element 200, and stops while being nipped by the insertion rollers 72a and 72b. At this point, the code storage element 200 is read by the code reading means 702, and if normal reading can be confirmed, the apparatus main body 2 is placed in a state in which the cassette 1 can receive the cassette 1 (they are first loaded into the apparatus main body 2). After the cassette 1 is completely read and ejected from the ejection port 4, the cassette 1 inserted later is inserted into the insertion port 3 until the rotating body 41 returns to the position indicated by the dotted line a in FIG. Continue waiting at. When the apparatus main body 2 is ready to receive the cassette 1, it is taken into the apparatus main body 2. As described above, since two cassettes 1 can be received almost continuously, work efficiency is improved. When the ejection switch 78 is pressed while the cassette 1 is stopped by being nipped by the insertion rollers 72a and 72b, the insertion rollers 72a and 72b rotate in the reverse direction, and the cassette 1 is ejected to the insertion slot 3. Therefore, the discharge function of the cassette 1 by the discharge switch 78 is useful when it is found that the cassette 1 has been inserted by mistake.

When the insertion roller 72a is started, the rotary moving body 41 of the conveying means 40 is already waiting at the position indicated by the dotted line a, and rotates the cassette 1 carried in from the insertion slot 3 by the insertion rollers 72a and 72b. It is received by an elevator 43 that moves up and down along 41. An elevating platform sensor 430 is disposed on the elevating platform 43. When the elevating platform sensor 430 detects the leading end of the cassette 1, the sensor operates at substantially the same speed as the cassette 1 taking in. Descend. The elevator 43 is controlled in accordance with the cassette size information read from the code storage element 200 so that the upper end of the cassette 1 stops at the position indicated by Z in FIGS. The position on the dotted line a and the position on the dotted line b of the rotary moving body 41 are detected by the position detection sensors 410 and 411.

When the upper end of the cassette 1 stops at the position indicated by Z in FIG. 10A and FIG. 11, the width adjusting means 42a and 42b operate according to the cassette size information read from the code storage element 200. That is, the width shifting means 42a and 42b at the retreat position S1 in FIGS. 10A and 10B move in the direction of the arrow M1 and stop at the position S2 where the cassette 1 is held. At this time, the width shift sensors 420a and 420b change from OFF to ON. If the width adjustment sensors 420a and 420b are not turned on, the error information is displayed on the display means 81 and the operation is stopped.

When the width shifters 42a and 42b are at the position S2 where the cassette 1 is held, the width shifters 42a and 42b include only the frame 11 of the front plate 10 with the protrusions 421a and 421b on the T1 side shown in FIG. Is held in the form of holding. At this time, since the width shifters 42a and 42b do not hold the back plate 20, if the lock of the cassette 1 is turned off, the back plate 20 may interfere with the protrusions 421a and 421b of the width shifters 42a and 42b. Can be removed without. As described above, the width adjusting means 42a and 42b hold only the front plate 10 and do not hold the back plate 20, so that the width adjusting mechanism and the holding mechanism of the cassette 1 can be shared, and the number of parts of the apparatus can be reduced. The device control can be simplified and the device control can be simplified.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how different cassette sizes have a positional relationship on the rotary moving body 41. 1A is a half cut (14 inch × 17 inch) size cassette, 1B is a large angle (14 inch × 14 inch) size cassette, 1C is a large four (11 inch × 14 inch) size cassette, and 1D is a four cut (10 inch). Inch x 12 inch size cassette, 1E is a 6-cut (8 inch x 10 inch) size cassette, 1 Fa is a 24 x 30 cm size cassette, 1 Fb is a 24 x 30 cm size mammography cassette, 1 Ga is 18 x 24 cm A cassette having a size of 1 Gb is a cassette for mammography having a size of 18 × 24 cm, and 1H is a dental cassette having a size of 15 × 30 cm. Regardless of the size of all cassettes, the position of the elevator 43 is controlled so that the upper end of the cassette is located at the position indicated by the arrow Z. A method of controlling the upper end of the cassette 1 to always stop at the same position of the rotary moving body 41 in this manner is referred to as upper reference control.

利 点 The advantages of the upper reference control are the following two points.

(1) The time required for the sub-scanning means 50 to transport the back plate 20 to the reading position B can be minimized irrespective of the cassette size, so that the processing capability (throughput) of the apparatus can be improved.

2) Regardless of the cassette size, the upper end of the back plate 20 can protrude from the sub-scanning moving plate 57 by the same distance u (see FIGS. 7, 10A and 11). The tip T1 surface of 42b (see FIGS. 7 and 10B) can be made to escape from the sub-scanning moving plate 57 and the magnet 58 to the back of the apparatus without interfering with the sub-scanning moving plate 57 and the magnet 58. Further, the cassette 1 can be held in such a manner that the width adjusting means 42a, 42b holds the frame 11 of the front plate 10 of the cassette 1 with the projections 421a, 421b without interfering with the sub-scanning moving plate 57 and the magnet 58.

Of course, a method of controlling the lower reference, that is, a method of controlling the position of the elevator 43 so that the lower end of the cassette 1 always stops at the same position of the rotary moving body 41 may be adopted. In this case, the elevator 43 can be moved down to the lower end of the apparatus irrespective of the size of the cassette 1, so that control of the mechanism can be simplified. However, the above two advantages cannot be obtained.

The dotted line V in FIGS. 10A and 11 is the center line of the sub-scanning moving plate 57. The width adjusting means 42a and 42b are controlled so that the centers of all cassettes are aligned with the center line of the sub-scanning moving plate 57. That is, when the loading of the cassette 1 into the inside of the apparatus main body 2 is completed, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the width shifting means 42a and 42b are moved from the retreat position S1 in the direction indicated by the arrow M1. The cassette 1 moves and stops at the position S2 where the cassette 1 is held (the cassette 1 in FIG. 10A is assumed to be a 6-inch (8 inch × 10 inch) size cassette). During this time, the cassette 1 located on the left side on the lift 43 moves to the center position on the lift 43.

Thereafter, a series of processes from transport of the cassette 1 by the transport unit 40, sub-scanning of the back plate 20 by the sub-scanning unit 50, and discharge of the cassette 1 are all performed at this center position. This is called center-based control. As described above, when the cassette 1 is inserted into the insertion slot 3, the cassette 1 is inserted left-aligned (this is referred to as one-side reference control), but when the cassette 1 is taken into the apparatus main body 2, the center reference is used. Changed to control.

Normally, when a film or a stimulable phosphor sheet is conveyed, a one-side reference control for conveying the film or the stimulable phosphor sheet to one side is performed. In the case of this embodiment, since the transporting means 40 (the rotary moving body 41) and the sub-scanning means 50 must handle the cassette 1 and the back plate 20 of various sizes, the control of the cassette 1 and the back plate The position of the center of gravity in the horizontal direction of 20 and the center of the sub-scanning moving plate 57 do not coincide with each other, and the balance of sub-scanning requiring precise conveyance may be lost, leading to speed irregularity during reading. Further, since the back plate 20 to which the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is attached is considerably heavier than the film or the stimulable phosphor sheet alone, the unbalance of the control on one side is poor in reliability and stability. Is not preferred in terms of Therefore, in this embodiment, control based on the center is preferable.

However, it is preferable to control the one-sided reference for the insertion of the cassette 1 as described above. In other words, the control of the one-side reference (inserting the cassette 1 leftward or rightward with respect to the insertion slot 3) causes the position of the code storage element 200 (barcode label) to face the code reading means 702 (barcode reader). In addition, the code storage element 200 can be configured so as to be within a readable range of the code reading unit 702. When the cassette 1 is inserted by the control based on the center, when the cassette 1 is inserted into the insertion slot 3, the positions of the code storage element 200 and the code reading means 702 are shifted, and the code of the code storage element 200 is changed. In many cases, before reading the code storage element 200, some sort of cassette position adjustment mechanism is required, which complicates the apparatus and reduces reliability.

However, from the viewpoint of easy insertion of the cassette 1 by a user, it is preferable that the cassette 1 can be inserted at a free position with respect to the insertion slot 3 without providing a reference when inserting the cassette 1. As one means for realizing this, it is conceivable to use a non-contact ID label (for example, an S label) for the code storage element 200. In this case, since the code reading unit 702 reads information recorded in the code storage element 200 using a radio technology such as an electromagnetic wave or a microwave, even if the positional relationship between the code reading unit 702 and the code reading unit 702 is slightly shifted. there is no problem.

When an element requiring optical reading such as a bar code is selected as the code storage element 200, the cassette 1 is aligned with the center reference or one-side reference in the insertion slot 3 or inside the apparatus main body 2, and then the code storage element is read. What is necessary is just to read 200 information.

Further, when the back plate 20 is transferred between the transporting means 40 (the rotary moving body 41) and the sub-scanning means 50, the T2 surface of the lift 43 interferes with the sub-scanning moving plate 57 (or the magnet 58). In order to avoid this, an interference avoiding opening 570 is provided in the sub-scanning moving plate 57 (see FIG. 10A). In the one-side reference control, the position of the interference avoidance opening cannot be specified and a more complicated mechanism is required. In this sense, the center reference control is preferable in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the control based on the center reference is employed. However, the control based on the one-sided reference avoiding the above problem does not impair the essence of the present invention.

The rotary moving body 41 of the transporting means 40 has a rotating shaft 45, and the transport motor unit 46 is driven around the rotating shaft 45 as a center of rotation at least in the range from the dotted line a to the dotted line c (the range of the angle θ). It can rotate freely. The rotational movement is performed by the transfer motor 460 of the transfer motor unit 46 driving the pinion gear 47 and the pinion gear 47 rotating on the uneven rack teeth 480 formed on the arc of the rotation support plate 48. Is done.

When the cassette 1 is taken into the apparatus main body 2 by the transporting means 40, the transport motor unit 46 is driven to rotate the pinion gear 47, and the rotary moving body 41 rotates about the rotary shaft 45 as a rotation center as indicated by a dotted line a in FIG. Rotationally moves from the position to the position indicated by the dotted line c in the direction of arrow A3. When the rotary moving body 41 rotates to the position indicated by the dotted line c, the back plate back surface 210 of the cassette 1 having a magnetic material is attracted to the magnet 58 by magnetic force.

At this time, in order to control the amount of pressing of the cassette 1 against the magnet 58, the cassette 1 is pressed against the magnet 58 by a mechanism (not shown) that presses the front plate 10 of the cassette 1 against the magnet 58 with spring pressure. ing.

A lock opening / closing mechanism 44 for turning on / off the lock mechanism of the cassette 1 and a lock pin 440 are disposed on the lift 43, and the lock pin 440 moves up and down to turn on / off the lock mechanism of the cassette 1. Can be turned off.

The sub-scanning means 50 includes a column 51, sub-scan rails 52a and 52b, sub-scan movable parts 53a and 53b, a pulley 55, a steel belt 54, a sub-scan movable plate fixing member 56, a sub-scan movable plate 57, a magnet 58, and a counterweight. 59, a driving unit (not shown) including a sub-scanning motor and a speed reducer. The sub-scanning moving plate 57 is fixed to the sub-scanning movable portion 53a via the sub-scanning moving plate fixing member 56, and both ends of the steel belt 54 are fixed to the sub-scanning moving plate fixing member 56 and the counterweight 59. The pulley 55 is connected to a drive unit (not shown), and transmits the power of the drive unit (not shown) to the steel belt 54. The sub-scanning moving plate 57 and the counterweight 59 move up and down on the sub-scanning rails 52a and 52b, respectively, under the power of a driving unit (not shown). As the sub-scanning rails 52a and 52b, a linear guide or a linear bearing guide having high conveyance performance can be used. As a speed reducer (not shown), a planetary roller speed reducer, a pulley speed reducer, or the like can be used.

In this embodiment, the magnet 58 is a rubber magnet (permanent magnet) having a predetermined area. As the rubber magnet, a single sheet having an interference avoiding opening 570 as shown in FIG. 10A may be attached to the entire surface of the sub-scanning moving plate 57, or the rubber magnet may be divided into a predetermined number and sub-scanned. It may be attached to the moving plate 57. Further, the rubber magnet can take any shape. Also, permanent magnets or electromagnets other than rubber magnets may be used.

The surface portion of the magnet 58 that attracts the back plate back surface 210 has high flatness, and when the magnet 58 attracts the back plate back surface 210, the magnetic body surface of the back plate back surface 210 follows the plane of the magnet 58, so that the stimulus is increased. The reading surface of the luminescent phosphor sheet 28 is considered to be as complete as possible. Therefore, even when the back plate 20 is deformed or warped, when the back plate back surface 210 is attracted to the magnet 58, the deformation and warpage are corrected, and the reading surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is flat. Property can be ensured.

When the back plate 20 is attracted to the magnet 58, the lock pin 440 housed in the lock opening / closing mechanism 44 attached to the lift 43 is raised, and the tip of the lock pin 440 is inserted into the insertion hole 14 of the front plate 10. Is done. By this operation, the lock of the cassette 1 in the lock ON state is released, and the cassette 1 shifts to the lock OFF state. That is, the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 can be separated. When the cassette 1 shifts to the lock OFF state, the lock pin 440 descends and is stored in the lock opening / closing mechanism 44 again.

(4) When the lock of the cassette 1 is released and the lock is shifted to the OFF state, the rotary moving body 41 rotates in the direction of arrow A6 and stops at the retracted position (for example, the position indicated by the dotted line b). By this operation, the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 can be completely separated.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 are completely separated, and the rotary moving body 41 is stopped at the retracted position. By retracting the front plate 10 at a sufficient angle from the back plate, it is possible to prevent the back plate 20 from interfering with the front plate 10 when the back plate 20 performs the sub-scanning operation. As described above, means for performing a series of operations for separating the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 is collectively referred to as separation means.

6 and FIG. 7, reference numeral 502 denotes a back plate suction sensor, which is turned on when the back plate 20 is attracted to the magnet 58 and turned off when the back plate 20 is separated from the magnet 58. If this sensor outputs OFF during the time period when the back plate suction sensor should be ON, it is considered that the back plate 20 has been peeled off or dropped from the magnet 58, and an error is determined.

(4) When the back plate 20 is completely separated from the front plate 10 by the separating means, a drive unit (not shown) operates, and the back plate 20 is transported (sub-scanned) in the direction of arrow A4 (upward). During the sub-scanning operation, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is main-scanned by the laser light B emitted from the laser scanning unit 61 in a direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction.

When a laser beam acts on the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, stimulable luminescence (image information) proportional to the radiation energy stored in the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is emitted, and the stimulable phosphor is condensed by the condenser mirror 64. The light is condensed on the end face of the light guide 62, and is collected by the light condensing tube 63 through the light guide 62. It is preferable to use a condenser tube having a structure as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-103904, for example. A photoelectric conversion element such as a photomultiplier (not shown) is arranged on an end face of the light collection tube, and converts the collected photostimulated light into an electric signal. After being subjected to predetermined signal processing as image data, the photostimulated light converted into an electric signal is transmitted from an operation terminal, an image storage device, an image display device, and a dry imager via a communication cable (not shown) from the device main body 2. To an image output device (both not shown). The means for reading the image information constituted by the laser scanning unit 61, the light guide 62, the condenser tube 63, the photoelectric conversion element and the like in this way is called the reading means 60. It goes without saying that the reading means 60 may be achieved by a configuration other than this embodiment as long as it is means for reading image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28.

Here, some controls related to the reading operation will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 503 denotes a reading start sensor. When the sub-scanning moving plate 57 rises, the sensor 503 changes from OFF to ON, and using this timing, a control unit (not shown) calculates a reading start time and a laser lighting start time.

# 540 is a peeling detecting means. The peel detection means 540 detects whether the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 and the support plate 27 stuck to the back plate 20 have not risen from the back plate or have come off. If the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 and the support plate 27 are lifted up or peeling off from the back plate, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 and the support plate 27 are brought into contact with the end faces of the light collecting mirror 64 and the light guide 62. There is a possibility that the interference may damage the light collecting mirror 64 or the light guide 62 or damage the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28. Therefore, the peeling detection means 540 detects the lifting and peeling of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 and the support plate 27, and if the lifting and peeling of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 and the support plate 27 are detected, The sub-scanning operation is stopped, and the sub-scanning moving plate 57 is lowered to the position where the sub-scanning moving plate 57 is combined with the front plate 10.

The peeling detecting means 540 is realized by, for example, a combination of a roller and a sensor. A peel detection roller 541 having a length substantially equal to the short side direction of the half-cut size is held in a horizontal direction, and a holding rod 542 used for fixing the axis of the peel detection roller 541 is supported by a device via a support shaft 544. It extends to the front side, and a peeling detection sensor 543 is arranged at the rear end. When the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 or the support plate 27 comes into contact with the peeling detection roller 541 when ascending, the holding rod 542 is tilted with the support shaft 544 as a fulcrum, and the peeling detection sensor 543 detects this tilt and performs control (not shown). The section is notified of a peeling detection signal.

(4) When the reading of the image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is completed, the driving unit (not shown) starts to transport the back plate 20 in the direction of arrow A5 (downward). While the back plate 20 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A5, the erasing light C is emitted from the erasing means 65, and the image information remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is erased. As the erasing lamp used in the erasing means 65, a halogen lamp, a high-intensity fluorescent lamp, an LED array, or the like can be used.

In this embodiment, n erase lamps (n> 1) are prepared. Further, a lamp burnout detecting means (not shown) monitors whether or not the lamp of the erase lamp has burned out. When m (m <n) out-of-n lamps are detected by the out-of-lamp detecting means out of the n-erasing lamps, the erasing speed is substantially equal to the erasing speed in the case where there is no out-lamp (nm) ) / N, and is controlled so that erasing is performed with the same light amount as in the state where there is no lamp burnout. By controlling in this way, even if the lamp has run out, it is possible to prevent the apparatus from being disabled and to continue reading and erasing work after the lamp has run out.

In addition, since erasure is not performed while the lamp is cut off and the erasure light amount is reduced, the next image is taken with insufficient erasure, and the unerased residue of the previous image becomes noise in the next image information, and the diagnostic information There is no danger of impairing.

Further, when the lamp exhaustion detecting means detects that all the n erase lamps have run out of the lamp, an error is displayed on the display means 81 to inform that all the erase lamps have run out of the lamp. Controls so that neither the reading operation nor the erasing operation can be performed. By doing so, reading and erasing operations in a state where erasing cannot be performed are prohibited, and an accident in which radiation imaging is performed using the cassette 1 that has not been erased is prevented.

In this embodiment, when the reading mode is selected, the image information is read on the outward path (upward transport) of the sub-scanning means 50 and remains on the return path (downward transport) of the sub-scanning means. Since the image information is deleted, the time required for the reciprocating movement of the sub-scanning means can be effectively used without wasting. Thereby, the processing capability (throughput) of the radiation image reading apparatus can be improved.

Further, when the erasing mode is selected, erasing is performed on the forward path (upward transport) of the sub-scanning means 50, and erasing is performed on the return path (downward transport) of the sub-scanning means 50. In addition, the cycle time in the erase mode can be improved as compared with the cycle time in the read mode.

When the erasing mode is selected, erasing is not performed on the forward path (upward conveyance) of the sub-scanning means 50, but is performed only on the return path (downward conveyance) of the sub-scanning means 50. You may do it. In this case, although the improvement of the cycle time in the erase mode cannot be expected, the control in the erase mode can be made equivalent to the control in the read mode, and the control can be simplified.

In this embodiment, the erasing means 65 is disposed vertically below the reading means 60. Therefore, when the reading of the image information by the reading means 60 is completed, the moving direction of the sub-scanning means 50 is immediately changed to the backward direction (downward). Direction). Thus, the erasing operation can be started without a loss of time during the reciprocating movement of the sub-scanning means 50, so that the processing capability (throughput) of the radiation image reading apparatus can be further improved.

Further, by disposing the erasing means 65 in the lower vertical direction of the reading means 60, the lower end of the back plate 20 does not pass through the reading position B of the reading means 60. It is possible to prevent an accident that the back plate cannot be lowered due to interference with the light collecting member. Therefore, it is possible to improve the reliability and stability of the device.

When the back plate 20 is lowered, the origin position in the sub-scanning direction is confirmed by the sub-scan origin sensor 501, and the position of the back plate 20 is raised to a position transferred to the magnet 58 with reference to the origin position. Stop.

When the back plate 20 stops at the position transferred to the magnet 58, the rotary moving body 41 retracted to the retracted position rotates again to the position indicated by the dotted line c, and the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 are united. . When the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 are combined, the lock pin 440 housed in the lock opening / closing mechanism 44 rises, and the tip of the lock pin 440 is inserted into the insertion hole 14 of the front plate 10. By this operation, the cassette 1 which has been in the lock-off state is locked, and the cassette 1 shifts to the lock-on state. That is, the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 cannot be separated. When the cassette 1 shifts to the lock ON state, the lock pin 440 descends and is stored in the lock opening / closing mechanism 44 again. As described above, means for performing a series of operations for shifting the lock state of the cassette 1 from the lock OFF state to the lock ON state is collectively referred to as uniting means.

(4) When the combining operation of the back plate 20 and the front plate 10 is completed by the combining means, the rotary moving body 41 is again rotated in the direction of arrow A6 to the position of the dotted line b and stopped. Since the operation of peeling off the back plate 20 (cassette 1) from the magnet 58 is performed with rotation, the back plate 20 (cassette 1) is separated from the magnet 58 with a smaller force as compared with the case where the back plate 20 (cassette 1) is peeled off by parallel movement. It can be peeled off. When the rotary moving body 41 stops at the position indicated by the dotted line b, the width shifters 42a and 42b move from the hold position S2 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B in the direction of the arrow M2 and stop at the retreat position S1. . As a result, the hold state of the front plate 10 is released, and the cassette 1 can be moved up and down on the rotary moving body 41.

(4) When the hold state of the front plate 10 is released, the lift 43 conveys the cassette 1 along the rotary moving body 41 in the direction of arrow A7, and transfers the cassette 1 to the discharge rollers 73a and 73b. Upon receiving the cassette 1, the discharge rollers 73 a and 73 b perform a discharge operation until the cassette 1 is completely discharged to the discharge port 4. When the cassette 1 is completely discharged to the discharge port 4, the rotary moving body 41 rotates to the position indicated by the dotted line a in the direction of arrow A6, stops, and shifts to a state in which the next cassette 1 can be received. .

In this embodiment, the discharge port 4 has a stacker unit that can stack about 2 to 5 cassettes 1. When the position of the cassette 1 immediately after the discharge to the discharge port 4 is completed is represented by 1a in FIG. 6, the cassette 1 discharged to the position of 1a is moved in the direction of arrow A8 from the upper end of the cassette 1 by the weight of the cassette 1. It falls down and finally moves to the position represented by 1b. The bottom plate portion 71c of the outlet 4 is inclined from the 1a side to the 1b side so that this operation is performed only by the own weight of the cassette 1. The bottom plate portion 71c is formed of a resin component, and its surface has a rib shape in order to reduce frictional resistance with the cassette 1. Further, a Teflon (registered trademark) coat is applied so that the rib shape is not shaved due to friction with the cassette 1 and the slip property is not reduced.

Further, in order to reliably transport the cassette 1 from the side 1a to the side 1b, for example, a discharge cassette transport mechanism for transporting the lower portion of the cassette 1 in the direction of arrow A8 is provided, and the entire cassette 1 is moved from the position 1a to the position 1b. It may be configured so as to surely move to. The discharge cassette transport mechanism can be realized by employing a belt transport method, a roller transport method, or the like. Further, a mechanism that pushes the cassette 1 from the side 1a toward the side 1b by a mechanism (not shown) may be employed. Basically, if care is taken so that the cassette 1 discharged from the discharge port 4 does not block the outlets of the discharge rollers 73a and 73b, the cassette 1 discharged from the discharge rollers 73a and 73b Any form or positional relationship may be taken in the stacker.

The discharge port 4 is configured to stack about 2 to 5 discharge cassettes 1 (hereinafter, the cassette 1 discharged from the discharge port 4 is appropriately referred to as a discharge cassette 1). The user can sequentially insert the photographed cassette 1 into the insertion port 3 without removing the discharge cassette 1 until the discharge port 4 is filled with the discharge cassette 1. In general, a radiographic examination uses 1 to 5 cassettes 1 in one examination, and about 1.8 sheets on average. Therefore, the discharge port 4 is configured so that about 2 to 5 ejection cassettes 1 can be stacked. By doing so, the user is less bothered by removing the discharge cassette 1 during the inspection, and the work can be performed efficiently.

When the next cassette 1 is discharged from the discharge port 4 when the stacker portion of the discharge port 4 is full of the discharge cassette 1, the discharge cassette 1 already stacked on the discharge port 4 is pushed out to the newly discharged cassette 1. There are problems such as dropping and dropping the cassette 1 and forcibly ejecting the cassette 1 to cause a failure. Therefore, a sensor or a mechanism (not shown) for detecting whether or not the stacker of the outlet 4 is full of the discharge cassette 1 is provided to detect whether or not the stacker of the outlet 4 is full of the discharge cassette 1. I do.

In this embodiment, the stacker unit is filled with the discharge cassette 1 by using a discharge shutter 75 which is located above the discharge rollers 73a and 73b and is used for shielding light leaking from a gap between the discharge rollers 73a and 73b. It detects whether there is. That is, when the discharge shutter 75 closes after discharging the cassette 1, it is determined that the stacker unit is not full, and when the discharge shutter 75 does not close after discharging the cassette 1, it is determined that the stacker unit is full. A shutter opening / closing detecting unit (not shown) is also provided, and a control unit (not shown) detects the fullness of the stacker unit based on a detection signal from the discharging shutter opening / closing detecting unit. In order to perform this control, when the cassette 1 that fills the stacker unit is discharged, the discharge shutter 75 is not closed. As described above, since the fullness of the stacker unit can be detected only by opening and closing the discharge shutter 75, the apparatus can be constructed with a simple configuration.

(4) When the stacker section of the discharge port 4 is full of the discharge cassette 1, it is preferable to avoid this problem by the following means.

1) Prevent insertion of cassette 1 into insertion slot 3.

2) Although the cassette 1 can be inserted into the insertion slot 3, the cassette 1 inside the apparatus main body 2 is not taken in.

(3) The cassette 1 inserted into the insertion slot 3 is taken into the apparatus main body 2, but is stopped before reading the image information.

(4) The cassette 1 inserted into the insertion slot 3 is taken into the inside of the apparatus main body 2, and after reading the image information, the cassette 1 is stopped before the cassette 1 is discharged to the discharge port 4.

(4) It is preferable to take the above-mentioned means and to inform the user that the stacker portion of the discharge port 4 is full with the discharge cassette 1 by the following means.

(1) A warning error message is displayed on the display means 81, the discharge indicator 77 is flashed, or a warning sound is issued to inform the user.

(2) A message is displayed on the display means 81 or a monitor of an operation terminal (not shown) connected to the apparatus main body 2 to inform the user.

3) A cover (not shown) is provided in the insertion slot 3 to inform the user by closing the cover so that the cassette 1 cannot be inserted.

When a part or all of the discharge cassette 1 is removed by the user and the stacker portion of the discharge port 4 is not full, the processing of the cassette 1 stopped inside the apparatus main body 2 or at the insertion port 3 is automatically performed. It is preferable that the process be restarted.

Further, during an operation of loading the cassette 1 into the apparatus main body 2, during a transport operation after taking the cassette 1 into the apparatus main body 2, during a reading operation, or during an operation of discharging the cassette 1 from the apparatus main body 2, There may be a case where a malfunction occurs and the operation cannot be continued. For example, a failure occurs in the transport unit 40 during the transport operation of the cassette 1 and the transport operation cannot be continued, or the back plate 20 or the front plate 10 drops when the back plate 20 is transferred to the sub-scanning unit 50. Various problems may occur, such as, for example, the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 cannot be separated, or the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 cannot be combined.

When such a problem occurs, it is possible to notify the user of the occurrence of the problem by the same means as informing the user that the stacker portion of the discharge port 4 is full of the discharge cassette 1. preferable.

If an error occurs in a state where the cassette 1 can be ejected after the cassette 1 is transported into the apparatus main body 2, the cassette 1 is ejected to the ejection port 4 without ejecting the cassette 1 to the insertion slot 3. Is preferred. The reason is that after transporting the cassette 1 into the apparatus main body 2, the user may try to insert the next cassette 1 into the insertion slot 3.

Further, the cassette detection sensor 701 checks whether or not the next cassette 1 has been inserted into the insertion slot 3. If the cassette 1 is not detected in the insertion slot 3, the cassette 1 is discharged to the insertion slot 3. No problem.

In addition, if an error occurs before reading the image information, the image is ejected to the insertion slot 3. If an error occurs during or after the image information is read, the image is ejected to the ejection port 4. Thus, the discharge destination of the cassette 1 may be changed. Alternatively, the operation of the apparatus may be stopped without ejecting the cassette 1 and keeping the cassette 1 inside the apparatus.

When an error occurs, information for identifying the cassette 1 in which the error has occurred, for example, the identification number (ID number) of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 stored in the code storage element 200 is indicated by an error message. At the same time, it is preferable to display on the display means 81 or a monitor of an operation terminal (not shown) connected to the apparatus main body 2 so that the user can identify the cassette 1 in which the error has occurred.

In particular, when the cassette 1 in which an error has occurred is ejected to the insertion slot 3 or the ejection port 4, it is preferable to inform the user of information for identifying the cassette 1 in which the error has occurred and an error message indicating the content of the error. .

When the operation of the apparatus is stopped while the cassette 1 is not ejected and stopped inside the apparatus when an error occurs, the display unit 81 or an operation terminal (not shown) may display the cassette 1 (or A cartoon picture shows whether the back plate 20 or the front plate 10 is stopped, or the cassette 1 (or the back plate 20 or the front plate 10 or the like) stopped inside the apparatus by any operation procedure. ), The cassette 1 (or the back plate 20, the front plate 10, or the like) stopped inside the apparatus can be taken out in a short time by displaying an instruction message as to whether or not the cassette 1 should be taken out.

When an error occurs while the cassette 1 cannot be ejected to the outside or when the cassette 1 is controlled to be stopped inside the apparatus, the operation of the apparatus is stopped and the cassette 1 is left inside the apparatus. Notify the user that an error has occurred. At this time, it is preferable to notify that the cassette is stopped inside the apparatus and that the cassette should be removed together with an error message. As described above, it is preferable that the action to be taken by the user in response to the error is displayed as a message together with the error information.

(4) Possible errors other than errors relating to the cassette 1 and the device mechanism include electrical errors, software errors, communication errors, and optical errors. Even when these errors occur, it is desirable to notify the user of the details of the errors as an error message.

In the case of equipment used in medical settings, when the equipment stops due to a malfunction, it is possible to not only inform the user that the malfunction has occurred, but also to immediately resolve the malfunction and return the equipment to use again. desirable.

However, in a conventional radiation image reading apparatus using a stimulable phosphor, the operation of recovering from such a problem has been limited to the operation of a service person. For this reason, when a problem occurs, the user has to call the serviceman and stop the radiographic work until the serviceman arrives.

It is common knowledge that copiers and printers are equipped with a user maintenance mechanism that allows the user to clear the jam when output paper jams. The following are conceivable reasons why such a user maintenance mechanism has not been realized in a radiation image reading apparatus using a stimulable phosphor.

1) In the case of copiers and printers, the output paper is very inexpensive, so it is assumed that the jammed output paper may be spoiled (re-output may be performed). Since the stimulable phosphor sheet is very expensive in the radiation image reading apparatus using the method, it is not possible to use the stimulable phosphor sheet. Due to such restrictions, it is difficult to construct a mechanism for user maintenance.

(2) In the case of a copying machine or a printer, even if the jammed output paper is lost, copying and printing can be performed again. On the other hand, the stimulable phosphor sheet used in the radiation image reading apparatus stores patient image information. If the stimulable phosphor sheet fails, it is necessary to re-photograph the patient, which exposes the patient to extra radiation, which is very undesirable.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a user maintenance mechanism of the radiation image reading apparatus, mainly a cassette jam release mechanism, is realized as follows.

As shown in FIG. 6, the apparatus main body 2 has an opening / closing door 5, and the user can access the inside of the apparatus main body 2 by opening the opening / closing door 5. Further, the rotary moving body 41 can be manually rotated to the position indicated by the dotted line d, so that the user can access the inside of the rotary moving body 41 (on the side of the sub-scanning means 50). This mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. The user manually removes the door lock 510 to open the door 5. When the door 5 is in the closed state, an interlock killer 530 fixed to the door 5 is acting on the interlock switch 96 fixed to the apparatus main body side, and the apparatus main body 2 can be operated. However, when the opening / closing door 5 is opened, the interlock killer 530 comes out of the interlock switch 96 to operate the interlock, and mainly the mechanical drive system such as a motor and a sensor, the laser drive system, and the high pressure to the photomultiplier. Power supply to the power supply system is cut off.

回 転 The rotation knob 49 is housed in the storage box 521 inside the door 5. The user removes the rotary knob 49 from the storage box 521 and fits the fitting hole 493 of the disk 492 of the rotary knob 49 to the projection 463 of the cylindrical member 462 attached to the motor shaft 461 of the transport motor unit 46. .

Next, when the rotation knob 490 of the rotation knob 49 is pinched and the rotation knob 49 is rotated clockwise through the connecting member 491, the pinion gear 47 is formed into an uneven rack tooth 480 formed on an arc of the rotation support plate 48. , And the rotary moving body 41 rotates in the direction of the dotted line d. When the rotary moving body 41 rotates to the position indicated by the dotted line d, a space that can be accessed inside the apparatus main body 2 is created, so that the user can remove the cassette 1 stagnated inside the apparatus main body 2 using both hands. Can be.

If the rotation knob 49 is not properly stored in the storage box 521, the storage confirmation member 520 enters between the opening and closing door 5 and the apparatus main body, and the opening and closing door 5 does not close. With this mechanism, the device does not operate in a state where the rotation knob 49 is fitted to the projection 463 of the cylindrical member 462, and therefore, the rotation of the motor shaft 461 fluctuates and the rotation of the rotation knob 49 does not occur. There is no fear of coming off inside the device and breaking the device.

In many cases, the cassette 1 stagnating inside the apparatus main body 2 is stagnant mainly in a form in which the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are united on the elevating platform 43. In this case, the cassette 1 is immediately removed. It can be pulled out along the rotary moving body 41. In this case, since the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is protected inside the cassette 1, the cassette jam can be released without damaging the stimulable phosphor sheet 28.

As another case, the back plate 20 may be on the magnet 58 and the front plate 10 may be on the rotating body 41. In this case, after the back plate 20 is peeled off from the magnet 58 and overlapped with the front plate 10 on the rotating body 41 at a regular position, both the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are moved along the rotating body 41. It is possible to withdraw. Since the back plate 20 is attracted to the magnet 58 only by the magnetic force, the back plate 20 can be easily peeled off from the magnet 58 without performing extra operation. Further, since the sub-scanning moving plate 57 of the sub-scanning means 50 is configured to be able to be moved up and down manually, the sub-scanning moving plate 57 can be manually operated to a position where the back plate 20 can be easily peeled off from the magnet 58. This case is characterized in that it is possible to maintain a state in which no mechanism is in contact with the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 on the back plate 20. It is possible to cancel the cassette jam without the need.

In other cases, the front plate 10 may be discharged to the discharge port 4 and only the back plate 20 may remain on the magnet 58. In this case, the back plate 20 is peeled off from the magnet 58 and carefully taken out of the apparatus. Also in this case, it is a feature that a state in which no mechanism is in contact with the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 on the back plate 20 can be maintained, and the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is not damaged. It is possible to cancel cassette jam.

Further, even when the cassette 1, the front plate 10, and the back plate 20 have fallen into the apparatus main body 2, the rotating movable body 41 is rotated in the direction of the dotted line d, so that the dropped cassette 1, the front plate 10. The back plate 20 can be picked up.

Since the position of the lifting table 43 and the width adjusting means 42a and 42b can be manually changed, the upper portion of the cassette 1 rotates by interfering with the insertion rollers 72a and 72b, the discharge rollers 73a and 73b, and the mechanism inside the apparatus. For example, when the moving body 41 cannot be rotated in the direction of the dotted line d, the lift 43 is manually moved in the direction of arrow A2 (downward), and the width shifting means 42a and 42b are moved to the positions shown in FIGS. Can be moved in the direction of arrow M2 described above, so that the user can take out the failed cassette 1 out of the apparatus without using a special jig.

Another feature of this device is that there is no part where the device mechanism grips or holds the cassette 1, the front plate 10, and the back plate 20 with a strong force that cannot be manually removed. Although the insertion rollers 72a and 72b and the discharge rollers 73a and 73b grip the cassette 1, the cassette 1 can be easily taken out because the insertion rollers 72a and 72b and the discharge rollers 73a and 73b rotate in a free state. . Further, even in a state where the cassette 1 is held by the width adjusting means 42a, 42b inside the apparatus main body 2, there is no portion where the width adjusting means 42a, 42b and the cassette 1 are fitted (the width adjusting means 42a, Since the cassette 42b only holds the cassette 1 from the left and right), the cassette 1 can be easily taken out. In addition, since the width adjusting means 42a and 42b can be manually moved in the direction of the arrow M2 described in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the cassette 1 is set in a free state on the lift 43 and then removed. It is also possible.

Further, when the cassette 1 is stopped inside the apparatus main body 2 when an error occurs, the rotary moving body 41 is moved to the position indicated by the dotted line a, and the width shifting means 42a and 42b are moved to the position of the retreat position S1. If the apparatus is stopped after the movement and an error is displayed on the display means 81, the time when the user takes out the cassette 1 can be minimized.

Also, when the back plate 20 is on the magnet 58, the sub-scanning moving plate 57 is lowered to the transfer position with the front plate 10 to stop the apparatus, so that the time when the user takes out the cassette 1 is minimized. can do.

One of the serious errors that may occur in this embodiment is an error that leaves the back plate 20 inside the apparatus main body 2 and ejects only the front plate 10 (a drop error of the back plate 20). This is a problem that occurs when the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are united and the back plate is accidentally dropped. Even if this problem occurs, there is no way to check whether or not the merging has been successful after the merging work of the front plate 10 and the back plate 20. Therefore, while the back plate 20 is left inside the apparatus main body 2, the front plate 10 Only discharges. Thereafter, when the next cassette 1 is taken into the inside of the apparatus and a series of operations is started, not only the back plate 20 falling into the inside of the apparatus is destroyed, but also the apparatus mechanism is damaged. Therefore, this embodiment has solved this problem as follows.

First, as shown in FIG. 7, the discharge roller 73b is formed by a dumpling roller so that a space is formed at the center of the discharge roller 73b, and a back plate drop detection mechanism is formed in this space. The back plate drop detection mechanism includes a back plate tracing rod 73b1 and a back plate drop detection sensor 73b2. When the cassette 1 does not pass through the discharge roller 73b, the back plate drop detection sensor 73b2 outputs an ON signal. When the front plate 10 passes through the discharge roller 73b with the back plate 20, the tip of the back plate tracing rod 73b1 on the discharge port 4 side is inclined upward, and the back plate drop detection sensor 73b2 outputs an OFF signal. When the cassette 1 passes through the discharge roller 73b, the back plate drop detection sensor 73b2 outputs an ON signal again. That is, when the front plate 10 passes through the discharge roller 73b with the back plate 20, the back plate drop detection sensor 73b2 continuously outputs an OFF signal while the front plate 10 passes.

However, when the front plate 10 passes through the discharge roller 73b without the back plate 20, the tip of the back plate tracing rod 73b1 on the discharge port 4 side is inclined upward once when the frame 11 of the front plate 10 passes. At this time, the back plate drop detection sensor 73b2 outputs an OFF signal, but thereafter, since there is no back plate 20, an ON signal is output again. That is, the back plate drop detection sensor 73b2 always outputs an ON signal during the passage of the front plate 10 except for a short period in which the frame 11 of the front plate 10 passes. By catching this ON signal, a control unit (not shown) can recognize that the back plate 20 remains inside the apparatus main body 2 and control the apparatus not to operate even if the next cassette 1 is inserted. Becomes possible.

That is, the presence or absence of the back plate 20 is detected by checking the thickness of the cassette 1. If the thickness of the cassette 1 is smaller than the reference value, it can be considered that the back plate 20 is not present (the back plate 20 has dropped), and it is possible to control the apparatus not to operate even when the next cassette 1 is inserted. Become.

Furthermore, if the position of the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70 can be manually changed easily (for example, the position of the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70 can be manually slid upward or rotated, It is configured to be able to rotate and move like a door in the horizontal direction, or is configured to be easily removable), so that the access space to the inside of the apparatus is widened and maintenance work is facilitated.

The transporting means 40 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 includes a linear transporting means (a means for vertically transporting the cassette 1 linearly in the vertical direction along the rotary moving body 41 of the transporting means 40) by the elevator 43, and a rotating shaft 45. And at least two types of rotating means for rotating the cassette 1 around the center.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which two transport units, a linear transport unit and a rotary transport unit, are realized on the rotary moving body 41. For example, the two transport units of the linear transport unit and the rotary transport unit are separated by separate mechanisms. It may be realized. For example, you may comprise so that a linear conveyance means may rotate independently of a rotary conveyance means.

(4) The rotary transport unit may be configured such that a part of the transport unit 40 (the rotary moving body 41) rotates.

回 転 Also, the rotary transport unit may be divided into a plurality of rotary transport units.

Similarly, the linear transport means may be divided into a plurality of linear transport means.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are separated after the back plate 210 of the back plate 20 is attracted to the magnet 58, but the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are separated. , The back plate back surface 210 of the back plate 20 may be attracted to the magnet 58.

Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are configured to be separated after the cassette 1 is rotationally moved. However, after the front plate 10 and the back plate 20 are separated, only the back plate 20 is separated. May be configured to rotate. Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the back plate 20 is transferred to the sub-scanning means 50 by rotating the rotary moving body 41, but a part or the whole of the sub-scanning moving plate 57 is rotated. The back plate 20 may be configured to be transferred to the sub-scanning unit 50 by moving.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the transporting means 40 and the sub-scanning function 50 are constructed on the same substrate 92, and the substrate 92 is fixed to the bottom plate 91 via the vibration-proof rubber 93. The function 50 may be constructed on different substrates, and each substrate may be fixed to the bottom plate 91 via the vibration-proof rubber 93, or the transport means 40 may be constructed directly on the bottom plate 91 without vibration-proof. Is also good. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the vibration generated by the operation of the transport unit 40 from propagating to the sub-scanning unit 50.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the back plate 20 may be configured to be attracted to the sub-scanning moving plate 57 provided with a suction means such as a vacuum. In this case, the back surface of the back plate back surface 210 need not be made of a magnetic material, and the magnet 58 on the sub-scanning moving plate 57 is not required.

Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, only one of the insertion port 3 and the discharge port 4 of the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70 has a structure that can be removed from the apparatus main body 2 or a structure that can be manually changed in position. May be. Further, the insertion port 3 and the discharge port 4 of the cassette insertion / ejection unit 70 may have a structure that can be individually removed or a structure that can be manually changed in position individually.

As described above, in the radiation image reading apparatus of the present invention, the code information of the cassette 1 inserted at one end in the width direction of the insertion slot 3 is read, and then the cassette 1 is taken into the apparatus. Is moved toward the center in the width direction of the transport, so that the cassette 1 is not moved in the state in which the cassette 1 is touched by an operator's hand and the operator does not feel uncomfortable or uncomfortable.

In addition, before the width is adjusted to the center standard, control is performed so that code information such as a cassette size is read from a code storage element such as a barcode attached to the cassette 1, so that the code storage element may be defective, Even when the code information cannot be read due to the wrong insertion direction of the cassette 1, a defect can be immediately detected, and the disadvantage that the user has to wait for a time until the cassette 1 width shifting operation is completed is solved.

Further, the holding of the cassette 1 by the width shifting means is configured to be held by the projection provided on the width shifting means so as to hold only the frame of the front plate. Since the combining operation is performed, a concave portion is provided in the frame portion of the front plate of the cassette 1, and a grip claw (convex portion) of the width adjusting device is fitted into the concave portion so that the cassette grips the cassette. Compared with the configuration, it is possible to more reliably and stably capture the cassette without requiring positional accuracy.

Further, an opening is provided in the bottom plate to allow the conveying means to escape below the bottom plate so that the conveying means does not interfere with the bottom plate when the conveying means for conveying the cassette 1 by rotation is inclined. Since the light is shielded by the removable light-shielding plate, the height of the device body can be reduced without hindering the operation of the device.

For example, when a situation occurs in which conveyance of the stimulable phosphor sheet cannot be continued due to a jam or the like, the recovery operation is not limited to the work of a service person, and the user can safely and easily return from the jam. The present invention can be applied to a radiation image reading apparatus that can read a radiation image information capable of constructing a user maintenance mechanism.

It is a perspective view when the front board and back board of a cassette are isolate | separated. It is sectional drawing at the time of combining the front board and back board of a cassette. It is a figure showing a locked state of a back board and a front board. It is a figure showing a lock mechanism of a back board and a front board. It is the figure which looked at the back board of the cassette from the back side. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a radiation image reading apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a conveying unit and a sub-scanning unit. It is the figure which looked at the cassette insertion discharge part from above. It is the figure which looked at the display and operation part from the front. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a conveying unit and a sub-scanning unit when transferring a back plate. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between a cassette and an upper reference and a center reference; FIG. 7 is a transition diagram illustrating a change in display content of a display unit.

Explanation of reference numerals

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cassette 10 front plate 20 back plate 28 stimulable phosphor sheet 40 conveying means 50 sub-scanning means 60 reading means 70 cassette insertion / ejection unit 80 display / operation means 90 main body frame

Claims (10)

A radiation image reading device that reads radiation image information from a stimulable phosphor sheet,
Conveyance means for conveying a part of the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet,
The transport means is inclined by rotating a rotation shaft of a transport motor which is a driving unit of the transport means, and the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulable phosphor sheet is used. A radiation image reading apparatus, wherein a part of a cassette holding a phosphor sheet is made removable from the radiation image reading apparatus. An opening / closing door is provided in the radiation image reading apparatus main body in order to incline the transporting means,
2. The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the opening / closing door is opened, power supply to a mechanical drive system is shut off. 3. The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of the transporting unit is performed by rotating a pinion gear on an uneven rack tooth formed on an arc. 4. . The radiation image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveying unit is inclined by manually rotating a rotation knob. The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the rotation knob is fitted to a cylindrical member provided on the transport motor shaft, and the rotation knob is manually rotated. The opening and closing door has a storage space for the rotation knob,
The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the door is not closed when the rotation knob is not stored in the storage location of the door. A radiation image reading device that reads radiation image information from a stimulable phosphor sheet,
A transport unit that transports a part of the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulable phosphor sheet or the cassette holding the stimulable phosphor sheet,
The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit is rotated by rotating a pinion gear on an uneven rack tooth formed on an arc. 8. The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotation of the transport unit is performed by driving a pinion gear by a transport motor unit. 9. The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rotational movement of the transport unit can be performed by manually rotating a rotary knob. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein when rotating the rotation knob manually, the rotation knob is fitted to a cylindrical member provided on a shaft of the transport motor, and the rotation knob is rotated manually. Radiation image reading device.

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