EP0462161A1

EP0462161A1 - Label applicator for X-ray-photographs

Info

Publication number: EP0462161A1
Application number: EP19900904343
Authority: EP
Inventors: Siegfried Keusch; Andreas Welzel
Original assignee: Duerr Dental SE
Current assignee: Duerr Dental SE
Priority date: 1989-03-09
Filing date: 1990-02-23
Publication date: 1991-12-27
Also published as: DE3907645A1; WO1990010577A1

Abstract

Un appareil de marquage sur des films radiographiques présente un bouton-poussoir miniature (34), un dispositif pour le déplacement pas à pas d'une bande d'étiquettes (16) au moyen du bouton-poussoir (34) et une paroi de détachement des étiquettes (48) disposée parallèlement, à une faible distance, au-dessus d'une paroi d'application du film (44) du boîtier de l'appareil (22). A l'extrémité de ce dernier est associé un rouleau de pression (60) pour étiquettes, soumis élastiquement à une précontrainte, et dont la distance, à partir de l'extrémité de la paroi de détachement (48), est légèrement plus grande que la hauteur des étiquettes (12).An apparatus for marking on X-ray films has a miniature push button (34), a device for the step-by-step movement of a strip of labels (16) by means of the push button (34) and a release wall labels (48) arranged parallel, at a short distance, above a film application wall (44) of the housing of the apparatus (22). At the end of the latter is associated a pressure roller (60) for labels, subjected elastically to a prestress, and whose distance from the end of the detachment wall (48) is slightly greater than the height of the labels (12).

Description

Film labeling machine - label pressing

description

============

The invention relates to a device for labeling X-ray films and a label web for use in such.

In such known labeling devices, the desired information is exposed on the X-ray film in the X-ray device itself. After the film has been developed, it is available together with the X-ray image.

This type of labeling is only suitable for large and mechanically complex X-ray devices. However, small X-ray devices are used in particular in dental surgeries, and the small pieces of X-ray film also remain light-tightly packaged until they are developed. Dental X-ray films are therefore usually labeled by hand after development, which is cumbersome and usually not without

It is possible to write into the X-ray image itself, since the film is very small. You can choose not to label the X-ray film entirely and only label the pocket of a storage sheet in which the film is kept. A disadvantage of the latter method is that the film piece is not a captive one

Assignment to the patient and the admission conditions.

The present invention is therefore intended to provide an apparatus for labeling X-ray films which, with a mechanically simple and inexpensive construction, enables information to be applied to a small X-ray film on a small partial area of the same.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a labeling device according to claim 1. The invention takes advantage of the fact that there are printheads today which have very small typefaces. There are 4-needle printers that print 5 × 7 dots in a 5 × 9 matrix with a size of about 1.1 × 2.4 mm.

With such a printer, you can print on just 28 mm

wide label, print 24 characters approximately 2.4 mm high. Such a small area is readily available on the edge of a dental film for applying information without impairing the x-ray image. It would be very difficult to apply such narrow labels by hand.

The labeling device according to the invention therefore additionally contains a specially designed station for peeling very narrow labels off an endless carrier tape and for applying these labels to the X-ray film. This

As is known per se from labeling machines, the station has a release wall with a sharply curved edge, in which the label is detached from the latter due to its flexural rigidity and the low adhesion to the prepared carrier tape. In conventional labeling machines, such as those used for labeling goods

the detached labels are applied to the goods by pressing the label dispenser against the surface of the goods and at the same time moving them along the surface. In the labeling device according to the invention, the label is detached from the carrier tape in such a way that it initially pushes freely parallel at a small distance over the surface of the film lying on the support wall. Only when the label is almost detached from the carrier tape and only hangs with the rearmost edge on the carrier tape does it come into contact with the top of the film piece. When the piece of film is pulled out of the device, the label is pressed firmly against the film surface by the pressure body which is resiliently biased against the support wall and now runs on the film surface gek lives.

The labeling device according to the invention can thus also be operated very simply: the film is placed on the support wall and pushed under the pressing body until it abuts the stop. Then variable information, e.g. the patient's name, tooth quadrant etc. entered. After completing the entry, this information is printed on the label together with constant information such as the date and this is automatically placed loosely on the edge of the film piece in the manner already mentioned and firmly attached when it is subsequently pulled out of the device. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The development of the invention according to claim 2 is advantageous in terms of easy insertion and removal of the film piece from the device.

With the development of the invention according to claim 3 it is achieved that the pressure roller is forced to slip when pulling out the film. This is in

With regard to a crease-free pressing even very thin labels against the film surface is an advantage. Extremely thin labels, e.g. Metal foil labels are advantageous because they apply only little, so that the labeled pieces of film can be easily pushed into the pockets of conventional storage sheets without bumping. There is also no need for more space than conventional filing.

In a device according to claim 4, a label does not abut the pressure body before it is completely on the film edge sets is.

With the development of the invention according to claim 5, a particularly stable alignment of even thin labels to the level of the top of the release wall is ensured, so that the label initially moves freely floating over the top of the film even with low bending rigidity.

The development of the invention according to claim 6 is advantageous in view of the particularly simple structure of the device. Since the label is later pressed non-positively against the film surface, it only needs to be placed loosely on the film surface at the transfer point and the film edge can be cantilevered for this purpose. Therefore, the support wall only needs to start at a distance from the release wall, and you get a passage through which the carrier tape can be removed. The development of the invention according to claim 7 is also advantageous with regard to the mechanically particularly simple construction of the device. In practice, the slight overlap between the end face of the release wall and the path of the film piece is sufficient. If a film is heavily curled or curved, the

In the event of an emergency, the tensioned carrier tape behind the end face of the release wall is also a (somewhat softer) stop. With the development of the invention according to claim 8, an exact alignment of the release wall with the web of the label web is necessarily guaranteed by the print head. If the Abläsewand according to claim 6 also represents the stop for the film piece, this is also very easily adjusted exactly to the path of the label web. The development of the invention according to claim 9 is advantageous in terms of simple pulling in a new label web into the device.

The same applies to the measure according to claim 10.

The development of the invention according to claim 11 has the advantage that a new label web can be easily pulled in, but at the same time a very sharp deflection around the edge of the release wall is possible.

The development of the invention according to claim 12 has the advantage that the carrier tape running downward from the release edge can also serve, if necessary, also as a stop for the film piece if it should be so undulating or curved that it misses the end face of the release wall designed as a sheet metal part . The development of the invention according to claim 13 is in

With regard to particularly easy handling of the device, this is an advantage: if you open the cover of the housing under which the space for the label supply roll is located, the deflecting roller, which ensures the sharp deflection of the carrier tape in the detaching wall, is removed from the device.

In a device according to claim 14, the pressing body does not hinder the pulling in of a new label web.

In a device according to claim 15, the user does not need to visually or acoustically check when the movement of the carrier tape has come to a standstill and thus the label just labeled lies over the film piece, so that it can now be pulled out. If a label web is used according to claim 16, the printhead can be arranged somewhat further away from the label detaching station, as a result of which a particularly flat construction of the device can be realized.

With a label web according to claim 17 you get a reliable stripping of the rear edge of a label from the carrier tape and a light non-positive application of the label on the film due to the slip between the label and the carrier web at the end of the detachment process.

The development of the invention according to claim 18 serves for simple control of the movement of the carrier tape and simple control of the removal display.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing. In this show:

Figure 1: A view of a small tooth film with

a small documentation label applied to an edge portion thereof; Figure 2 is a plan view of part of a label web used in the labeling of the dental film shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a dental film labeling device;

Figure 4: a longitudinal section through the labeling device of Figure 3 along the section line there

IV-IV; Figures 5 and 6: a top view of the undersides of two removable lid of the labeling device according to Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of that

Device area in which a label on the

Edge of a piece of film is applied.

FIG. 1 shows an X-ray tooth film 10 which is provided with a narrow label 12 at its lower edge.

The latter bears a label 14 applied by a mini printer, which bears information about the patient, the day of admission and the area of the bite shown.

FIG. 2 shows a section of an endless label web, designated overall by 16, which is used for labeling the dental film 10. The label web 16 has a carrier tape 18 prepared in a wax-like manner, on which the labels 12 sit at a greater distance X from one another. The position of the labels 12 is identified by lateral index holes 20.

FIGS. 3 to 7 show an inscription device with which the labels 12 attached to the label web 16 are provided with the inscription 14 and applied to the lower edge of the dental film 10.

The labeling device has a flat, desk-shaped housing, designated overall by 22, the upper side of which carries a membrane keyboard 24 and a 24-digit LCD display 26. In addition to the display 26, there is a small loudspeaker or

Beeper 28 attached.

Under a removable cover 30 of the rear viewing section is a compartment for batteries 32 with which a miniature print head 34, an electric motor 36 for moving the Label web 16 and a total designated 38

Electronics unit are supplied. The work of the electronics unit 38 need not be described in detail here; it ensures that the information entered on the membrane keyboard together with constant information, e.g. the date provided by a built-in clock are forwarded to the printhead 34 and that the electric motor 36 is excited to advance the label web 16 by one division when the entries are complete.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, in addition to the batteries 32 and a label roll 40 which has just been clamped in, a reserve label roll 42 can be found in the rear section of the housing.

Now, with particular reference to Figure 4, the

Transporting the labels through the printhead and that

Peel off the labels and transfer them to the

Dental film 10 described in more detail.

The at an angle of about 20 ° to the horizontal in

FIG. 4, the upper side of the cover 30 sloping to the right forms with its lower section a support wall 44 for a dental film to be labeled. The edge of the support wall 44 on the right in FIG. 4 ends shortly before the end face of a label release wall 48, designated by 46. The release wall 48 runs at the same inclination as the support wall 44, but is slightly less than the thickness of the release wall 48 offset above.

The release wall 48 is formed on the upper end of a bent sheet metal part 50, which is the left end face of the

Printhead 34 and engages under the left end of its underside. The bent sheet metal part 50 is together with the Printhead 34 attached to housing 22 by screws 52.

In its lower section, the bent sheet metal part 50 has a window 54 through which the label web, indicated by dashed lines in the drawing, can enter the print head 34.

The label web running from the print head 34 is pressed against the upper side of the release wall 48 by a pressure roller 56. Below the inner end of the support wall 44, a deflection roller 58 is provided, which is based on the plane defined by the end face 46, so that the label web 16 runs sharply over the edge specified by the top of the support wall 44 and its end face 46. A label 12 cannot follow this sharp deflection since it adheres poorly to the carrier tape because of the waxy surface of the carrier tape. The label 12 thus moves freely floating over the right edge of the tooth film 10 until its rear edge also leaves the top of the release wall 48. Now the label is placed against the surface of the dental film 10 when the carrier tape 18 is moved further. A further pressure roller 60, which is resiliently biased against the support wall 44, is provided above the support wall 44.

If the tooth film 10 is pulled out of the device to the left after the label 12 has initially been placed loosely in the drawing, the pressure roller 60 is set in rotation accordingly and rolls the label firmly against the tooth film 10.

The pressure rollers 56 and 60 are made of resilient material with a high coefficient of friction and sit (see FIG. 5) on shafts 62, 64, which are freely rotatably mounted in a further cover 66. For preloading the pressure rollers 56, 60 in the drawing down pairs of leaf springs 68 and 70 are provided.

From the deflection roller 58, the carrier tape 16 runs parallel to the support wall 44 on the outer surface of an upper drive roller 72. This works together with a lower drive roller 74 and is driven by the electric motor 36. A wire bow spring 76 frictionally places the drive rollers 72, 74 against one another.

To the left of the drive roller 72, the housing has a curved guide wall 78 which guides the front end of a label web to be newly drawn in in a funnel-like manner to the roller gap. When drawn in, this front end of the label web runs on one indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG

Path 80 against the drive roller 72 and into the funnel predetermined by the latter and the guide wall 78. This path corresponds to the bending line of the carrier tape under its own weight.

When a new label web is inserted, the cover 66 is removed, so that the pressure rollers 56 and 60.

Furthermore, the cover 30 is removed for inserting a new label web, so that the deflecting roller 5B, which is mounted in the side walls of this cover. In order not to have to choose the distance of the drive rollers 72, 74 from the release wall 48 too large even with stiffer carrier tapes, one can support the feeding of the label web to the drive roller 72 during insertion by a fork-shaped sheet metal part 82 which is articulated with a second print head holding plate 84 is connected and whose downwardly curved lateral arms 86 lie laterally outside the end faces of the pressure rollers 56, 60. If a new label web is inserted, it will be opened put the lid 30 through the pulley 58 pulled sharply over the edge of the release wall 48 and then runs on the normal way to work.

Behind the roller gap predetermined by the drive roller 72 and 74, the carrier tape 18 runs around the drive roller 74 and over the top of the label roller 40 to an exit window 88 which is delimited by the cover 30 and the housing 22.

The drive roller is for threading the label web

74 surrounded concentrically by a guide wall 90.

In Figure 4, a light barrier 92 is indicated schematically, the distance from the printing point is an integral multiple of the division of the label web 16.

The labeling device described above is operated as follows:

The tooth film 10 to be inscribed is placed on the support wall 44 and moved under the pressure roller 60 until against the carrier tape 18 which is hard-supported by the end face 46. Now the variable information assigned to the receptacle is entered on the membrane keyboard 24. To

Upon completion of this input, the variable information is output to the print head 34 together with the fixed information stored in the device. This describes the label 12. When the printing process is complete, the electronic unit 38 controls the electric motor 36, and this runs until the light barrier 92 reaches the next index hole

20 notes. At this point, the rear edge of the label 12 has just passed over the edge of the discharge wall 48 to the top of the support wall 44 and the label lies loosely on the edge of the dental film 10. The output signal The light barrier 92 can thus be used simultaneously to control the loudspeaker 28 and / or to output obvious information on the display 26 (eg control of all segments of all display positions and flashing). The operator now knows that he can pull the tooth film 10 out of the labeling device. When the toothed film is pulled out, the pressure roller 60 is forced to rotate synchronously, so that it rolls the label 12, which was initially only loosely placed, firmly onto the top of the film.

Claims

Claims =========

1. Device for labeling X-ray films, with a

Housing (22), which has a support wall (44) for a

Film piece (10), and with a printing device for labeling the film piece, characterized in that the printing device comprises: a print head (34) and means (36, 72, 74) for conveying a carrier tape (16) equipped with self-adhesive labels (12) ) through the print head (34) and over a sharply curved label release wall (48), the downstream end of which lies a small distance above the support wall (44); that a stop (46) is associated with the end of the support wall (44) adjacent to the release wall (48); and that a pressing body (60), which is resiliently biased against the supporting wall (44), is provided over the supporting wall (44).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure body (60) is a free-running pressure roller.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that at least the surface of the pressure roller (60) from one

High friction material exists.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pressing body (60) is a distance in front of the stop (46) which is slightly larger than the length of a label (12).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the end of the release wall (4B) is assigned a resiliently biased pressure body (56), preferably a free-running pressure roller.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the stop (46) is formed by the end face of the release wall (48) and the support wall (44) ends at a distance from the release wall (48).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the

Removal wall (48) is made of sheet metal and its underside is flush with the top of the support wall (44).

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the release wall (48) is integrally formed on a form-fitting with the print head (34) connected sheet metal part (50).

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a pair of drive rollers (72, 74) which cooperates with the carrier tape (18) is arranged at such a vertical distance behind the release wall (48) that the front edge of a new retracted carrier tape (18) runs substantially tangentially onto the circumferential surface of the upper drive roller (72) under the deflection generated by its own weight.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized by a guide wall (78) which guides the leading edge of the new drive belt (18) carried along by the upper drive roller (72) to the roller gap formed between the drive rollers (72, 74).

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by

a deflecting body located between the detaching wall (48) and the drive rollers (72, 74), preferably a deflecting roller (58), which can be shifted between a retracted position located above the detaching wall (48) and a working position below the detaching wall (48).

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the deflection roller (58) in its working position touches the plane defined by the end face (46) of the release wall (48).

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the deflecting body (58) is carried by a cover (30) which is removed from the housing (22) for inserting a new label roll (40).

14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the pressing body (60) is carried by a removable Sehäusideckel (66).

15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by a visual and / or acoustic display (28) which is actuated when a printed label (12) is placed on the piece of film to be labeled (10).

16. label web for use in a labeling device according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that narrow self-adhesive labels (12) are applied to a carrier tape (18), the distance between them essentially the distance between the print position of the print head (34) and the intersection line between the plane of the support wall (44) and the end face (46) corresponds to the release wall (48).

17. A label web according to claim 16, characterized in that the distance between the labels (12) is slightly larger than the distance between the printing position and said cutting line.

18. Label web according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the carrier tape (18) has Indeκlöcher (20), the distance of which corresponds to the distance between the labels (12).