JP2650797B2 - Sheet-like object storage mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet-like material storage mechanism for storing a sheet-like material such as a stimulable phosphor sheet or an X-ray film in a storage container such as a vertical cassette with an outlet opening downward. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Radiation (X-ray, α-ray,
(β-rays, γ-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc.), a part of this radiation energy is accumulated. It is known to exhibit photostimulated luminescence according to
Phosphors exhibiting such properties are called stimulable phosphors (stimulable phosphors).

Using this stimulable phosphor, radiation image information of a subject such as a human body is temporarily recorded on a sheet having a layer made of a stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as a phosphor sheet).
The phosphor sheet is two-dimensionally scanned with excitation light such as laser light to generate stimulated emission light, and the stimulated emission light is photoelectrically read to obtain an image signal. A radiation image information recording / reproducing system for outputting a radiation image of a subject as a visible image on a recording material such as a material or a display device such as a CRT has been proposed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 55-12429 and 56-56). Publication No. -11395).

[0004] In such a radiation image information recording / reproducing system, image recording and reading on a phosphor sheet are conventionally performed as follows.

[0005] First, the radiation image information is stored and recorded on the phosphor sheet by storing the phosphor sheet in a light-shielding storage member called a cassette and irradiating it with radiation through a subject, or by using a radioactive marker. This is performed by closely contacting a subject containing

[0006] The phosphor sheet on which the image has been recorded is loaded into a radiation image information reading device (hereinafter referred to as a reading device) while being stored in the cassette. When the cassette is loaded in the reading device, the phosphor sheet is taken out of the cassette by the sheet feeding mechanism of the reading device, and is conveyed to the image reading unit.

In the reading section, excitation light having a constant intensity emitted from an excitation light source such as a He-Ne laser is reflected and deflected in the main scanning direction by an optical deflector such as a galvanometer mirror, and various types of light such as an fθ lens are used. The phosphor sheet is irradiated through the optical element described above.

[0008] Here, the phosphor sheet is a belt conveyor,
The sheet is conveyed by a conveying means such as a nip roller in a sub-scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction. Therefore, the excitation light deflected in the main scanning direction can scan the phosphor sheet two-dimensionally and entirely.

[0009] From the portion of the phosphor sheet irradiated with the excitation light, stimulated emission light is generated in accordance with the radiation image information stored and recorded there. The stimulated emission light is directly incident on the incident surface of the light guide, or is reflected by a condensing mirror disposed opposite to the incident surface to be incident on the incident surface of the light guide, transmitted by the light guide, and excited. After passing through a filter that cuts light in the wavelength range of light, the light enters a photomultiplier tube, is photoelectrically converted into an electric signal, is processed, and is then reproduced as a visible image on a CRT or a photographic photosensitive material. Recorded and stored on a recording medium.

As described above, in the radiation image information recording / reproducing system, the phosphor sheet is basically handled in a state of being housed in a light-shielding casing called a cassette.
This is because, when the phosphor sheet is irradiated with light, the accumulated image information is erased, and ultraviolet light contained therein is also accumulated and recorded as image information.

Therefore, it is preferable that the phosphor sheet is handled as light-shielded as possible. For this reason, in a usual reading device, as described above, the phosphor sheet on which the image information is stored and recorded is set in the cassette. Load it while storing it,
The phosphor sheet is taken out of the cassette inside the apparatus and image information is read. In addition, the stimulable phosphor sheet that has been read is configured to be stored in the cassette again after the remaining radiation image information is erased.

[0012]

Here, the cassette for accommodating the phosphor sheet is usually constituted by a housing and a lid thereof, and one side of the lid is supported by the housing to open and close. It is configured to be possible.

In a conventional reader using such a cassette and a phosphor sheet, when a cassette containing a phosphor sheet is loaded at a predetermined position, the cassette is opened and closed by a link mechanism, or a suction cup or the like is used. The cover is opened by adsorbing the adsorbing means on the lid, and then the phosphor sheet is set on the cassette (housing) by the adsorbing means.
The sheet is taken out, transported to a predetermined position of a transport unit including a roller pair, a belt conveyor, a transport guide, and the like, and transported to a reading position. The phosphor sheet that has been read is erased from the remaining radiation image information and stored in the cassette again as described above, and is used for the next image recording (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-90641, 62-61). 164039
And Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2-123232.

That is, in the conventional reading apparatus, in order to take out the phosphor sheet from the cassette and store it again, a cover opening mechanism of the cassette using a link mechanism and suction means, and a phosphor sheet using the suction means are used. Single wafer mechanism,
Further, a control device for performing these functions is required, and the device becomes complicated and large-scale, and the device becomes expensive.

In order to solve such a problem, the present applicant has disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 62-90643 and 62-92934 that a discharge (introduction) port is set downward in a cassette loading section of a reading device. A reading device and a sheet take-out mechanism having a configuration in which a cassette is loaded in a substantially vertical direction and the phosphor sheet is dropped by its own weight by opening the cassette using a wedge, a solenoid, or the like have been proposed. According to these devices, it is not necessary to use a link mechanism, a suction means, or the like as the lid opening mechanism and the sheet-feeding mechanism, and the apparatus can be simplified.

However, in these devices (mechanisms), since the cassette is loaded with the outlet side facing downward, it is very difficult to store the phosphor sheet, which has been read, in this cassette in the state as it is. For this purpose, it is necessary to move the cassette to another place so that the opening faces upward, or to store the phosphor sheet, which has been manually read by the operator, in the cassette.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to be mounted in a reading device or the like in a substantially vertical direction with a discharge (introduction) port of a sheet-like material downward.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet-like material storage mechanism that stores a sheet-like material such as a phosphor sheet in a storage container such as a cassette and that can take out the sheet-like material together with the storage container.

[0018]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, a storage container comprising a housing and a lid thereof is loaded into an apparatus with a discharge / inlet opening downward. A sheet-like material storage mechanism for storing a sheet-like material in the storage container, wherein the electromagnet is magnetically attracted to the storage container loading portion of the device and the electromagnet is attached to the back surface of the sheet-like material. After the magnetic material to be arranged is arranged, and the sheet is conveyed to a predetermined position in the storage container by the storage means of the device, the electromagnet is actuated to attract the electromagnet and the magnetic material, and Provided is a sheet-like material storage mechanism for closing a lid.

[0019]

The sheet-like material storage mechanism of the present invention has a
A sheet-like material such as a phosphor sheet is stored in a storage container such as a cassette loaded into a reading device or the like with the inlet opening downward,
The sheet-like material can be taken out of the device together with the cassette.An electromagnet is provided in the storage container loading portion of the device, and a magnetic material that is attracted to the electromagnet is provided on the other surface of the sheet-like material. The sheet-like material is held inside the storage container by operating the electromagnet after being stored in the storage container, and the lid of the storage container is closed.

In the sheet-like material storage mechanism of the present invention, for example, a cassette containing a phosphor sheet is loaded vertically into the radiation image information reading apparatus with the discharge / inlet port downward, and the fluorescent light is stored. After the body sheet is discharged, even if the phosphor sheet that has been read in this state is stored as it is, the phosphor sheet is stored and held in the cassette without falling, and the lid of the storage container is closed. Can be taken out of the device.

Therefore, by adopting the sheet-like material storage mechanism of the present invention, the discharge and storage of the sheet-like material in a state where the storage container is loaded in the radiation image information reading device or the like in the vertical direction can be performed. In addition to facilitating the take-out mechanism of the phosphor sheet such as a radiation image information reading device, it is possible to automatically store sheets in the vertical direction without the need to move the cassette, etc. It can be greatly improved.

[0022]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a sheet storing mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a radiation image information reading apparatus to which a sheet-like object storage mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a storage mechanism) of the present invention is applied.

A radiation image information reading device (hereinafter, referred to as a reading device) 30 shown in FIG.
(See FIG. 2 etc.) The radiographic image information stored and recorded in the cassette 10 is basically read by a cassette loading section 32 for loading the cassette 10, and a reading section for reading the radiographic image information recorded on the phosphor sheet. 34, cassette loading section 3
2 has a transport device 36 for transporting the phosphor sheet discharged from 2 to the reading unit 34, and an erasing unit 38 for erasing the radiation image information remaining on the phosphor sheet after the reading is completed. In FIG. 1, the dashed line indicates the phosphor sheet 12.
3 shows the transport path of the trajectory.

The phosphor sheet 12 on which the radiation image information is recorded is read by the reading device 30 while being stored in the cassette 10.
After the reading is completed, the cassette 10 is stored in the cassette 10 again, and the cassette 10 is taken out from the cassette loading section 32 to be taken out from the reading device 30.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the cassette 10. The cassette 10 basically accommodates the phosphor sheet 12, and has a part of a surface facing the phosphor sheet 12 and an end surface 14 in the short direction connected to the housing 1.
6 and a lid 18 for closing an open portion of the housing 16.

The housing 16 and the lid 18 are formed from various known materials such as various resins and metals such as aluminum, and the lid 18 is formed on the open side surface by a known means such as a hinge. It can be opened and closed on one side.
The housing 16 and the lid 18 may be constituted by separate members, or may be constituted by integrally molding resin or the like so that the lid 18 can be opened and closed.

In the illustrated example of the cassette 10, the lid 1
A lock mechanism (not shown) is formed on the open end face 28 of the housing 8, and the lock mechanism is lightly engaged with the open end face of the housing 16 so as to prevent the cassette 10 from being inadvertently opened. .

As will be described later, in the cassette 10, since the inner wall surface of the recording surface 16b is in sliding contact with the recording layer of the phosphor sheet 12, Pef (manufactured by Toray Industries) and Tyvek (manufactured by DuPont) are in contact with this surface. For example, it is preferable to provide a protective member so as not to damage the recording layer.

The phosphor sheet 12 is provided in such a cassette 1
0, the recording layer is directed toward the recording surface 16b.
Is stored in.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view when the phosphor sheet 12 is viewed from the back side. In the present invention,
The surface opposite to the recording layer from the back surface of the phosphor sheet is shown.

The phosphor sheet 12 has a structure in which a stimulable phosphor layer is laminated on a support such as polyethylene terephthalate, and has an electromagnet 24 disposed in a cassette loading portion of a reading device 30 described later on the back surface. And a thin film magnetic body 22 that is attracted by a magnetic force is adhered.

In the housing mechanism of the present invention, the thin film magnetic body 22 and the electromagnet 24 are attracted to hold the phosphor sheet 12 housed in the cassette 10 and close the lid 18 of the cassette 10. Make it possible. This operation will be described later in detail.

It should be noted that the thin film magnetic material 22 is
Is arranged on the rear surface of the phosphor sheet 12 so as not to hinder image recording and reading on the phosphor sheet 12.

There is no particular limitation on the thin-film magnetic body 22. Depending on the electromagnet 24 provided in the reading device 30, such as an attractable magnet, an iron foil, etc.
What is necessary is just to select a phosphor sheet that can provide a larger attraction force than the drop force due to its own weight.

The shape, thickness and the like are not particularly limited, and may be appropriately set according to the electromagnet 24 as described above. Further, in the present invention, the magnetic material provided on the back surface of the phosphor sheet 12 is not limited to the thin film magnetic body 22 as shown in the illustrated example, and the shape, the thickness, and the like are the same as those described above.
4 may be set as appropriate.

The method of fixing the thin film magnetic material (magnetic material) to the phosphor sheet 12 is not particularly limited, and may be a method of sticking with various adhesives, adhesive tapes, or the like, or a method of forming the magnetic material layer by various thin film forming methods. Various known methods such as a forming method may be used. Further, a magnetic material or a magnet may be mixed in the support of the phosphor sheet 12.

The position where the thin-film magnetic body 22 is provided is not limited to the rear end portion in the illustrated example, and an appropriate position may be selected according to the position of the electromagnet 24.

As shown in FIG. 1, such a phosphor sheet 12 is stored in the cassette 10 and provided to the reading device 30 as described above.

In the reading device 30, the cassette 10 is loaded into the cassette loading section 32 from the loading port 40 with the end face 14 serving as the discharge / introduction port of the phosphor sheet 12 facing downward, and is specified by the support rollers 42, 42. It is supported at the position.

When the cassette 10 is loaded, the suction means,
Opening means (not shown) such as a wedge opens the lid 18 as shown in FIGS. Here, the phosphor sheet 1
2 is held in the cassette 10 by the attraction of the electromagnet 24 and the thin film magnetic substance 22 through the cassette 10 (the same state as in FIG. 4B), so that the phosphor sheet 12 drops even when the lid 18 is opened. The state is maintained in the cassette 10 without performing the operation.

When the cover 18 is opened, the take-out / storing roller 44 moves in the direction of arrow a to abut on the back surface of the phosphor sheet 12 and rotates so as to convey it downward, whereby the phosphor sheet 12 is rotated. Is discharged from the cassette 10.

The discharged phosphor sheet 12 is received by the pair of rollers 46, guided by the guide members 48 and 50, transported downward by the pair of rollers 52 and 54, and further guided by the guide members 56, 58 and 60. Then, the sheet is conveyed to the reading unit 34 by the roller pairs 62 and 64.

The phosphor sheet 12 carried into the reading section 34
Are supported by the conveyance guide 66 and the sub-scanning roller pair 68
And 70, the entire surface is irradiated with the excitation light L while being nipped and conveyed at a predetermined reading speed in the sub-scanning direction indicated by the arrow d.

The excitation light L is emitted from an excitation light source 72 such as a He-Ne laser, is reflected in a predetermined direction by mirrors 74 and 76, enters a galvanometer mirror 78, and has a main scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of arrow d. Is reflected and deflected into the phosphor sheet 12. Here, the phosphor sheet 12 is conveyed in the direction of arrow d as described above, and as a result, the entire surface is irradiated two-dimensionally with the excitation light. The part where the reading of the phosphor sheet 12 has been completed is
The sheet is further conveyed and is supported by the guide member 84.

From the position of the phosphor sheet 12 irradiated with the excitation light L, stimulated emission light corresponding to the stored and recorded radiation image information is emitted. This stimulated emission light is collected by the condensing guide 8
The light is condensed by 0, is incident on a photodetector 82 such as a photomultiplier, and is photoelectrically converted. The electric signal is sent to a control circuit (not shown), processed, transferred to an image forming apparatus, a CRT, or the like, and reproduced as a visible image.

When the image reading is completed, the phosphor sheet 1
2 is conveyed in the direction opposite to the sub-scanning direction (the direction of arrow d), is guided by the guide members 60, 58, and 56 and rises into the erasing section. In the erasing section 38, the phosphor sheet 12 is irradiated with erasing light from the erasing light source 86, and the radiation image information remaining after the reading is completed is erased.

After the erasing of the remaining radiation image information in the erasing section 38, the phosphor sheet 12 is
While being guided by 8, it is transported further upward by the roller pairs 52 and 46, and is carried in and stored in the cassette 10 from the end face 14. Here, the loading of the phosphor sheet 12 into the cassette 10 is performed by the storage mechanism of the present invention.

That is, the phosphor sheet 12 is initially conveyed upward by the roller pair 46 and is carried into the cassette 10.

When the phosphor sheet 12 is carried into the cassette 10 to a certain extent by the roller pair 46, the take-out and storage rollers 44 move the phosphor sheet 1 as shown in FIG.
2, the phosphor sheet 12 is rotated to transport the phosphor sheet 12 upward, so that the phosphor sheet 12 is completely housed in the cassette 10 while being sandwiched together with the cassette 10.

When the phosphor sheet 12 is stored in the cassette 10, the electromagnet 24 is driven to attract the thin film magnetic substance 22 through the cassette 10. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the take-out / storing roller 44 is separated from the phosphor sheet 12 and returns to the original position.
Since the phosphor sheet 12 is adsorbed, the phosphor sheet 12 is held in the cassette 10 and does not fall.

When the take-out / storing roller 44 returns to its original position, the cover 18 is closed by means (not shown), the electromagnet 24 is cut off, and the cassette 10 for storing the erased phosphor sheet 12 is read by the reading device. It becomes possible to take it out from 30.

Electromagnet 24 applied to storage mechanism of the present invention
Is not particularly limited, and any of various known ones can be applied. In addition, the magnetic force may be set as appropriate in accordance with the size of the phosphor sheet 12, the type of the thin film magnetic body 22, and the like, such that the attraction force is greater than the drop force due to the weight of the phosphor sheet 12.

In the above description, the storage mechanism of the present invention is applied to the phosphor sheet cassette and the phosphor sheet. However, the cassette of the present invention is also suitable for an X-ray film or the like. Applicable.

As described above, the sheet-like object storage mechanism according to the present invention has been described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited thereto.
Of course, various modifications and changes may be made.

[0056]

As described above in detail, according to the sheet-like object storage mechanism of the present invention, when the storage container is loaded into the radiation image information reading apparatus or the like with the opening (discharge port) downward, the container is loaded. Also, the phosphor sheet can be stored in this state, and the lid of the cassette can be closed and taken out of the apparatus. Therefore, by applying the sheet-shaped object storage mechanism of the present invention, the sheet-shaped object can be discharged and stored in a state in which the storage container is vertically mounted on the radiation image information reading apparatus or the like, so that the radiation image can be stored. In addition to facilitating the take-out mechanism of the phosphor sheet such as an information reading device, the sheet-like material can be automatically stored in the vertical direction without the need to move the cassette, greatly improving workability. It is possible to do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a radiation image information reading apparatus to which a sheet-like material storage mechanism of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a phosphor sheet cassette applied to the sheet-like object storage mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a phosphor sheet applied to the sheet-like material storage mechanism of the present invention when viewed from the back side.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the radiation image information reading device shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 cassette, 12 phosphor sheet, 14 end face, 16 housing, 18 lid, 22 thin film magnetic material, 24 electromagnet, 30 radiation image information reading device, 32 cassette loading portion, 34 reading portion, 36 transport device, 38 erasing portion , 40 loading port, 42 support roller, 44 take-out roller, 46, 52, 54, 62, 64 roller pair, 48, 50, 56, 58, 60, 84 guide member, 72 excitation light source, 74, 76 mirror, 78 Galvanometer mirror, 80 Focusing guide, 82 Photodetector

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] When a storage container including a housing and a lid thereof is loaded into an apparatus with a discharge / introduction port facing down, a sheet-like material is stored in the storage container. A sheet-like material storage mechanism, wherein an electromagnet is disposed in a storage container loading portion of the device, and a magnetic body that magnetically attracts the electromagnet is disposed on a back surface of the sheet-like material. A sheet-like object storage mechanism that, after conveying a sheet to a predetermined position in a storage container, activates the electromagnet to attract the electromagnet and the magnetic body and closes a lid of the housing.