JP2704056B2 - Sheet-like storage method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Radiation (X-ray, α-ray,
(β-rays, γ-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc.), and accumulates a part of this radiation energy. When this phosphor is irradiated with excitation light such as visible light, the stored energy 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 image information stored and recorded is erased, and ultraviolet light contained therein is also stored 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 cassette is loaded in a substantially vertical direction with a discharge (introduction) port facing downward. In addition, a reading device having a configuration in which a phosphor sheet is dropped by its own weight by opening a cassette using a wedge, a solenoid, or the like, and a sheet takeout mechanism are 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 discharge port side downward, it is very difficult to store the phosphor sheet, which has been read, in this cassette in this state. 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 load a phosphor sheet or the like in a state of being loaded in a reader or the like in a substantially vertical direction with a discharge port of a sheet-like substance facing downward. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet-like material storage method capable of storing the above-mentioned sheet-like material in a storage container such as a cassette.

[0018]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention relates to a sheet-like material storage method for storing a sheet-like material in a storage container having a discharge / inlet port directed downward. To discharge and introduce the sheet,
The opening through which the removal means and storage means for the
The opening and closing of the formed housing and the opening of the housing
Using a container having a lid provided in the standing, the back surface opposite to the surface of the sheet when the back surface of the sheet, and the sheet material of the casing inner wall surface is accommodated, on the other hand, a magnet, arranged and member of adsorbing at the magnet and the magnetic force on the other, by adsorbing both, open the lid
A sheet storage method for holding a sheet material stored in the housing regardless of whether the housing is closed .

It is preferable that, of the magnet or the member that attracts the magnet with the magnetic force, the member disposed on the inner wall surface of the storage container has a taper toward a discharge / introduction port.

[0020]

Storage scheme of the sheet of the present invention the action of the Invention, the cassette or the like in a state of being discharged, inlet downwards, the discharge (guide
It has a housing with an inlet and a lid to open and close the outlet.
A container which, there is for accommodating a sheet material such as phosphor sheet, arranged magnets and magnetic material adsorbs each other in the seat and the housing inner wall surface, by adsorbing both by magnetic force, the lid Irrespective of the opening and closing of the sheet, the sheet-like material stored in the storage container is held in the falling direction.

In such a sheet-like material storage system of the present invention, for example, a cassette containing a phosphor sheet is loaded and stored in a radiation image information reading apparatus in a vertical direction with the discharge / inlet port downward. Even after the phosphor sheet is ejected and the phosphor sheet that has been read in this state is stored, the phosphor sheet can be stored and held in the cassette without dropping.

Accordingly, by adopting the sheet-like material storage method of the present invention, the sheet-like material can be discharged and stored in a state of being loaded vertically in a radiation image information reading device or the like. In addition to facilitating the take-out mechanism of the phosphor sheet of the image information reading device, etc., 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 improve.

[0023]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example in which a phosphor sheet is accommodated in a cassette by applying the sheet-like material accommodating method (hereinafter referred to as accommodating method) of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows this phosphor sheet. Is shown in a schematic perspective view when viewed from the back side (the side opposite to the recording layer).

The cassette 10 shown in FIG. 1 stores the phosphor sheet 12, and basically stores a part of the surface facing the phosphor sheet 12, which stores the phosphor sheet 12, and The housing 16 includes a housing 16 having an open end surface 14 in the short direction connected thereto, and a lid 18 for closing an open portion of the housing 16.

In such a cassette 10, a magnet 16 is provided on an inner wall surface of a surface 16a of the housing 16 on which the lid 18 is disposed (hereinafter, this surface is referred to as a back surface 16a and the other surface is referred to as a recording surface 16b). 20 and 22 are fixed. On the other hand, on the back surface of the phosphor sheet 12, thin-film magnetic bodies 24 and 26 that are attracted by the magnet and the magnetic force are fixed. That is, in the illustrated example of the cassette 10 and the phosphor sheet 12, the cassette 1 is attracted by magnetic force.
0 is held.

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. One side is openable and closable in the direction of arrow a in the figure. 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 direction of arrow a.

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 cassette 8, and the lock mechanism is engaged with the open end face of the housing 16 so that the cassette 10 is not accidentally opened.

The phosphor sheet 12 is provided in such a cassette 1
The recording layer is stored in the cassette 10 with the recording layer facing the recording surface 16b. Here, as described above, the magnets 20 and 22 are fixed to the inner wall surface of the back surface 16 a of the cassette 10, and the thin film magnetic materials 24 and 26 are arranged on the back surface of the phosphor sheet 12, and both are attracted. The cassette 10
Is held.

FIG. 3 is a view conceptually showing a cross section taken along line II-II of the cassette 10, and FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a rear end portion (hereinafter referred to as a rear end portion) in the discharge direction. .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the magnet 20 (and 22) is provided on the inner wall surface of the rear surface 16a of the rear end portion of the cassette 10, while the magnetic material 24 is provided on the phosphor sheet 12.
(And 26) are fixed, and in a state where the phosphor sheet 12 is stored in the cassette 10, the magnet 20 and the thin-film magnetic body 24 are attracted (the magnet 22 and the thin-film magnetic body 26) to be attracted, so that the fluorescent light is absorbed. The body sheet 12 is held with a force greater than the drop force due to its own weight. Therefore, the stored phosphor sheet 12 does not fall even when the cassette 10 has the end 14 serving as the discharge / inlet port facing downward (vertically).

Therefore, even if the cassette 10 is vertically loaded into the radiation image information reading apparatus or the like with the discharge port and the introduction port facing downward, the phosphor sheet 12 that has been read is stored in the cassette 10 again. 4 (a) → (b), the thin film magnetic body 24 (26) of the phosphor sheet 12 comes into contact with the magnet 20 (22) and is attracted and held by magnetic force. Even without doing so, the phosphor sheet 12 that has been read (erased) as it is (in the state of being loaded in the apparatus) can be stored and held.

The magnets 20 and 22 and the thin-film magnetic material 2
Since both 4 and 26 are arranged on the back surface side with respect to the recording layer of the phosphor sheet 12, there is no hindrance when recording and reading the radiation image information.

In the illustrated example, the cassette 10 is provided with a magnet, and the phosphor sheet 12 is provided with a magnetic material to be adsorbed thereto. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the cassette 10 may be provided with a magnetic material. Alternatively, the magnet may be provided on the phosphor sheet 12.

There is no particular limitation on the magnets 20 and 22 applied to the present invention, and various types of magnets 20 and 22 may be used as long as the fluorescent sheet 12 and the thin film magnetic bodies 24 and 26 can obtain an attractive force that does not drop by their own weight. Any known magnets such as permanent magnets and electromagnets can be applied. The shape and number of the cassette 1 are not particularly limited.
What is necessary is just to set suitably according to the shape of 0, the thickness of fluorescent substance sheet 12, a size, etc. Not only the magnets 20 and 22 but also those disposed on the cassette 10 are the phosphor sheets 1.
In order to facilitate the storage of 2, it is preferable that it has a tapered shape toward the discharge / introduction port as shown in the illustrated example.

On the other hand, the thin-film magnetic bodies 24 and 26 are not particularly limited, and the magnets which can be attracted to the magnets arranged on the cassette 10 and the magnets which can be attracted to the magnets arranged on the cassette 10 correspond to the magnets arranged on the cassette 10. Any possible magnetic material is applicable.

The cassette 10 and the phosphor sheet 12
There is no particular limitation on the method of fixing the magnet or magnetic material, and there are various known methods such as a method of sticking with an adhesive, an adhesive tape, and the like, and a method of forming a magnet or a magnetic layer by various thin film forming methods. I just need. Further, a magnetic material or a magnet may be mixed in the support of the phosphor sheet 12.

The positions where the magnets 20 and 22 and the thin film magnetic bodies 24 and 26 are provided are not limited to the rear end of the illustrated example, but may be near the center of the cassette, near the discharge port, or the like.

In the illustrated example of the cassette 10 of the present invention, since the recording layer of the phosphor sheet 12 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the recording surface 16b, it is preferable that a protective member for the recording layer is disposed on this surface. As the protective member, any of various known materials can be used as long as they have appropriate activity and do not damage the recording layer of the phosphor sheet 12 even when they are in contact with the recording layer. Are exemplified by Peff (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) and Tyvek (manufactured by DuPont).

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a radiation image information reading apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a reading apparatus) to which the storing method of the present invention is applied, and a cassette 10 to which the storing method of the present invention is applied.
The operation of the phosphor sheet 12 will be described.

The reader 30 in the illustrated example is provided with a phosphor sheet 1.
2, a cassette loading section 32 for loading the cassette 10, a reading section 34 for reading the radiation image information recorded on the phosphor sheet, and a cassette loading section 32. Conveying device 36 for conveying the phosphor sheet discharged from the unit 32 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 addition,
In FIG. 5, a dashed line indicates a transport path of the phosphor sheet 12.

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 fixed 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 cover 18 as shown in FIGS. Here, the phosphor sheet 1
2 is a magnet 20 as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
And 22 and the thin-film magnetic bodies 24 and 26 are adsorbed, so that the phosphor sheet 1
2 is held in the cassette 10 without free fall.

When the cover 18 is opened, the take-out 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.
The phosphor sheet 12 is discharged from the cassette 10.

The discharged phosphor sheet 12 is received by the roller pair 46 and is guided downward by the roller pairs 52 and 54 while being guided by the guide members 48 and 50, and further guided by the guide members 56, 58 and 60. Then, the sheet is conveyed to the reading unit 34 by the pair of rollers 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, is incident on a galvanometer mirror 78, and has a main scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the arrow d direction. 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
8 and further transported further upward by the roller pairs 52 and 46, and the cassette 1 from the end face 14.
It is carried into 0.

When the phosphor sheet 12 is carried into the cassette 10, the take-out roller 44 contacts the phosphor sheet 12 and rotates so as to convey the phosphor sheet 12 upward.
The phosphor sheet 12 is completely stored in the cassette 10.

At this time, the thin film magnetic members 24 and 26 of the phosphor sheet 12 and the magnets 20 and 22 of the cassette 10 are attracted as shown in FIGS. Therefore, even if the take-out roller 44 is separated from the phosphor sheet 12, the phosphor sheet 12 is held in the cassette 10 without dropping, and the cover 18 can be closed and taken out from the reading device 30.

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

As described above, the method of storing a sheet-like material according to the present invention has been described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various improvements and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, you can do it.

[0055]

As described above in detail, according to the sheet-like object storage method of the present invention, even when a storage container is loaded with a discharge / inlet port downward in a radiation image information reading apparatus or the like. In this state, the phosphor sheet can be stored and held. Therefore, by applying the sheet-like material storage method of the present invention, the sheet-like material can be discharged and stored in a state where the sheet-like material is vertically loaded in a radiation image information reading device or the like. In addition to facilitating the take-out mechanism of the phosphor sheet of the device, etc., it is possible to automatically store the sheet-like material in the vertical direction without the need to move the cassette, etc., greatly improving workability. Is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view when a sheet-like material storage method according to the present invention is applied to a phosphor sheet cassette and a phosphor sheet.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view when the phosphor sheet shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the back surface side.

FIG. 3 is a view conceptually showing a cross section taken along line II-II of the phosphor sheet cassette and the phosphor sheet shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a radiation image information reading apparatus to which the phosphor sheet cassette and the phosphor sheet shown in FIG. 1 are applied;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 cassette, 12 phosphor sheet, 14, 28 end face, 16 housing, 18 lid, 20, 22 magnet, 24, 26 thin-film magnetic material, 30 radiation image information reader, 32 cassette loading section, 34 reading section, 36 Conveying device, 38 erasing section, 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 mirrors, 78 galvanometer mirrors, 80 focusing guides, 82 photodetectors

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sheet storage method for storing a sheet in a storage container having a discharge / introduction port directed downward, wherein the sheet is discharged / introduced and the sheet is discharged.
An opening is formed in which the take-out means and the storage means can be inserted.
Housing and an opening and closing provided for the opening of the housing
Using a container having a lid that is, the back surface of the sheet, and the sheet material of the casing inner wall surface of the back surface opposite to the surface of the sheet when it is housed, the magnet in one and arranged a member which adsorbs at the magnet and the magnetic force on the other, by adsorbing both, the lid
Regardless of the opening and closing of the body, the sheet
A storage method for holding sheet materials.