JP2727272B2 - Cassette - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cassette for storing a sheet-like image recording medium such as an X-ray photographic film and a stimulable phosphor sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an X-ray photographic film has been known as a recording medium for recording a radiation image of a human body or the like. Further, as a recording medium used for the same purpose, for example, a stimulable phosphor sheet disclosed in, for example, JP-A-55-12429 and JP-A-56-11395, that is, a sheet having a layer of a stimulable phosphor is also known. Has become. The above-mentioned stimulable phosphor is such that when it is irradiated with radiation (X-ray, α-ray, β-ray, γ-ray, ultraviolet ray, electron beam, etc.), a part of its energy is accumulated and then irradiated with excitation light such as visible light. The phosphor is a phosphor that emits stimulable luminescence in response to stored energy.

After recording (photographing) a radiation image of the subject by irradiating the stimulable phosphor sheet with radiation transmitted through the subject, for example, the stimulable phosphor sheet is two-dimensionally scanned with excitation light. At this time, if photostimulated light emitted from the sheet is photoelectrically detected, an electrical image signal indicating radiation image information can be obtained.

Incidentally, the above-mentioned stimulable phosphor sheet or X
The radiographic film is usually handled in a light-shielding cassette or magazine. The cassette accommodates sheet-shaped image recording media such as a stimulable phosphor sheet one by one, and usually has a box partially provided with an opening for taking a recording medium in and out, and a box including the box. A lid attached to the box via a swing axis substantially parallel to the sheet-shaped image recording medium stored in the box, and swinging around the swing axis to open and close the opening. You. A lid lock mechanism is provided which includes an engaging portion attached to the housing and an engaged portion which is attached to the lid and engages with the engaging portion, so that the lid is not opened carelessly. It has been like that.

When a radiographic image is taken (recorded) by using such a cassette, the cassette is arranged, for example, at a position to receive radiation transmitted through a subject, whereby the stimulable phosphor contained in the cassette is stored. A sheet or the like is irradiated with radiation, and a radiation image is captured there.

When the above-described cassette is loaded into a reading device for reading radiation image information from a stimulable phosphor sheet on which a radiographic image has been taken, for example, the cassette for taking out the stored recording medium is taken out. Furthermore, in order to store a new recording medium, it is necessary to unlock the lid and then move the lid to the open position. In order to improve the work efficiency, it is desirable to automatically perform the unlocking operation and the opening operation of the lid, as disclosed in JP-A-57-178234.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 10-125139 discloses a cassette which enables automation of these two operations.

In this conventional cassette, an arm connects a moving body which is arranged on a box side and moves in a direction substantially parallel to the sheet-shaped recording medium by receiving an external force, and is moved when the lid is closed. The arm, which is in a state substantially parallel to the body movement direction, is pushed by a moving body that receives an external force to raise the arm in an oblique state, thereby swinging the lid to the open position.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned cassette, the arm is arranged in a box formed so as to be quite thin, usually about 15 mm, so that when the arm is pushed, the arm is inclined. It is very difficult to design. Further, even if the arm can be designed in such a manner, an extremely large force is required to actually push it and raise it in an oblique state. As described above, the above-mentioned conventional cassettes can theoretically automatically perform the opening operation, but at the practical level, the opening operation is not very automatic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a cassette which can automatically perform both the unlocking operation and the opening operation of the lid even when the case is formed to be very thin. The purpose is to provide.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a cassette comprising a casing and a lid as described above, which is held on the casing so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the swing axis of the lid. Moving body, an engaging portion integrated with the moving body, a biasing means for biasing the moving body to one side in the moving direction, and a locking position for receiving the biased moving body. A stopper fixed to the box, which is attached to the lid, and which is engaged with the engaging portion of the moving body at the lock position when the lid is in the closed position, and the lid is While the movable body is moved by a predetermined distance in a direction opposite to the biasing direction, the engaged portion coming off the engaging portion, a pressing member and a lid attached to the movable body. Consists of a combination of pressed members attached to At least one has a slope inclined with respect to the moving direction of the moving body, and when the moving body moves in the direction opposite to the biasing direction, the pressing member presses the pressed member to open the lid. A lid opening mechanism for swinging in the lid direction.

[0011]

When the cassette having the above-mentioned structure is loaded into, for example, the above-described radiation image information reading apparatus for a stimulable phosphor sheet, the moving body resists the urging force of the urging means due to the members on this apparatus side. When the moving body is pushed, the movable body retreats from the locked position, so that the engaging portion of the moving body is disengaged from the engaged portion on the lid side, and the lid is automatically unlocked. You.

When the moving body moves as described above, the pressing member attached thereto presses the pressed member on the lid side, so that the lid swings in the opening direction and the opening operation is automatically performed. You. More specifically, when the pressing member presses the pressed member in this manner, the linear movement of the pressing member (that is, the moving body) causes the pressed member (that is, the moving member) to move through the slope portion formed on at least one of the two members. Is converted into a swing (of the lid). The cam mechanism for opening the lid in this manner can be easily disposed in a box having a thickness of about 15 mm, unlike the arm of the conventional device that is tilted as described above,
Also, the lid can be opened with a relatively small force.

In order to automatically unlock and open the cassette as described above, a device such as a radiation image information reading device into which the cassette is mounted is provided with, for example, a pin-shaped device which can face a moving body in the cassette. Is fixed, and the cassette is pushed in a direction parallel to the sheet-shaped recording medium accommodated therein so that the cassette is loaded at a predetermined position. When the cassette is pushed in, the unlocking member is inserted into the cassette. What is necessary is just to make it contact a moving body and to move it in the direction opposite to the urging direction. Alternatively, after the cassette is loaded at a predetermined position in a device such as a radiation image information reading device, a movable unlocking member provided in the device may be moved to move the movable body in the cassette. Good. In the former method, the lock can be released and the lid opened using the cassette loading operation.Therefore, there is no need for a drive mechanism for both of these operations, and both operations must be completed by the end of cassette loading. And therefore more desirable than the latter approach.

[0014]

1 shows a cassette 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of FIG.

The cassette 10 accommodates the above-described stimulable phosphor sheet 11 by way of example.
And a lid 13 that opens and closes an opening 12a for taking in and out the stimulable phosphor sheet provided in the box 12. The box 12 and the lid 13 are formed of, for example, a synthetic resin. Then, the lid 13 is attached to the box 12 so as to be swingable about a swing axis A substantially parallel to the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 stored in the box 12, as described above. It swings to open and close the opening 12a. In order to make the lid 13 swingable in this way, for example, a known hinge mechanism is used, or the lid 13 and the box 12 are integrally formed of synthetic resin, and the lid 13 is What is necessary is just to be able to bend at 12 with a hinge line.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the lid 13 has an opening.
12a shows a state where 12a is open (opened state) and a state where 12a is closed (closed state). In FIG. 2, the lid lock is released by a manual operation described later. Although FIGS. 1 and 2 show only the left end of the cassette 10, a mechanism similar to that shown is also provided at the right end of the cassette.

The housing 12 is movable in a direction (arrows B and C) which is parallel to the stored stimulable phosphor sheet 11 and perpendicular to the swing axis A of the lid 13. Then, a slider (moving body) 14 is held. This slider 14
Is formed by a guide member 15 formed on the inner surface of the box 12,
It is guided so as to be movable only in the above directions. Further, a lock claw 16 as an engagement portion is formed integrally with the slider 14.

A spring receiver 17 is formed on the box 12.
A compression coil spring is provided between the spring receiver 17 and the slider 14.
18 are arranged. Thus, the slider 14 is biased toward the front end of the cassette (in the direction of arrow B). The slider 14 urged in this manner is held at a position (lock position) where the overhang portion 14a contacts the stopper 19 formed on the guide member 15 unless another external force is received. The slider 14 is further integrally formed with a pressing member 20 having an upper portion formed as a slope portion gradually lowering toward the coil spring 18 side, and a projection 21 for manual lock release described later.
Further, a hook portion 22 for maintaining the state of manual lock release is formed inside the slider 14 on the box 12.

Next, the structure of the cover 13 will be described. Inside the lid 13, a lock claw 30 as an engaged portion protruding toward the upper surface of the slider 14 and a similarly pressed protruding projection 37 are fixed. A manual operation piece 31 is attached to the lid 13 so as to be movable in the directions of arrows D and E, that is, in the direction parallel to the directions of arrows B and C when the lid is closed. The manual operation piece 31 has a projection 32 protruding outward and laterally.
Is fixed to a hooking piece 33 which can move elastically in the direction of arrow K. On the upper surface of the manual operation piece 31, an operation section 34 having a wave-shaped cross section is formed.
It is exposed to the outside through an opening 35 formed in 13.

The manual operation piece 31 is held movably as described above by a holding member 39 (omitted in FIG. 1), and the cover 13 is inserted into two elongated guide grooves 31a formed therein. Each of the pins 13b is fixed so as to be movable only in the directions of arrows D and E.

The manual operation piece 31 is urged in the direction of arrow E by a compression coil spring 36. Unless another external force acts on the manual operation piece 31 urged in this manner, the arc portion of the operation portion 34 comes into contact with the opening 35 and is maintained at the predetermined lock position. This lock position is
When the lid 13 is closed, the rear end surface of the projection 32 of the manual operation piece 31 (the surface on the back side in FIG. 1) is the front end surface of the projection 21 of the slider 14 also in the locked position (see FIG. 1 (a surface on the near side) at a small interval.

Next, the operation of the cassette 10 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows the side cross-sectional shape of the cassette 10 around the lid lock mechanism for each of the four states when the lid is opened. First, when the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is housed in the box 12 and the lid 13 is closed, the lock claw 30 of the lid 13 is moved to the lock claw 16 of the slider 14 as shown in FIG. And the lid 13 is locked so as to maintain this closed state.

After the cassette 10 containing the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 therein is subjected to radiographic image capturing as described above, it is loaded into the radiographic image information reading device 40 shown in FIG. At this time, the cassette 10 is inserted into the cassette insertion opening 40a of the radiation image information reading device 40 from the front end (the end provided with the opening 12a), and is pushed to a predetermined loading position in that posture. A guide member (not shown) is provided inside the radiation image information reading device 40 for guiding the left and right ends of the cassette 10 pushed in in this manner.

When the cassette 10 is loaded as described above, the lock release pin 41 fixed in the radiation image information reading device 40 so as to extend in a direction parallel to the loading direction is formed in the box.
The rod enters the box 12 through a pin passage hole 12b (see FIG. 1) provided in the rod 12, and pushes the slider 14 backward (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1) against the urging force of the spring 18. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3B, the lock claw 16 of the slider 14 separates from the lock claw 30 of the lid 13, and the locked state of the lid 13 is released.

When the cassette 10 is further pushed in, the slider 14 moves further, and as shown in FIG. 3C, the slope of the pressing member 20 presses the pressed projection 37 of the lid 13 so that the cam is pressed. The pressed projection 37 is pushed upward by the action, and the lid 13 swings around the swing axis A to open the opening 12a. When the cassette 10 is pushed into a predetermined loading position, the front end of the cassette 10 contacts the stopper 42 as shown in FIG. 3D, and the cassette 10 is held at that position.

As described above, when the cassette 10 is loaded at a predetermined position in the radiation image information reading device 40, the lock is automatically released and the lid is opened. In addition to unlocking and opening the lid by using the force for loading the cassette 10 as described above, the unlocking pin 41 may be moved by the driving unit after the cassette 10 is loaded at a predetermined position. However, according to the above embodiment, the lock release pin
The drive means 41 is unnecessary, and the unlocking and opening of the cover are completed at the end of cassette loading, which is more preferable in terms of simplifying the mechanism of the radiation image information reading apparatus 40 and speeding up the operation.

The cassette 10 of the present embodiment is configured such that the lid 13 is slightly opened in the automatic lid opening performed as described above. In this case, a large cassette loading force is not required for this lid opening operation. However, in this case, an operation to open the lid 13 further widely to take out the stimulable phosphor sheet is required.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3D, the radiation image information reading device 40 is moved laterally in the cassette left and right direction (the direction perpendicular to the sheet of FIG.
An opening member 43 that moves in the direction is provided. The lid-opening member 43 moves laterally to a position inside the lid 13 that is slightly opened, and then moves to a position indicated by a broken line in FIG. As a result, the lid 13 is greatly opened to the position shown by the broken line in FIG.

In order to open the lid 13 widely as described above, in addition to using the lid opening member 43, a mechanism for moving the air suction cup adsorbed on the upper surface of the lid 13 in the direction of arrow F, and the like. May be used. In a cassette in which only the lid lock is automatically released by loading the cassette, the lid opening mechanism having the above-described air suction cup must be used to open the lid widely. On the other hand, if the lid 13 is automatically opened even a little as in the cassette 10, various types of lid opening mechanisms for opening the lid 13 widely can be used. Expands.

When the lid 13 is widely opened as described above, the sheet carrying-in / out mechanism 45 having the driving roller 44 moves in the direction of arrow G as shown in FIG. Between the drive roller 44 and the stimulable phosphor sheet 11
Is pressed. Next, the drive roller 44 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4 by drive means (not shown). Thereby, the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is carried out of the cassette 10 to the outside.

The discharged stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is
Guide plates 46, 47, 48 and nip rollers 49, 50, 51, 52, 5
The sheet is sent to the reading unit 62 via the erasing unit 60 by a sheet conveying system including 3, 54, 55, 56, 57, and the like. The reading processing of the radiation image information in the reading section 62 is described in, for example, JP-A-55-1.
Although it is publicly known from Japanese Patent No. 2429, it will be briefly described below. The stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is conveyed at a constant speed in the direction of arrow H in the figure for excitation light sub-scanning by the nip rollers 55, 56, 57. And a laser beam as excitation light emitted from the main scanning optical system 63
64 scans (main scans) the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the arrow H direction.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 11 irradiated with the laser beam 64 emits stimulable luminescence light in an amount corresponding to the radiation image information stored and recorded therein. The light is detected via a light guide 65 by a photodetector 66 such as a photomultiplier tube. Therefore, from the photodetector 66, an output signal S indicating the radiation image information stored and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is obtained. If the signal S is sent to an image reproducing device such as a CRT display device or an optical scanning recording device for image reproduction, the radiation image recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is reproduced as a visible image.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 11 from which the reading of the radiation image information has been completed is sent from the reading section 62 to the erasing section 60 by rotating the nip rollers 49 to 57 in the opposite direction. The erasing section 60 is connected to the stimulable phosphor sheet 11.
Are passed, a plurality of erasing light sources 61 are turned on, and the erasing light emitted from the plurality of erasing light sources 61 is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet 11. The radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 even after reading the radiation image information is released from the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 by this erasing light irradiation, and the sheet 11 is ready for use in radiographic image capturing. Becomes

The stimulable phosphor sheet subjected to the erasing process
11 is carried into the cassette 10 by the driving roller 44 rotating in the opposite direction, that is, clockwise, from the previous case. Next, the operation of completely removing the stimulable phosphor sheet described above is performed, so that the cassette 10 is closed and locked. That is, first, the sheet carrying-in / out mechanism 45 moves in the direction opposite to the arrow G direction, and the casing 12 and the lid
Exit from between 13 and return to the original position. Next, in FIG.
The cover opening member 43 shown in (4) returns from the broken line display position to the solid line display position in the same figure, and retreats laterally (to the rear side in the figure) to a position away from the inside of the lid 13.

When it is notified, for example, by a display device or the like, that the cover opening member 43 has retracted to the above-mentioned position, the device operator pulls out the cassette 10 from the cassette insertion port 40a.
Then, in this case, the states of the slider 14 and the lid 13 change in the order of (4), (3), (2), and (1) in FIG. 3, and the lid is closed and the lid 13 is locked.

However, at this time, before the slider 14 returns to the locked position shown in FIG. 3A, the lid 13 may not be able to return to the completely closed position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the lock claw 30 of the lid 13 is
They are on top of 16 and they do not engage. Therefore, the cassette 10 is installed in the radiation image information reading device 40.
A pair of lid closing rollers that elastically contact the
68 are provided. These rollers 68 are
When the is pulled out, it is arranged at a position where an upper surface portion (a portion indicated by a broken-line circle J in FIG. 1) corresponding to almost the back side of the lock claw 30 installation portion of the lid 13 is pressed.

The cover body 13 is formed by such a cover closing roller 68.
Is pushed downward, the lock claw 30 attempts to push the lock claw 16 downward. At this time, the lock claw 16 moves in the direction of arrow C by the action of the tapered surfaces of both lock claws 30 and 16, and when the lid 13 is completely closed, the lock claw 16 returns to the lock position by the force of the spring 18, and the lock is performed. Engage with the pawl 30. As described above, when the cassette 10 is completely pulled out from the cassette insertion opening 40a of the radiation image information reading device 40, the lock claws 30 and 16 are always engaged with each other and the lid 13 is locked. Become.

The lid 13 of the cassette 10 is manually operated for loading the radiation image information reading apparatus 40 as described above, and for exchanging and checking the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 to be stored, for example. The lid may be opened. Hereinafter, the operation will be described. When the lid 13 is in the closed state, when the operator presses the operation unit 34 of the pair of manual operation pieces 31 attached thereto in the direction of arrow D in FIG. The protrusions 32 of the 31 move the slider 14 in the same direction via the protrusions 21. Then, the slider 14 enters the state shown in FIG. 3 (2), and the lock of the lid 13 is released.

When the manual operation piece 31 is thus pushed to be in the unlocked state, the hooking piece 33 fixed to the manual operation piece 31 is elastically deformed and rides over the hooking portion 22, and Hang on. Then, each spring 1
The slider 14 and the manual operation piece 31 urged by 8 and 36 are used by the operator to operate the operation section of the manual operation piece 31.
Even if you release your hand from 34, it does not return to the locked position. Therefore, the operator can release the hand from the operation unit 34 and open the lid 13 by manual operation.

When the lid 13 is opened as described above, the latching piece 33 comes off the latching portion 22, so that the slider 14 and the manual operation piece 31 return to the locked position by the urging forces of the springs 18 and 36, respectively. . Then, for example, after exchanging the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 or the like, the lid 13 is closed by pushing the broken line circle J in FIG. Is pressed, the lock claw 30 engages with the lock claw 16, and the lid 13 is locked in the closed state.

The lid 13 can be opened manually by inserting a pin-shaped member into the pin passage hole 12b of the box 12 without providing the manual lock release mechanism described above. However, it is preferable to provide the manual lock release mechanism as described above, since the manual lock can be easily released.

In the above embodiment, the pressing member 20 has a shape having a slope. However, the pressing member 37 provided on the lid 13 side has a shape having such a slope, and the pressing member 20 has It is good also as a shape which does not have such a slope part. Further, the present invention is also applicable to a cassette that stores a sheet-like image recording medium other than the stimulable phosphor sheet.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially broken plan view showing a main part of the cassette.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view sequentially showing an operation state of a main part when the cassette is opened;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a radiation image information reading apparatus in which the cassette is loaded.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a state of a main part when the cassette is operated to close a lid;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 cassette 11 stimulable phosphor sheet 12 box 12a box opening 12b box pin passage hole 13 lid 14 slider 15 guide member 16 locking claw (engaging portion) 18, 36 compression coil spring 19 stopper 20 pressing member 21, 32 Projection 22 Locking part 30 Lock claw (engaged part) 31 Manual operation piece 33 Locking piece 37 Pressed protrusion 40 Radiation image information reader 40a Cassette insertion slot 41 Lock release pin 43 Opening member 44 Drive roller 45 Sheet loading / unloading mechanism 68 Roller for closing lid A Swing axis of lid

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A box which stores a sheet-shaped image recording medium and a part of which is provided with an opening for taking in and out the recording medium; A cassette attached to the box via a parallel swing axis and swinging around the swing axis to open and close the opening, in a direction perpendicular to the swing axis; A movable body held by the box so as to be movable, an engaging portion integrated with the movable body, biasing means for biasing the movable body to one side in the moving direction, A stopper fixed to the box, which receives the moving body and holds the moving body in a locked position; and a stopper attached to the lid, wherein the engagement of the moving body in the locked position when the lid is in a closed position. While locking the lid so that it cannot swing When the body moves by a predetermined distance in the direction opposite to the direction of the urging, the engaged part disengages from the engaging part, and a combination of a pressing member attached to the moving body and a pressed member attached to the lid body. At least one of these two members has a slope portion inclined with respect to the moving direction of the moving body, and the pressing member presses the pressed member when the moving body moves in the direction opposite to the biasing direction. A cassette opening mechanism for swinging the cover in the opening direction.