JPH0139392Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a device for monitoring photographing operations in an electron microscope.

In an electron microscope, a film cassette is moved between a storage box and a photographing position to take photographs. In such conventional devices, when operating a sequence for photographing, the movement of the cassette may stop due to some kind of trouble. In such a case, conventionally, the work remains stopped until the occurrence of this trouble is noticed, resulting in a significant delay in the photographing work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve these conventional drawbacks and provide an apparatus capable of displaying the movement of a film cassette during photographing operations.

The present invention provides an apparatus for taking photographs by moving a film cassette between a storage box and a photographing position, which includes a plurality of cassette position detectors provided along a moving path of the film cassette, and a detector for detecting the position of the film cassette. The present invention is characterized by comprising means for displaying the moving state of the cassette based on the output signal from the device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a first storage box for storing film cassettes before photography, which is placed in the camera chamber of an electron microscope. A large number of unphotographed film cassettes 2 are stored in the film cassette 1. These cassettes 2 have a frame made of iron, for example, and this frame is magnetized by a Hall element, which will be described later, so that its approach can be detected. The degree of magnetization is made sufficiently weak so as not to adversely affect the electron beam of the electron microscope. 3 is a spring for pushing the cassette 2 upward. 4 is a second storage box for storing photographed cassettes. In order to move the cassette 2 stored in the first storage box 1 to the photographing stand 5 and to move the cassette 2 after photography back to the second storage box 4, a claw 6 is attached to the tip of the cassette 2.
A moving shaft 6 is provided so as to be movable in the direction of arrow K. On the other hand, a recess 2a is provided at one end of each cassette 2, and when the claw 6a of the moving shaft 6 is engaged with the recess 2a, the cassette 2 moves together with the moving shaft 6. Reference numeral 7 denotes a moving mechanism for the moving shaft 6 which includes a motor and the like, and this moving mechanism 7 is driven based on a control signal from an arithmetic control section 8. Hall elements 9a, 9b,..., 9g are arranged at equal intervals along the moving direction of the cassette, and the output signals from these Hall elements 9a, 9b,..., 9g are calculated and controlled via the AD converter 10. 8. The arithmetic control unit 8 has a display unit for monitoring photographic work, etc.
CRT11 is connected. This CRT11 is used not only to take photographs, but also to display to the operator whether or not the work is being done well when performing various tasks such as alignment and focusing. A monitor pattern is assigned,
The monitor pattern can be changed as the work changes, just like turning a page. 1
2 is an input device for giving various instructions to the arithmetic control unit 8, and this input device 12 includes a cassette 2
A cassette feed switch 12a for instructing the start of movement of the CRT, and a page change switch 12b for instructing the change of the page on the CRT are provided. The output signal of the cassette feed switch 12a is supplied to a cassette moving circuit 12c, which is a component of the input device 12, and the cassette moving circuit 12c generates a movement signal instructing the movement of the cassette 2. Supplied. The output signal of the page changeover switch 12b is supplied to a page changeover signal generation circuit 12d, and based on the output signal from this circuit 12d, the arithmetic control section 8
generates a switching signal for switching the page of the monitor pattern displayed on the CRT 11.
Further, the output signal of the cassette feed switch 12a is also supplied to the page switching signal generation circuit 12c.
When the cassette feed switch 12a is turned on, the screen page displayed on the CRT 11 is automatically switched to a page for monitoring the photographing process.

In such a configuration, when an electron microscope image is to be photographed, the cassette feed switch 12a of the input device 12 is turned on. As a result, a signal instructing the start of movement of the cassette 2 is supplied from the cassette moving circuit 12c to the arithmetic control section 8, and a signal from the cassette feed switch 12a is supplied to the page switching signal generating circuit 12d. The calculation control unit 8 has a CRT1
A signal is provided instructing the display screen of No. 1 to be switched to a page for monitoring the photographic operation. As a result, the arithmetic control section 8 supplies a control signal to the moving mechanism 7 to put the mechanism 7 into operation. Therefore, the moving mechanism 7 moves the moving shaft 6 rightward in the figure with its claw 6a inserted into the recess 2a of the cassette 2 located at the top of the first storage box 1.
When the cassette 2 moves to the right as the moving shaft 6 moves, the Hall elements 9a, 9b,..., 9g sequentially approach the magnetized cassette frame. As the cassette moves, magnetism above a certain level is detected one after another. These detectors 9a, 9b,..., 9g
The output signal is converted into a digital signal by the AD converter 10 and then supplied to the arithmetic control section 8. On the other hand, the cassette 2 passes the position indicated by the dotted line in the figure, moves further to the right, moves to the imaging stand 5, and then stops. Along with this movement, the Hall elements 9a, 9b, which have once detected the magnetism at the certain level,
... 9g gradually changes from element 9a to a state in which magnetism is not detected. After photographing the cassette 2 on the photographing stand 5, the arithmetic and control section 8 further supplies a control signal to the drive mechanism 7 to move the moving shaft 6 leftward in the figure. Accordingly, the Hall elements sequentially generate magnetic detection signals of a certain level or higher starting from element 9g. All Hall elements 9a, 9b,
When the cassette 2 moves until magnetism is detected by . . . 9g, the cassette 2 is dropped into the second storage box 4 and stored. Along with such work, the output signals from each Hall element 9a, 9b, ..., 9g are supplied to the arithmetic control section 8 as described above, but the arithmetic control section 8 determines which element among these elements. The current position of the cassette 2 is calculated based on the combination of which elements detect magnetism and which elements do not detect magnetism.
The position of the cassette is determined based on the calculated result.
Display on CRT11. That is, by switching the pages described above, the CRT 11 displays each work step, such as ``Start moving cassette'', ``Photographing'', and ``End stowing cassette'', in text in the frame, as shown in Figure 2. As it moves normally, the arrow segments Sa connecting each step are displayed one by one with high brightness based on the display control signal from the arithmetic control unit 8, and when shooting starts, The words "Shooting in progress" are also displayed in high brightness, and when the shooting ends and cassette 2 starts moving to the left,
Arrow segments Sb connecting ``shooting in progress'' and ``cassette storage completed'' are displayed in high brightness one by one.
If the normal movement of the cassette 2 is inhibited for some reason, the Hall elements 9a, 9
Based on the output signals of b, ..., 9g, the arithmetic control unit 8 determines that the cassette remains stopped, so the number of segments displayed with high brightness does not increase.
Abnormal stoppage of the cassette can be detected immediately.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, if the cassette stops due to some kind of trouble, the stoppage can be immediately known and a quick countermeasure can be taken.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the cassette was weakly magnetized to detect the movement of the cassette, and a magnetic detector such as a Hall element was used as an element for detecting the movement. An optical detection means that does not expose the film to light, such as a pair with a detector that detects light, may also be used.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a monitor image displayed on a CRT. 1, 4...Storage box, 2...Film cassette,
3... Spring, 5... Shooting stand, 6... Movement axis, 7...
...Movement mechanism, 8...Arithmetic control section, 9a, 9b,
..., 9g...Hall element, 10...AD converter,
11...CRT, 12...input device, 12a...
Cassette feed switch, 12b...Page change switch, 12c...Cassette moving circuit, 12d...
...Page switching signal generation circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In an apparatus for taking photographs by moving a film cassette between a storage box and a photographing position, the apparatus includes a plurality of cassette position detectors provided along a moving path of the film cassette, and 1. An imaging work monitoring device for an electron microscope, etc., comprising means for displaying the moving state of a cassette based on an output signal.