JPH0619019A - Cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To hold an image recording medium so as not to move in a housing and to carry it by small force by providing a clip which press-contacts and fixes the housed image recording medium, and releases the medium when it is pressed by a holding member. CONSTITUTION:A cassette is provided with an aperture for loading/unloading the image recording medium 11 and the housing 12 provided with a holding member receiving hole 12H. When the cassette is loaded in a cassette utilizing device, it is held in the device by the holding member 24 inserted in the hole 12H. The clip 9 which press-contacts and fixes the housed image recording medium 11 and releases the medium 11 when it is pressed by the member 24 is provided in the housing 12. Namely, since the medium 11 is held by the clip 9 before loading the cassette in the device, it does not move freely. Meanwhile, in the case of loading the cassette in the device, the member 24 is inserted in the hole 12H, and then the medium 11 is made free.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An X-ray photographic film has been conventionally known as a recording medium for recording a radiation image of a human body or the like. As a recording medium used for the same purpose, stimulable phosphor sheets disclosed in JP-A-55-12429 and JP-A-56-11395, that is, sheets having a layer of stimulable phosphor are also known. Has become. The above-mentioned stimulable phosphor means that when it is irradiated with radiation (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays, γ-rays, ultraviolet rays, electron beams, etc.), a part of its energy is accumulated, and then excitation light such as visible light is irradiated. It is a phosphor that emits stimulated emission depending on the energy stored when it is received.

A radiation image of the subject is recorded (photographed) on the stimulable phosphor sheet by, for example, irradiating the radiation that has passed through the subject, and then the stimulable phosphor sheet is two-dimensionally scanned with excitation light. At that time, if the stimulated emission light emitted from the sheet is photoelectrically detected, an electrical image signal indicating radiation image information can be obtained.

By the way, the above-mentioned stimulable phosphor sheet and X
The radiographic film is usually handled by being stored in a light-shielding cassette or magazine. The cassette is for accommodating sheet-like image recording media such as stimulable phosphor sheets one by one, and is usually a box provided with an opening for inserting and removing the recording medium, and this box. And a lid that opens and closes the opening.

When a radiographic image is taken (recorded) using this cassette, the cassette is arranged, for example, at a position where it is irradiated with the radiation that has passed through the subject, and as a result, a stimulable phosphor sheet or the like stored in the cassette. Is irradiated with radiation, and a radiation image is captured there.

When the cassette as described above is loaded into a reader or the like for reading radiation image information from a stimulable phosphor sheet on which a radiation image is photographed, for example, it is shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-88038. As described above, the cassette may be loaded with the opening of the box facing downward. In such a case, it is necessary to provide a clip, such as a leaf spring, which holds the image recording medium in pressure contact with the inside of the cassette box so that the image recording medium does not move freely in the cassette before the lid is opened. is there. Further, even when the above-mentioned loading method is not adopted, it is desirable to provide a similar clip in order to prevent the image recording medium from moving unnecessarily in the cassette.

In many cases, a box of the cassette is provided with a holding member receiving hole, and when the cassette is used in a cassette utilizing device, the holding member is inserted into the holding member receiving hole from the utilizing device side so that the cassette is used. Is held in place so that it cannot be pulled out without permission.

[0008]

However, when a cassette provided with a clip as described above is used, the holding force of the clip acts as a load resistance when the image recording medium is carried out from the cassette. It is necessary to set a large driving force for the carry-out device, which leads to an increase in the cost of the carry-out device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to hold the image recording medium in the box so that it does not move, while the image recording medium can be carried out with a small force. The purpose is to provide a cassette that does.

[0010]

A cassette according to the present invention comprises a box body having an opening for inserting / removing an image recording medium and a holding member receiving hole as described above, and a lid body for closing the opening. In a cassette that is held by the device by a holding member inserted into a holding member receiving hole of the box when loaded, the image recording medium is pressed into the box to press the image recording medium stored therein. While being fixed, a clip is provided that is displaced by the holding member that has entered the holding member receiving hole and is released to release the image recording medium.

[0011]

Before loading the cassette of the above construction into the cassette utilizing apparatus, the clip is pressed against the image recording medium and holds it, so that the image recording medium can move freely in the cassette. There is no end.

On the other hand, when the cassette is loaded into the cassette utilizing device, and the holding member on the device side is inserted into the holding member receiving hole of the box, the clip is displaced to release the image recording medium, The image recording medium becomes free. Therefore, since the operation of unloading the image recording medium from the cassette can be performed without requiring a particularly large force, an inexpensive apparatus having a relatively small driving force can be applied as the image recording medium unloading device.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a cassette 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows a main part of the cassette 10 shown in FIG. As an example, the cassette 10 is for accommodating the above-mentioned stimulable phosphor sheet 11 and opens and closes a thin box 12 and an opening 12a for inserting and removing the stimulable phosphor sheet provided in the box 12. And a lid 13.
The box 12 and the lid 13 are made of synthetic resin, for example. The lid 13 is attached to the box 12 so as to be swingable around a swing axis A substantially parallel to the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 housed in the box 12. It swings to open and close the opening 12a. In addition, like this lid
In order to make 13 swingable, for example, a known hinge mechanism is used, or lid 13 and box 12 are integrally molded with synthetic resin, and lid 13 is hinged with respect to box 12. It should be foldable.

A clip 9 is attached to one end of the box body 12 on one side.
Are arranged. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the portion where the clip 9 is arranged is viewed from the opening 12a side of the box 12.
As shown in FIG. 1, the clip 9 has a box 12 at one end.
It is fixed to the top plate 12U of the above, the middle part is bent in a U shape, and the other end is formed to project to the bottom plate 12B side of the box 12. The clip 9 is formed of a leaf spring material having high elasticity, and if the external force is not applied, the other end is pressed against the side end of the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 so that the sheet 11 is closed.
Keep within 12.

In the bottom plate 12B of the box 12, a circular holding member receiving hole 12 is provided at a position facing the clip 9 described above.
H is provided. A substantially columnar spacer 8 is arranged between the holding member receiving hole 12H and the clip 9.

The cassette 10 containing the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 therein is used for capturing a radiation image as described above, and then loaded in the radiation image information reading device 40 shown in FIG. The cassette 10 is carried for radiographic image capturing and loading into the radiographic image information reading device 40, but since the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 stored therein is held by the clip 9 as described above, It does not move freely inside the cassette.

FIG. 4 shows in detail the front shape of the cassette loading section of the radiation image information reading apparatus 40. As shown in the figure, the cassette loading portion includes a fixed guide member 21 that positions the left end of the cassette 10 from the outside and a fixed guide member 22 that positions the right end of the cassette 10 from the outside.
And a pair of light blocking rollers 23 also having a cassette holding function.

The fixed guide members 21 and 22 are respectively provided with
A lock roller 29 is rotatably attached. Further, each roller of the light shielding roller pair 23 is formed to be slightly longer than the width of the cassette 10, and they are biased toward each other by a biasing means (not shown), and are kept slightly separated from each other by a stopper (not shown). Be drunk Further, the radiation image information reading device 40 is provided with a frame 31 having a cassette set opening 31a.

When the cassette 10 is loaded, one end thereof, that is, the end on the side having the opening 12a is inserted from above between the light shielding roller pair 23 through the cassette set opening 31a of the frame 31. At this time, the pair of light blocking rollers 23 are opened slightly to receive the cassette 10. When the cassette 10 is pushed to the specified position, the fixed guide member 2
Stoppers 21a and 22a formed respectively on 1 and 22 come into contact with each other, and the cassette 10 is set at this predetermined position. In the radiation image information reading device 40, a cassette holding pin 24 is arranged at a position facing the holding member receiving hole 12H of the cassette 10 set in this state (see FIG. 1). This cassette holding pin 24 is an electromagnetic actuator
By 25, it can be moved in the long axis direction, that is, the left and right direction in FIG. 3, and when the cassette 10 is loaded, it is set at a position where it does not interfere with the cassette 10 (position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1). .

Then, the lid 13 is opened by an appropriate means as shown in FIG. 3, and the roller arm 74 holding the roller 75 at the tip is moved in the direction of arrow B, that is, toward the inside of the cassette 10. Thus, when the roller 75 comes into contact with the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 in the cassette 10, the movement of the roller arm 74 is stopped. When the roller arm 74 is stopped, the actuator 25 is driven, and the cassette holding pin 24 is moved to a position (position shown by a broken line in FIG. 1) to enter the holding member receiving hole 12H of the cassette 10.

In the radiation image information reading device 40, as will be described later, the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 after the reading process.
Is returned to the cassette 10 that contained it. Therefore,
It is necessary to avoid pulling out the cassette 10 by that time, but the cassette holding pin 24
If the sheet has entered the holding member receiving hole 12H, the cassette 10 cannot be automatically withdrawn thereafter.

Further, the cassette holding pin 24 has a holding member receiving hole.
When entering the inside of 12H, the clip 9 is pushed by the cassette holding pin 24 through the spacer 8 and displaced as shown by the broken line in FIG. When the clip 9 is displaced in this way,
The clip 9 separates from the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 and the sheet
11 is released.

Next, the roller 75 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 3 by a driving means (not shown). Then this roller
The stimulable phosphor sheet 11 that is in contact with 75 is discharged downward from the cassette 10 through the opening 12a. At this time, since the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is released from the clip 9 as described above, the driving force of the roller 75 is smaller than that when the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is carried out while being held by this type of clip. It can be small. If so, a relatively low output and inexpensive device can be applied as the drive device for the roller 75.

The discharged stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is
In the radiation image information reading device 40 of FIG. 3, the guide plate 4
6, 47, 48 and nip rollers 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 5
It is sent to the reading unit 62 via the erasing unit 60 by a sheet conveying system composed of 5, 56, 57 and the like. The reading process of the radiation image information in the reading unit 62 is known from, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-12429, and will be briefly described below. The stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is conveyed by the nip rollers 55, 56, 57 in the direction of arrow H in FIG. And the main scanning optical system 63
The laser beam 64 as the excitation light emitted from scans the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 in the direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the arrow H (main scanning).

From the portion of the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 which has been irradiated with the laser beam 64, stimulated emission light of a light amount corresponding to the radiation image information accumulated and recorded therein is emitted, and this stimulated emission light is emitted. Light is detected by a photodetector 66 such as a photomultiplier tube via a light guide 65. Therefore, from the photodetector 66, the output signal S indicating the radiation image information accumulated and recorded in the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is obtained. When this 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.

After the radiation image information has been read, the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 is rotated from the nip rollers 49 to 57 in the opposite direction to that of the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 so that the reading section 62, the erasing section 60 and the cassette loading section. Sent to. When the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 passes through the erasing section 60, a plurality of erasing light sources 61 are turned on, and the erasing light emitted from them is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet 11. The radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 after reading the radiation image information is released from the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 by the irradiation of the erasing light, and the sheet 11 can be newly used for radiographic image capturing. Becomes

A stimulable phosphor sheet that has been subjected to this erasing process
The roller 11 is carried into the cassette 10 by the roller 75 rotating in the opposite direction to the previous case, that is, in the clockwise direction in FIG. Next, the cassette 10 is closed and locked by performing an operation reverse to that for taking out the stimulable phosphor sheet described above. That is, first, the cassette holding pin 24 is moved by the actuator 25 to the holding member receiving hole 12H.
It is returned to the position where it exits. Then, the clip 9 returns to the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 by its elasticity, and the clip 9 holds the stimulable phosphor sheet 11.

Next, the roller arm 74 moves in the direction opposite to the arrow B direction in FIG. 3, and the roller 75 is returned to the standby position outside the cassette 10. Next, the lid 13 that was wide open
Is returned to the slightly opened state by the means for opening the lid as described above. When the detection means detects that the roller 75 has returned to the standby position and is notified by, for example, a display device or the like, the device operator sets the cassette 10
Is pulled out from the cassette set opening 31a. When the cassette 10 is pulled out in this way, the lid 13 is pushed by the pair of lock rollers 29, and the lock claws (both not shown) provided on both the lid 13 and the box 12 are engaged with each other. And the lid 13 is locked.

The spacer 8 shown in FIG. 1 is not always necessary, but by providing it, the amount of movement of the cassette holding pin 24 is reduced, and the holding member receiving hole 12 is provided.
It is possible to prevent outside light from entering the cassette 10 through the H.

The clip holding the image recording medium is also
The present invention is not limited to the one in the first embodiment, and various other types can be adopted. For example, in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a clip 80 made of a leaf spring material, one end of which is fixed to the box top plate 12U and the other end of which is pushed by the cassette holding pin 24 through the spacer 8 is used. ing. When the other end of the clip 80 is pushed by the cassette holding pin 24, the V-shaped intermediate portion of the clip 80, which has been holding the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 until then, is displaced upward in the figure, and the stimulable fluorescence is emitted. Release the body sheet 11.

Further, a clip 81 in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6 includes a clip body 81a movably held in the thickness direction of the box body 12 (vertical direction in the figure), and the clip body 81a.
It is composed of a compression coil spring 81b that urges a toward the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 side to bring it into pressure contact therewith.

The clip 82 according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is swingable in the direction of the arrow W and is held on the box bottom plate 12B by a clip main body 82a and rotatable about a rotary shaft 82b. One end of the connecting member 82c is in contact with the clip body 82a from the lower side in the figure, and the other end is pushed up by the cassette holding pin 24. The one end of the connecting member 82c is urged upward to move the clip body 82a. It is composed of a compression coil spring 82d which is pressed against the stimulable phosphor sheet 11.

The clip 83 in the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is formed of a leaf spring material, the base end of which is fixed to the box top plate 12U, and the tip of which is pressed against the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 83a. And a connecting member 83b that has a sloped portion 83c and is held so as to be laterally movable. In this configuration, when the inclined surface portion 83c of the connecting member 83b is pushed by the cassette holding pin 24 from below in the drawing, the connecting member 83b
b moves to the clip body 83a side, whereby the tip of the clip body 83a is pushed up, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 11
To release.

Although the embodiment applied to the cassette containing the stimulable phosphor sheet 11 has been described above, the present invention is also applicable to other image recording media such as the cassette containing the above-mentioned X-ray film. It is applicable as well.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of a cassette according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall shape of the cassette.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a radiation image information reading device in which the cassette is loaded.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view showing a cassette loading section of the radiation image information reading apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a main part of a cassette according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of a cassette according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of a cassette according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view showing a main part of a cassette according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 Spacer 9, 80, 81, 82, 83 Clip 10 Cassette 11 Storage phosphor sheet 12 Box 12a Box opening 12H Box holding member receiving hole 13 Lid 24 Cassette holding pin 25 Electromagnetic actuator 40 Radiation image Information reader

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A box body for accommodating a sheet-shaped image recording medium, provided with an opening for holding the recording medium in and out and a holding member receiving hole, and a lid body for opening and closing the opening of the box body. In a cassette that is held by the device by a holding member that is inserted into the holding member receiving hole when loaded in the cassette utilizing device, the cassette is pressed into contact with the image recording medium stored therein. A cassette provided with a clip for fixing the image recording medium and displacing the image recording medium into a state of being released by being pushed by the holding member which has entered the holding member receiving hole.