JPS61140463A - Stacking tray for accumulative fluorescent sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent damage due to interior unsturdiness or out of the photographing frame due to dislocation at the time of supplying, by furnishing a tapered part at the interior wall of at least one end-face of the tray, and thereby placing sheets in alignment in place. CONSTITUTION:A tapered part 4 is provided in the position b on the interior wall 3a of one of the end faces of a tray 3, and each sheet 1 possibly dislocated to a certain degree is aligned by this tapered part 4. The height b of the tapered part 4 corresponds to the part where the bottom of the sheet 1 is introduced into the tray 3 for a distance a by lead-in rollers 2A, 2B passes while the sheet 1 goes apart from the lead-in rollers 2A, 2B to fall of by its own weight, and the bottom of the sheet 1 during falling by its own weight slides on the slope 4a of the tapered part 4 so that the sheet is guided to the specified position. Accordingly the sheets in the tray 3 are placed in good alignment without any dislocation, so that a suction arm 33 can place each sheet in the specific photographing position 32 in the irradiated field by radiations 34.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Aspects of the Invention) The present invention provides stimulable phosphor sheets that accumulate stimulable phosphor sheets one by one inside the sheet by feeding a conveying mechanism such as an introduction roller and dropping the sheets by their own weight. Regarding the body sheet accumulation tray,
More particularly, the present invention relates to an accumulation tray for stimulable phosphor sheets in which the sheets can be aligned and accumulated at predetermined positions within the tray.

(Technical Background and Prior Art of the Invention) Certain phosphors are exposed to radiation (X11. α rays, β rays, γ rays,
When irradiated with ultraviolet rays, etc., part of the energy of this radiation is accumulated in the phosphor, and when the phosphor is irradiated with excitation light such as visible light, the phosphor emits light according to the accumulated energy. The body exhibits stimulated luminescence. A phosphor exhibiting such properties is called a stimulable phosphor.

Using this stimulable phosphor, radiographic image information of a subject such as a human body is stored and recorded on a sheet of stimulable phosphor, and this sheet is scanned with excitation light to cause stimulated luminescence. A radiation image information recording and reproducing method has been proposed in which the emitted light is read photoelectrically to obtain an image signal, and this image signal is processed to obtain a radiation image of a subject that is suitable for diagnosis (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-12429 , same No. 5G-11395, same
55-163472, 56-104645, 55-116340, etc.). In this method, the final image may be reproduced as a hard copy or reproduced on a display device such as a CRT. In any case, in such a radiographic image information recording and reproducing method, the stimulable phosphor sheet does not ultimately record image information, but temporarily carries image information. The sheet may be used repeatedly, and such repeated use is extremely economical. Therefore, in order to use the stimulable phosphor sheet repeatedly, it is necessary to remove the radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor sheet after the image information has been read by scanning with excitation light. Afterimage erasure is performed.

This afterimage can be erased by, for example, irradiating the entire surface of the sheet with light in the excitation wavelength range of the stimulable phosphor that constitutes the sheet.
After the afterimage has been erased by heating the sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet is used again to record image information. In such a process, the stimulable phosphor sheets whose afterimages have been erased are once accumulated on a sheet accumulation tray, and the accumulated stimulable phosphor sheets are carried out together with the tray to record image information. The data is then transferred to the recording section where it is processed. Here, the accumulation of the stimulable phosphor sheet inside the tray is carried out by feeding by a carry-in mechanism such as an introduction roller provided near the top of the tray and by the falling of the sheet under its own weight.
However, in order to reliably guide the stimulable phosphor sheets into the accumulation tray, the width of the carry-in mechanism is larger than the width of the stimulable phosphor sheets, and the width of the tray is the width of the carry-in mechanism. The stimulable phosphor sheet is guided inside the tray by the feeding mechanism and falls into the tray due to its own weight.The sheet is not always aligned at a fixed position in the tray, and the sheet Slide in the width direction [
There was also a problem that the sheet could easily move inside the tray. For this reason, in addition to the inconvenience that the stimulable phosphor sheet rattles within the tray when the tray is transported, causing damage to the sheet,
When recording on the stimulable phosphor sheets in this tray, the stimulable phosphor sheets are lifted one by one by a member on the recording device side and automatically moved to the photographing position. If the stimulable phosphor sheets are not aligned in a certain position within the tray when the tray is transported to the Problems such as the stimulable phosphor sheet protruding from the photographic frame occurred.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention provides a method for transporting stimulable phosphor sheets to be supplied to the next stage, as in the case where the above-mentioned stimulable phosphor sheets from which afterimages have been removed are accumulated for recording purposes. In an accumulation tray of stimulable phosphor sheets, which are accumulated one by one inside the tray by feeding by a mechanism and falling under their own weight, the stimulable phosphor sheets are aligned in a predetermined position without shifting. This mechanism prevents the stimulable phosphor sheet from rattling and being damaged during transportation, and prevents the stimulable phosphor sheet from slipping out of its designated position when being fed to the next stage. The purpose of this invention is to provide a stacking tray that can be used.

(Constitution of the Invention) The stimulable phosphor sheet accumulation tray of the present invention has a tapered portion on the inner wall of at least one end surface, thereby aligning the stimulable phosphor sheets at a predetermined position, and at the same time The tapered portion is provided on the inner wall of the tray at a position through which the lower end of the stimulable phosphor sheet that falls due to its own weight passes. The horizontal width of the inner wall of the lower end surface of the provided tray is approximately equal to the width of the stimulable phosphor sheet.

(Mr. gM11) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the usage of the stimulable phosphor sheet accumulation tray of the present invention.

A stimulable phosphor sheet (hereinafter referred to as
(simply referred to as a sheet) 1 is scanned by excitation light 11 such as a laser beam deflected by a deflector 12 in a radiation image reading unit 10, and stimulated luminescence light emitted from the sheet 1 is photoelectrically read by this scanning. The image reading system 13 reads the image information while being conveyed on the conveyor belt 14.

The sheet 1 that has been read is then conveyed to the afterimage erasing section 20. Within the afterimage erasing section 20, the sheet 1 is conveyed on a conveyor belt 22 and is irradiated with erasing light from an upper erasing light source 21, thereby erasing the radiation image remaining on the sheet 1. This erasing light 1921 is used to emit the radiation energy remaining in the sheet 1 by irradiating it with light included in the excitation wavelength range of the stimulable phosphor of the sheet 12, and is a fluorescent lamp, a tungsten lamp, etc. , halogen lamps, infrared lamps, laser light sources, etc. may be used.

The sheet 1 from which the residual IiIw4 has been removed in the afterimage erasing section 20 is carried out to the outside of the afterimage erasing section and is accumulated in the sheet accumulation tray 3. A pair of introduction rollers 2A for guiding the discharged sheet 1 into the tray 3 is provided outwardly near the sheet discharge port 23 of the afterimage erasing section 20.

2B is provided. Sheet 1 is attached to this introducing roller 2A.
, 2B, the sheet 1 is guided halfway into the tray 3, which stands obliquely upward with its opening surface, and the sheet 1 is guided by the introduction roller 2.
After leaving A and 2B, they fall due to their own weight and are accumulated one by one. Although only one tray is provided in FIG. 1, a plurality of trays may be provided so that sheets can be stacked according to the size of the sheets.

The pair of introduction rollers 2A, 2B have a width larger than the width of the sheet 1 in order to reliably guide the sheet 1, and the tray 3 can reliably receive the sheet 1 guided by the introduction rollers 2A, 2B. has a width even larger than the width of the introduction rollers 2A and 2B. For this reason, the second
As shown in the figure, the width of the tray 3 is larger than the width of the sheet 1, but the inner wall 3a of one end surface of the tray 3
A tapered portion 4 is provided at the position indicated by the arrow in FIG. The height b of the tapered portion 4 is adjusted to the tray 3 by the introduction rollers 2A and 2B.
The lower end of the sheet 1 that has been introduced by the distance indicated by the arrow a is the part where the sheet 1 separates from the introduction rollers 2A and 2B and passes through the material that falls under its own weight. 4 on the tapered slope 4a and guided to a predetermined position. The tapered portion 4 is made of a material such as synthetic resin, metal, etc. that allows the sheet 1 in contact with it to slide and fall under its own weight.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the lower part of the tapered part 4 is formed to be parallel to the inner wall of the other end surface of the tray 3, but such a straight part is not necessarily necessary. . However, by providing such a straight part at the bottom of the tapered part 4, the sheet 1
can be positioned within the tray 3 more reliably. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in the present invention, tapered portions 4A and 4B may be provided on the inner walls of both side end surfaces of the tray 3, and further, as shown in FIG. It may be formed into

As shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable to layer a slipping layer 5 such as a Teflon layer or a polyethylene layer on at least the surface of the tapered portion 4, as this allows the tapered portion 4 to guide the sheet 1 even more smoothly. . In addition, if this sliding layer is made of a 11wl1 material such as a polyethylene film pasted on the surface of a sponge layer or a raised material, the impact when the sheet falls will be softened and the edges of the sheet will not be damaged. This is most preferable since it provides both a buffering effect and a sliding effect.

Sheets 1 arranged and stacked in tray 3 as described above
is transported to a recording section 30 shown in FIG. 1 for image recording. In the recording section 30, each sheet in the tray 3 is
The images are vacuum-sucked one by one by the suction arm 33, taken out from the tray 3, and automatically conveyed onto the photographing table 31. Since the sheets are aligned in the tray 3 without any displacement, each sheet is always correctly placed on a predetermined photographing position 32 within the irradiation field of the radiation JII 34 by the suction arm 33.

The stimulable phosphor sheet accumulating tray of the present invention has been described above by taking as an example the case of accumulating stimulable phosphor sheets discharged from the afterimage erasing section for supply to the recording section. The mode of use of the tray is not limited to this.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, according to the accumulation tray of stimulable phosphor sheets of the present invention, the tapered portion is provided on the inner wall of at least one end surface of the tray, thereby preventing the sheets from falling due to their own weight. Since the sheets can be aligned in the specified positions and prevented from shifting internally, there is no possibility of the sheets moving inside the tray and causing damage to the sheets when the tray is conveyed. By being conveyed to the stage, the problem that the sheets that are automatically taken out one by one from the tray on the stage are fed out of position is also solved.

Furthermore, if a sliding layer is provided on the surface of the tapered portion, the sheets can be aligned even more smoothly by the taper portion, and furthermore, if this sliding layer is provided on the surface of the taper portion via a cushioning material, the sliding layer can be In addition to this effect, a buffering effect can also be obtained.

The stacking tray of the present invention can achieve the above-mentioned great effects without requiring a complicated mechanism such as a sheet holding member, and has extremely great practical value.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one mode of use of an accumulation tray for the electroluminescent phosphor sheet of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view and a sectional view showing an embodiment of the accumulation tray of the present invention; 3 and 4 are both plan views showing other embodiments of the accumulating tray of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a partial view showing a state in which a slipping layer is provided on the surface of the tapered portion of the accumulating tray of the present invention. This is an enlarged view. 1... Stimulative phosphor sheets 2A, 2B... Introducing roller 3... Toshi-4... Taper portion 4a...
Theba slope 5...Slip layer Fig. 1 Fig. 3

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In a stimulable phosphor sheet accumulation tray in which the stimulable phosphor sheets are accumulated one by one by the feeding of a carrying mechanism and the falling of the sheets by their own weight, at least An accumulation of stimulable phosphor sheets characterized in that a tapered portion for aligning the sheets in a predetermined position is provided in a portion of the inner wall of one side end surface through which the lower end of the sheet that falls due to its own weight passes. tray. 2) The stacking tray according to claim 1, wherein at least a surface of the tapered portion is provided with a sliding layer that allows the sheet to slide smoothly. 3) The stacking tray according to claim 2, wherein the sliding layer is made of a cushioning material. 4) The accumulating tray is for accumulating stimulable phosphor sheets from which afterimages have been removed for radiographic image recording. A collection tray as described in the above section.