JPS63202533A - Sheet separating mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To give flapping to a sheet like object being adsorbed and securely separate it from a sheet on the following site with a simple structure by providing an energizing means which energizes so as to close a pair of arms. CONSTITUTION:When adsorbing cups 5, 5 are brought into contact with a sheet like object 14, suction pumps 7, 7 are operated, thereby, generating suction force to adsorb the sheet like object 14. And, with the adsorbing cups 5, 5 kept adsorbing the sheet like object 14, as a driving source 13 is operated to lift up and adsorbing device, arms 3, 3 are separated from a fixed guide 9 and are closed again due to the contracting force of a spring 8. And, the distance between the adsorbing cups 5, 5 is reduced due to the closed arms 3, 3 and, since the adsorbing cups 5, 5 are inclined so as to face inward, the sheet like object 14 being adsorbed is curved into a cone shape. Thereby, the separation from the second sheet and others can be securely carried out.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field> The present invention provides a method for absorbing and taking out sheet-like materials such as stimulable phosphor sheets and sheets of various photographic light-sensitive materials from their storage containers, such as magazines and cassettes. Regarding the single-wafer mechanism.

<Prior art and its problems> As a method of obtaining a radiographic image as an image, a so-called radiographic system has traditionally been used, which uses a combination of a radiographic film having an emulsion layer made of a silver salt photosensitive material and an intensifying screen. ing. Recently, a radiographic image information recording and reproducing system using a stimulable phosphor has attracted attention as an alternative to the radiographic system.

Here, the term stimulable phosphor refers to radiation a (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays,
When irradiated with γ-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc., a part of the energy of this radiation is accumulated, and then when excited light such as visible light is irradiated, it emits stimulated light according to the accumulated energy. A phosphor that exhibits

Using this stimulable phosphor, radiation image information of a subject such as a human body can be transferred to a sheet (with a layer of stimulable phosphor) (
(hereinafter referred to as "stimulable phosphor sheet"),
This sheet is scanned with excitation light to cause stimulated luminescence, and the generated stimulated luminescence is read by an optical element and converted into an electrical signal to obtain an image signal, and this image signal is processed to identify the subject that is suitable for diagnosis. Radiographic image information recording and reproducing systems for obtaining radiographic images have been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-124
No. 29, No. 56-11395, No. 55-163472
No. 56-104645, No. 55-116340, etc.).

By the way, according to this system, after converting the radiation image information stored in the stimulable phosphor into an electrical signal, appropriate signal processing is performed, and this electrical signal is used to record materials such as photosensitive material sheets, CRTs, etc. It is output as a visible image to a display device, thereby obtaining a radiographic image with excellent suitability for observation and interpretation (diagnosis suitability).

Therefore, in such a radiographic image recording and reproducing system, an image reading device that reads a radiographic image from a stimulable phosphor sheet on which a radiographic image is stored and recorded specifically reads the radiographic image using the following method. ing.

That is, a stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned two-dimensionally with a light beam such as a laser beam, and the spontaneously emitted stimulated luminescence light is detected in time series with a photodetector such as a photomultiplier to obtain image information. obtain. In the two-dimensional scanning of the light beam, the light beam is normally deflected and irradiated onto the stimulable phosphor sheet in a -dimensional manner to perform main scanning, and the sheet is moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction. This is accomplished by performing sub-scanning by mechanically conveying the image using a belt conveyor or the like.

Next, the image information obtained as described above is sent to an image recording device. The image recording device records a predetermined image on the photosensitive material sheet by irradiating a photosensitive material sheet, which is a recording material, with a laser beam modulated based on the image information obtained from the stimulable phosphor sheet. is configured to do so.

After the photographic photosensitive material sheet on which the new image has been recorded is subjected to development processing, it is stored at a predetermined location and is used for medical diagnosis, etc., as necessary.

In an image reading device in such a radiographic image information recording and reproducing system, a single sheet device is used to take out a stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiographic image information is recorded from a storage case called a cassette, or to remove multiple stimulable phosphor sheets from a storage case called a cassette. The stimulable phosphor sheets are taken out one by one from the stacked magazines and sent to the radiation image reading section.

Furthermore, in the image recording apparatus in the same system, a sheet-fed device takes out the photographic light-sensitive material sheets one by one from a stacking section in which the sheets are stocked and sends them to the image recording section.

In a single-fed device that takes out such sheet-like materials,
It is important to reliably take out the sheet-like objects one by one, and for this purpose, the suction cup that has suctioned the sheet-like object is swung to give the sheet-like object a tilt, and the suction sheet-like object is reliably taken out one by one. A single-wafer device having a mechanism for separating and performing single-wafer processing has been proposed.

As such a device, for example, Utility Model Publication No. 54-34944
There is a sheet film feeding device shown in the above publication.

As shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, this sheet film feeding device includes a frame 103 provided at the lower end of a vertically movable shaft 101 whose movement is restrained by a brake 102.
A pair of movable links 104.104 are provided in the frame 103, and a spring 105 is stretched between the movable links 104.104.
A fixed link 10B is provided at the lower end of the rack 106, which is driven vertically by a motor 107, and a suction bat 109 is pivotally supported so as to form a link between the movable link 104 and the free end of the fixed link 108. The structure is as follows.

In such a configuration, by operating the motor 107 to lower the rack 106, the shaft 101 is also lowered,
When the suction pad 109 reaches the film F, the suction bat 109 suctions the film F. After this, rack 1
When raising the shaft 10, the brake 102 is activated and the shaft 10
1, the movable links 104, 104 are spread apart as shown in 5b, the suction bat 109 is directed inward, the film F is curved, and the suctioned film F is replaced with the next film F. It is separated and the film F is fed one by one.

This device operates a linkage mechanism consisting of a pair of movable links 104.104 and a fixed link 108,
The suction pad 109 is configured to tilt inward, and the link mechanism is operated by vertically moving the shaft 101 and the rack 106 independently (separately) under the control of the brake 102. Therefore, the structure is complicated, the device is large, and the manufacturing cost is high.

<Objective of the Invention> The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and to create a sheet-like material that has a simpler structure and that can tilt the sheet-like object to be adsorbed and reliably separate it from the next sheet. The goal is to provide a mechanism.

<Detailed description of the invention> Such objects are achieved by the following invention.

That is, the present invention is a single-sheet mechanism for sucking and taking out sheet-like objects, which comprises at least a pair of arms that can be opened, a suction cup attached to the end of each arm, and a suction cup connected to the suction cup. , a suction device comprising a suction device that applies suction force to the suction cup at a predetermined time, and a biasing device that biases the pair of arms to close the legs; and a suction device that moves the suction device in a vertical direction with respect to a sheet-like object. and a fixed guide installed between the pair of arms, and when the suction device is lowered, the pair of arms come into contact with the fixed guide and open their legs, and the operation of the suction means causes the two arms to open. A single wafer mechanism characterized in that a suction cup suctions a sheet-like object, and then, as the suction device rises, the pair of arms separate from the fixed guide and close due to the action of the biasing means. It provides:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the single wafer mechanism of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration example of a single wafer mechanism 1 of the present invention. The single-fed mechanism 1 has a main shaft 2, and at its distal end,
A pair of arms 3.3 are rotatably supported around a fulcrum 4.

The pair of arms 3.3 are suitably bent, and a suction cup 5.5 made of an elastic material such as rubber or soft resin is attached to each end thereof.

A biasing means such as a spring 8 is attached to the pair of arms 3.3 to bias the arms 3.3 to close, and as shown in FIG. When the arm 3 is on standby due to the action of the spring 8,
．． Arm 3.3 is closed, but the suction device is lowered and arm 3.3 is closed.
When the arm 3.3 comes into contact with the fixed guide 9, which will be described later, the arm 3.3
The legs open against the contraction force of the spring 8.

It is also possible to provide a stopper (not shown), for example, at the base end of the arm 3 (near the fulcrum 4) to limit the most closed position and the most opened position of the arm 3.3. .

The suction cup 5 attached to the end of the arm 3.3 is composed of a deformable skirt part 51 and a base part 53.
A communication hole 54 communicating with an internal space 52 surrounded by a skirt portion 51 is formed inside. This communication hole 54
One end of a flexible tube 6 is connected to the , and the other end of the tube 6 is connected to a suction pump 7 . By operating the suction pump 7, the internal space 52 of the suction cup 5 is brought into a reduced pressure state, and a suction force that suctions the sheet-like object 14 is generated.

Although FIG. 1 shows a suction means composed of a tube 6 and a suction pump 7 as a suction means that applies suction force to the suction cup, the suction means is not limited to this, and is not limited thereto.
A suction means configured to generate suction force by itself by opening and closing a valve or a lid, as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 249307 and Japanese Patent Application No. 61-257462, may also be used.

The single-fed mechanism 1 includes a drive means 1 for moving the above-described suction device in the vertical direction (substantially vertical direction) with respect to the sheet-like object 14.
has 0. That is, the pinion gear 12, which can be rotated in any direction by the drive source 13, meshes with the rack 11 formed on the main shaft 2, and the pinion gear 12 is rotated by a predetermined amount by the operation of the drive source 13, so that the main shaft 2 is rotated in the vertical direction. It is set to move a predetermined amount.

Note that the driving means 10 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration.
For example, any structure may be used as long as the suction device can be moved in the vertical direction, such as a structure in which the main shaft 2 is moved in the vertical direction by an air cylinder.

Further, although the sheet-like material 14 is normally installed horizontally, when the sheet-like material 14 is installed at an angle,
The moving direction of the suction device is not a vertical direction, but a direction substantially perpendicular to the inclined sheet-like object.

A fixed guide 9 is installed between the pair of arms 3.3, and the suction device is moved relative to this fixed guide 9. The fixed guide 9 may be a protrusion, for example.
Preferably, it is made of something like a block, and has a shape and structure that abuts the inside of the arm 3.3 and allows the arm 3.3 to be easily opened and hung.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a block-shaped fixed guide 9 with an inclined surface 91.91 is used, and as shown in FIG. 2b, the inner surface of arm 3.3 is It is preferable that the seat be seated stably in close contact with the inclined surface 91.91.

Further, as another structure of the fixed guide, two fixed pins 92, 92 as shown in FIG. 3 may be used.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, if an idle roller 93.93 is attached to the outer periphery of the fixed pin 92.92, the friction generated between the arm 3.3 and the arm 3.3 when the arm 3.3 opens and closes its legs. This is preferable because it absorbs the force and allows the arm 3.3 to open and close more smoothly.

Note that the shape and structure of the fixed guide are of course not limited to those exemplified above.

The installation position of the fixed guide is set so that when the suction device is lowered and the tip of the skirt portion 51 of the suction cup 5 contacts the sheet-like object 14, the arm 3.3 is in the most open state. good.

In addition, in the present invention, a plurality of sheet feeding mechanisms 1 (or suction devices) shown in FIG. 1 are arranged in parallel or connected in the sheet width direction (depth direction in FIG. 1) depending on the width of the sheet-like material 14 to be taken out. It can also be used as

Sheet-like material 14 taken out by the single-fed mechanism of the present invention
may be any material that can be sucked by the suction cup 5, such as a stimulable phosphor sheet or a photosensitive material sheet.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of such sheet-like materials 14 are stacked in a storage container 15 called a magazine, and are picked up and taken out one by one by the sheet-feeding mechanism 1 described above.

In addition, stimulable phosphor sheets are sometimes stored and held in a storage container called a cassette that stores only one sheet of stimulable phosphor. The fluorescent phosphor sheet is adsorbed and taken out by the sheet wafer mechanism 1 described above.

<Specific Effects of the Invention> The specific effects of the single wafer mechanism of the present invention will be described below.

FIGS. 2a to 2c are front views showing the process of sucking and taking out a sheet-like object using the single-fed mechanism of the present invention. Hereinafter, the process of taking out a sheet-like object will be explained based on these figures.

As shown in FIG. 2a, when the suction device is waiting above the sheet-like object 14, the pair of arms 3.3 is
The legs are in a closed state due to the contraction force. When the drive source 13 is activated from this state, the suction device gradually descends. When the suction device descends to a certain extent, the inside of the arm 3.3 comes into contact with the fixed guide 9, and when the suction device descends further, the arm 3.3
rotates around the fulcrum 4 and opens its legs against the contractile force of the spring 8.

As shown in Figure 2b, when the suction device is at its lowest position,
That is, when the suction cup 5.5 comes into contact with the sheet-like object 14, the arm 3.3 opens its legs the most.

At this maximum leg opening, the inclined surface 91.91 of the fixed guide 9
Since the inner surface of the arm 3.3 is in close contact with the arm 3.3 and is seated stably, the arm 3.3 is in close contact with the
This prevents misalignment, poor contact, etc.

When the suction cup 5.5 comes into contact with the sheet-like object 14, the suction pump 7.7 is activated, thereby reducing the pressure in the internal space of the suction cup 5.5, generating a suction force, and causing the skirt portion 51.51 to It is expanded and comes into close contact with the sheet-like object, and absorbs the sheet-like object 14.

While the suction cup 5.5 is suctioning the sheet-like object 14, the drive source 1
3 is actuated to raise the suction device, the arm 3.3 moves away from the fixed guide 9, and the arm 3.3 closes again due to the contracting force of the spring 8, as shown in FIG. 2c.

Since the distance between the suction cups 5.5 is narrowed by the closing leg of the arm 3.3, and the suction cups 5.5 are tilted inward, the sheet-like object 14 being suctioned is curved into a mountain shape.

This ensures separation from the second and subsequent sheets. In other words, even if two or more sheet-like objects are pulled up in a stacked state, the second and subsequent sheet-like objects 14 are
Due to the toughness of the sheet, it cannot withstand this curvature, and the first sheet and the second and subsequent sheets are separated.

When the suction device that has adsorbed the sheet-like object 14 rises to a predetermined position, it stops, and the storage container 15 is moved to move the suction device to the position where the sheet-like object 14 is to be detached using an arbitrary moving means (not shown). ), suction pump 7.
7 is turned off to lose the suction force, and the sheet-like material 14 is separated from the suction cup.

Thereafter, the suction device (or storage container 15) is returned to the original position shown in FIG. 2a, and the above-described series of operations is repeated to take out the second and subsequent sheet-like objects.

Note that the single wafer mechanism 1 (or suction device)
If multiple pieces are installed in parallel or connected in the width direction,
From the standpoint of preventing sheet-like objects from shifting, it is preferable that the above-mentioned operations be performed simultaneously for each sheet-feeding mechanism (or suction device).

<Effects of the Invention> According to the single-fed mechanism of the present invention, as the suction device having a pair of arms descends and rises, one arm comes into contact with and leaves the fixed guide, and its open and close legs are moved. Because it is configured to operate automatically, the structure is simpler and more compact than the conventional single-fed mechanism, which uses a complicated structure that includes a link mechanism and a means to operate it to tilt the sheet. . As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the device without taking up much installation space, and the manufacturing cost is also reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of a single wafer mechanism according to the present invention. FIGS. 2a, 2b, and 2c are front views showing the process of sucking and taking out a sheet-like object using the single-sheet mechanism of the present invention. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are front views each showing a configuration example of a fixed guide in the present invention. FIGS. 5a and 5b are front views showing a conventional sheet film mechanism (sheet film feeding device). Description of symbols 1--Single wafer mechanism, 2--Main shaft 3--Arm, 4--Fully point 5--Suction cup 51, shaft skirt portion, 52--Inner space, 53-One unit portion, 54・Series through hole, 6-・Tube, 7-・Suction pump, 8・・Spring, 9・・Fixed guide, 91・-Sloped surface, 92-・・Fixed pin, 93-・Idle roller, 10-・Drive means, 11-rack, 12-pinion gear, 13-drive source, 14-sheet-like object, 15-storage container (magazine), 101-shaft, 102-brake, 103-frame, 103a-bin, 104--movable link, ios--spring, 106--rack, 106 a-"long hole, 107--motor, 108--fixed link, 109--adsorption Bat FIG, 2c FIG, 5a

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A single-fed mechanism for sucking and taking out sheet-like objects, comprising at least a pair of arms that can be opened, a suction cup attached to the end of each arm, and a suction cup connected to the suction cup. a suction device configured with a suction device that applies a suction force at a predetermined time, and a biasing device that biases the pair of arms to close the legs; and a drive device that moves the suction device vertically relative to the sheet-like object. and a fixed guide installed between the pair of arms, and when the suction device is lowered, the pair of arms contact the fixed guide and open their legs, and the suction cup is opened by the operation of the suction means. 1. A single wafer mechanism, characterized in that it is configured to suction a sheet-like object, and then, as the suction device rises, the pair of arms separates from the fixed guide and closes due to the action of the biasing means.