JPH0532294B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to a method for taking out a stimulable phosphor sheet for taking out a stimulable phosphor sheet from a cassette or magazine for storing the stimulable phosphor sheet and transporting the stimulable phosphor sheet to the next process. It is about the mechanism.

(Technical Background of the Invention) Certain types of phosphors are exposed to radiation (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays,
When irradiated with γ-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc., a portion of the energy of this radiation is accumulated in the phosphor, and when the phosphor is then irradiated with excitation light such as visible light, it responds to the accumulated energy. The phosphor exhibits stimulated luminescence. A phosphor exhibiting such properties is called a stimulable phosphor.

Using this stimulable phosphor, radiation 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 produce stimulated luminescence. A radiographic image information recording and reproducing system has been proposed that obtains an image signal by photoelectrically reading out the image signal, and processes this image signal to obtain a radiographic image of a subject that is suitable for diagnosis (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 12429/1983, No. 56-11395, No. 55-163472
No. 56-104645, No. 55-116340, etc.).

In such a system, a radiation image recording device that irradiates radiation through a subject onto a stimulable phosphor sheet and accumulates and records a radiation image of the subject on the sheet, and a stimulable phosphor that accumulates and records radiation image information. A radiation image reading device or the like that irradiates the body sheet with excitation light and reads the image information is required. When recording radiation images on stimulable phosphor sheets and reading image information from stimulable phosphor sheets using these devices,
A stimulable phosphor sheet on which no radiation image has been recorded is supplied to a recording device, and after the radiation image is stored and recorded on the sheet within this recording device, this sheet is taken out and then supplied to a reading device for reading. The image information is read from the sheet in the device. After the image information has been read, the residual radiation energy of the sheet is released by emitting the radiation energy remaining in the sheet, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 56-11392 and 56-12599. By erasing the image information, this sheet can be used again for radiographic image recording.

However, stimulable phosphor sheets have a problem in that if a radiation image is accumulated and recorded thereon and then exposed to external light, the accumulated and recorded image information will be erased. Therefore, the stimulable phosphor sheet is carried in a light-shielding cassette or magazine.

Therefore, when supplying a stimulable phosphor sheet on which a radiation image has been stored and recorded to a reading device and reading image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet in the reading device or connected to the reading device must be It is necessary to mechanically take out the stimulable phosphor sheet from the cassette or magazine in the body sheet take-out device. In this case, after opening the cassette or magazine, a suction cup is used to suction and hold the sheet so as not to damage the sheet surface, and the sheet is taken out from the cassette or magazine by moving this suction cup. The position of the suction surface of the suction cup may have changed from the position when the sheet was held (the angle of the suction surface of the suction cup relative to the sheet surface of the sheet stored in the cassette or magazine) as the suction cup moves. If excessive force is applied to the sheet, the sheet may be bent, causing so-called "knicks" on the sheet surface. Therefore, it is necessary to move the suction cup while keeping the posture of the suction surface constant.

In addition, in the above, we have described the case where a suction cup is used to take out a sheet from a cassette, magazine, etc. during reading, but the use of a suction cup to take out a sheet is not limited to this case, but can also be used in radiation image information recording and reproducing systems that use stimulable phosphor sheets. When conveying sheets in the various devices used, it is also necessary to take out the sheets stored in the sheet storage container in the device using a suction cup and send them to the next conveyance system. A retrieval mechanism is required that can move the suction cup without changing its posture.

(Object of the invention) The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stimulable phosphor sheet retrieval mechanism having a simple structure and capable of moving a suction cup without changing the attitude of the suction surface of the suction cup.

(Structure of the Invention) The stimulable phosphor sheet retrieval mechanism of the present invention has an operating arm attached to the tip of a suction cup that adsorbs and holds the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet, and this operating arm is fixed via an idler gear. A drive arm that is fixed to the working gear that meshes with the gear and rotates integrally with the drive shaft that has the same central axis as the fixed gear allows the working gear and idler gear to freely rotate, and the central axis and the driving shaft of both gears are located parallel to each other. The operating gear and fixed gear have the same number of teeth.

(Embodiments) Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a stimulable phosphor sheet take-out device incorporating a stimulable phosphor sheet take-out mechanism of the present invention. The cassette 1 consists of a box-shaped main body 3 and a lid 2. The upper end of the lid 2 is attached to the main body 3 by a screw 2a so as to be openable and closable, and a sheet 4 is housed inside the cassette 1. A pair of locking mechanisms (not shown) consisting of locking claws for locking the lid 2 are provided at symmetrical positions on the lower end of the lid 2, and the locking mechanisms on the side wall 3a of the cassette 1 are also provided with a pair of locking mechanisms (not shown) for locking the lid 2. A pair of lock release holes (not shown) are drilled at corresponding positions. The sheet 4 on which image information has been recorded is supplied to a cassette holder 10 in the sheet take-out device shown in the figure while being accommodated in the cassette 1.

The supplied cassette 1 comes into contact with the support surface 10a of the cassette holder 10, which is tilted slightly upward (approximately 15 degrees from the vertical plane), and the surface of the main body 3 comes into contact with the holder 10a, which protrudes from the cassette holder 10. Part 11
When the side wall 3a of the main body 3 comes into contact with the cassette holder 1,
Supported by 0. A pair of lock release pins (not shown) are provided in positions corresponding to the pair of lock release holes drilled in the cassette side wall 3a of the receiving part 11 of the cassette pedestal 10 so as to be able to protrude and withdraw.
When the cassette 1 is supported and set on the cassette holder 10 as described above, the pair of lock release pins are made to protrude. The protruding lock release pin pushes the lock pawl of the lock mechanism through the lock release hole provided in the cassette side wall 3a, thereby unlocking the cassette 1. Next, the arm 2 of the cassette lid opening mechanism 20 consists of an arm 21 and a suction cup 22 for opening the lid provided at the tip of the arm 21.
1 swings as shown by arrow A in the figure, and after the lid-opening suction cup 22 at its tip attracts the surface of the lid 2 of the unlocked cassette 1, the lid 2 is opened as shown in the diagram. At this time, the sheets 4 in the cassette 1 remain accommodated in the cassette main body 3 because the cassette 1 is obliquely supported on the support surface 10a.

Next, the actuating arm 32 of the sheet ejecting mechanism 30
performs an arcuate movement as shown by arrow B in the figure, and the suction cup 31 attached to the tip of the actuating arm 32 attracts the surface of the sheet 4, and the sheet 4 is moved into the cassette main body 3 according to the arcuate movement of the actuating arm 32. It is taken out from inside and sent to the first roller 45 at the entrance of the conveyance system 40 to the reading device as shown by the chain line in the figure.

This sheet take-out mechanism 30 will be explained in detail using FIG. 2. A fixed gear 35 is restrained from rotating and held fixed within the sheet take-out mechanism 30, and a drive shaft 3 is rotatable coaxially with the center of the fixed gear 35.
7 is placed. A drive arm 36 that rotates integrally with the shaft 37 is fixed to the drive shaft 37, and the drive arm 36 rotatably holds an idler gear 34 that meshes with the fixed gear 35 and an operating gear 33 that meshes with the idler gear 34. In addition, the rotational axes of the fixed gear 35, idler gear 34, and operating gear 33 are held parallel to each other. An actuating arm 32 is fixed to the actuating gear 33 so as to rotate together with the actuating arm 32,
A suction cup 31 is attached to the tip of this operating arm 32. Note that the fixed gear 35 and the operating gear 33 are gears having the same number of teeth (the pitch circle diameter and pitch are the same), that is, they have the same specifications, and when the drive shaft 37 is rotated, the drive arm 36 is driven. The operating gear 33 rotates integrally with the shaft 37, so the operating gear 33 is connected to the drive shaft 3.
7, but since the fixed gear 35 and the operating gear 33 have the same specifications, the rotation of the operating gear 33 is zero. Therefore, the actuating arm 32 fixed to the actuating gear 33 moves in parallel with the revolution of the actuating gear 33 while keeping its inclination constant. Since the suction cup 31 is attached to the tip of the operating arm 32, the suction cup 31 also moves in parallel.
The suction surface 31a of the suction cup 31 also moves in parallel. Therefore, the sheet 4 suctioned and held by the suction cup 31 is also moved in parallel, and since there is no change in the posture of the suction surface 31a, no unreasonable force is applied to the sheet 4, and the sheet 4
can prevent the surface from being damaged.

In the figure, the fixed gear 35 forms a gear over the entire circumference, but a gear is formed only in the part that meshes with the idler gear 34 within the operating range of the operating arm 36, and the pitch diameter of this gear is The circle pitches may be the same.

As described above, the sheet 4 is conveyed from the cassette 1 by the sheet take-out mechanism 30 to the first roller 45 at the entrance of the carry-out system 40, and then the sheet 4
are the first to fourth sheet guide plates 41 to 43, the second to fourth sheet guide plates 41 to 43,
It is conveyed in the direction of arrow C by the fourth rollers 46 to 48 and the conveyor belt 49, and sent to a reading device connected to the conveyor belt 49, where the image information stored and recorded on the sheet 4 is read. .

The present invention has been described above with respect to the case where a stimulable phosphor sheet is taken out from a cassette for reading, but the present invention can also be applied to the case where a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets are taken out from a magazine containing a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets for recording or reading. Furthermore, the present invention is also applicable to the case where a stimulable phosphor sheet is taken out from a sheet storage container in various devices constituting the system and sent to a conveyance system for the next process.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, an operating arm provided with a suction cup at the tip is fixed to an operating gear, and this operating gear is meshed with a fixed gear via an idler gear. Since the operating gear and idler gear are rotatably mounted on the drive arm that rotates together with the concentric drive shaft, the operating gear can revolve around the drive shaft without rotating in response to the rotation of the drive shaft. The arm can be moved in parallel. Therefore, the suction cup at the tip of the actuating arm attracts and holds the stimulable phosphor sheet, and when taking out the sheet, the sheet can be taken out without changing the posture of the suction surface, thus preventing excessive force or deformation of the sheet. without causing
Damage to the sheet can be prevented.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a stimulable phosphor sheet take-out device incorporating the stimulable phosphor sheet take-out mechanism of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the stimulable phosphor sheet take-out mechanism of the present invention. It is a diagram. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Cassette, 2...Back cover, 4...Stormable phosphor sheet, 10...Support stand, 20...Lid opening device, 30...Stormable phosphor sheet removal mechanism, 31...Sucker, 32...
Operating arm, 33... Operating gear, 35... Fixed gear,
36... Drive arm, 37... Drive shaft.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A suction cup that adheres to the surface of a stimulable phosphor sheet to hold the sheet, an actuation arm to which the suction cup is attached to its tip, and an actuation gear to which the actuation arm is fixedly attached. , an idler gear that meshes with the operating gear; a fixed gear that meshes with the idler gear and whose rotation is restricted; a drive shaft that is rotatable and concentric with the central axis of the fixed gear; a drive arm that holds the working gear and the idler gear so that the central axes of both gears are positioned parallel to the central axis of the drive shaft, and rotatably holds the working gear and the idler gear, and the working gear and the fixed gear 1. A stimulable phosphor sheet ejecting mechanism, wherein the stimulable phosphor sheet and the stimulable phosphor sheet have the same number of teeth.