US 4,900,926 A · Radiation image read-out apparatus · patentgrep

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Abstract

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprises a read-out section for reading out a radiation image stored on a stimulable phosphor sheet, an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet after image read-out from the stimulable phosphor sheet is finished, a section for releasably holding a sheet feed cassette capable of housing the image-recorded stimulable phosphor sheet and for taking the stimulable phosphor sheet out of the sheet feed cassette toward the read-out section, and a section for releasably holding a sheet housing cassette capable of housing the stimulable phosphor sheet erased at the erasing section. The apparatus also comprises a sheet stacking section for holding a plurality of erased stimulable phosphor sheets having different sizes, selecting the stimulable phosphor sheet having a desired size one at a time from the stimulable phosphor sheets held at the sheet stacking section, and feeding out the selected stimulable phosphor sheet towards the section for holding the sheet housing cassette.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprising:

(i) a read-out section for reading out a radiation image stored on a stimulable phosphor sheet,
(ii) an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on said stimulable phosphor sheet after image read-out from said stimulable phosphor sheet is finished,
(iii) a sheet feed cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet feed cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet therein, and for taking said stimulable phosphor sheet out of said feed cassette,
(iv) a sheet housing cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet housing cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet, wherein said sheet feed cassette holding section and said sheet housing cassette holding section are arranged adjacently such that sheet feed cassette and said sheet housing cassette are interchangeable,
(v) a sheet stacking section for holding a plurality of the stimulable phosphor sheets having different sizes, selecting said stimulable phosphor sheet having a desired size one at a time from among said stimulable phosphor sheets held at said sheet stacking section, and feeding out said selected stimulable phosphor sheet, and
(vi) a sheet conveyance means for receiving said stimulable phosphor sheet taken out of said sheet feed cassette held at said sheet feed cassette holding section, conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said read-out section and said erasing section, thereafter conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said sheet stacking section, and conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet fed out of said sheet stacking section into said sheet housing cassette held at said sheet housing cassette holding section.

3 more elements

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprising:

(i) a read-out section for reading out a radiation image stored on a stimulable phosphor sheet,
(ii) an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on said stimulable phosphor sheet after image read-out from said stimulable phosphor sheet is finished,
(iii) a sheet feed cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet feed cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet therein, and for taking said stimulable phosphor sheet out of said sheet feed cassette,
(iv) a sheet housing cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet housing cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet,
(v) a sheet stacking section for holding a plurality of the stimulable phosphor sheets having different sizes, selecting said stimulable phosphor sheet having a desired size one at a time from among said stimulable phosphor sheets held at said sheet stacking section, and feeding out said selected stimulable phosphor sheet, and
(vi) a sheet conveyance means for receiving said stimulable phosphor sheet taken out of said sheet feed cassette held at said sheet feed cassette holding section, conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said read-out section and said erasing section, thereafter conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said sheet stacking section, and conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet fed out of said sheet stacking section into said sheet housing cassette held at said sheet housing cassette holding section, wherein said sheet stacking section includes:
a tray unit composed of a casing and a plurality of trays disposed in said casing for holding said stimulable phosphor sheets respectively in equally spaced and parallel relation to each other in a supported position,
a feed-in means provided above said tray unit for feeding said stimulable phosphor sheets fed by said sheet conveyance means into said tray unit,
a feed-out means provided under the tray unit for receiving the sheets discharged out of said tray unit and conveying the stimulable phosphor sheets into said sheet conveyance means,
a moving means for moving said tray unit so that every tray in said casing can be brought under said feed-in means and above said feed-out means, and
a wedge-shaped guide member provided beside the tray located under said feed-in means and movable into said tray located under said feed-in means and moveable into said tray for changing the angle of inclination of the tray to enlarge the space between the tray and an adjacent tray to facilitate feed-in of the stimulable phosphor sheet.

8 more elements

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprising:

(i) a read-out section for reading out a radiation image stored on a stimulable phosphor sheet,
(ii) an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on said stimulable phosphor sheet after image read-out from said stimulable phosphor sheet is finished,
(iii) a sheet feed cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet feed cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet therein, and for taking said stimulable phosphor sheet out of said sheet feed cassette,
(iv) a sheet housing cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet housing cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet,
(v) a sheet stacking section for holding a plurality of the stimulable phosphor sheets having different sizes, selecting said stimulable phosphor sheet having a desired size one at a time from among said stimulable phosphor sheets held at said sheet stacking section, and feeding out said selected stimulable phosphor sheet, and
(vi) a sheet conveyance means for receiving said stimulable phosphor sheet taken out of said sheet feed cassette held at said sheet feed cassette holding section, conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said read-out section and said erasing section, thereafter conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said sheet stacking section, and conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet fed out of said sheet stacking section into said sheet housing cassette held at said sheet housing cassette holding section, wherein said sheet stacking section includes:
a tray unit composed of a casing and a plurality of trays disposed in said casing for holding said stimulable phosphor sheets respectively in equally spaced and parallel relation to each other in a supported position,
a feed-in means provided above said tray unit for feeding said stimulable phosphor sheets fed by said sheet conveyance means into said tray unit,
a feed-out means provided under the tray unit for receiving the sheets discharged out of said tray unit and conveying the stimulable phosphor sheets into said sheet conveyance means,
a moving means for moving said tray unit so that every tray in said casing can be brought under said feed-in means and above said feed-out means, and
wherein each of said trays comprises a supporting plate for guiding said stimulable phosphor sheet fed-in by said feed-in means and supporting the fed-in stimulable phosphor sheet, and a bottom plate provided at the lower end of said supporting plate moveable between a first position to receive the lower end of said stimulable phosphor sheet and hold the stimulable phosphor sheet in the tray and a second position rotated downward from the first position to allow the stimulable phosphor sheet to fall by its weight and discharge it out of the tray unit.

8 more elements

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprising:

(i) a read-out section for reading out a radiation image stored on a stimulable phosphor sheet,
(ii) an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on said stimulable phosphor sheet after image read-out from said stimulable phosphor sheet is finished,
(iii) a sheet feed cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet feed cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet therein, and for taking said stimulable phosphor sheet out of said sheet feed cassette,
(iv) a sheet housing cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet housing cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet,
(v) a sheet stacking section for holding a plurality of the stimulable phosphor sheets having different sizes, selecting said stimulable phosphor sheet having a desired size one at a time from among said stimulable phosphor sheets held at said sheet stacking section, and feeding out said selected stimulable phosphor sheet, and
(vi) a sheet conveyance means for receiving said stimulable phosphor sheet taken out of said sheet feed cassette held at said sheet feed cassette holding section, conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said read-out section and said erasing section, thereafter conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said sheet stacking section, and conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet fed out of said sheet stacking section into said sheet housing cassette held at said sheet housing cassette holding section, wherein said sheet conveyance means is provided with a stacker disposed between said sheet feed cassette holding section and said read-out section for temporarily housing said stimulable phosphor sheet conveyed out of said sheet feed cassette holding section and wherein said stacker disposed between said sheet feed cassette holding section and said read-out section for temporarily housing said stimulable phosphor sheet conveyed out of said sheet feed cassette holding section includes;
a tray unit composed of a casing and a plurality of trays disposed in said casing for holding said stimulable phosphor sheets respectively in equally spaced and parallel relation to each other in a supported position,
a feed-in means provided above said tray unit for feeding said stimulable phosphor sheets fed by said sheet conveyance means into said tray unit,
a feed-out means provided under the tray unit for receiving the sheets discharged out of said tray unit and conveying the stimulable phosphor sheets into said sheet conveyance means,
a moving means for moving said tray unit so that every tray in said casing can be brought under said feed-in means and above said feed-out means, and
a wedge-shaped guide member provided beside the tray located under said feed-in means and moveable into said tray for changing the angle of inclination of the tray to enlarge the space between the tray and an adjacent tray to facilitate feed-in of the stimulable phosphor sheet.

8 more elements

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprising:

(i) a read-out section for reading out a radiation image stored on a stimulable phosphor sheet,
(ii) an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on said stimulable phosphor sheet after image read-out from said stimulable phosphor sheet is finished,
(iii) a sheet feed cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet feed cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet therein, and for taking said stimulable phosphor sheet out of said sheet feed cassette,
(iv) a sheet housing cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet housing cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet,
(v) a sheet stacking section for holding a plurality of the stimulable phosphor sheets having different sizes, selecting said stimulable phosphor sheet having a desired size one at a time from among said stimulable phosphor sheets held at said sheet stacking section, and feeding out said selected stimulable phosphor sheet, and
(vi) a sheet conveyance means for receiving said stimulable phosphor sheet taken out of said sheet feed cassette held at said sheet feed cassette holding section, conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said read-out section and said erasing section, thereafter conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said sheet stacking section, and conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet fed out of said sheet stacking section into said sheet housing cassette held at said sheet housing cassette holding section, wherein said sheet conveyance means is provided with a stacker disposed between said sheet feed cassette holding section and said read-out section for temporarily housing said stimulable phosphor sheet conveyed out of said sheet feed cassette holding section and wherein said stacker disposed between said sheet feed cassette holding section and said read-out section for temporarily housing said stimulable phosphor sheet conveyed out of said sheet feed cassette holding section includes;
a tray unit composed of a casing and a plurality of trays disposed in said casing for holding said stimulable phosphor sheets respectively in equally spaced and parallel relation to each other in a supported position,
a feed-in means provided above said tray unit for feeding said stimulable phosphor sheets fed by said sheet conveyance means into said tray unit,
a feed-out means provided under the tray unit for receiving the sheets discharged out of said tray unit and conveying the stimulable phosphor sheets into said sheet conveyance means,
a moving means for moving said tray unit so that every tray in said casing can be brought under said feed-in means and above said feed-out means, and
wherein each of said trays comprises a supporting plate for guiding said stimulable phosphor sheet fed-in by said feed-in means and supporting the fed-in stimulable phosphor sheet, and a bottom plate provided at the lower end of said supporting plate moveable between a first position to receive the lower end of said stimulable phosphor sheet and hold the stimulable phosphor sheet in the tray and a second position rotated downward from the first position to allow the stimulable phosphor sheet to fall by its weight and discharge it out of the tray unit.

8 more elements

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprising:

(i) a read-out section for reading out a radiation image stored on a stimulable phosphor sheet,
(ii) an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on said stimulable phosphor sheet after image read-out from said stimulable phosphor sheet is finished,
(iii) a sheet feed cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet feed cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet therein, and for taking said stimulable phosphor sheet out of said sheet feed cassette,
(iv) a sheet housing cassette holding section for releasably holding a sheet housing cassette capable of housing said stimulable phosphor sheet, wherein said sheet feed cassette holding section and said sheet housing cassette holding section are arranged adjacently such that sheet feed cassette and said sheet housing cassette are interchangeable,
(v) a sheet stacking section for holding a plurality of the stimulable phosphor sheets having different sizes, selecting said stimulable phosphor sheet having a desired size one at a time from among said stimulable phosphor sheets held at said sheet stacking section, and feeding out said selected stimulable phosphor sheet, and
(vi) a sheet conveyance means for receiving said stimulable phosphor sheet taken out of said sheet feed cassette held at said sheet feed cassette holding section, conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said read-out section and said erasing section, thereafter conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet to said sheet stacking section, and conveying said stimulable phosphor sheet fed out of said sheet stacking section into said sheet housing cassette held at said sheet housing cassette holding section, wherein said sheet feed cassette comprises a cassette body, and a cover member which is opened by a cassette supporting base at said sheet feed cassette holding section and allows said stimulable phosphor sheet housed therein to fall by the sheet weight out of said sheet feed cassette when said sheet feed cassette is inserted into a cassette insertion groove in said cassette supporting base.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.