Film changer having film-receiving, nondriven cassette with spiral-shaped guide plate

A cassette for receiving successively exposed films from an x-ray film exposure device, which comprises:

• a housing having an access opening for removing films from the cassette and having a film-receiving feed-in portion;
• guide means disposed in the cassette and having arcuate interior surface means for guiding films fed into the cassette, the arcuate interior surface means forming an inwardly facing, smooth and essentially continuous coil-shaped configuration having an outer open end and an inner end, such that an initial film fed into the open end of the coil-shaped configuration and fed along the arcuate interior surface means of the guide means assumes a configuration corresponding to that of the surface means and subsequently received films each nest in coiled relationship inside a respective previously received film, to facilitate storage of the films;
• and
• an access cover for the access opening of the housing, the access cover having a first end pivotably mounted on the housing and having a second end which opens upon pivoting of the cover, and the guide means having an entrance end fixed to the cover so that opening of the cover exposes an interior portion of the guide means for removal of film therefrom.

A cassette for receiving an exposed film from an x-ray film exposure device, which comprises:

• means for removably mounting the cassette on the film exposure device;
• a housing having a film feed-in slot and comprising coil-shaped guide means so that film fed through the feed-in slot and along interior surface means of the guide means assumes a configuration corresponding to that of the guide means;
• light-blocking means movably mounted on the housing for preventing light from entering the cassette through the film feed-in slot;
• supporting-and-alignment means for cooperating with corresponding mating supporting-and-alignment means on the film exposure device;
• and
• moving means on the light-blocking means for moving the light-blocking means from covering relationship over the film feed-in slot into uncovering relationship with respect to the feed-in slot, in response to mounting of the cassette on the film exposure device so that the cassette supporting-and-alignment means is located in mating relationship with the film exposure device supporting-and-alignment means.

A medical x-ray film processing devide for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:

• a medical x-ray film exposure device for holding a sheet of film during an x-ray film exposure operation;
• a cassette for receiving an exposed film from the film exposure device, the cassette being removably mounted on the film exposure device and comprising a film feed-in slot;
• film feeding means in the film exposure device for feeding an exposed film from the film exposure device into the cassette through the film feed-in slot after a film exposure operation;
• light-blocking means movably mounted on the cassette for preventing light from entering the cassette through the film feed-in slot;
• projecting supporting-and-alignment means on one of the film exposure device or the cassette and snugly receivable in corresponding supporting-and-alignment slot means in the other of the film exposure device or the cassette;
• moving means on the film exposure device for engaging and moving the light-blocking means from covering relationship over the film feed-in slot into uncovering relationship with respect to the feed-in slot, in response to mounting of the cassette on the film exposure device so that the supporting and alignment means is located in the supporting-and-alignment slot means;
• latch means on the film exposure device for retaining the cassette on the film exposure device;
• and
• combination carrying handle-latch means movably mounted on the cassette for securing the cassette to the film exposure device, the combination carrying-handle latch means being movable between a released unlatched cassette-carrying position and a latching position engaged with the latch means on the film exposure device.

A cassette for receiving an exposed film from an x-ray film exposure device, which comprises:

• means for removably mounting the cassette on the film exposure device, said mounting means comprising combination carrying handle-latch means movably mounted on the cassette for securing the cassette to the film exposure device, the combination carrying handle-latch means being movable between a released unlatched cassette-carrying position and a latching position;
• a housing having a film feed-in slot;
• light-blocking means movably mounted on the housing for preventing light from entering the cassette through the film feed-in slot;
• supporting-and-alignment means for cooperating with corresponding mating supporting-and-alignment means on the film exposure device;
• and
• moving means on the light-blocking means for moving the light-blocking means from covering relationship over the film feed-in slot into uncovering relationship with respect to the feed-in slot, in response to mounting of the cassette on the film exposure device so that the cassette supporting-and-alignment means is located in mating relationship with the film exposure device supporting-and-alignment means.

A medical x-ray film processing device for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:

• a medical x-ray film exposure device for holding a sheet of film during an x-ray film exposure operation;
• a cassette for receiving successively exposed films from the film exposure device, the cassette having an access opening for removing films from the cassette;
• guide means disposed in the cassette and having arcuate interior surface means for guiding films fed into the cassette from the exposure device, the arcuate surface means forming an inwardly facing, smooth and essentially continuous coil-shaped configuration having an outer open end and an inner end, such that an initial film fed into the open end of the coil-shaped configuration and fed along the arcuate interior surface means of the guide means assumes a coil-shaped configuration corresponding to that of the surface means, and subsequently received films each nest in coiled relationship inside a respective previously received film, to facilitate storage of the films;
• an access cover for the access opening of the cassette, the access cover having a first end pivotally mounted on the cassette and having a second end which opens upon pivoting of the cover, and the guide means having an entrance end fixed to the cover so that opening of the cover exposes an interior portion of the guide means for removal of film therefrom;
• and
• film feeding means in the film exposure device for feeding an exposed film from the film exposure device into the cassette and along the arcuate interior surface means of the guide means after a film exposure operation.