Film changer having film-receiving, nondriven cassette with spiral-shaped guide plate
First Claim
1. 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 passive-type cassette, which includes no film driving mechanism, for receiving an exposed film from the film exposure device, the cassette being removably mounted on the film exposure device and comprising an essentially box-shaped housing having an open top and a film-receiving feed-in-slot in a front wall;
a guide plate in the housing and formed into an inwardly spiraling configuration having an outer open end and an inner end, so that a film fed through the feed-in slot into the open end of the spiraling configuration and along an interior surface of the guide plate assumes a configuration corresponding to that of the guide plate, to facilitate storage of the film in a small space;
a top cover for the open top of the housing, the top cover having a first end pivotably mounted on the housing adjacent a housing rear wall and having a second end which opens adjacent the housing front wall upon pivoting of the cover, and the guide plate having an entrance end supported on the second end of the cover so that opening of the cover exposes the interior of the guide plate for removal of film therefrom;
releasable means for retaining the cover in a closed position;
film feeding means in the film exposure device for feeding an exposed film from the film exposure device into the cassette and along the interior surface of the guide plate after a film exposure operation; and
anvil bar means for engaging the guide plate and causing reverse-bending of the guide plate when the cover is moved to an open position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An x-ray film changer includes a removably mounted, passive-type cassette having no film driving mechanism and comprising a film-receiving spiral guide plate extending within the cassette in excess of one and one-half 360° turns. The cassette further comprises an anvil bar for reverse bending of the guide plate when the cassette is opened, to facilitate film removal, a light-blocking gate which uncovers a film feed-in slot in response to mounting of the cassette on a film exposure device, and a combination carrying handle-latch mechanism. The film changer further includes a tachometer generator-timing circuit delay system for varying the lead time of a firing command to an x-ray generator in response to the speed of an approaching film, a transversely extending, pivotable film stop-and-orienting bar synchronized with film clamping and feed mechanisms, a film anti-bounce mechanism an indicia printing mechanism having a liquid crystal display with a backlighted electroluminescent panel, and film feed sensors for detecting film misfeeds and an unacceptable number of film "short feed" conditions in a film sequence.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A medical x-ray film processing device for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:
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a medical x-ray film exposure device for holding a sheet of film during an x-ray film exposure operation; a passive-type cassette, which includes no film driving mechanism, for receiving an exposed film from the film exposure device, the cassette being removably mounted on the film exposure device and comprising an essentially box-shaped housing having an open top and a film-receiving feed-in-slot in a front wall; a guide plate in the housing and formed into an inwardly spiraling configuration having an outer open end and an inner end, so that a film fed through the feed-in slot into the open end of the spiraling configuration and along an interior surface of the guide plate assumes a configuration corresponding to that of the guide plate, to facilitate storage of the film in a small space; a top cover for the open top of the housing, the top cover having a first end pivotably mounted on the housing adjacent a housing rear wall and having a second end which opens adjacent the housing front wall upon pivoting of the cover, and the guide plate having an entrance end supported on the second end of the cover so that opening of the cover exposes the interior of the guide plate for removal of film therefrom; releasable means for retaining the cover in a closed position; film feeding means in the film exposure device for feeding an exposed film from the film exposure device into the cassette and along the interior surface of the guide plate after a film exposure operation; and anvil bar means for engaging the guide plate and causing reverse-bending of the guide plate when the cover is moved to an open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A medical x-ray film processing device for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:
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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 wall having 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 gate means movably mounted on the wall of the cassette for preventing light from entering the cassette through the film feed-in slot; transversely disposed 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; and moving means on the film exposure device for engaging and moving the light-blocking gate 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, the moving means causing downward vertical movement of the light-blocking gate means as the cassette is moved vertically upward relative to the film exposure device to locate the supporting-and-alignment means in the supporting-and-alignment slot means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A medical x-ray film processing device for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:
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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 wall having 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 gate means movably mounted on the wall of the cassette for preventing light from entering the cassette through the film feed-in slot; moving means on the film exposure device for engaging and moving the light-blocking gate means from covering relationship over the film feed-in slot into uncovering relationship with respect to the feed-in slot, in response to relative vertical movement between the film exposure device and the cassette during mounting of the cassette on the film exposure device; and projecting guide members on one of the film exposure device or the cassette and receivable in slots in the other of the film exposure device or the cassette, the slots having greater vertical height than the projecting guide members to permit relative vertical movement between the film exposure device and the cassette after the projecting guide members are received in the slots. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A cassette for receiving an exposed film from an x-ray film exposure device, which comprises:
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means for removably mounting the cassette on the x-ray film exposure device; a housing including a wall having a film feed-in slot; light-blocking gate means movably mounted on the housing wall for preventing light from entering the cassette through the film feed-in slot; moving means on the light-blocking gate means for moving the light-blocking gate 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; and combination carrying handle-latch means forming part of the mounting means and 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 locking latched position.
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18. A medical x-ray film processing device for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:
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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; film feeding means in the film exposure device for feeding an exposed film into the cassette; 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, the combination carrying handle-latch means being movably between a latching position engaged with the latch means on the film exposure device, for securing the cassette to the film exposure device, and an unlatched cassette-carrying position disengaged from the latch means on the film exposure device, for removal of the cassette from the film exposure device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A passive-type cassette which includes no film driving mechanism, for receiving an exposed film from an x-ray film exposure device, which comprises:
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an essentially box-shaped housing having an open top and a film-receiving feed-in-slot in a front wall; a guide plate formed into an inwardly spiraling configuration having an outer open end and an inner end, such that a film fed through the feed-in-slot into the open end of the spiraling configuration and along an interior surface of the guide plate assumes a configuration corresponding to that of the guide plate, to facilitate storage of the film in a small space; a top cover for the open top of the housing, the top cover having a first end pivotably mounted on the housing adjacent a housing rear wall and having a second end which opens adjacent the housing front wall upon pivoting of the cover, and the guide plate having an entrance end supported on to the second end of the cover so that opening of the cover exposes the interior of the guide plate for removal of film therefrom; and anvil bar means for engaging the guide plate and causing reverse-bending of the guide plate when the cover is moved to an open position. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A cassette for receiving an exposed film from an x-ray film exposure device, which comprises:
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means for removably mounting the cassette on the film exposure device, the mounting means including transversely disposed supporting-and-alignment means for cooperating with corresponding mating supporting-and-alignment means on the film exposure device; a housing including a wall having a film feed-in slot; light blocking gate means movably mounted on the housing wall for preventing light from entering the cassette through the film feed-in slot; and moving means on the light-blocking gate means for moving the light-blocking gate 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, the moving means causing downward vertical movement of the light-blocking gate means as the cassette is moved vertically upward to locate the cassette supporting-and-alignment means in alignment with the film exposure device supporting-and-alignment means. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A cassette for receiving an exposed film from an x-ray film exposure device, which comprises:
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means for removably mounting the cassette on the x-ray film exposure device; a housing including a wall having a film feed-in slot; light-blocking gate means movably mounted on the housing wall for preventing light from entering the cassette through the film feed-in slot; and moving means on the light-blocking gate means for moving the light-blocking gate means from covering relationship over the film feed-in slot into uncovering relationship with respect to the feed-in slot, in response to relative vertical movement between the cassette and the film exposure device during mounting of the cassette on the film exposure device; the mounting means comprising slots in sidewalls of the cassette for receiving projecting guide members on the film exposure device, the slots having greater vertical height than the projecting guide members to permit relative vertical movement between the cassette and the film exposure device after the projecting guide members are received in the slots. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A medical x-ray film exposure system for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:
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an x-ray film magazine; a film exposure device for receiving film from the film magazine for an x-ray film exposure operation; a film receiving cassette for receiving exposed film from the film exposure device; first feed means for feeding film from the film magazine into an exposure position in the film exposure device; second feed means in the film exposure device for feeding exposed film into the cassette; first optical sensing means spaced a preselected distance from an exit end of the film exposure device for sensing when a film has been fed from the film magazine into the film exposure device a sufficient distance to obtain an acceptable film exposure; second optical sensing means adjacent the exit end of the film exposure device for sensing when the film has not been fed completely into the film exposure device, producing a "short feed" film condition; and means for counting the "short feed" film condition occurrences in a film sequence and deenergizing the system when a preselected number of "short feed" film conditions occurs in the sequence.
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41. A medical x-ray film exposure device for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:
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clamping means for clamping a sheet of x-ray film in an exposure position for an x-ray film exposure operation; feed means for feeding sheets of film sequentially into and out of the exposure position for respective exposure operations; means for forming indicia, including sequential film numbers, on edge portions of the sheets of film during the exposure operations; liquid crystal display means including a backlighted electroluminescent panel, forming part of the indicia forming means, for producing an image of the indicia to be formed on the sheets of film; and means for controlling the image produced by the liquid crystal display means, including the sequential film numbers, to control the indicia formed on the sheets of film.
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42. A cassette for receiving an exposed x-ray film from an x-ray film exposure device, which comprises:
combination carrying handle-latch means movably mounted on the cassette, the combination carrying handle-latch means being movable between a latching position for securing the cassette to the x-ray film exposure device, and an unlatched cassette-carrying position for removal of the cassette from the x-ray film exposure device, said combination carrying handle-latch means including a carrying handle which projects from the cassette in the unlatched cassette-carrying position. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A medical film exposure system, which comprises:
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a film exposure device for receiving an unexposed sheet of film; feed means for feeding the unexposed sheet of film into an exposure position in the film exposure device; an x-ray generator for producing x-rays to expose the film in the film exposure device; means for transmitting a firing command to the x-ray generator before the unexposed sheet of film reaches the exposure position in the film exposure device; means for measuring the speed of the film as it approaches the film exposure position; and programmable timing circuit delay means for varying the delay between the time at which the firing command is transmitted to the x-ray generator and the time at which the unexposed film reaches the exposure position, in response to the speed of the film as determined by the measuring means. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 54)
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53. A medical x-ray exposure device for an x-ray apparatus, which comprises:
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clamping means movable from an open position to a closed position for clamping a sheet of film for an x-ray film exposure operation; feed means for feeding the sheet of film through an entrance slot of the film exposure device and into an exposure position between the clamping means when the clampimg means is in the open position; an elongated stop-and-orienting bar extending essentially across the width of the film exposure device for precluding overfeed of the sheet of film into the exposure position and for orienting the sheet of film in the exposure position, the stop-and-orienting bar being pivotably mounted for movement into and out of a path of travel of the fed film; pivotably mounted lever means for moving the stop-and-orienting bar; and drive means including a drive shaft, for operating the clamping means, the film feeding means and the stop-and-orienting bar level means, the drive shaft including the first cam means for operating the clamping means and the film feeding means, and second cam means for operating the stop-and-orienting bar lever means in synchronism with the clamping means and the film feeding means. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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Specification