Radiation shield

• US 5,929,458 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Engineering & Services Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Engineering & Services Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Tadahiro, Oomori, Tetsu, Mizuochi, Akira, Nemezawa, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Bruce C.
• Application Number:
  US08/841,562
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 250/515.1, 250/517.1, 250/518.1, 250/519.1
• US Class Current: 250/519.1
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 3/04 Bricks; Shields made up therefrom

Abstract

In a radiation shield in which a bag having flexibility is filled with a shielding liquid, a side of the bag is integrally equipped with reinforcement members which have a higher strength than the material of the bag and are longitudinally disposed and spaced horizontally. The bag filled with the shielding liquid is restrained from being deformed (swollen in its lower portion) by the reinforcement members having a higher strength than the material of the bag, so that the radiation shield is maintained in a predetermined thickness and exhibits predetermined performance.

Claims

1. A radiation shield comprising:

a flexible bag, filled with a radiation shield liquid, for shielding from radiation;

rib-shaped portions extending in a vertical direction, said rib-shaped portions being integrally formed on said bag in such a manner as to project from a plurality of positions, spaced at intervals in a horizontal direction, of said bag; and

reinforcement members extending in a vertical direction, said reinforcement members being provided in said rib-shaped portions in such a manner as to be integrated with said bag;

whereby said bag is able to self-stand in a vertical direction with the aid of said rib-shaped portions reinforced by said reinforcement members, and said bag is able to be folded at respective portions between said rib-shaped portions arranged at the plurality of positions of said bag.

2. A radiation shield according to claim 1, further comprising connectors for releasably connecting, to each other, said rib-shaped portions adjacent to each other of a plurality of said bags which are arranged adjacently to each other.

3. A radiation shield according to claim 1, further comprising connectors for connecting the plurality of said reinforcement members of said bag to each other, said connectors being removably attached to said reinforcement members.

4. A radiation shield according to claim 1, further comprising wheels mounted on said reinforcement members of said bag.

5. A radiation shield according to claim 1, further comprising expandable link mechanism for connecting said reinforcement members of said bag to each other.