Radiation imaging apparatus and cradle

• US 7,956,330 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishino, Naoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher; Constantine
• Application Number:
  US12/393,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20100044572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 320/138, 320/115, 320/DIG.11, 250/370.09
• US Class Current: 250/370.09
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/02 using X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/04 Holders for X-ray films
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/11 Prioritized supply of power or power supply compensation

Abstract

Closeness of a housing is maintained in a normal handling state, and electric power shortage is solved to perform prompt action by quick charge in emergency situations. Normally an electronic cassette is loaded in a cradle to charge a battery by a non-contact charging function. In a case of contact charge, a pair of electrodes and a pair of terminals are brought into contact with each other by removing a packing, and the battery is charged in a state where wiring is physically connected. Therefore, energy efficiency is better compared with the non-contact charge, and the charge can be performed in a short time.

Claims

1. A radiation imaging apparatus in which at least

an imaging plate in which pixels which accumulate charges by receiving radiation are two-dimensionally arrayed, and which takes an image based on the received radiation,

an image data memory in which data of the image taken by the imaging plate is stored, and

a power supply unit that supplies electric power to the imaging plate and the image data memory,

are accommodated in a closed housing, the radiation imaging apparatus comprising:

a secondary coil unit provided in the housing and constituting a part of a non-contact type charging device, the secondary coil unit receiving an electric power by an electromagnetic induction effect between the secondary coil unit and a primary coil unit provided outside the housing;

a terminal provided in the power supply unit, a leading end portion of which is projected outside the housing so as to be able to electrically contact an electrode of a contact type charging device provided outside the housing; and

a closing member that is attachable to and detachable from the housing so as to be able to expose and close off the leading end portion of the terminal from the outside, the closing member maintaining a closed state of the housing when being attached to the housing, and putting the leading end portion of the terminal into an exposed state when being detached from the housing.

2. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power supply unit includes:

a quick charging section that performs a quick charge mode for performing quick charging; and

a normal charging section that performs a normal charge mode for performing non-quick charging, wherein

contact charging by electrical contacting of contact-points is at least performed in the quick charge mode, and

non-contact charging is performed in the normal charge mode.

3. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein switching between the quick charging section and the normal charging section is performed by attaching and detaching the closing member.

4. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein

switching between the quick charging section and the normal charging section is performed based on electrical contact between the terminal and the electrode provided outside the housing,

the quick charge mode is performed when the electrical contact is detected, and

the normal charge mode is performed when the electrical contact is not detected.

5. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein both of the contact charging and the non-contact charging are performed in the quick charge mode.

6. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the non-contact charging is performed by the primary coil unit provided outside the housing and the secondary coil unit provided in the housing, the primary coil and the secondary coil constituting parts of the non-contact type charging device, and

the contact charging is performed by contacting the leading end portion of the terminal and the electrode of the contact type charging device provided outside the housing.

7. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein a recess portion is formed surrounding the terminal, and the closing member is attachable to the recess portion.

8. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the closing member is connected to the housing via a connecting member.

9. A radiation imaging apparatus in which at least

an imaging plate in which pixels which accumulate charges by receiving radiation are two-dimensionally arrayed, and which takes an image based on the received radiation,

an image data memory in which data of the image taken by the imaging plate is stored, and

a power supply unit that supplies electric power to the imaging plate and the image data memory,

are accommodated in a closed housing, the radiation imaging apparatus comprising:

a secondary coil unit provided in the housing and constituting a part of a non-contact type charging device, the secondary coil unit receiving electric power by an electromagnetic induction effect between the secondary coil unit and a primary coil unit provided outside the housing;

a connect terminal formed in the housing so as to be able to maintain a closed state of the housing, that is connected to the power supply unit and connected to the image data memory such that the data can be accessed from outside the housing, wherein contact charging can be performed via the connect terminal by a contact type charging device provided outside the housing; and

a closing member that is attachable to and detachable from the housing so as to be able to expose and close off the leading end portion of the terminal from the outside, the closing member maintaining a closed state of the housing when being attached to the housing, and putting the leading end portion of the terminal into an exposed state when being detached from the housing.

10. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 9 wherein the connect terminal is a USB terminal.

11. The radiation imaging apparatus of claim 9 wherein the connect terminal is an IEEE 1394 standard terminal.

12. A cradle in which a radiation imaging apparatus is accommodated, the radiation imaging apparatus having a closed housing in which at least (i) an imaging plate in which pixels which accumulate charges by receiving radiation are two-dimensionally arrayed, and which takes an image based on the received radiation, (ii) an image data memory in which data of the image taken by the imaging plate is stored, and (iii) a power supply unit that supplies electric power to the imaging plate and the image data memory, are accommodated, the radiation imaging apparatus including:

a secondary coil unit provided in the housing and constituting a part of a non-contact type charging device, the secondary coil unit receiving electric power by an electromagnetic induction effect between the secondary coil unit and a primary coil unit provided outside the housing;

a terminal provided in the power supply unit, a leading end portion of which is projected outside the housing so as to be able to electrically contact an electrode of a contact type charging device provided outside the housing; and

a closing member that is attachable to and detachable from the housing so as to be able to expose and close off the leading end portion of the terminal from the outside, the closing member maintaining a closed state of the housing when being attached to the housing, and putting the leading end portion of the terminal into an exposed state when being detached from the housing, wherein

the cradle includes an accommodation unit in which the radiation imaging apparatus is accommodated,

the primary coil unit is disposed at a position in which the primary coil unit faces the secondary coil unit when the radiation imaging apparatus is accommodated in the accommodation unit,

the electrode is disposed so as to be able to electrically contact the leading end portion of the terminal when the radiation imaging apparatus is accommodated in the accommodation unit, and

when the radiation imaging apparatus is accommodated in the accommodation unit, the non-contact charging is applied when the closing member closes off the leading end portion of the terminal, and the contact charging is applied when the closing member exposes the leading end portion of the terminal.