Imaging apparatus with media pickup system employing curved surface for media separation
Inactive Publication Date: 2008-03-13
CARESTREAM HEALTH INC
View PDF21 Cites 6 Cited by
- Summary
- Abstract
- Description
- Claims
- Application Information
AI Technical Summary
Benefits of technology
[0007]In one embodiment, the present invention provides an imaging apparatus including a media source including a stack of one or more sheets of imaging media and a pickup assembly. The pickup assembly includes a pickup bar moveable between a first position and a second position and having a concave channel with a curved surface, and a plurality of suction cups positioned in a spaced fashion in the concave channel and configured to contact a first sheet of imaging media of the stack when the pickup bar is in the second position. A vacuum system is configured to deliver a vacuum to the suction cups when the pickup bar is in the second position to cause the suction cups to engage the first sheet and to draw and deform the suction cups against the curved surface to bend the first sheet of imaging media to create an air channel between and separate the first sheet from a remaining portion of the stack.
[0008]By engaging and drawing the first sheet of media into the concave channel, the pickup assembly creates an air path between the first sheet and next sheet of media of the stack and breaks a vacuum bond between and separates the first sheet from a remainder of the stack. By separating the first sheet from the stack in this fashion, the media pickup system lifts only the first sheet (not the entire stack) and, thus, can be constructed of lighter weight materials, be more compact, and less expensive than conventional media pickup systems.
Problems solved by technology
Providing more than one sheet of film to the transport system can cause film jams along the transport path and result in poorly and / or improperly developed images requiring re-printing, resulting in lost productivity and potential damage to the imager.
Unfortunately, due largely to vacuum-like effects between sheets, but also to a variety of factors such as, for example, static electricity and film coatings, sheets of photothermographic film tend to cling or stick together when placed in a stack, making removal of individual sheets of film from the stack difficult.
As a result, conventional film supply systems generally require a robust construction so as to be able to lift and support the weight of the entire film stack and complicated mechanisms to separate sheets.
While this system is generally effective at removing the bulk of the lower sheets of the stack from the upper sheets of the stack, it is not always effective at separating the upper sheets of film from another, such as the one or more sheets immediately below the top sheet in the stack.
Method used
the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View moreImage
Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Smart ImageViewing Examples
Examples
Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test
Embodiment Construction
[0023]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating generally an imaging apparatus 30 according to the present invention that employs a curved channel to separate a sheet of imaging media (e.g. film) from a stack of imaging media. Imaging apparatus 30 includes a media supply system 32, an exposure system 34, and a processing system 36, with media supply system 32 further including a feeder assembly 38 and a media pickup system 40. Media supply system 32 is adapted to receive a media source 42 comprising a stack of unexposed sheets of photosensitive imaging media or film. In one embodiment, media source 42 comprises a cartridge or magazine which is removable from imaging apparatus 30.
[0024]In one embodiment, media pickup system 40 includes a pickup assembly 50 and an actuator system 52. In one embodiment, as will be described in greater detail below, pickup assembly 50 includes a pickup bar having a concave channel 58 with a curved surface, in accordance with the present invention. In one e...
the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More PUM
| Property | Measurement | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Force | aaaaa | aaaaa |
| Pressure | aaaaa | aaaaa |
| Length | aaaaa | aaaaa |
Login to View More
Abstract
A media pickup system suitable for use with an imaging apparatus including a pickup assembly including at least one pickup bar having a concave channel a curved surface, and an actuator configured to move the pickup bar between a first position and a second position, wherein the pickup assembly, when the pickup bar is in the second position, is configured to selectively engage and draw a portion of a first sheet of a stack of sheets of imaging media into the concave channel to bend the first sheet to create and air channel between and to separate the first sheet from a remaining portion of the stack of sheets of imaging media.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to an imaging apparatus, and more specifically to an imaging apparatus having a media supply system employing a channel having a curved surface for media separation.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Light sensitive photothermographic film is used in many applications ranging from a standard photography apparatus to graphic arts to medical imaging systems. For example, laser imagers are widely used in the medical imaging field to produce visual representations on film of digital image data generated by magnetic resonance (MR), computer tomography (CT) or other types of scanners. Laser imagers typically include some type of film supply system, a film exposure system, a film processing system, and a transport system that moves film from the supply system along a transport path through the laser imager. Sheets of unexposed film are typically stacked within a standardized cartridge or magazine which is inserted into the l...
Claims
the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More Application Information
Patent Timeline
Login to View More IPC IPC(8): B65H3/30
CPCB65H3/0816B65H3/0883B65H3/46G03B27/586B65H2403/40B65H2701/1719B65H2701/1928B65H2301/5121
InventorZWETTLER, CHRISBOUGHTEN, LARRY R.JOYCE, TERRENCE H.ESCH, JAY A.
OwnerCARESTREAM HEALTH INC