Electronic Cassette Spacer Design for Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic cassettes for radiation imaging face challenges in reducing weight while maintaining strength, particularly due to the addition of reinforcement members that increase weight and compromise portability.
Innovation Solution
The use of spacers made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic, strategically positioned between the support substrate and housing, to accommodate the circuit board and suppress bending in directions of weak bending strength, eliminating the need for additional reinforcement members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If reinforcement members are attached to the support substrate to suppress deformation, then the strength of the support substrate is improved, but the weight of the electronic cassette is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is integrated into the housing structure rather than being a separate reinforcement component. The housing itself is designed with built-in spacers that serve dual purposes: maintaining the required spacing for the circuit board and providing structural reinforcement to suppress bending of the support substrate. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate reinforcement members, thereby reducing weight while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer component performs multiple functions simultaneously: it maintains the necessary spatial separation between the support substrate and housing, provides structural reinforcement to prevent bending, and protects the circuit board from mechanical stress. By making the spacer multi-functional, the design avoids adding extra reinforcement members that would increase weight.
2Strength
If additional reinforcement members are added to the electronic cassette, then the strength is improved, but the device complexity and parts cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement function is merged into the existing housing structure through integrated spacers. Instead of adding separate reinforcement members, the housing is designed with built-in spacer elements that provide both spacing and reinforcement functions, thereby reducing the total number of parts and simplifying the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides spacing for the circuit board, structural reinforcement to suppress bending, and protection against mechanical stress. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional dedicated reinforcement parts, reducing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces the weight of the electronic cassette while enhancing its strength, improving portability and protecting the circuit board from mechanical stress without increasing weight or parts cost.
Implementation Method 1
The spacer is disposed to suppress bending of the support substrate in a direction of weak bending strength
Implementation Method 2
the support substrate includes a material made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic
Implementation Method 3
The sensor panel has pixels arranged in two dimensions, and photoelectrically converts the visible light into a signal charge and stores it
Implementation Method 4
The scintillator converts X-rays into visible light
Data Source
AI summary
In an electronic cassette, an FPD and a support substrate are accommodated in a housing. A signal processing circuit for processing signals from the FPD is formed in a circuit board. The circuit board is attached to the back of the support substrate. The support substrate is a carbon plate made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic and exhibits anisotropy in bending strength depending on a fiber direction of carbon fiber. Spacers are provided inside a rear case that constitutes the housing. The spacers form a space, between the support substrate and the housing, to accommodate the circuit board. The spacers are arranged to suppress or prevent bending of the support substrate in a direction of weak bending strength.