Flexible Cassette with Dual Opening for Sheet Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible cassettes for accumulative fluorescent sheets are sealed and lack opening portions other than the entrance/exit, making it difficult to remove the sheet for radiographic image reading and imaging processes.
Innovation Solution
A cassette design with a flexible accommodating body featuring an entrance/exit portion and an opening/closing mechanism at a different end, allowing a push-out member to easily extract and reinsert the accumulative fluorescent sheet while maintaining a light-shielded state through light shielding fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cassette is designed as a sealed structure with only one entrance/exit portion, then the light shielding performance is improved, but the ease of operation for removing the accumulative fluorescent sheet deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cassette body is divided into two separate opening portions: one for inserting/removing the accumulative fluorescent sheet and another for inserting the push-out member. This segmentation allows independent access points, enabling sheet removal without compromising the overall light shielding integrity of the sealed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A push-out member is introduced as an intermediary tool to facilitate sheet removal. The push-out member is inserted through the second opening portion and mechanically pushes the sheet out through the first opening portion, enabling easy sheet removal while maintaining the sealed structure's light shielding performance.
2Ease of operation
If additional opening portions are added to the sealed cassette structure, then the ease of operation for sheet removal is improved, but the light shielding performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The opening portions are strategically positioned at opposite ends of the cassette body, minimizing their impact on overall light shielding. The local openings are small and precisely located, allowing operational access while maintaining light shielding performance in the majority of the cassette structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The push-out member is designed to be inserted through the second opening portion before sheet removal. This preliminary action of inserting the push-out member enables controlled sheet ejection through the first opening portion, achieving easy sheet removal without requiring larger or more numerous openings that would compromise light shielding.
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
Facilitates easy removal and insertion of the accumulative fluorescent sheet, prevents exposure to light, and enhances image quality by using sensitivity-enhancing and lead sheets, ensuring efficient radiographic imaging and image reading processes.
Implementation Method 1
a light shielding fastener that fastens the flexible accommodating body in a closed state in which the interior of the flexible accommodating body is shielded from light
Implementation Method 2
opening the flexible accommodating body at a portion different from the one end portion such that a push-out member, that pushes the accumulative fluorescent sheet out toward the entrance/exit portion, can be inserted
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
There is provided a cassette (10) having: a flexible accommodating body (18) that accommodates an accumulative fluorescent sheet (16) in a light shielded state; an entrance/exit portion (22) that is provided at one end portion (18A) of the flexible accommodating body(18), and through which the accumulative fluorescent sheet (16) can be inserted and removed into and from the flexible accommodating body (18) due to mounting to a radiographic image reading device (20); and opening/closing means (24) for opening the flexible accommodating body (18) such that a push-out member, that pushes the accumulative fluorescent sheet (16) out toward the entrance/exit portion (22), can be inserted, or closing the flexible accommodating body (18) in a light shielded state.