JP2001075204A - Method and device for carrying sheet to be scanned - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the contact area between a sheet and a circular-arc supporting surface and to decrease the dynamic frictional force by sending air or the like from an air sending hole formed on the circular-arc supporting surface and forcibly forming an air layer on a contact surface between the sheet and the circular-arc supporting surface. SOLUTION: The sheet 10 is carried to a platen 23 along the circular-arc supporting surface 23a by a 1st carrying roller 21, and the air is sent in the axial direction of the surface 23a from a vent hole 23d formed on the surface 23a by an air sending means 28. When the sheet 10 is carried to nearly the middle of the entire length of the surface 23a as the carrying of the sheet 10 by the roller 21 progresses, carrying driving force is given to the sheet 10 from a 2nd carrying roller 22 provided at nearly the middle position and also the air layer is forcibly formed between the sheet 10 and the surface 23a by the air sent from the hole 23d. Thus, the contact area between the sheet 10 and the surface 23a is reduced and the dynamic frictional force between the sheet 10 and the surface 23a is decreased.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for conveying a scanned sheet, and more particularly, to an improvement in the conveyance of a scanned sheet onto a concave circular support surface of a support member holding the sheet. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When radiation (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays, γ-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc.) is irradiated, a part of the radiation energy is accumulated. Using a stimulable phosphor (stimulable phosphor) that emits stimulable light in accordance with the energy thus applied, radiation image information is temporarily recorded on a sheet-shaped stimulable phosphor (a stimulable phosphor sheet); The stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with excitation light such as laser light to generate stimulated emission light, and the resulting stimulated emission light is photoelectrically read to obtain an image signal (radiation image information).
Based on this image signal, a recording medium such as a photographic photosensitive material, CR
There is known a radiation image recording / reproducing system for outputting a radiation image as a visible image on a display device such as a T (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-55).
-12429, 56-11395, 56-11397, Tokiko 1-6078
No. 4).

As a system utilizing this radiographic image recording / reproducing system, a substance to which a radioactive label is added is administered to an organism such as a rat, and the organism or a part of the tissue of the organism is used as a sample. By overlapping the stimulable phosphor layer provided on the stimulable phosphor sheet with the stimulable phosphor layer for a certain period of time, causing the stimulable phosphor to absorb radiation energy,
Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor layer is scanned with excitation light or the like to excite the stimulable phosphor, and the stimulable phosphor emitted from the stimulable phosphor is photoelectrically detected to generate a digital image signal. An autoradiography detection method (e.g., Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-60784) in which predetermined signal processing is performed and a visible image is reproduced on a display means such as a CRT or a photographic film to obtain distribution information of a radiolabeled substance in a sample. No., 1-60782, 4-39
No. 52).

[0004] Further, a fixed polymer such as a protein or nucleic acid sequence is selectively labeled with a labeling substance which generates chemiluminescence upon contact with a chemiluminescent substance, and the polymer selectively labeled with the labeling substance. And the chemiluminescent substance are brought into contact with each other, and the energy of the chemiluminescence in the visible light wavelength region caused by the contact between the chemiluminescent substance and the labeling substance is contained in the stimulable phosphor layer provided in the stimulable phosphor sheet. Accumulates in the stimulable phosphor, and then scans the stimulable phosphor layer with electromagnetic waves to excite the stimulable phosphor and photoelectrically detects the stimulable phosphor emitted from the stimulable phosphor. Chemiluminescence in which a digital image signal is generated, subjected to predetermined signal processing, and reproduced as a visible image on a display means such as a CRT or a photographic film, thereby obtaining information on a macromolecule such as genetic information. detection Law, such as has also been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open
3-205550, 4-232864).

The image reading device used in these systems has a scanning device for scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet with excitation light or the like. This scanning device is, for example, as shown in FIG. The stimulable phosphor sheet 10 is held on the supporting surface 23a, and the sheet holding unit 20 that can move in the direction (Y direction) along the generatrix of the arc supporting surface 23a, the excitation light source 40, and the incident light A photoelectric conversion unit 50 such as a photomultiplier (PMT) that outputs an electric signal S according to the amount of light that has been converted and incident, and an arrow X direction with the center axis Y0 of the arc supporting surface 23a of the sheet holding unit 20 as a rotation axis. Irradiates the beam-like excitation light L incident from the light source 40 toward the sheet 10 held on the arc-supporting surface 23a from the lens 31 provided on a part of the peripheral surface thereof. Together includes condenses the emitted light M emitted from the sheet 10 the excitation light L is irradiated with the spinner 30 as a main scanning means for emitting the photoelectric detection means 50.

The spinner 30 is described in detail in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the light is emitted from the light source 40, reflected by the mirror 41 and the dichroic mirror 42, and
A mirror 32 for reflecting the excitation light L incident along 0 in the direction of the condensing lens 31 provided on the peripheral surface is provided inside, and this mirror 32 is emitted from the sheet 10,
It also functions to reflect the stimulated emission light M condensed by the condenser lens 31 to the PMT 50 along the rotation axis Y0. The spinner 30 is rotated in the direction of arrow X by a motor (not shown).

When the sheet 10 is carried into the arc-supporting surface 23a of the sheet holding section 20 of the above-described type of reading apparatus, for example, a transport apparatus shown in FIG. 4 (view A in FIG. 1) is used. .

That is, the illustrated conveying device includes conveying rollers 21 and 22 for carrying the sheet 10 along the arc supporting surface 23a and moving in and out in the circumferential direction of the arc supporting surface 23a.
0 in the loading direction at the predetermined holding position (for example, the stopper 23 provided at the upper end edge of the arc support surface 23a).
b) detecting the arrival of the sheet 10 and receiving the detection result of the tip detecting means including the lever 24 and the sensor 26 biased by the spring 24a, and receiving the sheet 10
Positioning means 25 for positioning the sheet 10 at a predetermined holding position on the arc support surface 23a by positioning the rear edge 10b in the carrying direction of the sheet. 4A (FIG. 4 (1)), and the leading end 10 of the sheet 10 in the carrying direction.
When "a" is carried into the stopper 23b of the arc-shaped support surface 23a, the leading end 10a of the sheet 10 in the carrying direction pushes and rotates the lever 24 against the urging force of the spring 24a (FIG. 2B). When the sensor 26 that detects the distance to the other end is rotated, the other end of the lever 24 is
Is detected, it is detected that the leading end 10a of the sheet 10 in the carrying direction has been carried to the stopper 23b of the circular arc supporting surface 24a. Then, the sensor 23 sends this detection result to the control means 27. The control means 27 stops the rotation of the transport rollers 21 and 22, and rotates the positioning means 25. The positioning means 25 moves the rear end of the sheet 10 in the loading direction. By pressing the sheet 10b in the carry-in direction (FIG. 2B), the sheet 10 is positioned on the arc support surface 23a at the rear end 10b in the carry-in direction.

After the positioning, the seat 10 is attracted to the arc supporting surface 23a by, for example, sucking air from a plurality of intake holes 23c formed on the arc supporting surface 23a.
While holding the sheet 10 on the sheet holding unit 20,
After the transport rollers 21 and 22 are retracted from the arc-supporting surface 23a, the reading is performed by operating the spinner 30.

[0010]

However, in the above-described transport apparatus, the transport propulsion force of the sheet 10 is reduced by the dynamic frictional force generated between the arc-shaped support surface 23a and the surface of the sheet 10. Since the dynamic friction force increases as the contact area between the sheet 10 and the arc-shaped support surface 23a increases, it is necessary to reduce the influence of the dynamic friction force for a sheet that is longer in the carrying direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to reduce a transport propulsion force required for carrying a sheet to be scanned such as a stimulable phosphor sheet onto and out of a concave arc-shaped support surface. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for conveying a scanning sheet.

[0012]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for conveying a sheet to be scanned, wherein an air supply hole is formed in a circular support surface, and air or the like is supplied from the air supply hole to carry out the sheet. At this time, an air layer is forcibly formed on at least a part of the contact surface between the sheet and the arc-supporting surface, and the contact area between the sheet and the arc-supporting surface is reduced. This is to reduce the dynamic friction force.

That is, a method of conveying a scanned sheet according to the present invention includes a support member having a concave arc-shaped support surface for a scanned sheet and sheet holding means for holding the scanned sheet on the arc-supported surface. In the method of conveying a scanned sheet, which is carried in the circumferential direction while being positioned along the arc supporting surface of the sheet holding unit and positions the scanned sheet at a predetermined holding position on the arc supporting surface, An air supply hole is formed in the arc support surface, and air is supplied from the air supply hole to between the arc support surface and the scanned sheet carried in and out along the arc support surface. Is what you do.

Here, the concave arc-shaped support surface means a part of the inner wall surface of the cylinder. As a method for carrying in the sheet to the arc support surface, for example, a method of carrying in using a driving roller for carrying in / out can be applied.
As a holding means for holding the sheet on the arc support surface,
A device that holds a sheet having magnetism by magnetic force, a device that punches a large number of holes in an arc supporting surface of a support member, and suctions and holds the sheet on the arc supporting surface by a suction pump can be applied.

The conveying means such as a carry-in / out drive roller is provided not only at the sheet carrying start position on the arc-shaped support surface of the support member, but also at the carrying start position and the leading end holding position at which the leading end in the carrying direction of the sheet is held. It is desirable to provide also between.
This is because, together with the reduction of the dynamic frictional force, the relative transport propulsion force of the scanned sheet can be further increased, and the carrying-in / out operation can be performed more smoothly than before. In particular, in a reading device corresponding to a scanned sheet whose length in the carry-in direction is longer than before, the carry-in length is longer than before, so that the contact area between the sheet and the arc support surface is larger than before. The frictional force increases, and is more effective in resisting the increased frictional force.

A device for conveying a sheet to be scanned according to the present invention is an apparatus for carrying out the method for conveying a sheet to be scanned according to the present invention, wherein a sheet to be scanned is supported by a supporting member having a concave arc-shaped support surface and the supporting member. Conveyance means for carrying in and out in the circumferential direction while being along the arc support surface of the sheet holding unit including a sheet holding means for holding a scan sheet on the arc support surface;
And a positioning device for positioning the scanned sheet at a predetermined holding position on the arc-supported surface.In the conveyance device for the scanned sheet, a vent hole is formed in the arc-support surface of the support member. An air supply unit is further provided for supplying air from the vent hole to the space between the arc support surface and the sheet to be scanned carried in / out along the arc support surface.

[0017]

According to the method and apparatus for conveying a scanned sheet according to the present invention, an air supply hole is formed in the arc-shaped support surface, and air is supplied from the air supply hole when the sheet is carried in and out. ,
By forcibly forming an air layer on at least a part of the contact surface between the sheet and the arc support surface, and reducing the contact area between the sheet and the arc support surface, the dynamic friction force between the sheet and the arc support surface is reduced. As a result, since the driving force for conveying the sheet to the arc-shaped support surface is relatively increased, the sheet can be conveyed with a small driving force.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a specific embodiment of a device for transporting a scanned sheet for carrying out the method for transporting a scanned sheet according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a main part of a specific embodiment of a scanning sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention. The illustrated conveying device is used, for example, in the image reading device illustrated in FIG. 2, and the image reading device includes a concave arc-shaped support surface 23.
a, a sheet holding unit 20 holding a stimulable phosphor sheet 10 on which radiation image information is stored and movable in a direction (Y direction) along a generatrix of an arc supporting surface 23a;
A laser light source 40 that emits a beam-like laser beam L that excites the stimulable phosphor of the stimulable phosphor sheet 10, and a photo that photoelectrically converts incident light and outputs an electric signal S corresponding to the incident light amount. Multiplier (PMT) 50 and central axis Y0 of arc support surface 23a of sheet holding unit 20
Is rotated in the direction of the arrow X with the rotation axis as a rotation axis, and the beam-like laser light L incident from the light source 40 is directed from the lens 31 provided on a part of the peripheral surface to the sheet 10 held on the arc-supporting surface 23a. And a spinner 30 that collects the photostimulated light M emitted from the sheet 10 irradiated with the laser light L and emits the light to the PMT 50.

The spinner 30 is described in detail in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the light is emitted from the light source 40, reflected by the mirror 41 and the dichroic mirror 42, and
The mirror 32 internally reflects the laser light L incident along the direction 0 toward the condensing lens 31 provided on the peripheral surface thereof. The stimulable luminescent light M condensed by 31 has an effect of reflecting the stimulable light M to the PMT 50 along the rotation axis Y0. The spinner 30 is rotated in the direction of arrow X by a motor (not shown). By the action of the spinner 30, the laser beam L is applied to the sheet 10 held by the sheet holding unit 20 so that the laser beam L
The laser beam L is main-scanned at a constant speed in the circumferential direction of 3a,
The stimulated emission light M emitted from the main-scanned sheet 10
Is detected by the PMT 50.

On the other hand, since the sheet holding section 20 is sub-scanned in the direction of arrow Y, the laser beam L scans substantially the entire surface of the sheet 10 uniformly by a combination of the sub-scan and the main scan.
The radiation image information stored and recorded on the sheet 10 as the distribution of radiation energy is read.

The sheet holding section 20 has a concave arc-shaped support surface 23a for supporting the sheet 10, and this arc-shaped support surface 23a
a support table (referred to as a platen) 23 in which a number of intake holes 23c and air holes 23d are formed,
And a sheet holding means for sucking and holding on the arc supporting surface 23a. As the sheet holding means, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a suction pump 29 that suctions air from a large number of suction holes 23c formed in the arc support surface 23a is applied.

The conveying device for the sheet 10 according to the present embodiment includes an arc supporting surface 23a of the sheet holding portion 20 of the image reading device.
As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus is a device for carrying the sheet 10 in and out, and as shown in FIG. 1, transport rollers 21 and 22 for carrying the sheet 10 in and out in the circumferential direction of the arc while being along the arc supporting surface 23 a, Air supply means 28 for supplying air between the arc supporting surface 23a and the scanned sheet 10 carried in and out along the supporting surface 23a from the ventilation hole 23d formed in And positioning means for positioning at a predetermined holding position.

Here, the positioning means is a stopper 23b provided near the upper end of the arc support surface 23a of the platen 23.
A leading end detection lever 24 urged in a non-detection direction by a spring 24a, which detects that the leading end 10a of the sheet 10 in the carrying direction has reached the leading end of the sheet 10 and rotates. A tip detecting means comprising an optical sensor 26 for detecting rotation of the tip detecting lever 24;
A rear end pressing lever 25 for pressing the rear end 10b of the sheet 10 in the carrying direction in the carrying direction to position the rear end 10b of the carrying direction at a predetermined holding position on the circular arc supporting surface 23a, A controller 27 for stopping the carry-in operation by the conveying rollers 21 and 22 and the air blow operation by the air supply means 28 by detecting the leading end 10 a in the carry-in direction, and starting the positioning operation of the sheet 10 by the rear end pressing lever 25. Configuration. The leading end detection lever 24 has a path length to the rear edge of the arc supporting surface 23a along the arc supporting surface 23a.
It is disposed at a position slightly shorter (about several mm) than the length in the carrying direction of 0.

Next, the operation of the sheet conveying apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3 (showing a cross section taken along line BB shown in FIG. 1).

First, as shown in FIG.
The first transport roller 21 provided at one end of the sheet transports the sheet 10 to the platen 23 along the arc-shaped support surface 23a (FIG. 1A). When the first transport roller 21 is driven, the air supply means 28 causes the axis Y of the cylindrical support surface 23d to pass through the ventilation hole 23d formed in the cylindrical support surface 23a.
Air is delivered in the zero direction.

The conveyance of the sheet 10 by the conveying roller 21 proceeds, and the sheet 10 is moved to substantially the middle of the entire length of the cylindrical support surface 23a.
Is carried in, the sheet 10 is further provided with a carrying-in propulsion force from the second conveyance roller 22 provided at the substantially intermediate position, and the sheet 10 and the arc-shaped support surface are fed by the air sent out from the vent hole 23d. An air layer is compulsorily formed between the sheet 10 and the arc supporting surface 23a, and the contact area between the sheet 10 and the arc supporting surface 23a is reduced, so that the dynamic friction force between the sheet 10 and the arc supporting surface 23a is formed. Is reduced. As a result, the carry-in propulsion force applied to the sheet 10 is relatively increased with respect to the kinetic frictional force, and the sheet 10 is carried in smoothly.

The transport of the sheet 10 by the transport rollers 21 and 22 proceeds further. During this time, the air is continuously blown out from the vent hole 23d (air blow), so that the sheet 10 is smoothly transported onto the cylindrical support surface 23a.

When the leading end 10a of the sheet 10 in the carrying direction is carried into the stopper 23b of the arc-shaped support surface 23a, the leading end detecting lever 24 provided near the stopper 23b is provided.
Is rotated against the urging force of the spring 24a when the leading end portion 10a in the carrying direction of the sheet 10 abuts, and the other end of the lever 24 approaches the optical sensor 26 (FIG. 3 (3)). This action causes the optical sensor 26 to move the lever 24
Of the sheet, that is, the sheet leading end portion 10a is
Is detected, and the detection result is input from the optical sensor 26 to the controller 27.

The controller 27 receives an input of the detection result from the optical sensor 26, stops the operation of transporting the sheet 10 by the transport rollers 21 and 22, and sends the air
Also stop the air blow. As a result, the sheet 10
Stops on the arc support surface 23a, but in the stopped state, the rear end portion 10b in the carrying direction of the sheet 10 slightly protrudes (about several mm) from the rear end edge of the arc support surface 23a. Here, the controller 27 subsequently rotates the rear end pressing lever 25 in the direction of the arrow, and
The surface of the seat 1 facing the turning direction of the seat 5
0 while being in contact with the rear end face 10b of the sheet 10 in the carrying direction of the sheet 10. This action pushes the entire sheet 10 in the carrying direction.

The rear end pressing lever 25 is
At this time, the sheet 10 is stopped at a position where the rear end face 10b coincides with the lower end edge of the arc support surface 23a. Then, the suction pump 29 of the sheet holding unit 20 starts suction under the control of the controller 27, whereby the sheet 10 is sucked and held on the cylindrical support surface 23a.
The suction of the sheet 10 by the suction pump 29 is preferably performed sequentially from the leading end 10a in the carrying direction of the sheet 10 toward the rear end 10b in the carrying direction. This is because it is possible to prevent air from being trapped between the cylindrical support surface 23a and the sheet 10.

After the sheet 10 is held by the platen 23, the conveying rollers 21 and 22 are retracted from the surface of the sheet 10, and the laser light source 40, the spinner 30, the PMT 5
Reading of the radiation image information from the sheet 10 by 0 or the like is started.

As described above, according to the sheet conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, the ventilation holes 23d are formed in the arc-supporting surface 23a, and when the sheet 10 is carried in and out, the air supply means 29 is formed through the ventilation holes 23d. To form an air layer between the contact surfaces of the sheet 10 and the arc-supporting surface 23a, thereby reducing the contact area between the sheet 10 and the arc-supporting surface 23a. The kinetic friction force between the sheet 10 and the arc support surface 23a can be reduced, and as a result, the transport propulsion force required to carry the sheet 10 in and out of the arc support surface 23a can be reduced.

In the sheet conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which a second conveying roller 22 is further provided in addition to the first conveying roller 21 provided at the position where the sheet 10 starts to be carried in. However, the method and apparatus for transporting a scanned sheet according to the present invention are not limited to those provided with a plurality of transport rollers and the like as in the above embodiment. However, the configuration in which the second transport roller 22 is additionally provided can increase the sheet carrying-in propulsion force, and can further prevent the sheet 10 from rising from the arc support surface 23a due to its rigidity. Is also effective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a device for conveying a scanned sheet according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image reading apparatus in which the scanning sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention is used.

FIG. 3 is a diagram (B) for explaining the operation of the transport device shown in FIG. 1;
-B line section)

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a problem of a conventional sheet-conveying device for scanning (view A).

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Storable phosphor sheet 10a Front end in loading direction 10b Rear end in loading direction 20 Sheet holder 21, 22 Conveyance roller 22 Lever 23 Support (platen) 23a Arc support surface 23b Stopper 23c Intake hole 23d Vent hole 24 Tip detection lever 24a Spring 25 Rear end pressing lever 26 Optical sensor 27 Controller 28 Air supply means 29 Suction pump

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (reference) H04N 1/04 H04N 1/04 E 5C072 F term (reference) 2H013 AC11 3F049 FA05 LA01 LB03 3F101 FB04 LA01 LB08 5B047 AA17 BA02 BA05 BB08 BC05 BC09 BC14 CA09 5C062 AB32 AC11 BD04 5C072 AA01 BA05 DA02 DA06 EA02 HA02 HA12 JA03 JA07 JA11 NA04 VA01

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a support member having a concave arc-shaped support surface; and sheet holding means for holding the scanned sheet on the arc-supported surface. In the method of conveying a scanned sheet, which is carried in the circumferential direction while positioning the scanned sheet at a predetermined holding position on the arc support surface, an air supply hole is formed in the arc support surface of the support member. And feeding air between the arc-supporting surface and the scanned sheet carried in and out along the arc-supporting surface from the air supply hole. 2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: holding the scanned sheet along the arc supporting surface of the sheet holding unit, the supporting member having a concave arc supporting surface and sheet holding means for holding the scanned sheet on the arc supporting surface. A conveying means for carrying in and out in the circumferential direction, and a positioning means for positioning the scanned sheet at a predetermined holding position on the arc-shaped support surface. A vent hole is formed in the arc support surface, and an air supply unit that supplies air between the arc support surface and the scanned sheet that is carried in and out along the arc support surface from the vent hole. An apparatus for conveying a scanned sheet, further comprising: