JPH085561B2 - Sheet body transport method and mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for conveying a sheet body and a mechanism thereof,
More specifically, for example, a scanned object such as a stimulable phosphor sheet on which image information is stored and recorded is deflected in a one-dimensional direction and irradiated with a light beam to perform main scanning, and the scanned object is conveyed by a conveyor belt. In order to convey the image in the sub-scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction and read the image, at least two vacuum chambers suck the object to be scanned toward the conveyor belt, and further, the one chamber to the other chamber. By gradually changing the suction pressure for shifting to the chamber, the pressure fluctuation between the chambers is reduced as much as possible to prevent the unevenness of the feeding that occurs in the scanned object, and thus the scanned object is smoothly moved. The present invention relates to a sheet conveying method and a mechanism for conveying the sheet to avoid unevenness in image reading.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recently, a radiation image recording / reproducing system that obtains a radiation image of a subject using a stimulable phosphor (stimulable phosphor) has attracted attention. Here, the stimulable phosphor means radiation (X-ray,
Irradiation with α-rays, β-rays, γ-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc.) accumulates a part of this radiation energy, and later irradiation with excitation light such as visible light causes stimulated emission according to the accumulated energy. Refers to phosphor.

The above-mentioned radiation image recording / reproducing system uses this stimulable phosphor, and the radiation image information of a subject such as a human body is once provided with a sheet having a layer composed of the stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as “accumulative phosphor sheet” or simply "Sheet")
To record, the stimulated emission light is generated by scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet with excitation light such as laser light, and the stimulated emission light is photoelectrically read to obtain an electrical signal, and this electrical signal is Based on this, a radiation image of the subject is output as a visible image on a recording material such as a photographic light-sensitive material or a display device such as a CRT. Here, the expression as a visible image on a recording material such as a photographic photosensitive material or a display device such as a CRT as described above is referred to as reproduction.

Therefore, in such a radiation image recording / reproducing system, the following method is specifically adopted to read the radiation image from the stimulable phosphor sheet on which the radiation image is accumulated and recorded.

That is, in the image reading device, the stimulable phosphor sheet is two-dimensionally scanned with a light beam such as a laser beam, and the stimulated emission light emitted by this is chronologically detected by a photodetector such as a photomultiplier. Detect and obtain image information. In the two-dimensional scanning of the light beam, usually, the stimulable phosphor sheet is one-dimensionally deflected and irradiated with the light beam to perform main scanning, and the sheet is moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction. This is achieved by mechanically carrying the paper by a carrying belt or the like to perform sub-scanning.

By the way, as described above, when the stimulable phosphor sheet is sub-scanned and conveyed by the conveyor belt, it is necessary to convey the stimulable phosphor sheet at a constant speed and ensure its flatness. That is, if the stimulable fluorescent sheet is not conveyed at a constant speed, the reading operation of the image accumulated on the sheet cannot be performed accurately. Further, when a part of the stimulable phosphor sheet is separated from the conveyor belt and loses the flatness, the accumulated image is read in a distorted state. As a result, it becomes substantially impossible to accurately read the image information carried on the sheet.

As a method of overcoming the above-mentioned inconvenience and transporting the stimulable phosphor sheet in the sub-scanning direction without distortion, a method of using both a transport belt and a suction box connected to a vacuum suction source has been conventionally used. This conveyor belt has an endless shape having a plurality of holes, and a suction box is arranged inside the conveyor belt. That is, the stimulable phosphor sheet or the like is sucked toward the conveyor belt under the suction action of the suction box to maintain the flatness of the stimulable phosphor sheet or the like being conveyed and to convey at a constant speed without deviating from the conveyor belt. I am carrying out.

In fact, a suction box is generally provided with a plurality of suction chambers along the sheet conveying direction. This is to prevent air leakage from occurring in the middle of sheet conveyance. Therefore, when the sheet is conveyed, this chamber is switched and sucked according to the displacement of the stimulable phosphor sheet, whereby the inside of the chamber is
The sheet is suctioned by at least one chamber and is brought into close contact with the transport belt.

However, if the suction of the chamber is switched along with the displacement of the stimulable phosphor sheet, there is a possibility that unevenness in the feeding of the stimulable phosphor sheet may occur during the switching operation. That is, for example, the leading end portion of the stimulable phosphor sheet that is suction-held by the first chamber and conveyed through the conveyor belt reaches the second chamber, where the second chamber is used as a negative pressure to cause the accumulation property. When sucking the phosphor sheet,
The transporting load of the stimulable phosphor sheet suddenly increases, which causes a change in the feed amount of the stimulable phosphor sheet. In addition, when the suction action of the first chamber is stopped after the stimulable phosphor sheet is suction-held by the second chamber, the transport load of the stimulable phosphor sheet is rapidly reduced, which causes the stimulable phosphor sheet to be transported. The sheet feed amount fluctuates. As described above, when unevenness in feeding of the stimulable phosphor sheet occurs, it becomes difficult to accurately read the image information accumulated and recorded on the sheet, and medical diagnosis that expects reproduction of the same image as the recorded image. There is a risk that you will not be able to use it.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned inconvenience, and is a suction chamber in which a sheet body or the like on which image information is recorded is divided into two in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the main scanning line. When the image information is read by being conveyed through a conveyor belt under the suction action of, the first and second switching valves interlocking between the first and second chambers and the vacuum suction source are provided, Image reading or image recording is performed by constantly maintaining a constant suction force of the sheet member transferred from the first chamber to the second chamber under the switching action of the first and second switching valves. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of transporting a sheet body and a mechanism therefor capable of making the obtained image information more accurate.

[Means for Achieving the Object] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sheet-shaped object to be scanned by deflecting a light beam in a one-dimensional direction and performing main scanning, and at the same time, the object to be scanned. When sub-scanning is carried in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction, a sub-scanning carrying belt having a plurality of holes, a first suction chamber located upstream of the main scanning line in the sub-scanning direction, and A second suction chamber located on the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction; and first and second valve bodies that communicate the first and second suction chambers with the same suction source and that are integrally interlocked with each other. A method of transporting the scanned object in a sub-scanning direction by a transport mechanism that has the same, wherein the first and second valve bodies are integrally interlocked to open the first valve body and the second valve body. By blocking A first step of sucking and holding a scanned object on a conveyor belt under the suction action of only the first suction chamber, and interlocking control of the first and second valve bodies depending on the position of the object to be scanned. By driving the first valve body from the open side to the closed side and driving the second valve body from the closed side to the open side, the suction force of the first suction chamber is reduced and the second suction chamber is used. A second step of increasing the suction force of the chamber; and the first and second steps depending on the carrying position of the object to be scanned.
By carrying out interlocking control of the valve main body to close the first valve main body and open the second valve main body, the object to be scanned is sucked and held by the conveyor belt and conveyed under the suction action of only the second suction chamber. And a third step of:

Further, the present invention is a mechanism for deflecting and irradiating a sheet-shaped object to be scanned with a light beam in a one-dimensional direction for main scanning, and also for conveying the object to be scanned in a sub-scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction. And a sub-scanning transport belt having a plurality of holes for transporting the scan target in the sub-scanning direction, and a sub-scanning line as a reference for sucking and holding the scan target on the sub-scanning transport belt side. The first suction chamber located upstream in the scanning direction and the second suction chamber located downstream in the sub-scanning direction, and the suction action of the first and second suction chambers correspond to the displacement of the scanned object. Switching means for sequentially switching between the first and second suction passages and the first and second suction passages that communicate with the first and second suction chambers, respectively. Connect to source A first and a second valve body that are controlled and integrally interlocked with each other; and a drive source that integrally drives the first and second valve bodies to change the suction amounts of the first and second suction passages, It is characterized by including.

[Embodiment] Next, a sheet material conveying method and a mechanism thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to preferred embodiments in relation to an image reading / reproducing apparatus employing the same. To do.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates an image reading / reproducing apparatus, the image reading / reproducing apparatus 10 includes a housing 12 extending substantially in a vertical direction, and the inside of the housing 12 includes a first A loading section 16 and a second loading section 18 are provided. The first loading section
The stimulable phosphor sheet S is loaded into the cassette 16 via a cassette 20 or a sheet magazine (not shown), and the film F can be loaded into the second loading section 18 via a film magazine 22. The first loading unit 16 is provided with a lid opening mechanism including a suction disk 24, and the suction disk 24 functions to suck and open the lid member 25 of the cassette 20.

Further, on the side of the first loading unit 16 where the stimulable phosphor sheet S is taken out, a sheet-feeding mechanism including a suction plate 26 is provided. The stimulable phosphor sheet S separated by the suction plate 26 is displaced along a predetermined track, and then supplied to the first conveying means 28. The first conveying means 28 is substantially composed of a pair of rollers 30, the pair of rollers 30 is displaceable in a direction of approaching the suction plate 26 for sandwiching the stimulable phosphor sheet S, and the sandwiched accumulation is performed. Of the fluorescent phosphor sheet S as a second conveying means
It can also be displaced in a direction away from the suction plate 26 so as to be fed to 32.

The second conveying means 32 includes a large-diameter drum 34 and the drum 34
A first conveyor belt 36 and a second conveyor belt 38 that are in sliding contact with each other are included. As shown, the first conveyor belt 36 is suspended by three rollers, and a part of the first conveyor belt 36 is in sliding contact with the drum 34.

On the other hand, the second conveyor belt 38 extends vertically from a portion in sliding contact with the drum 34, then extends at a right angle and extends horizontally along the inner surface of the upper wall of the housing 12. are doing. A large-diameter roller 40 is arranged at the bent portion to substantially secure the bent state. A first switching guide member is provided at a sliding contact portion between the second conveyor belt 38 and the drum 34.
42 is arranged, the third conveyor belt 44 is in sliding contact with the vertical portion of the second conveyor belt 38, and the fourth conveyor belt 46 is arranged below the horizontal portion.

An erasing section 48 is provided near the tip of the fourth conveyor belt 46, and the erasing section 48 guides the erasing light source 50 such as a sodium lamp, a tungsten lamp or a xenon lamp and the stimulable phosphor sheet S. 52 and a pair of rollers 54 arranged below the guide plate 52. A tray 56 is disposed below the roller pair 54, and the tray 56 is a stack of a plurality of sheets which are stacked and stored in the sheet magazine when the first loading section 16 is loaded with the sheet magazine. This is for accommodating the stimulable phosphor sheet S after the image information reading operation for the stimulable phosphor sheet S and the image information erasing operation in the erasing section 48 are completed.

On the other hand, below the second transport means 32 is a third transport means.
A guide plate 60 constituting 58 is provided, and a roller pair 62 is disposed near the lower end of the guide plate 60. In addition, an auxiliary erasing section 64 is provided near the third carrying means 58.

A fourth conveying means 66 is provided below the roller pair 62. In other words, the fourth conveying means 66 includes a relatively long fifth conveying belt 68 extending vertically downward and a short sixth conveying belt slidably contacting the upper side of the fifth conveying belt 68. It includes a belt 70 and a seventh transport belt 72 slidingly contacting the lower side of the fifth transport belt 68. A roller 74 having a relatively large diameter is in sliding contact with an intermediate portion of the fifth conveyor belt 68, and
A second switching guide member 76 is disposed near the roller 74. In this case, by driving the second switching guide member 76 and swinging and displacing it to a portion shown by a broken line in the drawing, the tip end thereof can be exposed to the roller pair 78.
In fact, the stimulable phosphor sheet S conveyed by the fourth conveying means 66 can be introduced into the stacker 80 via the roller pair 78.

The stacker 80 is configured to be movable in the direction of arrow A under the action of a motor (not shown) or the like, and has a sheet receiving portion 82 in which a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets S fed by the roller pair 78 are arranged in parallel. , And can be stored in a desired sheet receiving portion 82. The stimulable phosphor sheet S stored in the stacker 80 is the roller pair 78 and the second switching guide member.
It is fed to the fourth conveying means 66 via 76.

A pair of movable guide plates 84a, 84b are arranged at a distance from the tip ends of the fifth conveyor belt 68 and the seventh conveyor belt 72 which form the fourth conveyor means 66. In this case, the movable guide plate
84a and 84b can swing integrally around a fulcrum 86 made of a pin member. The lower end portions of the movable guide plates 84a and 84b face the roller pair 88, and a pair of curved guide plates 90a and 90b are provided below the roller pair 88. The guide plates 90a and 90b are for guiding the stimulable phosphor sheet S and the film F to the sheet body transport mechanism 92.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the sheet conveying mechanism 92 includes rollers 94a and 94b arranged at a predetermined interval and an endless sub-scanning conveying belt stretched around the rollers 94a and 94b. Including 96 and. A motor 98 is connected to the roller 94a via a speed reducer 100. A plurality of holes 102 are formed in the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96.

Next, the suction box 104 is arranged inside the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96. As can be easily understood from FIG. 3, the suction box 104 has a chamber 106a located upstream of the main scanning line in the sub scanning direction.
106b and chambers 108a and 108b located downstream in the sub-scanning direction
Have and. That is, the chambers 106a and 106b and the chambers 108a and 108b are divided by the partition wall 110. In this case, the chambers 106a and 106b are divided by the partition wall 112a, and the chambers 108a and 108b are divided by the partition wall 112b. A plurality of elongated hole-shaped openings 144 extending in the sheet conveying direction are formed on the upper surface of the suction box 104 to communicate the chambers 106a and 106b with the outside. A plurality of openings 116 are defined to communicate the 108a and 108b with the outside.

One end side of the passages 120a, 120b, 122a, 122b communicates with the chambers 106a, 106b and the chambers 108a, 108b, respectively, while the other end side of the passages 120a, 120b, 122a, 122b is the second side.
In the figure, it is connected to the switching means 128 via tubes 124a, 124b, 126a, 126b indicated by solid lines.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the switching means 128 includes a first switching box 130a and a second switching box 130b. The first switching box 130a includes chambers 132a, 134a and
136a is defined. The chamber 132a is in communication with the chamber 134a via the passage 138a, while the chamber 132a and the chamber 136a are in communication with each other via the passage 140a. Chamber 134a of the first switching box 130a
The side wall portion that defines the
Are fitted to each other, and a hole is formed in the side wall portion defining the chamber 136a, and the pipe joint 144a is fitted therein. A hole is formed in the side wall of the first switching box 130a that defines the chamber 132a, and the pipe joint 146 is fitted in this hole.

Further, large holes 148a and 150a are formed in the first switching box 130a so as to be orthogonal to the passages 138a and 140a, respectively. Substantially cylindrical valve bodies 152a, 154a are rotatably fitted in the respective hole portions 148a, 150a. Valve body 152a, 154a
Has gears 156a and 157a at its lower end, and has a passage 13
Holes 158a and 159a having the same diameter as 8a and 140a are defined so as to be orthogonal to the axis thereof.

In this case, the gear 156a of the valve body 152a and the gear of the valve body 154a
The gear 156a of the valve body 152a meshes with a gear 160 having a small diameter. The small gear 1
A large-diameter gear 162 is disposed coaxially with the gear 60, and this gear 162 meshes with a gear 166 directly connected to the rotary drive shaft of a motor 164. As can be easily understood from the figure, the hole of the valve body 152a
158a is located at a position orthogonal to the hole 159a of the valve body 154a.

Chambers 134b and 136b are defined in the second switching box 130b,
The chamber 134b is in communication with the chamber 134a via the passage 138b, while the chamber 136b is in communication with the chamber 136a via the passage 140b. The side wall of the second switching box 130b that defines the chamber 134b is provided with a hole, and the pipe joint 142b is fitted into this hole.
Similarly, a hole is formed in the side wall defining the chamber 136b, and the pipe joint 144b is fitted into the hole.

Further, large hole portions 148b and 150b are formed in the second switching box 130b so as to be orthogonal to the passages 138b and 140b, respectively. Cylindrical valve bodies 152b and 154b are rotatably fitted in the respective hole portions 148b and 150b, as described above. Valve body 152
The b and 154b have gears 156b and 157b at their lower ends and define holes 158b and 159b having the same diameter as the passages 138b and 140b so as to be orthogonal to the axis thereof. Valve body 152b and valve body 15
The valve body 152b is in mesh with each other, and the valve body 152b is in mesh with a gear 170 axially mounted on the rotary drive shaft of the motor 168.

The tubes 124a and 126a are fitted to the pipe fittings 142a and 144a,
On the other hand, the tubes 124b and 126b are fitted to the pipe joints 142b and 144b. A tube is connected to the pipe joint 146, and this tube is connected to the vacuum pump 172.

Therefore, the sub-scanning conveyor belt 96 of the sheet body conveying mechanism 92 configured as described above temporarily conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet S or the like fed from the guide plates 90a and 90b to the guide plate 174 side, and thereafter Sub-scanning is carried in the opposite direction. At that time, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is provided near the guide plate 174.
A roller 176 is arranged to prevent lifting due to bending of the roller.

An image reading / recording mechanism 200 that reads the image information recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet S and exposes the read image information to the film F is disposed above the sheet body transport mechanism 92. The image reading / recording mechanism 200 includes a laser light source 202, a mirror 206 for reflecting the laser light 204 is provided on the laser light output side of the laser light source 202, and the laser light 204 reflected by the mirror 206 is a light beam. It passes through the modulator 208 to the mirror 210. In this case, the light modulator 208 is driven only when recording an image on the film F, and is not driven when reading an image on the stimulable phosphor sheet S. Further, the laser light 204 reflected by the mirror 210 is stored in the stimulable phosphor sheet S.
A galvanometer mirror 212 and a converging reflection mirror 214 for scanning upward are provided.

A light guide 216 is arranged along the main scanning line at a scanning position of the laser light 204 on the stimulable phosphor sheet S, and a photomultiplier 218 is mounted on the light guide 216. An image information processing circuit 220 is connected to the photomultiplier 218. Therefore, the electric signal obtained by the photomultiplier 218 is the image information processing circuit 220.
After being sent to, the image processing is performed and the image is stored in a storage unit or the like (not shown). In this case, the stimulable phosphor sheet S whose image has been read under the action of the image reading and recording mechanism 200 is erased by the above-mentioned erasing section via the fourth conveying means 66, the third conveying means 58, the second conveying means 32, and the like. Delivered to 48.

On the other hand, the second loading section 18 includes a detachable magazine 22 for accommodating the film F, as described above. A single-wafer mechanism including a suction plate 222 is arranged near the film extraction opening of the magazine 22. The suction plate 222 is a magazine 22.
The film F laminated inside is sheet-fed and supplied to the roller pair 224. A pair of guide plates 226a, 2a facing the roller pair 224 and slightly separated from the roller pair 224.
26b is provided. One ends of the guide plates 226a, 226b face the movable guide plates 84a, 84b, and the film F supplied to the roller pair 224 is conveyed between the movable guide plates 84a, 84b under the driving action of the roller pair 224. Will be done.
Further, the film F is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction (arrow C ₂ direction) in the same manner as the stimulable phosphor sheet S, and is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet S via the image reading / recording mechanism 200. The light modulator 208 is driven based on the image information to modulate the laser light 204, and the image for reproduction is exposed. The film F exposed with the image is a roller pair.
After being conveyed to the 88 side, the movable guide plates 84a, 84b are configured to be guided by the film conveying means 228 arranged substantially parallel to the fourth conveying means 66 under the swinging action.

The film conveying means 228 includes roller pairs 230, 232, 234, 236 arranged at a predetermined interval, and a pair of guide plates 238a, 238b is arranged between the roller pairs 230, 232. To be done. Further, a pair of guide plates 240a and 240b is arranged between the roller pairs 232 and 234, and a pair of curved guide plates 242a and 242b is provided between the roller pairs 234 and 236. . The roller pair 236 is arranged in the vicinity of the opening 244 provided in the side surface of the housing 12 constituting the image reading / reproducing apparatus 10, and the film F conveyed through the film conveying means 228 is The housing 12 through the opening 244
It is delivered to a receive magazine 246 that is detachably attached to the.

The sheet body conveying mechanism for carrying out the sheet body conveying method according to the present invention and the image reading / reproducing apparatus incorporating the same are basically configured as described above. Next, the operation and effect thereof will be described. .

First, the first loading section 16 of the image reading / reproducing apparatus 10 is loaded with the cassette 20 containing the stimulable phosphor sheet S or a sheet magazine (not shown). In this case, in the present embodiment, the cassette 20 is loaded in the first loading section 16. Therefore, in actual operation, the lid member of the cassette 20 is used.
The lid 25 is opened by suction and held by a suction disk 24 constituting a lid opening mechanism.

Next, the stimulable phosphor sheet S accommodated in the opened cassette 20 is sheet-leaved by the suction plate 26 constituting the sheet-feeding mechanism, and the roller pair 30 constituting the first transport means 28 is attracted by the suction. Displace to the board 26 side. At this time, the roller pair 30
Is rotated in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is sandwiched between the roller pairs 30, and the stimulable phosphor sheet S is displaced toward the first transport belt 36 constituting the second transport means 32, whereby the stimulable phosphor sheet S is It is fed to the second transport means 32. In the second transport means 32, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is sandwiched between the drum 34 and the first transport belt 36, and then sandwiched between the drum 34 and the second transport belt 38 and fed to the third transport means 58. To be done. Further, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is fed from the roller pair 62 constituting the third conveying means 58 between the fifth conveying belt 68 and the sixth conveying belt 70 of the fourth conveying means 66. At that time, the second switching guide member 76 is oscillated and displaced in the direction shown by the broken line in FIG. 1 to store the stimulable phosphor sheet S in the sheet receiving portion 82 of the stacker 80 via the roller pair 78. .

Next, the stacker 80 is displaced upward or downward in the direction of arrow A to select the stimulable phosphor sheet S previously stored in the stacker 80 and having another image recorded thereon, and the stimulable phosphor sheet S is first transferred through the roller pair 96. The sheet is fed to the fourth conveying means 66 and is conveyed downward by the fourth conveying means 66. In this case, the movable guide plates 84a and 84b are fulcrumed under the driving action of a driving source (not shown).
Keep swinging in the direction of arrow B ₁ around 86.
Therefore, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is attached to the movable guide plate 84.
It is supplied in the gap defined by a and 84b.

The stimulable phosphor sheet S fed between the movable guide plates 84a and 84b is sandwiched by the roller pair 88, and is driven by the roller pair 88 to the sheet body transport mechanism 92 via the guide plates 90a and 90b. Be transferred. In the sheet body transport mechanism 92, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is transported in the direction of arrow C ₁ under the action of the sub-scanning transport belt 96, and is once fed onto the guide plate 174. That is, the motor 98 constituting the sheet conveying mechanism 92 is driven to transmit the driving force to the roller 94a via the speed reducer 100. As a result, the roller 94a rotates in the direction opposite to the arrow, the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96 stretched between the roller 94a and the roller 94b rotates, and the stimulable phosphor sheet S moves in the direction of arrow C ₁ . Will be transported. The rear end side of the stimulable phosphor sheet S is an image reading / recording mechanism 200.
After passing through the scanning portion, the motor 98 is rotated in the reverse direction to rotate the roller 94a in the direction of the arrow to rotationally drive the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96 in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned storage phosphor sheet S. It is displaced in the sub-scanning direction (arrow C ₂ direction).

At that time, the vacuum pump 172 is driven and the switching means 1
By driving the motor 164 of 28, the hole 158a of the valve body 152a and the passage 1
Match with 38a. On the other hand, this causes the passage 140a to be closed via the valve body 154a (see FIGS. 4 and 6a). That is, under the driving action of the motor 164, the gear 166 engaged with the rotation drive shaft (not shown) of the motor 164 is rotated in a predetermined direction. This rotational force is transmitted to the gears 156a, 157a via the gears 162, 160 to rotate the valve bodies 152a, 154a in a predetermined direction. The valve bodies 152b and 154b forming the second switching box 130b are rotated under the driving action of the motor 168 via the gear 170 and the gears 156a and 157a so that the hole 1
58b and 159b are kept in communication with the passages 138b and 140b. As a result, the chamber 134 is driven by the vacuum pump 186.
The air in the chambers 106a and 106b is sucked through the a and 134b. Therefore, the stimulable phosphor sheet S reaches the conveyed the chamber 106a, is sucked and held in the sub-scanning conveying belt 96 side in the arrow C ₂ direction by 106b.

Then, the motor 164 is driven again to rotate the valve body 152a in a predetermined direction via the gears 166, 162, 160 and 156a as described above, and at the same time, the valve body 157a meshed with the gear 156a. 154a is rotated in a predetermined direction. When the valve bodies 152a and 154a rotate, the hole 158a and the passage 138a are formed.
The phase is shifted and the hole 159a and a part of the passage 140a communicate with each other (see FIG. 6b). Therefore, the flow rate of the air sucked from the chambers 106a and 106b is slightly reduced, and the suction force by the chambers 106a and 106b is slightly reduced. On the other hand, the air in the chambers 108a and 108b is introduced into the chamber 136a of the first switching box 130a and the chamber 136b of the second switching box 130b via the tubes 126a and 126b, respectively, and further suctioned via the passages 140a and 140b, respectively. To be done. That is, the sheet S is sucked with substantially the same suction force as in the preceding stage where the chambers 106a and 106b were connected to the vacuum pump 172. Therefore, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is stored in the chamber 106.
The a and 106b and the chambers 108a and 108b are suction-held and conveyed in the sub-scanning direction without causing fluctuations in the suction pressure.

Then, the motor 164 is further driven to drive the valve body 152.
When the phase of the holes 158a, 159a of the a, 154a is changed, the suction force by the chambers 106a, 106b decreases with time, while
The suction force of the chambers 108a and 108b increases. As a result, the passage 138a is closed by the valve body 152a, and the hole 159a of the valve body 154a and the passage 140a are aligned with each other.
The stimulable phosphor sheet S is sucked and held only by 108a and 108b (see FIG. 6c). Also at this time, the same suction force as that in the preceding step is applied to the sheet S. Therefore, even if the suction action is smoothly switched from the chambers 106a and 106b to the chambers 108a and 108b in response to the displacement of the stimulable phosphor sheet S conveyed by the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96, the suction force is constant. Maintained at. When the width of the stimulable phosphor sheet S is narrow, the gear 170 is operated by the motor 168.
To rotate in a predetermined direction to mesh with the gear 170.
And the valve body via the gear 157b that meshes with this gear 156b
By rotating 152b, 154b, the valve body 152b, 15b
The passages 138b and 140b may be blocked at 4b. That is, by blocking the passages 138b and 140b by the valve bodies 152b and 154b, the suction of the air in the chambers 106b and 108b can be blocked and the suction work can be stopped.

Therefore, as described above, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is indicated by an arrow.
The laser light 204 derived from the laser light source 202 is mirrored while being driven in the C ₂ direction and driving the image reading / recording mechanism 200.
The galvanometer mirror 212 is reflected by 206 and 210 to reach the galvanometer mirror 212, and the laser beam 204 is scanned in the main scanning direction on the stimulable phosphor sheet S under the swinging action of the galvanometer mirror 212. At that time, the optical modulator 208 is not driven. This is because it is used for image recording. As a result, the stimulated emission light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet S is incident on the light guide 216 directly or via the reflection mirror 214, and the photomultiplier 218
It is converted into an electric signal by and sent to the image information processing circuit 220. In this way, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is irradiated with laser light.
By 204, it will be scanned two-dimensionally.

The stimulable phosphor sheet S for which image scanning has been completed is fed between the movable guide plates 84a, 84b via the guide plates 90a, 90b and the roller pair 88. In this case, similarly to the above, the movable guide plates 84a, 84b are left in a state of being oscillated and displaced in the direction of the arrow B ₁ , and the movable guide plates 84a, 84b move the stimulable phosphor sheet S to the fourth conveying means 66. Is guided between the fifth conveyor belt 68 and the seventh conveyor belt 72,
It is transferred upward by the fourth transfer means 66.

Further, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is transferred to the third transport unit 5.
8. After being conveyed upward through the second conveying means 32, it is bent at a substantially right angle and conveyed to reach the erasing section 48. In the erasing section 48, the erasing light source 50 is turned on, and the erasing light erases image information remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet S.

The stimulable phosphor sheet S from which the image information has been erased in the erasing section 48 is conveyed downward again by the second conveying means 32 and is conveyed to the third conveying means 58. In this case, the fourth
The second switching guide member 76 that constitutes the conveying means 66 is
The stimulable phosphor sheet S is housed in the sheet receiving portion 82 of the stacker 80 via the second switching guide member 76 and the roller pair 78 while being swung in the direction indicated by the broken line.

As described above, the stimulable phosphor sheet S from which the image information has been erased, which is stored in the predetermined sheet receiving portion 82 of the stacker 80 in advance, is carried into the cassette 20 from which the stimulable phosphor sheet S has been taken out. It That is, the stacker 80 is displaced in the direction of the arrow A so that the stimulable phosphor sheet S from which the image has been erased faces the roller pair 78. Then, when the stimulable phosphor sheet S is sent out from the right side of the drawing, the roller pair 78 holds it and sends it to the fourth conveying means 66. The stimulable phosphor sheet S fed to the fourth transport means 66 is transported upward and reaches the third transport means 58.

Therefore, after the image remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet S is completely erased by the auxiliary erasing section 64 provided in the vicinity of the third transporting means 58, it is transported to the second transporting means 32. At this time, the first switching guide member 42 constituting the second conveying means 32 is oscillated and displaced to a portion indicated by a broken line in the drawing. Therefore, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is guided by the first switching guide member 42 and is nipped by the roller pair 30 constituting the first conveying means 28 via the first conveying belt 36. Next, the stimulable phosphor sheet S is housed in the cassette 20 by displacing the roller pair 30 toward the cassette 20 and rotating the roller pair 30 in the direction opposite to the arrow.

On the other hand, when the stimulable phosphor sheet S is fed from the sheet body transport mechanism 92 to the fourth transport means 66 via the roller pair 88, the single-wafer mechanism disposed in the vicinity of the second loading section 18 is The magazine 2 is driven by the suction plate 222 that constitutes the single-wafer mechanism.
2. The film F stacked and stored in the sheet 2 is released. The film F separated by the suction plate 222 is sandwiched by the roller pair 224, and the guide plate 226 is driven by the driving action of the roller pair 224.
It is fed between the movable guide plates 84a and 84b via a and 226b. Further, like the stimulable phosphor sheet S, the film F is nipped and conveyed by the roller pair 88 to be guided by the guide plates 90a, 90a.
The sheet is conveyed to the sheet conveying mechanism 92 via 0b. The film F conveyed to the sheet conveying mechanism 92 is conveyed under the drive of the motor 98 via the sub-scanning conveying belt 96 in the direction of arrow C ₁ and is once conveyed to the guide plate 174 side. Next, the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96 is rotationally driven in the opposite direction to the direction described above to transfer the film F in the direction of arrow C ₂ . At that time, the film F, like the stimulable phosphor sheet S, firstly has chambers 106a, 1a constituting the suction box 104.
It is sucked and held by 06b and conveyed in the direction of arrow C ₂ . Further, as the film F is displaced, the chambers 106a, 10a
The suction force of 6b becomes smaller, while the suction force of the chambers 108a and 108b increases, so that the film F moves to the chambers 108a and 108b.
It is transferred in the direction of arrow C _{2 while} being sucked and held by.

Therefore, when the film F is transported in the direction of arrow C ₂ , the image reading / recording mechanism 200 is driven again. That is, the laser light 204 emitted from the laser light source 202 is a mirror
It is reflected by 206 and reaches the optical modulator 208. here,
Image signal data of the stimulable phosphor sheet S processed by the image information processing circuit 220 and stored in a storage unit (not shown) is sent to the light modulator 208. Therefore, the laser light 204 reaching the optical modulator 208 is the optical modulator 208 concerned.
Is modulated based on the image signal data, and the modulated laser light 204 is reflected by the mirror 210 and reaches the galvanometer mirror 212. In this way, the laser beam 204 reaching the galvanometer mirror 212 is deflected in the main scanning direction while being oscillated, and is applied to the film F. In this way, since the film F is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction and the laser beam 204 is main-scanned in the main scanning direction, the image read from the stimulable phosphor sheet S is exposed on the film F. Leading to. In addition,
The photomultiplier 218 is kept in a vigorous state while the image is exposed on the film F.

The film F after the image exposure is a sheet conveying mechanism.
From 92, it is transferred between the movable guide plates 84a and 84b via the guide plates 90a and 90b and the roller pair 88. In this case, the movable guide plates 84a and 84b are oscillated and displaced in the direction of arrow B ₂ under the driving action of a motor (not shown). The movable guide plate 84
a, when 84b is swung in the arrow B ₂ direction, the film F
Is conveyed to the film conveying means 228 side under the driving action of the roller pair 88, and is nipped by the roller pair 230 constituting the film conveying means 228. The film F sandwiched by the roller pair 230 is conveyed upward under its driving action, and further, the roller pair 232, 234.
After being conveyed through the guide plate 242a, 242b, the guide plate 242a, 242b is curved so as to be fed into the receive magazine 246 through the roller pair 236 and the opening 244. Therefore, after a predetermined number of films F are stored in the receive magazine 246, the receive magazine 246 may be removed from the housing 12 in a light-shielded state, and the film F may be loaded into a developing device (not shown) for development processing. .

In this case, according to the present embodiment, when the stimulable phosphor sheet S, the film F and the like are conveyed in the sub-scanning direction, the sub-scanning conveyor belt 96 that constitutes the sheet body conveying mechanism 92 is used, and The phosphor sheet S is attached to the chambers 106a and 106b and the chambers 108a and 108 of the suction box 104.
It is held by suction on the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96 side by b. Moreover, the suction work is performed from the chambers 106a and 106b along with the displacement of the stimulable phosphor sheet S and the like.
When switching to 8b, the suction force of the chambers 106a and 106b is gradually reduced, and the suction force of the chambers 108a and 108b is increased with time so that the suction force is substantially constant at all times. That is, when the stimulable phosphor sheet S or the like is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction via the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96, the motor 164 of the switching means 128 is driven to transmit the driving force to the valve bodies 152a, 154a. Then, these are rotated in a predetermined direction. In this case, the valve main bodies 152a and 154a are arranged so that the hole portions 158a and 159a formed in the valve main bodies 152a and 154a are oriented in directions different from each other by a predetermined angle. Therefore,
Due to the rotation of the valve bodies 152a, 154a, the communication between the hole 158a and the passage 138a defined by the first switching box 130a is reduced, while the hole 159a and the second switching box 130b are reduced.
The portion communicating with the passage 140a formed in the first part gradually expands. Therefore, the suction force of the chamber 106a communicating with the passage 138a via the chamber 134a and the tube 124a gradually decreases,
The suction force of the chamber 108a communicating with the passage 140a via the chamber 136a and the tube 126a increases with time. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly switch the suction action from the chambers 106a and 106b to the chambers 108a and 108b, and as a result, the stimulable phosphor sheet S or the like conveyed on the sub-scanning conveyance belt 96 is sucked. Forces are kept constant, yet each chamber
Since there is no unevenness in feeding between the chambers 106a and 106b when the chambers 108a and 108b are switched, it is possible to smoothly convey the stimulable phosphor sheet S and the like to accurately record and read images.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, according to the present invention, an object to be scanned such as a stimulable phosphor sheet on which desired images are accumulated and recorded is substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction by an endless sub-scanning conveyor belt. When transporting in the sub-scanning direction, switching between two chambers arranged upstream and downstream in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the main scanning line so as to attract the object to be scanned toward the sub-scanning conveyor belt. To keep the suction force constant.
For this reason, it becomes possible to smoothly convey the object to be scanned without causing unevenness in feeding when the chamber is switched. As a result, there is an advantage that it is possible to perform an image reading operation or an image recording operation on the sheet body with extremely high accuracy.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various improvements and design deviations are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of an image reading / reproducing apparatus incorporating a sheet body conveying mechanism for carrying out the sheet body conveying method according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sheet body for carrying out the sheet body conveying method according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partially omitted perspective view of the transport mechanism of FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a partially omitted plan view of a suction box that constitutes the transport mechanism of the sheet body shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is the transport of the sheet body shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the switching means shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is an opening / closing of a fluid passage in the switching means shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 7 is a partially omitted operation explanatory view showing the state of FIG. 10 ... Image reading / reproducing device, 20 ... Cassette 22 ... Film magazine, 28, 32 ... Conveying means 48 ... Erasing section, 58, 66 ... Conveying means 80 ... Stacker 92 ... Sheet conveying mechanism 96 ... Sub-scanning conveyor belt 104 ... Suction box 106a, 106b, 108a, 108b ... Chamber 128 ... Switching means 130a, 130b ... Switching box 152a, 152b, 154a, 154b ... Valve body 200 ... Image Read / write mechanism 246 ... Receive magazine

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A sheet-shaped object to be scanned is irradiated with a light beam deflected in a one-dimensional direction for main scanning, and the object to be scanned is sub-scanned in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction.
A sub-scanning conveyor belt having a plurality of holes, a first suction chamber located upstream in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the main scanning line, and a second suction chamber located downstream in the sub-scanning direction. A method for transporting the scan target in the sub-scanning direction by a transport mechanism including the first and second suction chambers communicating with the same suction source and having first and second valve bodies integrally linked with each other. The first and second valve bodies are integrally and integrally controlled to open the first valve body and close the second valve body, so that the suction action of only the first suction chamber is achieved. First, an object to be scanned is sucked and held by a conveyor belt and conveyed below
And the first and second valve bodies are interlocked to drive the first valve body from the open side to the closed side, and the second valve body is opened from the closed side. Driving the first suction chamber to reduce the suction force of the first suction chamber and increase the suction force of the second suction chamber, and the first and second steps depending on the transport position of the scanned object. By carrying out interlocking control of the valve main body to close the first valve main body and open the second valve main body, the object to be scanned is sucked and held by the conveyor belt and conveyed under the suction action of only the second suction chamber. And a third step of: 2. A mechanism for deflecting and irradiating a sheet-shaped object to be scanned with a light beam in a one-dimensional direction for main scanning, and for conveying the object to be scanned in a sub-scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction. And a sub-scanning conveyor belt having a plurality of holes for conveying the scanned object in the sub-scanning direction, and a sub-scanning with the main scanning line as a reference to suck and hold the scanned object on the sub-scanning conveyor belt side. Located on the upstream side in the direction
A suction chamber and a second suction chamber located on the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction, and switching means for sequentially switching the suction action of the first and second suction chambers according to the displacement of the object to be scanned. The switching means includes first and second suction passages that communicate with the first and second suction chambers, respectively, and controls the first and second suction passages to communicate with the same suction source and integrally. A first and a second valve body that are interlocked with each other; and a drive source that integrally drives the first and the second valve body to change the suction amount of the first and second suction passages. A sheet body transport mechanism.