FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed generally to apparatus for handling photosensitive media. In particular, the present invention is directed to an imaging unit container in which photosensitive sheets are stored and are individually extractable and feedable to a film exposure station of the imaging unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Professional imaging systems, such as those employed for medical diagnostic (radiological) applications, have historically captured and recorded images on relatively large sized sheets of photosensitive material, using large volume wet development equipment With the recent enactment and more rigid enforcement of environmental regulations that require safeguards against exposure to and proper disposal of chemicals used in image development equipment, image processing providers have begun the replacement of these cumbersome and expensive wet-development systems with dry silver processes For example, in a typical dry silver imaging application for medical diagnostic applications, such as a sonogram or X-ray, the image of interest may be electro-optically captured on a 20.3 cm x 25 4 cm (8"xl 0") sheet of dry silver photosensitive medium, so that the image size is large enough to be viewed and analyzed, is readily physically accommodated within the patient's file, and may be easily handled and stored by medical personnel without exposure to wet chemicals

In the course of operation of a dry silver process-based imaging system, just as in the use of relatively small hand-held cameras, it is necessary to store the individual frames of the photosensitive media in a light-tight housing, while affording ready access to the frames as they are needed by the imaging equipment In hand-held cameras, the film packaging is relatively compact, with the film being configured as either a continuous multi-frame roll housed in a light-tight cylindrical canister, or as individual sheets that may be housed in an auto-feed sealed cartridge that is disposable after all of the film sheets have been used

Unfortunately, due to their configuration and small size, neither of these hand-held camera film storage and feed approaches is capable of storing larger sheets of photosensitive material and interfacing such media with the sheet or web advance mechanisms employed by the larger, diagnostic imaging equipment Light-tight, single-use containers or packages for larger photosensitive materials used in, for example, medical diagnostic applications are generally known. As shown in U. S Patent No 4,860,042, these light-tight containers can include a film bag or a tray covered by a lid Also shown are carriages, or holders, which mate with the main body of a film loading device and removes the cover or the film bag while maintaining light-tightness A roller within the main body is disclosed as being urged by a spring against the holder Similarly, a light- shielding roller is displaced against a light-shielding plate of the holder by a resilient member. Rollers which are urged or biased together to provide light- tightness can create significant friction during removal of the lid or film bag making the removal difficult.

Containers for larger photosensitive materials have been designed to function with vacuum or suction feeding mechanisms within an imaging unit. This type of feeding mechanism, which lifts individual sheets of the photosensitive materials from the container and insert them into the imaging station of the imaging unit, requires a vacuum system as well as numerous parts for lifting and inserting the sheets In addition, this type of feeding system can be susceptible to feeding multiple, rather than individual, sheets which are stuck or blocked together which can adversely affect the imaging process

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention includes a container for storing sheets of photosensitive material and enabling individual sheets to be transported from the container to an imaging unit by a feed mechanism of the imaging unit. The container fits within an entry port of the imaging unit to provide a light-tight environment for the photosensitive material. The container includes a base upon which multiple sheets of photosensitive material may be placed A front ramp

extends at an angle upwardly and outwardly from the base to facilitate sliding transport of each sheet from the container into the imaging station A back ramp extends at an angle upwardly from the base and substantially parallel to the front ramp. Another embodiment includes a method for storing sheets of photosensitive material within a container and enabling individual sheets to be transported from the container to an imaging unit by a feed mechanism of the imaging unit. The container fits within an entry port of the imaging unit to provide a light-tight environment for the photosensitive material. The method includes the step of placing the sheets of photosensitive material into the container. The container includes a base upon which multiple sheets of photosensitive material may be placed A front ramp extends at an angle upwardly and outwardly from the base to facilitate sliding transport of each sheet from the container into the imaging station A back ramp extends at an angle upwardly from the base and substantially parallel to the front ramp The method also includes the step of inserting the container into the entry port of the imaging unit

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing advantages, construction, and operation of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing in which

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the container together with the imaging unit in which it fits,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the container of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the container inserted within the imaging unit which includes a kick feed mechanism.

Figure 4 is a enlarged, cross-sectional, partial side view of the front ramp shown in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the container;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 5 having shiftable front and back walls;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a light-tight bag;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the bag of Figure 7 within the container of Figure 1;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the bag and container of Figure 8 wherein a clamping member has been pivoted to contact the bag;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a clamping member, Figure 1 1 is a side sectional view of the container inserted within the imaging unit,

Figure 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the container having another embodiment of the clamping member,

Figure 13 is a side sectional view of the container and clamping member shown in Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a lid positioned to be inserted into the container while within the imaging unit,

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a container-locking apparatus; and Figure 16 is another embodiment of the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is a container for storing multiple sheets of photosensitive material and enabling individual sheets to be fed to an imaging station of an imaging unit. The photosensitive material includes both photosensitive films and papers One embodiment of the container is a carriage 10, a reusable component which mates with a feed station (not shown) of the imaging unit 12 by passing through an entry port 14, as shown in Figure 1 The carriage 10 is shown being placed within the imaging unit 12 such that the carriage 10 is in a horizontal position even though it could be oriented differently within the imasinn unit 12

As shown Figure 2, the carriage 10A can include a base 16 upon which the sheets of photosensitive material 18 can be placed. The carriage 10 can also include a front ramp 20 which extends upwardly and outwardly from one end of the base 16 Optionally, this carriage 10A includes side walls 22, 24 which extend substantially upwardly from the base 16

A kick feed mechanism 25 within the imaging unit 12 can frictionally slide the top sheet 19 from the carriage 10, as shown in Figure 3, and feed it toward the imaging station. The front ramp 20 facilitates the sliding of the top sheet out of the container while being sufficiently vertical to hold the remaining sheets within the carriage 10. The angle A of the front ramp 20 need only be sufficient to guide the top sheet from the carriage 10A and into the imaging unit 12. For example, the angle A of between 30 and 85 degrees is sufficient, although other angles can suffice. More preferably, the angle A is approximately 60 degrees.

To prevent the kick feed mechanism 25 from feeding more than the top sheet 19, the front ramp 20 can have other than a smooth surface As shown in Figures 1-4, the front ramp 20 can include serrated edges E which allows the top sheet 1 to exit from the carriage 10, but separate the top sheet 19 from the lower sheets and retain the lower sheets within the container The angle X and depth D of the serrated edges E contribute to the aggressiveness of the separation, as does the angle of the front ramp 20, the portion P of the front ramp 20 which includes the serrated edges E, and the sheet material (e g , polyester film) As shown in Figure 4, the angle X preferably ranges from approximately 5 degrees to approximately 60 degrees The depth D preferably ranges from approximately 0.05 mm to approximately 0 40 mm, and more preferably is approximately 0. 13 mm. The portion P of the front ramp 20 which is serrated, as shown in Figure 2, can be the entire front ramp 20, although one or more narrower portions can be serrated. For example, three 2.5 mm-wide vertical portions can be spaced across the front ramp 20 to contact the edges and center of the sheets 18. For another example, a single 10 mm-wide vertical portion can be in the center of the front ramp 20 to contact only the center portion of the sheets I 8

As shown in Figure 5, the carriage 10B can include a back wall which can be angled to form a back ramp 26B substantially parallel to the front ramp 20B. The distance between the two ramps 20B, 26B can be selected to provide minimal clearance to reduce the movement and potential damage after the sheets 18 of photosensitive material are inserted into the carriage 10B Damage can occur if the sheets 18 repeatedly slide against one another.

One or both of the ramps 20C, 26C can have the ability to shift from extending substantially vertically from the base 16, as shown on the cassette IOC in Figure 6, to extending angularly from the base 16 The front ramp 20C can be shifted to form an obtuse angle with the base 16, and the back ramp 26C can be shifted to form an acute angle with the base 16 and remains substantially parallel with the front ramp 20C. This allows the ramps 20C. 26C to be shifted from a vertical storage position to an angled use position after insertion of the sheets 18. When the sheets 18 are inserted and fit snugly between the two ramps 20C, 26C when vertically positioned relative to the base 16, shifting both ramps 20C, 26C forces the sheets 18 to slide from their original rectangular shape to a parallelogram-like shape. Therefore, if individual adjacent sheets 18 are stuck together (blocked) when inserted, shifting them can separate (unblock) them. The ability to shift can be provided by pinning the base of the ramps 20C, 26C to the base of the side walls 22, 24

The carriage 10A can also apply a force to the side of the sheets 18 to keep them positioned or registered correctly As shown in Figure 2, one side wall 22 of the carriage 10A includes a positioning bar 28 which contacts the sheets 18 by sliding on two posts 30 each of which includes a spring 32, or another biasing device. When the sheets 18 are not within the carriage 10A, the springs 32 are fully relaxed putting the positioning bar 28 in its most outward position from the side wall 22. When in this position, the distance between the positioning bar 28 and the opposite side wall 24 is slightly less than the width of the sheets 18. To insert the sheets 18, the positioning bar 28 must be slid toward the side wall 22 against the bias of the springs 32 Once inserted into the carriage 10A, the sheets 18 are forced to contact and align with the opposite side wall 24

In place of the positioning bar 28, a piece of foam (not shown) can force the sheets 18 toward the opposite side wall 24. The foam can be encapsulated in a film, such as a 0.018 cm-thick polyester film, to protect the foam and prevent foam particles from becoming free within the container 10. Foam can provide a sufficient spring force to force a relatively large number of sheets 18 toward the opposite side wall 24, while not excessively large to deform or flex the sheets 18 when a relatively small number of sheets 18 are present within the container 10.

The carriage 10 can be daylight loaded when used in conjunction with sheets 18, which are contained within a light-tight bag 34 shown in Figure 7. The bag 34 can surround a carrier insert (not shown), such as a rectangular fiberboard tray, in which the film rests The bag 34 shown in Figure 7 has two sides 36, 38, a back end 40, and a front end 42 The seal 43 can be made thermally if the bag 34 is a thermoplastic Sealing the bag 34 inward from the back end 40, creates a bag tab 44. The tab 44 can have a chevron shape The front end 42 of the bag 34 is not sealed, but is rolled back and adhered to the middle section 46 of the bag 34 to maintain the light-tight enclosure of the sheets 18. The front end 42 can be adhered with a piece of perforated tape 48 which is broken by a user just prior to inserting the carriage 10 into the imaging unit 12. Although the tape 48 no longer holds the bag closed, the film bag 34 remains folded and light-tight due to set the film bag 34 has taken in the folded position.

To insert the bag 34 within the carriage 10, the carriage 10 is first removed from the imaging unit 12 Because the present invention allows the carriage 10 to be entirely removed from the imaging unit 12, a user can easily position the bag 34 within the carriage 10 The carriage 10 can clamp the back end 40 of the bag 34 before being reinserted into the imaging unit 12 Once inserted, the carriage 10, mated with the feed station of the imaging unit 12, creates a light-tight environment for the bag 34. One embodiment of the carriage 10 includes a clamping member 52 which holds the bag 34 against the back portion 54 of the carriage base 16, as shown in Figure 8 The carriage 10 and the clamping member

52 can function with the previously mentioned kick feed system, as well as with known suction or vacuum-feed systems (not shown).

The clamping member 52 has a longitudinal axis and includes two side members 56, 58 each of which is hinged to the respective side wall 22, 24 of the carriage 10. The clamping member 52 also includes a cross member 60 which is substantially perpendicular to and connected to the side members. The clamping member 52 can be pivoted so that the cross member 60 is moved relative to the back portion 54 of the carriage base 16 The clamping member 52 pivots around an axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the clamping member 52 As shown in Figure 8, when the clamping member 52 is pivoted upwardly and away from the base 16 to an open position, the bag 34 can be placed on the base 16 with the tab 44 lying across the back portion 54 of the base 16 When the clamping member 52 is the open position, sufficient clearance exists between the clamping member 52 and the base 16 so that the tab 44 of the bag 34 can be inserted When the clamping member 52 is moved downwardly and in close proximity to the base 16 to a closed position, as shown in Figure 9, the clamping member 52 forces the tab 44 against the back portion 54 of the base 16 The tab 44 extends beyond the clamping member 52 and the base 16

When the carriage 10 containing the bag 34 is inserted into the imaging unit 12, the user can grasp and pull the tab 44 of the bag 34 Pulling the tab 44 causes the front end 42 of the bag 16 to unfold and open Pulling the tab 44 further slides the bag 34 from the carriage 10 leaving the sheets 18 ready for feeding to the imaging station

In the alternative embodiment of Figure 10, a swinging clamping member 66 having a free end 68 and a hinged end 69 which is attached to a side wall 22 of the carriage 10D The swinging clamping member 66 can pivot at the hinged end 69 around an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the swinging clamping member 66 The swinging clamping member 66 can pivot away from the base 16 into an open position so that the bag can be placed onto the base 16, and can pivot toward the base 16 into a closed position where the swinging clamping member 66 forces the bag 34 toward the carriage base 16

As shown in Figures 8 and 1 1 , the clamping member 52 (or the swinging clamping member 66 in Figure 10) can include a clamping member roller 70 which extends across the clamping member 52 The clamping member roller 70 is located on one surface of the clamping member 52 so that the clamping member roller 70 contacts the bag 34 and permits a smooth removal of the bag 34

To further facilitate a smooth removal and light-tightness, the carriage base 16 can include one or more base rollers Two base rollers 72, 74, which extend across the back portion 54 of the base 16, are substantially parallel with the clamping member roller 70 Preferably, the carriage base 16 includes two base rollers 72, 74 which are located so the clamping member roller 70 falls between them when the clamping member 52 is pivoted against the carriage base 16

When the clamping member 52 is closed, the two base rollers 72, 74 and the clamping member roller 70 create a curved or serpentine bag path S, as shown in Figure 1 1. The bag path S prevents light from entering the path S through which the bag 34 passes when the bag 34 is removed

The present invention is also light-tight below and above the clamping member roller 70 and the base rollers 72, 74 As shown in Figure 1 1 , the clamping member 52 includes a groove 76 in which the clamping member roller 70 resides to prevent light from passing between the clamping member 52 and the clamping member roller 70 Similarly, the base 16 of the carriage 10 has two grooves 78, 80 in which the base rollers 72, 74 reside to prevent light from passing between the base 16 of the carriage 10 and the base rollers 72, 74 These grooves and rollers create a light-tight back wall of the carriage 10 when inserted into the entry port 14 The clamping member roller 70 and the base rollers 72, 74 need not be urged together for light-tightness, although they can be When clearance exists between the three rollers as shown in Figure 1 1 , minimal friction is created against the bag 34 during removal With minimal friction, a user can more easily remove the bag by grasping and pulling the bag tab 44 In a related embodiment, the clamping member 52 could be fixed, rather than moveable, relative to the base 16 The clearance between the clamping

member 52 and the base 16 must be sufficiently large to allow for insertion of the bag tab 44 between the clamping member 52 and the base 16 In addition, the clearance must be sufficiently small to maintain light-tightness when the bag 34 is removed from the carriage 10 by the user In another related embodiment, the clamping member roller 70 can be replaced by a first stationary surface 81 and the base rollers 72, 74 can be replaced by a second stationary surface 82, as shown in Figures 12 and 13 Like the rollers 70, 72, 74, the first and second stationary surfaces 81, 82, when brought together, can provide light-tightness due to the tortuous serpentine path, or some other shaped path Also like the rollers 70, 72, 74, the stationary surfaces 81, 82, when brought together about the bag 34, can include a clearance which allows for removal of the bag 34 with minimal friction

Unlike the rollers 70, 72, 74, the first and second stationary surfaces 81 , 82 are stationary Preferably, the first stationary surface 81 is integral to the clamping member 52A and the second stationary surface is integral to the base 16A This can be accomplished, for example, by injection-molding the clamping member 52A having the first stationary surface 81 , and the base I 6A having the second stationary surface 82

The first stationary surface 81 is shown as a single raised and rounded surface fitting within the second stationary surface 82, which is shown as a single groove or trough Instead, the first stationary surface 81 could be made as a groove or trough and the second stationary surface 82 could be made as a raised surface In addition, instead of a single pair of stationary surfaces 81 , 82, multiple stationary surfaces (not shown) could be used The choice of materials for forming the stationary surfaces 81 , 82 can be important to allow for minimal friction between the bag and the first and second stationary surfaces 81. 82 during removal Acetal resins (e g , Delrin®) and ABS have been shown to work, as have an acetal resin impregnated with polyfluoroethylene (e g , Delrin® with Teflon®) Light-tightness where the carriage 10 meets the upper surface 83 of the entry port 14 can be provided by an upper roller 84 as also shown in Figures 1 and

14. While the upper roller 84 could be attached to the carriage 10, the upper roller 84 is shown recessed within and extending across the upper surface 83 of the entry port 14 of the imaging unit 12. When the carriage 10 is inserted into the entry port 14, the upper roller 84 rolls over the top surface 86 of the clamping member 52 of the carriage 10 forming the light-tight seal

For further light-tightness where the carriage 10 meets the upper surface 83 of the entry port 14, the clamping member 52 can include an upper roller groove 88 in which the upper roll 84 can fit. The position of the upper roller 84 in the upper roller groove 88 creates the light-tight seal Light is also prevented from entering the imaging unit 12 along the side walls 22, 24 of the carriage 10 The side walls 22, 24 of the carriage 10 extend up to and mate with the upper roller 84 of the imaging unit 12, shown in Figure 1 1 Side walls 22, 24 include cut-aways 90, 92 which align with the upper roller groove 88 in the clamping member 52 and similarly mate with the upper roller 84 To downwardly bias the upper roller 84 into the upper roller groove 88 and cutaways 90, 92 after the roller 84 rolls over the top surface 86 of the clamping member 52, a spring 94 can be attached to the imaging unit 12 as shown in Figures 1 and 14

In addition, when the upper roller 84 is held down within the upper roller groove 88, horizontal movement of the upper roller 84 relative to the carriage 10 is reduced Because the upper roller 84 should not move horizontally relative to the imaging unit 12, the upper roller 84 prevents horizontal movement of the carriage 10 relative to the imaging unit 12 when the upper roller 84 is within the upper roller groove 88 Preventing horizontal movement of the carriage 10 is important for effective feeding of the sheets 18 into the imaging station of the imaging unit 12

In place of the upper roller 84 for light-tightness at this location, a different upper light-tight member could be used A compliant member (not shown), such as a strip of felt or a plurality of brushes, could maintain intimate contact and light-tightness between the clamping member 52 and the upper surface 82 of the entry port 14 Similarly, another light-tight member (not shown) having a living

hinge which could bias a portion of the light-tight member into a mating groove (not shown) on the top surface 86 of the clamping member 52 for light-tightness Still another upper light-tight member (not shown) could be biased downwardly so that it would fit into a mating groove (not shown) in the carriage 10 The biasing could be accomplished by a living hinge connected to or a part of the light-tight member

The carriage 10 can maintain light-tightness even when the imaging unit 12 is opened for servicing, such as for removing a misfed sheet of film As shown in Figure 14, a lid 96 can be slid into the carriage 10 to cover the sheets 18 within the carriage 10 The lid 96 is generally a thin, rectangular sheet of material, such as a metal or plastic

The lid 96 can be slid between the upper surface 86 of the clamping member 52 and the corresponding upper surface 83 of the entry port 14 The carriage 10 can include a lid slot 97 on each of the side walls 22, 24 to guide the lid 96 over the sheets of photosensitive material 18, as shown in Figure 15 To slide into position, the lid 96 must contact the upper roller 84 and force the roller 84 out of the groove 88 in the clamping member 52 However, because the downwardly biased upper roller 84 will either roll or slide against the lid 96 as the lid 96 slides through, the light-tightness is maintained As shown, the trailing end 98 of the lid 96 can include a lip 100 which is generally perpendicular to the remainder of the lid 96 The lip 100 can be grasped and pulled to remove the lid 96 once within in the imaging unit 12, and also provides further light-tightness for the carriage 10

For improved light-tight security, the present invention can include a film- saver apparatus 102, as shown in Figure 15 The embodiment of the film-saver apparatus 102 shown in Figure 15 can prevent the removal of the carriage 10 when the carriage 10 contains one or more sheets of photosensitive materials 18 However, the film-saver apparatus 102 can allow removal of the carnage 10 when the carriage contains one or more sheets 18 if the lid 96 is in place Within the imaging unit 12, the apparatus 102 includes a locking member

104, and a locking solenoid 106 Within the carriage, the apparatus 102 includes a

locking sensor 108 and a locking hole 1 10 The locking sensor 108 can sense both the presence of one or more sheets of photosensitive materials 18 and the engagement of the lid 96 with the carriage 10.

One embodiment of the sensor 108 could be a simple switch activated by the weight of the sheets 18 and the position of the lid 96 The sensor 108 can be connected to the solenoid 108 by an electrical contact 1 12 between the carriage 10 and the imaging unit 12

If the sensor 108 senses the presence of one or more sheets 18, but not the engagement of the lid 102, the sensor 108 signals the locking solenoid 106 to insert the locking member 104 into the locking hole 1 10, thereby preventing removal of the carriage 10 from the imaging unit 12. However, if the sensor 108 senses no sheets 18 or the engagement of the lid 96, the sensor 108 signals the solenoid 106 to remove the locking member 104 from the hole 1 10, thereby allowing the removal of the carriage 10 These locking and sensing components could be oriented differently within the carriage 10 and the imaging unit 12 Another embodiment of the container is a cassette 1 13, rather than a carriage 10, as shown in Figure 16 Unlike the carriage 10, the cassette 1 13 is a single-use, light-tight container which is used to store the sheets 18 of photosensitive material from the sheet manufacturer and can replace the light-tight bag 34. Like the light-tight bag 34, the cassette 1 13 can be placed into a imaging unit carriage to deliver the sheets 18 The cassette 1 13 can be made of fiberboard, plastic, metal, or the like

The cassette 1 1 can be generally rectangular and include a base 1 14, front wall 1 16, back wall 1 18, and two side walls 120, 122 The front wall 1 16, the back wall 1 18, or both could be fixed at some angle relative to the base 1 18 to form a front ramp 124, a back ramp 126, or both Or, the front wall 1 16, the back wall 1 18, or both can be made shiftable from a generally vertical position to an angled position to form the front and back ramps 124, 126

The shiftable walls 1 16, 1 18 are shown in a vertical position relative to the base 1 14 Within this position, the front wall 1 16 and back wall 1 18 include S- shaped folds 128 where the front and back walls 1 16, 1 1 8 meet the side walls 120,

122. These folds 128 are made of a flexible material and are pinned at the base 1 14 (pinning not shown) When a force is applied to the front wall 1 16 in a direction away from the back wall 1 18, the two S-shaped folds 128 adjacent to the front wall 1 16 will partially unfold creating the front ramp 124, as shown Similarly, when a force is applied to the back wall 1 18 in a direction toward the front wall 1 16, the two S-shaped folds 128 adjacent to the back wall 1 18 will partially unfold creating the back ramp 126

When both front and back walls 1 16, 1 18 are shifted to form ramps 124, 126, the side view of the cassette 1 13 appears like a parallelogram as did the carriage 10 shown in Figure 5 The ability to shift can, like that ability within the carriage IOC shown in Figure 6, unblock or loosen individuals photosensitive sheets 18

Other folding methods and structures could also provide the shiftable front and back ramps 124, 126 For example, rather than pinning each S-shaped fold 128 at the base 1 14 to unfold properly, a similar fold (not shown) could be formed by cutting the bottom pan of the fold away, then regathering and connecting the remaining fold Then, when force is applied to the front and back walls 1 16, 1 18, as described, the front and back ramps 124, 126 are formed In addition, the S- shaped folds 128 could be formed and located outside the walls 1 16, 1 18, 120, and 122, rather than inside as shown in Figure 16

While described as part of an imaging system, this invention can be applied to other systems For example, the ramps can be used to facilitate the feeding of sheets of material other than photosensitive materials In addition, other embodiments similar to those described above are contemplated by this invention Furthermore, the processes of using the apparatus described above and other similar embodiments are apparent