X-ray cassette with removable photographic element

Claim 2

The x-ray cassette 20 of claim 1 wherein said photographic element 62 is displaceable relative to said shell 22.

Claim 3

The x-ray cassette 20 of claim 1 wherein said photographic element 62 is at least partially isolated from flexure of said shell 22.

Claim 4

The x-ray cassette 20 of claim 1 wherein said grid 34 is spaced apart from said photographic element 62 and said photographic element 62 has a storage phosphor film.

Claim 5

An x-ray cassette 20 comprising a shell 22 defining a chamber 24 and a chamber opening 26, an end cap 54 closing said chamber opening 26, and a photographic element 62 disposed within said chamber 24, said photographic element 62 being cantilevered from said end cap 54, said photographic element 62 and said end cap 54 being extractable from said shell 22.

Claim 6

The x-ray cassette 20 of claim 5 wherein said photographic element 62 and said shell 22 define upper and lower portions 82,84 of said chamber 24, said photographic element 62 having a film element 78 disposed in said upper chamber 82, said end cap 54 defining a pocket 86, said pocket 86 being substantially isolated from said upper chamber 82, and further comprising a latch bar 90 having a slide portion 92 disposed within said pocket 86 and an engagement portion 94 disposed in said lower chamber 54, said latch bar 90 being resiliently movable from a locked position to a released position, said engagement portion engaging said shell 22 in said locked position to substantially preclude relative motion of said insert 28 and said shell 22, said engagement portion 94 being disengaged from said shell 22 in said released position.

Claim 7

The cassette 20 of claim 5 wherein said shell 22 has substantially planar top and bottom panels 30,32 and said engagement portion 94 engages said bottom panel 32 in said locked position.

Claim 8

The cassette of claim 5 wherein said end cap 54 has an extractor port opening 64 into said pocket 86 and wherein said latch bar 90 has an extractor contact 96 and a stylus contact 98, said extractor contact 96 being disposed in spaced relation to said extractor port 64 in said released position, said stylus contact being aligned with said extractor port 64 in said locked position and in said released position.

Claim 9

The cassette 20 of claim 8 further comprising a stop 120 engaging said extractor port 64 and precluding return of said latch bar 90 from said released position to said locked position when said stop 120 is in an extended position and said latch bar 90 is in said released position, said stop 120 being resiliently pivotable toward said latch bar 90 from said extended position to a retracted position within said pocket 86.

Claim 10

The cassette 20 of claim 5 further comprising an x-ray grid 34 disposed in said upper chamber 82.

Claim 11

An x-ray cassette 20 comprising a shell, an insert 28 having a photographic element 62 and an end cap 54, said photographic element 62 being disposed within said shell 22, said end cap 54 being fixed to said insert 28, said insert 28 and said shell 22 defining an upper chamber 82 and a lower chamber 84, said end cap 54 defining a pocket 86, said end cap 54 having an extractor port 64 extending from the exterior through said end cap 54 to said pocket 64, said end cap 54 having a gap extending between said lower chamber 82 and said pocket 86, a latch bar 90 disposed substantially within said pocket 86, said latch bar 90 having an engagement portion 94 extending through said gap, said latch bar 90 being resiliently movable relative to said extractor port 64 from a locked position to a released position, said engagement portion 94 engaging, said shell 22 in said locked position to lock-said insert in fixed relation to said shell 22, said insert 28 being extractable from said shell 22 when said latch bar 90 is in said released position.

Claim 12

The cassette 20 of claim 11 wherein said pocket 86 is in light-tight relation to said upper chamber 82 and said photographic element 62 has a phosphor plate disposed in light-tight relation to said lower chamber 84.

Claim 13

The cassette 20 of claim 11 wherein said shell 22 further comprises top and bottom panels 30,32 and three side caps 44 joining said top and bottom panels 30,32, said side caps 44 each having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends, said side caps 44 each having a substantially uniform transverse cross-section between said ends, and wherein the transverse cross-section of said end cap 54, in spaced relation to said ports 64, is substantially the same as said transverse cross-section of said side caps.

Claim 14

The cassette of claim 11 further comprising a stop 120 engaging said extractor port 64 and precluding return of said latch bar 90 from said released position to said locked position when said stop 120 is in an extended position and said latch bar 90 is in said released position, said stop 120 being resiliently movable toward said latch bar 90 from said extended position to a retracted position within said pocket 86.

Claim 15

The cassette 20 of claim 14 wherein said stop 120 is resiliently pivotable toward said latch bar 90 about an axis displaced from said stop 120 along said latch bar 90 in substantially the direction of motion of said latch bar 90 from said locked position to said released position.

Claim 16

The cassette 20 of claim 14 further comprising a leaf 118 angled outward from said latch bar 90, said leaf 118 having one end fixed to said latch bar 90 and the opposite end joined at an oblique angle to said stop 120.

Claim 17

The cassette 20 of claim 11 wherein said latch bar 90 has an extractor contact 96 and a stylus contact 98, said extractor contact 96 being disposed in spaced relation to said extractor port 64 in said released position, said stylus contact 98 being aligned with said extractor port 64 in said locked position and in said released position.

Claim 18

The cassette 20 of claim 11 further comprising an x-ray grid 32 disposed in said upper chamber 82.

Claim 19

The cassette 20 of claim 18 wherein said shell 22 has upper and lower panels 30,32 and said grid 32 is recessed in said upper panel 30.

Claim 20

An x-ray cassette 20 comprising a shell 22, said shell 22 having upper and lower panels 30,32 and three side caps 44 joining said top and bottom panels 30,32, an insert 28 having a photographic element 62 and an end cap 54, said photographic element 62 being disposed within said shell 22, said photographic element 62, said end cap 54 and said shell 22 defining an upper chamber 82 and a lower chamber 84, said photographic element 62 having a phosphor plate disposed in light-tight relation to said lower chamber 84, said caps 44,54 each having a pair of inside flanges 48,49 and a pair of outside flanges 46, each flange gripping a respective panel, said inside flanges 48,49 of said end cap 54 gripping said photographic element 62, said inside flanges 48,49 and said photographic element 62 defining a pocket 86, said pocket 86 being in substantial isolation from said upper chamber 82, said end cap 54 having an extractor port 64 extending from the exterior through said end cap 54 to said pocket 86, said end cap 54 having a gap extending between said lower chamber 84 and said pocket 86, a latch bar 90 disposed substantially within said pocket 86, said latch bar 90 having an engagement portion 94 extending through said gap, said latch bar 90 being resiliently movable relative to said extractor port 64 from a locked position to a released position, said engagement portion 94 engaging said shell 22 in said locked position to lock said insert 28 in fixed relation to said shell 22, said insert 28 being extractable from said shell 22 when said latch bar 90 is in said released position.

Claim 21

The cassette 20 of claim 20 wherein said latch bar 90 has an extractor contact 96 and a stylus contact 98, said extractor contact 96 being disposed in spaced relation to said extractor port 64 in said released position, said stylus contact 98 being aligned with said extractor port 64 in said locked position and in said released position.

Claim 22

The cassette 20 of claim 21 further comprising a stop 120 engaging said extractor port 64 and precluding return of said latch bar 90 from said released position to said locked position when said stop 120 is in an extended position and said latch bar 90 is in said released position, said stop 120 being resiliently pivotable toward said latch bar 90 from said extended position to a retracted position within said pocket 86.

Claim 23

The cassette 20 of claim 22 further comprising an x-ray grid 34 disposed in said upper chamber 82.

Claim 24

The cassette 20 of claim 23 wherein said x-ray grid 34 is recessed in said upper panel 30 and spaced apart from said insert 28.

Claim 25

The cassette 20 of claim 24 wherein said photographic element 62 is cantilevered from said end cap 54.