Mammography apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724065-B2
Application number	US-201514735521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a mammography apparatus that prevents a main body from falling due to damage to a coupling connecting a ball screw, to which the main body is connected, and a motor. The mammography apparatus includes: a main body having an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector; a ball screw to which the main body is connected so as to be movable up and down; a motor rotating the ball screw so as to allow the main body to move up and down; a coupling connecting a drive shaft of the motor and the ball screw; and a brake provided at one side of the coupling. When the coupling is ruptured, the brake prevents ruptured coupling portions from being separately rotated in order to prevent a fall of the main body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mammography apparatus, comprising:
a main body having an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector;
a lifting arm to which the main body is connected;
a motor configured to generate a driving force for the lifting arm;
a coupling configured to transfer the driving force from the motor to the lifting arm, at one side of which a drive shaft provided for the motor is connected, and at an other side of which the lifting arm is connected;
a holder provided at the one side of the coupling to be rotatable together with the coupling; and
a stopper provided for the holder and protruded from the holder to interfere with an interfering portion to obstruct rotation of the one side of the coupling when the coupling is ruptured.

2. The mammography apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the holder includes a top holder located at an upper portion of the coupling, and a bottom holder located at a lower portion of the coupling.

3. The mammography apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the stopper is provided for the top holder, and the bottom holder is provided with a push bar pressing the stopper when the coupling is ruptured.

4. The mammography apparatus of claim 3 , wherein when the stopper is pressed by the push bar, the stopper protrudes from one side of the top holder.

5. The mammography apparatus of claim 4 , wherein an interfering portion is located at the one side of the coupling, the interfering portion interfering with the stopper protruding from the one side of the top holder.

6. The mammography apparatus of claim 5 , wherein, when the stopper is interfered with by the interfering portion, the lifting arm is stopped.

7. The mammography apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the interfering portion includes a switch pressed by the stopper.

8. The mammography apparatus of claim 7 , wherein, when the switch is pressed, a signal indicating that the coupling is ruptured is sent to a controller.

9. The mammography apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the top holder further includes an elastic member, and the elastic member presses the stopper toward a push bar side.

10. The mammography apparatus of claim 9 , wherein an elastic member receiver configured to receive the elastic member is provided in an inner portion of the stopper.

11. The mammography apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a stopper receiver is provided at one side of the top holder.

12. The mammography apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a lateral hole is formed in the top holder, and the stopper is configured to protrude through the lateral hole.

13. The mammography apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a pin is located in the lateral hole to cross the lateral hole.

14. The mammography apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the stopper includes a first surface and a second surface that are spaced apart from each other, and when the stopper is pressed by the push bar, the pin is positioned between the first surface and the second surface.

15. The mammography apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lifting arm comprises a ball screw.

16. A mammography apparatus, comprising:
a main body having an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector;
a lifting arm to which the main body is connected to be movable up and down;
a coupling configured to transfer a driving force from a motor to the lifting arm, at one side of which the lifting arm is connected and at an other side of which a drive shaft connected to the motor is connected; and
a brake configured to prevent ruptured coupling portions from being separately rotated when the coupling is ruptured,
wherein the brake includes:
a top holder provided at one side of the coupling;
a bottom holder provided at an other side of the coupling; and
a stopper configured to restrain the top holder and the bottom holder when the coupling is ruptured such that the lifting arm and the drive shaft are moved together.

17. The mammography apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a stopper receiver configured to receive the stopper is provided at one side of the top holder.

18. The mammography apparatus of claim 17 , wherein when the coupling is in a normal state, one side of the stopper is supported by one side of the bottom holder.

19. The mammography apparatus of claim 17 , wherein an interfering hole, into which a part of the stopper is inserted when the coupling is ruptured, is provided at one side of the bottom holder.

20. The mammography apparatus of claim 17 , wherein an elastic member is further provided for the stopper receiver.

21. The mammography apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the elastic member presses the stopper toward the bottom holder.

22. An apparatus, comprising:
a main body having an x-ray generator and an x-ray detector;
an lifting arm connected to the main body;
a ball nut mounted to the lifting arm to move up or down along the lifting arm;
a coupling configured to engage the lifting arm and configured to transfer the driving force from motor to the lifting arm; and
a stop mechanism including a stopper interfering with an interfering portion by protruding to stop the lifting arm from changing position if the coupling breaks.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the apparatus is a mammography apparatus, the coupling comprises first and second parts and the stop mechanism comprises:
a bracket associated with the coupling;
a push bar of the second part; and
a stop rod of the second part pushed by the push bar when the first part rotates differently than the second part where the stop rod is pushed out to be in contact with the bracket to stop rotation of the second part.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising a switch, activated by the stop rod when pushed out, to signal a broken coupling.

25. A mammography apparatus, comprising:
a main body having an x-ray generator and an x-ray detector;
an arm connected to the main body;
a linear actuator configured to generate a driving force for the arm and to position the arm; and
a stop mechanism including a stopper protruded from the linear actuator to engage the linear actuator to stop the arm from changing position if the actuator breaks.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the linear actuator comprises a mechanical linear actuator and the stop mechanism comprises a mechanical brake including an extensible pin on an arm lifting shaft that contacts a rigid bracket to stop shaft rotation.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• So Yong Ho
• Kim Dae Soo
• Lee Young Jun

Classifications

• A61B6/502 Primary

  for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography · CPC title

• A61B6/0414

  with compression means · CPC title

• A61B6/4435

  the source unit and the detector unit being coupled by a rigid structure · CPC title

• A61B6/105

  Braking or locking devices · CPC title