Patent Number: 059294582
Section: summary

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a radiation shield which is used for protecting workers from radiation exposure in a radiation environment. In recent years, working under radiation, inclusive of safety, is generalized in accordance with laws and regulations in the fields of medical treatment, general industry and atomic plants, and satisfactory maintenance and inspection are conducted in various industries. Working in a radiation environment is indispensable to all industrial fields, and required measures are taken to reduce the radiation exposure of workers engaged in such working. As one measure, there is a method which uses a radiation shield such as that proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 147998/1986. In this method, the attenuation characteristic of radiation which is attenuated by water serving as a shielding liquid is utilized, and equipment or apparatus which may emit radiation is covered with water-filled flexible bags made of synthetic resin cloth or rubber. However, the radiation shield proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 147998/1986 has the following practical disadvantages, and functional and practical improvements are needed in practical use. Specifically, since the conventional radiation shield is used within the strength range of the bag, a reinforcement wall made of the same material as the bag is provided inside the bag, and if a bag is needed which has the thickness and strength required for a shielding effect which matches the size of a radiation source, a bag having a considerably large weight must be prepared. When in use, the bag may be deformed or damaged in spite of the reinforcement wall. It is, therefore, necessary to make structural improvements so as to increase the resistance of the bag to excessively large external forces and the like, and there is also room for improvements in handling, storage and the like. Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a radiation shield having a shielding effect which achieves a satisfactory reduction in radiation exposure without causing deformation due to a increase in the weight of a bag due to variations in the weight, the shielding thickness and the like of the bag even if a change occurs in the conditions under which the radiation shield is used, unlike the above-described conventional radiation shield. In addition to the first object, a second object of the present invention is to provide a radiation shield with ease of handling and ease of storage. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first embodiment of the invention provides a radiation shield in which a bag having flexibility is filled with a shielding liquid, wherein a side of the bag is integrally equipped with a reinforcement member having a higher strength than the material of the bag. Since the reinforcement member restrains deformation of the shape of the radiation shield, the bag filled with the shielding liquid is restrained from being deformed (swollen in its lower portion) by a reinforcement rod or pipe having a higher strength than the material of the bag, so that the radiation shield maintains a predetermined shielding thickness and exhibits predetermined shielding performance, thereby securely achieving a radiation shielding function. A second embodiment of the invention provides a radiation shield in which a bag having flexibility is filled with a shielding liquid, wherein a side of the bag is integrally equipped with reinforcement members which have a higher strength than the material of the bag and are longitudinally long, the reinforcement members being intermittently arranged in a horizontal direction at spaced intervals. Since reinforcement rods or pipes restrain deformation of the shape of the radiation shield, the radiation shield can securely achieve a radiation shielding function and is not easily deformed. However, since the reinforcement members are intermittently provided, the bag can be rolled by folding the portions between the reinforcement members or by rolling the reinforcement members in a coil, so that the radiation shield can be folded into a compact shape which is easy to handle or put away. A third embodiment of the invention provides a radiation shield which further comprises connectors for connecting the reinforcement members to each other in the second embodiment, the connectors being removably attached to the reinforcement members. In addition to the advantages and effects of the second embodiment, since the reinforcement members are connected by the connectors, reinforcement is strengthened and it is possible to obtain the advantage and effect of more securely preventing the radiation shielding function from being lowered by the deformation of the shape of the radiation shield. A fourth embodiment of the invention provides a radiation shield wherein the connectors are removably attached to the reinforcement members in the third embodiment. In addition to the advantages and effects of the third invention, it is possible to obtain the advantage that the connectors can be removed from the reinforcement members to fold or roll the bag into a compact shape which is easy to handling and put away. A fifth embodiment of the invention provides a radiation shield wherein the reinforcement members of the second embodiment are provided with wheels. In addition to the advantages and effects of the second embodiment, since the shield can be readily moved owing to the ability of the wheels to roll, the radiation shield can be readily moved, so that the handling thereof is improved. A sixth embodiment of the invention provides a radiation shield wherein the reinforcement members of the fifth embodiment are linked to each other by an expandable and shrinkable link mechanism. In addition to the advantages and effects of the fifth embodiment, it is possible to obtain an effect which enables the radiation shield to be readily folded or unfolded by the operation of folding or unfolding the bag by expanding or shrinking the link mechanism. A seventh embodiment provides a radiation shield which comprises a plurality of radiation shields linked together by connectors. The advantages and effects of the third invention can be applied to a wide range of fields.