Non-destructive inspection of material in container

• US 20050105680A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mettler-Toledo LLC (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Detection Incorporated (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hartwig, Norbert, Williamson, Adam, Smith, Earl, Nash, Brook, Wyman, Dick, Nabors, James, Schrock, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 7,164,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/083 the radiation being X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/10 the material being confined in a container, e.g. in a luggage X-ray scanners

Abstract

An apparatus and method for non-destructive inspection of materials housed in containers involves orienting an X-ray beam emitter and detector to direct and detect an X-ray beam at an angle substantially parallel to a sloped surface of the container to be inspected. A first X-ray apparatus is located opposite a second X-ray apparatus, and both the first and second X-ray apparatus are adapted to provide two X-ray beams. This arrangement provides for imaging of the entire area of a sloped portion of the container without any shadow or hidden spots.

Claims

1. An apparatus for non-destructively inspecting materials housed in a container having a crown with an inwardly sloping surface on a bottom wall thereof, said apparatus comprising:

a conveyor for conveying said container along a conveying path in a conveying direction;

an x-ray beam apparatus having an X-ray beam emitter mounted at a first position adjacent said conveying path for emitting an X-ray beam passing through said container as it is conveyed along said conveying path;

a detector mounted at a second position adjacent said conveying path on a side of said conveying path opposite that of said first position for receiving a portion of the X-ray beam that has passed through said containers and generating there from an image signal representative of the portion; and

wherein said X-ray beam emitter is positioned to direct a portion of the X-ray along a path that substantially parallels a sloping surface of the container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment structure for allowing the X-ray detector to be moved further way from the X-ray beam emitter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second X-ray apparatus located on the opposite side of the conveyor from the first X-ray apparatus and having an X-ray beam emitter mounted at a first position adjacent said conveying path for emitting an X-ray beam passing through said container as it is conveyed along said conveying path to a second detector located opposite the second X-ray appartus.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the first X-ray apparatus and the second X-ray apparatus are adapted to each provide at least two X-ray beams to two detectors.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the at least two beams of the first X-ray apparatus and the at least two beams of the second X-ray apparatus are positioned 45°

apart.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said detector'"'"'s position can be selectively adjusted toward and away from said conveying path as well as along a line parallel to said conveying path.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein there is only one beam emitter and one detector for the conveying path.

8. A method for the non-destructive inspection of material housed in having an inwardly protruding crown on a bottom wall thereof, said method comprising:

conveying the containers along a conveying path;

passing at least one X-ray beam through said container as it is conveyed along said conveying path;

receiving a portion of the at least one X-ray beam passed through said container; and

generating a signal representative of the portion of the at least one X-ray beam and therefore of an image representative of said material;

wherein a portion of said at least one X-ray beam is directed along a path that substantially parallels a sloping surface of the inwardly protruding crown.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the at least one X-ray comprises a first and a second X-ray beam.

10. The method as in claim 8, wherein the at least one X-ray comprises a first, second, third, and fourth X-ray beam.

11. The method as in claim 10, further comprising the step of placing the first and second X-ray beams substantially at a 45°

angle with respect to eachother and placing the third and fourth X-ray beams substantially at a 45°

angle with respect to eachother

12. The method as in claim 8, further comprising allowing the X-ray detector to be moved further way from the X-ray beam emitter.

13. An apparatus for non-destructively inspecting materials housed in a container having a inwardly protruding crown on a bottom wall thereof and adapted to travel along a conveying path, said apparatus comprising:

a first x-ray apparatus having a first X-ray beam emitter mounted at a first x-ray position adjacent the conveying path for emitting an X-ray beam passing through the container;

a first detector assembly mounted adjacent said conveying path on a side of said conveying path opposite that of said first x-ray apparatus for receiving a portion of the X-ray beam that has passed through the container;

a second x-ray apparatus having a second x-ray beam emitter for emitting an X-ray beam passing through the container mounted at a first x-ray position adjacent the conveying path and substantially opposite the first x-ray apparatus; and

a second detector assembly mounted adjacent said conveying path on a side of said conveying path opposite that of said second x-ray apparatus for receiving a portion of the X-ray beam that has passed through the container;

wherein the first and second X-ray apparatus are positioned to direct a portion of the respective X-ray at an angle along a path that substantially parallels the slope of the crown.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the angle formed by the X-ray beams of the first X-ray beam emitter and the second X-ray beam emitter is about 45°

.

15. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the angle formed by the X-ray beams of the third X-ray beam emitter and the fourth X-ray beam emitter is about 45°

.

16. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the first detector and the second detector'"'"'s position can be selectively adjusted toward and away from said conveying path as well as along a line parallel to said conveying path.

17. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the first detector assembly comprises at least two detectors.

18. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the second detector assembly comprises at least two detectors.

19. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the first x-ray apparatus comprises a dual beam generator.

20. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the second x-ray apparatus comprises a dual beam generator.