Container inspection system

• US 20070165777A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EG&G Middle East
• Original Assignee: EG&G Middle East
• Inventors: Anwar, Aijaz, Bromell, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/22 Active interrogation, i.e. by irradiating objects or goods using external radiation sources, e.g. using gamma rays or cosmic rays

Abstract

An inspection system provides for inspection of cargo containers. A scanning tunnel has an entrance and an exit, a plurality of scanning entrance doors, each having an open position and a closed position, at least one of the plurality of scanning entrance doors interior to the scanning tunnel; a plurality of scanning exit doors, each having an open position and a closed position, at least one of the plurality of scanning exit doors interior to the scanning tunnel. A scanner is adapted to scan the contents of a container inside the scanning tunnel when at least one of the plurality of scanning entrance doors is in the closed position and at least one of the plurality of scanning exit doors is in the closed position. A carrier carries the container through the tunnel.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a scanning tunnel having an entrance and an exit, configured to allow passage of a large commercial vehicle through the scanning tunnel;

a plurality of scanning entrance doors, each having an open position and a closed position, at least one of the plurality of scanning entrance doors interior to the scanning tunnel;

a plurality of scanning exit doors, each having an open position and a closed position, at least one of the plurality of scanning exit doors interior to the scanning tunnel;

a scanner, adapted to scan the contents of a container inside the scanning tunnel with X-rays when at least one of the plurality of scanning entrance doors is in the closed position and at least one of the plurality of scanning exit doors is in the closed position;

a carrier, adapted to carry the container through the tunnel

wherein the carrier is configured to carry containers that are large commercial vehicles.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the carrier is unpowered.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of friction drive units, operatively coupled to the carrier for moving the carrier through the scanning tunnel, each comprising;

an electric motor; and

an elastomeric wheel mounted on the electric motor, the elastomeric wheel providing friction drive power to the carrier.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein some of the plurality of friction drive units can be raised and lowered to alternately engage and disengage with the carrier.

5. The system of claim 3, the electric motor pivotally mounted, such that the wheel can be raised and lowered.

6. The system of claim 3, each of the plurality of friction drive units further comprising:

a spring coupled to one end of the electric motor and a mounting platform for the electric motor, adapted for movable vertical positioning of the elastomeric wheel.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of friction drive units is independently driven.

8. The system of claim 3, at least one of the plurality of friction drive units further comprising:

an independent friction drive encoder, positioned under the carrier while driving the carrier,

whereby carrier speed can be regulated.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the carrier is self-propelled.

10. The system of claim 1, the carrier comprising:

a platen.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of containers can be carried simultaneously by the carrier.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a carrier loading station, adapted for loading the container on the carrier prior to entry into the scanning tunnel; and

a carrier unloading station, adapted for unloading the container from the carrier after exit from the scanning tunnel.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a conveyor system, adapted to convey the carrier through the tunnel.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the conveyor system returns the carrier from the exit to the entrance exterior to the tunnel.

15. The system of claim 14, the conveyor system comprising:

a first longitudinal track extending through the scanning tunnel.

16. The system of claim 15, the conveyor system further comprising:

a second longitudinal track exterior to the scanning tunnel;

a first transverse straight track between the second longitudinal track and the exit; and

a second transverse straight track between the second longitudinal track and the entrance.

17. The system of claim 16,

wherein the second longitudinal track is at a first level,

wherein the second transverse track is at a second level, lower than the first level,

wherein the first longitudinal track is at a third level, lower than the second transverse track, and

wherein the first transverse track is at a fourth level, lower than the first longitudinal track.

18. The system of claim 17,

wherein the second level is lower than the first level by a predetermined distance,

wherein the third level is lower than the second level by the predetermined distance, and

wherein the fourth level is lower than the third level by the predetermined distance.

19. The system of claim 17, the conveyor system further comprising:

a plurality of lowerators, comprising;

a first lowerator, adapted to lower the carrier from the second longitudinal track to the second transverse track;

a second lowerator, adapted to lower the carrier from the second longitudinal track to the first longitudinal track;

a third lowerator, adapted to lower the carrier from the first longitudinal track to the first transverse track; and

a fourth lowerator, adapted to raise the carrier from the first transverse track to the second longitudinal track.

20. The system of claim 19, each of the plurality of lowerators comprising:

a plurality of pistons, each of which has an extended position and a retracted position; and

a plurality of platforms, each mounted on one of the plurality of pistons,

whereby the plurality of platforms can be raised and lowered.

21. The system of claim 19,

the carrier comprising:

a wheel for longitudinal movement; and

a wheel for transverse movement; and

each of the plurality of lowerators comprising;

means for raising and lowering a short section of track, alternately engaging the wheel for longitudinal movement and the wheel for transverse movement.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein all of the scanning entrance doors can be open simultaneously.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein all of the scanning exit doors can be open simultaneously.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein all of the scanning exit doors and all of the scanning exit doors can be open simultaneously.

25. The system of claim 1, each of the plurality of scanning entrance doors comprising:

two door leaves,

wherein the two door leaves are separated from each other in the open position, and

wherein the two door leaves abut each other in the closed position.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of scanning entrance doors and each of the plurality of scanning exit doors are fabricated from steel plate.

27. The system of claim 1, the scanner comprising a linear accelerator.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the linear accelerator is a 9 MeV linear accelerator.

29. The system of claim 27, the scanner further comprising:

a plurality of collimators, adapted to control the shape of an X-ray beam produced by the linear accelerator.

30. The system of claim 1, the scanner comprising:

a linear array system of detector elements; and

a digitizing module, adapted to integrate and digitize signals from the linear array system of detector elements.

31. A method, comprising:

moving a first carrier carrying a container through a scanning tunnel, the scanning tunnel configured to allow passage of a large commercial vehicle, the scanning tunnel comprising;

a scanning location interior to the tunnel;

a first door at an entrance to the tunnel;

a second door positioned between the first door and the scanning location;

a third door at an exit to the tunnel; and

a fourth door positioned between the third door and the scanning location;

configuring the first carrier to carry containers that are large commercial vehicles; and

irradiating the container at the scanning location with X-rays only if one of the first door and the second door is in a closed position and only if one of the third door and fourth door is in a closed position.

32. The method of claim 31, moving the first carrier through a scanning tunnel comprising:

opening the first door;

moving the first carrier through the first door into the tunnel; and

closing the first door when the first carrier is entirely within the tunnel.

33. The method of claim 32, moving the first carrier through a scanning tunnel further comprising:

opening the second door;

moving the first carrier through the second door; and

closing the second door when the first carrier is past the second door; and

reopening the first door when the second door is closed.

34. The method of claim 31, moving the first carrier through a scanning tunnel comprising:

opening the fourth door;

moving the first carrier through the fourth door; and

closing the fourth door when the first carrier is past the fourth door.

35. The method of claim 34, moving the first carrier through a scanning tunnel further comprising:

opening the third door;

moving the first carrier out of the tunnel through the third door; and

closing the third door when the first carrier is past the third door.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

loading the container on a first carrier at a loading station; and

transversely moving the first carrier in a straight path from the loading station to the entrance of the scanning tunnel.

37. The method of claim 36, transversely moving the first carrier from the loading station comprising:

lowering the first carrier.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

transversely moving the first carrier in a straight path from the exit of the scanning tunnel to an unloading station; and

unloading the container from the first carrier at the unloading station.

39. The method of claim 38, transversely moving the first carrier from the unloading station comprising:

raising the first carrier.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

moving the first carrier from the unloading station to the loading station.

41. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

moving a second carrier into the scanning tunnel before the first carrier exits the scanning tunnel.

42. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

moving a second carrier through the first door while irradiating the container at the scanning location.

43. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

moving a second carrier through the third door while irradiating the container at the scanning location.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein the carrier is self-propelled.

45. The method of claim 31, wherein the carrier is unpowered.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

providing motion power to the carrier from a plurality of friction drive units.