Compact scanner apparatus and method

• US 6,304,629 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Control Screening LLC
• Original Assignee: Control Screening LLC
• Inventors: Maes, Michael Patrick, Conway, Granville Todd, Conway, Bradley Livingston
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DILLON JR, JOSEPH A
• Application Number:
  US09/516,468
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 198/502.1, 198/502.2, 198/840, 198/841, 198/950, 198/358.1, 198/359.1, 198/453.11, 198/491.1, 198/506.1, 250/519.1, 250/57, 250/68, 250/98.2, 250/98.6, 378/208
• US Class Current: 378/68
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/20 Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 198/95 Conveyor transverses wall aperture

Abstract

A scanner comprises a conveyor device, a tunnel housing, a bed assembly housing, an isolating device, and one or two analysis devices. The tunnel housing, together with a top portion of the bed assembly housing, forms a substantially enclosed area for analyzing objects, and the bed assembly housing includes most of the components of the conveyor device. A frameless and coverless tunnel construction method clamps the frameless tunnel around the bed assembly housing, and uses a leaded curtain bracket and slot to increase the enclosed area within the tunnel housing for a given scanner width and height. For a coverless construction, the outside of the tunnel is finished cosmetically and any lead shielding is attached to the inside of the tunnel, instead of the outside. The conveyor device comprises a conveyor belt, rollers and a conveyor tracking device having first and second channels formed in first and second rails. The conveyor belt traverses a forward path and a return path in which the first and second rails are preferably provided. The isolating device comprises a first and a second curtain, which extend outward from first and second brackets. The first bracket and curtain are located at an entrance opening to the tunnel housing, and the second bracket and curtain are located at an exit opening of the tunnel housing. The brackets are adapted for insertion into a slot located in a portion of the housing. The isolating device temporarily seals off the substantially enclosed area formed by the tunnel housing and a top portion of the bed assembly housing. The scanning apparatus is light weight, compact, simpler and less expensive to construct and highly reliable in operation.

Claims

1. A scanner apparatus comprising:

a tunnel housing comprised of;

a top portion, and first and second side portions, an entrance opening and an exit opening;

a bed assembly housing comprised of a top portion which together with the tunnel housing forms a substantially frameless, substantially enclosed area,

an isolating device located at the entrance and exit openings of the tunnel housing;

a conveyor device for moving an object through the entrance opening of the tunnel housing and into the substantially enclosed area, subsequently through the substantially enclosed area, and thereafter out of the substantially enclosed area and out the exit opening of the tunnel housing, the conveyor device located substantially in the bed assembly housing; and

an analysis device for analyzing objects within the substantially enclosed area of the tunnel housing; and

means for increasing portabillity comprising the top portion and side portions of the tunnel housing each have a thickness ranging from about 0.065 to about 0.5 inch.

2. A scanner apparatus, as recited by claim 1, wherein said bed assembly further comprises first and second side portions and wherein said first and second side portions of said tunnel housing are substantially fixed to said first and second side portions of said bed assembly housing, respectively.

3. A scanner apparatus, as recited by claim 1, wherein said analysis device is comprised of an internally mounted detector array constructed within a metal member which contains a detector slit, to reduce the slitting of said tunnel housing.

4. A scanner apparatus, as recited by claim 1, wherein said tunnel housing further comprises:

a. a first slot in one of its portions near its entrance opening, and

b. a second slot in one of its portions near its exit opening; and

wherein said isolating device comprises;

c. a first bracket having a first curtain extending from it, said first bracket and said first curtain and said first slot of said tunnel housing being adaptable so that said first curtain can be inserted into and through said first slot but said first bracket cannot be inserted through said first slot, said first curtain, alter insertion, being adapted to substantially cover the entrance opening of said tunnel housing, said first bracket, after insertion, being substantially fixed to a portion of said tunnel housing,; and

d. a second bracket having a second curtain extending from it, said second bracket and said second curtain and said second slot of said tunnel housing being adaptable so that said second curtain can be inserted into and through said second slot but said second bracket cannot be inserted through said second slot, said second curtain, after insertion, being adapted to substantially cover said exit opening of said tunnel housing, said second bracket, after insertion, being substantially fixed to a portion of said tunnel housing.

5. A method for constructing a scanner for scanning objects, comprising the steps of:

a. constructing a tunnel housing comprised of a top portion, a bottom portion, first and second side portions, which form a substantially enclosed area, an entrance opening and an exit opening, said top portion and side portions of said tunnel housing each having a thickness ranging from about 0.0625 to 0.5 inch;

b. constructing a bed assembly housing located substantially beneath said bottom portion of said tunnel housing, said bed assembly housing being constructed so that said bed assembly has a top portion which is substantially used as said bottom portion of said tunnel housing;

c. locating an isolating device at said entrance and exit openings of said tunnel housing;

d. locating a conveyor device substantially in said bed assembly housing, said conveyor device being used for moving an object through said entrance opening of said tunnel housing and into said substantially enclosed area, subsequently through said substantially enclosed area, and thereafter out of said substantially enclosed area and out said exit opening of said tunnel housing; and

e. providing an analysis device for analyzing objects within said substantially enclosed area of said tunnel housing.

6. A method as recited by claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

a. constructing said bed assembly housing so that said bed assembly housing has first and second side portions; and

b. fixing said first and second side portions of said bed assembly housing to said first and second side portions of said tunnel housing, respectively.

7. A method for constructing a scanner for scanning objects, as recited by claim 5, further comprising the step of using said analysis device to connect said tunnel housing with said bed assembly housing.

8. A method for constructing a scanner for scanning objects, as recited by claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

a. providing a first slot in one of the portions of said tunnel housing near its entrance opening; and

b. providing a second slot in one of the portions of the tunnel housing near its exit opening;

and wherein said step of locating said isolating device comprises;

a. inserting a first bracket having a first curtain extending from it, through said first slot

b. substantially fixing said first bracket to a portion of said tunnel housing near said entrance opening of said tunnel housing;

c. inserting a second bracket having a second curtain extending from it, through said second slot; and

d. substantially fixing said second bracket to a portion of said tunnel housing near said exit opening of said tunnel housing.