Apparatus and method for non-destructive inspection of material in containers

• US 6,895,072 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mettler-Toledo Incorporated (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Heimann Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Williamson, Adam R., Schrock, Todd H., Wyman, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HOON K
• Application Number:
  US10/629,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 378/69, 378/62, 378/57, 378/51, 378/52, 378/58, 378/17, 378/41, 250/358.1, 250/359.1, 250/360.1, 994/51
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and method for non-destructive inspection of materials housed in containers (16) involves orienting an X-ray beam emitter (10) and detector (14) to direct and detect an X-ray beam (12) at an angle (34) lying in a range of from 8° to 20° to a conveying direction (22) of a conveyor (18) along which the materials are conveyed. The beam angle to the conveying direction works best between 8° and 12°, with an optimum being at approximately 10°. This arrangement de-emphasizes the leading and trailing edges of the containers while not substantially changing the image from that of a perpendicular beam, so that the detector images are still relatively easy to analyze. Thus, a one-detector system is adequate in many cases.

Claims

1. Apparatus for non-destructively inspecting materials housed in containers, said apparatus comprising:

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

an X-ray beam emitter mounted at a first position adjacent said conveying path for emitting an X-ray beam passing through said containers as they are 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 transilluminated portion of the X-ray beam that has passed through said containers and generating therefrom an image signal representative of the transilluminated portion; and

wherein said X-ray beam emitter is oriented to direct the X-ray beam at an angle to a plane perpendicular to the conveying direction, said angle lying in an angle range of 8°

to 20°

inclusive and wherein said detector is properly positioned and oriented to receive the angled X-ray beam.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said angle range is from 8°

to 12°

, inclusive.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said angle range is from 9°

to 11°

, inclusive.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said angle is approximately 10°

.

5. 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.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein there is only one beam emitter and one detector for the conveying path.

7. A method for the non-destructive inspection of material housed in containers, said method comprising:

conveying the containers along a conveying path;

passing an X-ray beam through said containers as they are conveyed along said conveying path;

receiving a transilluminated portion of the X-ray beam passed through said containers; and

generating a signal representative of the transilluminated portion and therefore of an image representative of said material;

wherein said X-ray beam is directed at an angle to a plane perpendicular to the conveying path, said angle lying in an angle range of 8°

to 20°

inclusive.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein said angle is in a range of 8°

to 12°

, inclusive.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein said angle is in a range of 9°

to 11°

, inclusive.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein said angle is approximately 10°

.

11. A method as in claim 7, wherein there is only one X-ray beam and one detector along the conveying path for carrying out said method.