Trailer security inspection system

• US 7,848,485 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuctech Company Limited (Tsinghua Tongfang Co., Ltd.), Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Nuctech Company Limited (Tsinghua Tongfang Co., Ltd.), Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Qi, Xiang'an, Sun, Haihong, Peng, Hua, Li, Yuanjing, Sun, Shangmin, Zhang, Jinyu, Liu, Yaohong, Deng, Yanli, Chen, Zhiqiang, Zhang, Qingjun, Tang, Chuanxiang, Hu, Haifeng, Wang, Meng, Jiang, Haitao, Yang, Zhongrong, Liang, Zhizhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick; Edward J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Midkiff; Anastasia
• Application Number:
  US12/274,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20090136004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 378/57, 378/68, 378/69, 378/204, 378/208, 378/210
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/20 Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects

Abstract

For a radiation imaging inspection system, apparatus, and/or method, the system, particularly a trailer security inspection system, includes a protective wall forming an inspection passage for passage of a trailer, a radiation imaging system effecting security inspection of the trailer passing through the inspection passage, and a fraction arrangement for hauling the trailer.

Claims

1. A trailer security inspection system, comprising:

a protective wall forming an inspection passage for passage of a trailer;

a radiation imaging system effecting a security inspection of the trailer passing through said inspection passage; and

a traction arrangement adapted for hauling the trailer;

wherein;

the traction arrangement comprises;

a machine base;

a guide rail mounted on the machine base;

a slide cooperating with the guide rail;

a rotatable traction arm rotatably connected to the slide via a rotation shaft; and

a drive arrangement driving the slide to move along the guide rail;

the drive arrangement comprises a positive and reverse rotatable decelerating motor mounted on the machine base and a transmission mechanism;

the transmission mechanism comprises two chain wheels and a chain cooperating with the two chain wheels;

one of the two chain wheels is coupled to an output shaft of the motor; and

the slide is connected to the chain.

2. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerator cabin for mounting an accelerator of said radiation imaging system;

a horizontal detector arm;

a vertical detector arm; and

detector modules of said radiation imaging system mounted in the horizontal and vertical detector arms;

wherein one end of the horizontal detector arm is connected to a top of the accelerator cabin and another end of the horizontal detector cabin is connected to an upper end of the vertical detector arm.

3. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 1, wherein a window of the horizontal detector arm from which detector modules in the horizontal detector arm are accessible opens downwardly and is covered by a horizontal door, and a window of the vertical detector arm from which detector modules in the vertical detector arm are accessible opens towards an inner side of the passage and is covered by a vertical door.

4. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the protective wall comprises:

a first protective wall connected to a first side of the vertical detector arm along a first side of the inspection passage;

a second protective wall connected to a second side of the vertical detector arm along the first side of the inspection passage;

a third protective wall connected to a first side of the accelerator cabin along a second side of the inspection passage, the second side of the inspection passage being opposite the first side of the inspection passage; and

a fourth protective wall connected to a second side of the accelerator cabin along the second side of the inspection passage.

5. A trailer security inspection system, comprising:

a protective wall forming an inspection passage for passage of a trailer;

a radiation imaging system effecting a security inspection of the trailer passing through said inspection passage;

a traction arrangement that is adapted for hauling the trailer and that comprises;

a machine base;

a guide rail mounted on the machine base;

a slide cooperating with the guide rail;

a rotatable fraction arm rotatably connected to the slide via a rotation shaft, wherein, mounted on the slide are first and second stops limiting a rotation scope of the traction arm; and

a drive arrangement driving the slide to move along the guide rail;

an automatic expanding mechanism that urges the traction arm to rotate; and

a locking arrangement adapted for locking the traction arm.

6. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 5, wherein:

the automatic expanding mechanism comprises an arm expanding stop mounted on one end of the machine base and an arm expanding pin mounted on the traction arm;

the arm expanding stop is provided with a side plane for cooperation with the rotation shaft and a front inclined surface for cooperation with the arm expanding pin.

7. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 6, wherein:

the locking arrangement comprises a rotatable block rotatably connected on the slide and a spring, a first end of the spring hooked on one end of the rotatable block and a second end of the spring hooked on the slide;

a locking pin is provided on one side of the rotatable block adjacent to the spring;

the fraction arm is provided with a groove cooperating with the locking pin.

8. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 7, wherein an unlocking pressing block is provided at an end of the machine base opposite to the arm expanding stop.

9. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the rotatable block is a diamond-shaped block having a rotation shaft located at a central position thereof, and the unlocking pressing block has an inclined surface cooperating with an outer surface of the diamond-shaped block.

10. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the groove is a right-angle groove.

11. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 5, further comprising:

an accelerator cabin for mounting an accelerator of said radiation imaging system;

a horizontal detector arm;

a vertical detector arm; and

detector modules of said radiation imaging system mounted in the horizontal and vertical detector arms;

wherein one end of the horizontal detector arm is connected to a top of the accelerator cabin and another end of the horizontal detector cabin is connected to an upper end of the vertical detector arm.

12. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 5, wherein a window of the horizontal detector arm from which detector modules in the horizontal detector arm are accessible opens downwardly and is covered by a horizontal door, and a window of the vertical detector arm from which detector modules in the vertical detector arm are accessible opens towards an inner side of the passage and is covered by a vertical door.

13. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 5, wherein the protective wall comprises:

a first protective wall connected to a first side of the vertical detector arm along a first side of the inspection passage;

a second protective wall connected to a second side of the vertical detector arm along the first side of the inspection passage;

a third protective wall connected to a first side of the accelerator cabin along a second side of the inspection passage, the second side of the inspection passage being opposite the first side of the inspection passage; and

a fourth protective wall connected to a second side of the accelerator cabin along the second side of the inspection passage.

14. A trailer security inspection system, comprising:

an inspection passage;

a radiation imaging system that performs a security inspection of a trailer when the trailer is at a predetermined position within the inspection passage; and

a traction arrangement adapted for hauling the trailer, wherein the traction arrangement includes;

a guide rail;

a slide connected to and slidable along the guide rail;

a traction arm rotatably connected to the slide via a rotation shaft and having mounted thereon a hook;

an automatic expanding mechanism;

a locking mechanism;

an unlocking mechanism; and

a drive arrangement configured to;

drive the slide along the guide rail in a first linear direction towards an entrance of the inspection passage, the driving of the slide in the first direction causing engagement of the traction arm with the automatic expanding mechanism, the engagement with the automatic expanding mechanism causing the traction arm to rotate about the rotation shaft in a first rotating direction towards the entrance until the traction arm is locked in a locked state by the locking mechanism thereby preventing the traction arm from rotating in a second rotating direction reverse of the first rotating direction, the trailer being connectable to the hook when the traction arm is in the locked state; and

subsequent to the locking of the traction arm in the locking position, drive the slide in a second linear direction reverse of the first linear direction towards an unlocking position at which the unlocking mechanism engages the locking mechanism to release the traction arm from the locked state, the driving of the slide causing the traction arm and connected trailer to pass through the predetermined position prior to reaching the unlocking position, the traction arm being rotatable about the rotation shaft in the second rotating direction after release of the traction arm from locked state.

15. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 14, wherein a protective wall forms the inspection passage.

16. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 14, wherein the traction arrangement further comprises a machine base on which the guide rail is mounted.

17. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 16, wherein:

the drive arrangement comprises a positive and reverse rotatable decelerating motor mounted on the machine base and a transmission mechanism;

the transmission mechanism comprises two chain wheels and a chain cooperating with the two chain wheels;

one of the two chain wheels is coupled to an output shaft of the motor; and

the slide is connected to the chain.

18. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 14, wherein, mounted on the slide are first and second stops limiting a rotation scope of the traction arm.

19. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 18, wherein:

the traction arrangement further comprises a machine base on which the guide rail is mounted;

the automatic expanding mechanism comprises an arm expanding stop mounted on one end of the machine base and an arm expanding pin mounted on the traction arm;

the arm expanding stop is provided with a side plane for cooperation with the rotation shaft and a front inclined surface for cooperation with the arm expanding pin.

20. The trailer security inspection system according to claim 19, wherein:

the locking mechanism comprises a rotatable block rotatably connected on the slide and a spring, a first end of the spring hooked on one end of the rotatable block and a second end of the spring hooked on the slide;

a locking pin is provided on one side of the rotatable block adjacent to the spring;

the fraction arm is provided with a groove cooperating with the locking pin.