Gantry configuration for combined mobile radiation inspection system

• US 9,453,935 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuctech Company Limited (Tsinghua Tongfang Co., Ltd.), Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Nuctech Company Limited (Tsinghua Tongfang Co., Ltd.), Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Li, Jianmin, Li, Yuanjing, Zong, Chunguang, Song, Quanwei, Xue, Tao, Zhang, Qingjun, Tang, Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): TANINGCO, MARCUS H
• Application Number:
  US14/412,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20150192689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 250/393
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/425 along guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• 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

The present invention discloses a gantry configuration for a combined mobile radiation inspection system comprising a first arm frame, a second arm frame and a third arm frame. The first, second and third arm frames define a scanning channel to allow an inspected object to pass therethrough. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system further comprises a position sensing device configured to detect a position error between the first arm frame and the second arm frame; and a controller configured to control a moving speed of at least one of the first arm frame and the second arm frame based on the detected position error, so that the position error between the first arm frame and the second arm frame is equal to zero. Compared with the prior art, the present invention is advantageous at least in that an automatic deviation correction device is provided on the gantry arm frame, and thus the position error between both side arm frames can be automatically controlled to zero, so that the gantry arm frame can be effectively prevented from being subjected to a force and deforming, and the radiation detector can receive the full ray, thereby improving the imaging quality.

Claims

1. A gantry configuration for a combined mobile radiation inspection system, comprising:

a first arm frame configured to be movable along a first rail;

a second arm frame, opposite to the first arm frame, configured to be movable along a second rail parallel to the first rail; and

a third arm frame connecting the first and second arm frames, so as to move with the first and second arm frames,

wherein the first, second and third arm frames together define a scanning channel to allow an inspected object to pass therethrough,

wherein the gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system further comprising;

a position sensing device configured to detect a position error between the first arm frame and the second arm frame; and

a controller configured to control a moving speed of at least one of the first arm frame and the second arm frame based on the position error detected by the position sensing device, so that the position error between the first arm frame and the second arm frame is equal to zero,

wherein a radiation source is mounted on one of the first arm frame and the second arm frame and configured to emit a ray onto the inspected object passing through the scanning channel,

wherein a radiation detector is mounted on the other one of the first arm frame and the second arm frame and configured to receive the ray emitted from the radiation source,

wherein the arm frame, on which the radiation detector is provided, contains lead for radiation protection.

2. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 1,

wherein a laser pointer is provided on one of the first arm frame and the second arm frame, and a position sensitive device is provided on the other of the first arm frame and the second arm frame,

wherein the position sensitive device is configured to detect an actual position of a laser beam, which is emitted from the laser pointer, illuminated on the position sensitive device, and

wherein the position error between the first arm frame and the second arm frame is determined according to a difference between the actual position and a predetermined target position,

when the laser beam emitted from the laser pointer is illuminated at the predetermined target position on the position sensitive device, the position error between the first arm frame and the second arm frame is determined to be equal to zero.

3. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is provided on the first arm frame or the second arm frame.

4. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 3,

wherein the controller calculates a target rotation speed of an electric motor, for driving the first or second arm frame to move, based on the position error detected by the sensing device, and

wherein the controller controls the electric motor to rotate with the calculated target rotation speed, so as to control the position error between the first arm frame and the second arm frame to become zero.

5. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 4,

wherein the controller calculates the target rotation speed of the electric motor based on the position error by means of a PID algorithm.

6. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 5,

wherein a frequency converter, for controlling the rotation speed of the electric motor, is provided on the first arm frame or the second arm frame, and

wherein the target rotation speed is used as an instruction value of the frequency converter to control the electric motor.

7. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 6,

wherein an encoder, for detecting an actual rotation speed of the electric motor, is provided on the first arm frame or the second arm frame, and

wherein the controller controls the rotation speed of the electric motor based on a rotation speed difference between the target rotation speed and the actual rotation speed detected by the encoder, so that the rotation speed of the electric motor is controlled to be equal to the target rotation speed.

8. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 7,

wherein the controller controls the rotation speed of the electric motor based on the rotation speed difference by means of a PID algorithm.

9. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to be a programmable logic controller.

10. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third arm frames are detachably assembled together.

11. The gantry configuration for the combined mobile radiation inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second arm frames extend in a vertical direction and the third arm frame extends in a horizontal direction.