X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Specific application – Absorption
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-23
2003-05-13
Dunn, Drew A. (Department: 2882)
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Specific application
Absorption
C378S055000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06563903
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container inspection device, and more particularly relates to a relocatable container inspection device.
PRIOR ART
In the prior art, there have been proposed a kind of trailer-type container inspection device since 1990, such as those manufactured by Heimann Systems GmbH and British Aerospace PLC. This kind of device is installed in a fixed site, and a stationary radiation source for generating a high-energy X-ray and an array of detectors for receiving the X-ray of penetrating through the container being inspected are both arranged into an inspection hall with shield walls. A special conveying apparatus is employed so as to move the container to pass through an inspecting passage. By moving the container passing through the inspection passage, the detectors receive X-ray penetrating through the container, then the density distribution of the objects in the container is obtained according to signal intensity variations. Then, by transforming the data on the signal intensity to the data on the image gray levels, the radiographic image of the objects located in the container can be obtained. In this prior art, the accelerator of radiation source and the detector array are permanently installed, which ensures to get good radiographic image, to inspect lots of containers in a certain period, and to have a good operation condition for the inspection device so as to make the inspection device run in a security and reliability manner. However, this known inspection device has the following disadvantages: a huge space and area are needed to accommodate the device, the inspection passage is too long (at least 46.3 m), a set of huge and heavy pulling apparatus is needed, and once installed, the device has to be permanently located in the constructed site with a long construction period and high costs. In order to overcome these drawbacks, various mobile inspection systems have been developed.
Typically, there has been proposed a mobile inspection system in which all of the equipments relative to the radiation source, the detectors and the controlling units are mounted on a carrying vehicle. Despite the fact that the mobile inspection systems have some obvious advantages such as occupying a small area, being easy to use, and lowering the costs, there are also appeared many problems resulted from the vehicle's structure itself, for example, the quality of radiographic image is poor, less containers can be inspected in a certain time, the inspection range becomes smaller, the inspection capability is weaker, the reliability of the device is suffered for the reason that the device is easily influenced by environment condition, the device needs more maintains, the device is difficult to be adjusted during the installation, and the device may harm the environment in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,028 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,623 disclose some mobile X-ray inspection systems for large objects, in which the entire device is mounted on a vehicle, so as easily to be moved and conveyed. However, since the volume and the weight of the device can not be big and heavy enough respectively so as to meet the load capacity of the vehicle on which the inspection device mounted, it is impossible to take sufficient safety protection measures for protecting people from harmful beam generated from the radiation source (As can be understood, in order to take sufficient safety protection measures, enough protection materials will be used so that more space will be occupied and heavier load will be put on the carrying vehicle). For the purpose of ensuring the operator and surrounding people's personal security, it has to use a relative low intensity X-ray as radiation source, resulting in the radiographic image not so good, thus making the device inefficiency. Moreover, in this kind of the mobile inspection system, the operators have to work within the vehicle together with the device itself. That is to say, the operators have to work in a poor and narrow working space.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,420 discloses a straddle inspection system comprising a moveable frame, which can straddle the container being inspected. Although the frame is moveable, it is difficult for the straddle inspection system to be moved or conveyed for the dead weight and bulkiness of the frame, in addition, it is time and labour consuming to install the straddle inspection system in work site. Further, as the frame needs to be conveyed as an integral structure, the total weight of the frame cannot be designed to be too heavy, so that any heavier beam stop is prevented to be employed, thus the dosage and intensity of radiation source have to be limited. In consequence, the quality of the radiographic image is limited.
Besides, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,420, the operation room and controlling apparatus are mounted on the top of the straddle structure, forming a top-heavy but bottom-light frame structure. To be adapted for the containers with different sizes, the radiation source has to be lifted or lowered together with the telescoping legs. It is not easy to operate the straddle inspection system for its complicate structure.
OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable container inspection device, which is constituted by modularized units, and in which all of the units can be easily assembled and disassembled in the work field, and the dimensions of each modular unit are sized to be suitable for road transports, so that the device can be easily moved from one location to another.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable container inspection device, which has the advantages of both the fixed-site container inspection device and the mobile container inspection device, while can overcome the drawbacks of the two kinds of the container inspection devices in the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable container inspection device, which has a simple structure, is convenient to be operated, and is easy to be maintained.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable container inspection device, which can employ a high-energy X-ray source, so as to make the radiographic image more clear, thus the radiographic image can be more easily identified, in consequence, the container inspection efficiency is enhanced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable container inspection device, which provides suitable working environment for the operators, so as to provide a safer health-assurance for the operation staff.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable container inspection device, which can be run reliably at different environments.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable container inspection device, which can detect a larger range in the cross-section of the inspected container, so as to be suitable to inspect containers with different dimensions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable container inspection device, which can occupy less area in site, and even needs less construction land, so that can lower the cost for construction of the device in site.
TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a device for inspecting a container, the device comprising: a first cabin unit including a radiation source for generating a beam of penetration radiation for penetrating the container to be inspected; a second cabin unit including detectors for detecting the beam of penetration radiation penetrating through the container being inspected and producing corresponding radiographic signals, the second cabin unit and the first cabin unit being arranged oppositely in both sides of an inspection passage; a gantry unit bridging the first cabin unit and the second cabin unit to form a portal-shaped frame adapted for straddling the container being inspected; means for moving the frame relative to the container being inspect
Chen Zhi-qiang
Gao Wenhuan
Kang Kejun
Li Jianmin
Li Junli
Kiknadze Irakli
Rodman & Rodman
Tsinghua University
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