Riken Corporation

S.i Seiko Co., Ltd.

Atsushi Takasuka

Chiko Otani

Masahiro Yamashita

Yoshiaki Sasaki

Kazunori Ninomiya

Kengo Takahashi

Gosei Okazaki

Toru Kitaguchi

In an enclosure inspection apparatus, when a sealed letteris inputted into a sealed letter loading station A, visual inspecting meansand X-ray inspecting meansdetermine thickness of the sealed letter and whether an enclosure in the sealed letter is a predetermined suspected object. The sealed letter not less than a predetermined thickness is rejected in first sorting station D, and the sealed letter which is not thicker than the predetermined thickness and in which the suspected object is not detected is conveyed as it is to second sorting station G. As for the sealed letter which is not thicker than the predetermined thickness and in which the suspected object is detected, after the suspected object in the sealed letter is positioned in a positioning station E, a suspected object inspecting station F determines whether the above-described suspected object is a predetermined object, such as an explosive or a narcotic drug, using a terahertz wave. It is possible to detect promptly the presence of the objects even if there are a large number of sealed letters.

Enclosure inspection method and apparatus thereof

Growing community of inventors

Matsuyama, Japan

Atsushi Takasuka