The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 30, 1999
Filed:
May. 09, 1997
John Thomas Allen, San Diego, CA (US);
George Michael Sullivan, Jr, San Diego, CA (US);
Michael Scott Brazell, Pine, CO (US);
Harrold Brook Knowles, El Sobrante, CA (US);
Anthony Alexander Zante, Fremont, CA (US);
Richard Joseph Mendonsa, Dublin, CA (US);
Richard Clarke Miller, Castro Valley, CA (US);
Kenneth Whitham, Alamo, CA (US);
Titan Corporation, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
An article irradiation system includes a radiation source for scanning a target region with radiation; a first conveyor system for transporting articles from a loading area though the target region to an unloading area; and radiation shielding material defining a tunnel closely encompassing portions of the conveyor system extending away from the target region toward the loading and unloading areas for shielding the loading and unloading areas from radiation derived from the radiation source. The first conveyor system is disposed in a path having curved turns of such degree between the target region and the loading and unloading areas that the closely encompassing radiation shielding material precludes a direct line of sight between the target region and the loading and unloading areas and thereby facilitates a compact embodiment in which the first conveyor system may be included in an assembly line. A second conveyor system is coupled to the first conveyor system for transporting the articles from a first position on the first conveyor system that is past the target region and at which the path of the first conveyor system has a given alignment to a second position on the first conveyor system that is before the target region and at which the path of the first conveyor system has an alignment that is one-hundred-and-eighty degrees different than the given alignment to thereby reorient the articles transported by the first conveyor system by one-hundred-and-eighty degrees with respect to the path of the first conveyor system for retransportation through the target region. In a radiation shielding assembly having a radiation shield defining a corridor through which the electron beam is scanned and further defining a tunnel through which articles may be transported through the target region, a beam stop is disposed within a recess in a portion of the radiation shield on the opposite side of the target region from the radiation source so that photons emitted from the beam stop toward the radiation source but obliquely thereto are inhibited from entering the tunnel by such portion the radiation shield.