Article irradiation system in which article transporting conveyor is closely encompassed by shielding material

An article irradiation system, comprising,

• a target region,
• a radiation source positioned for scanning the target region,
• a loading area,
• an unloading area,
• a conveyor system for transporting articles in a loop from the loading area through the target region to the unloading area,
• there being space within the loop and space outside of the loop,
• radiation shielding material disposed in the space within the loop and in the space outside of the loop to define a path through which the conveyor system extends between the loading and unloading areas,
• the radiation shielding material in the space within the loop and in the space outside of the loop including first and second radiation shielding materials, the first radiation shielding material providing a stronger radiation shielding than the second radiation shielding material, the first and second radiation shielding materials being disposed in the space outside the loop in a displaced relationship to each other and to the conveyor system,
• the path defined by the radiation shielding material at positions displaced from the target region in directions toward the loading area, and toward the unloading area, being curved to preclude a direct line of sight between the target region and each of the loading and unloading areas and thereby shield the loading and unloading areas from radiation derived from the radiation source,
• the curved portions of the loop defined by the conveyor system having opposite ends and straight portions of the conveyor system extending from the opposite curved ends of the loop and wherein
• the loading and unloading areas being disposed in a substantially contiguous relationship to each other in the straight portions of the conveyor system extending from the opposite curved ends of the loop and being free of radiation and radiation shielding material.

An article irradiation system, comprising,

• a target region,
• a radiation source positioned for scanning the target region,
• a loading area,
• an unloading area,
• a conveyor system for transporting articles in a loop from the loading area through the target region to the unloading area,
• there being space within the loop and space outside of the loop,
• radiation shielding material disposed in the space within the loop and in the space outside of the loop to define a path through which the conveyor system extends between the loading and unloading areas,
• the radiation shielding material in the space outside of the loop including first and second radiation shielding materials, the first radiation shielding material providing a stronger radiation shielding than the second radiation shielding material, the second radiation shielding material disposed in the space outside of the loop being closer to the loop than the first radiation shielding material disposed in the space outside of the loop,
• the path defined by the radiation shielding material at positions displaced from the target region in directions toward the loading area, and toward the unloading area, being curved to preclude a direct line of sight between the target region and each of the loading and unloading areas and thereby shield the loading and unloading areas from radiation derived from the radiation source.

A system for irradiating articles having first and second sides, including,

• a radiation source constructed to provide radiation,
• a loading area displaced from the radiation source,
• an unloading area displaced from the radiation source and the loading area,
• a first conveyor system movable in a path, curved at particular positions along the path to define a loop, from the loading area past the radiation source to the unloading area and constructed to carry the articles in the looped path past the radiation source for an irradiation of the first side of the articles by the radiation source,
• radiation shielding material disposed at particular positions along the path of movement of the articles in the loop, including the curves at the particular positions along the path between the radiation source and the unloading area, and between the loading area and the radiation source, to prevent radiation from the source from reaching the loading and unloading areas, and
• a second conveyor system connected, between the opposite sides of the loop defined by the first conveyor system, at positions which do not receive radiation from the source, the second conveyor system being connected to the first conveyor system to receive the articles from the first conveyor system at a position after the irradiation of the first side of the article by the source and to rotate the articles through a particular angle and to transfer the articles to the first conveyor system at a position before the irradiation of the articles by the radiation source to obtain an irradiation of the second side of the articles by the source,
• the second conveyor system being free of radiation and radiation shielding material.

A system as set forth 25 wherein

• the first conveyor system has straight portions between the curved portions of the first conveyor system and wherein
• there is space within the loop and space outside of the loop and wherein
• the radiation shielding material is disposed in the space within the loop and in the space outside the loop and wherein
• the radiation shielding material is shaped to reinforce the radiation shielding at the junctures between the curved portions and the straight portions of the conveyor system.

A system for irradiating articles having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, including,

• a radiation source constructed to provide radiation,
• a first conveyor system movable in a loop past the radiation source and constructed to carry the articles from a position in front of the radiation source to a position past the source for the irradiation of the first side of the articles by the radiation source,
• a loading area disposed relative to the first conveyor system to provide articles to the first conveyor system,
• an unloading area disposed relative to the first conveyor system to receive articles from the first conveyor system,
• a second conveyor system connected within the loop to the first conveyor system between a position past the radiation source and a position in front of the radiation source and constructed to receive the articles from the first conveyor system after the irradiation of the first side of the articles by the source and to rotate the received articles through an angle of substantially 180° and to transfer the rotated articles to the first conveyor system for the movement of the articles past the radiation source to obtain an irradiation of the second side of articles by the radiation source,
• radiation shielding material disposed relative to the first conveyor system and the second conveyor system and the loading and unloading areas for isolating the second conveyor system and the loading and unloading areas from the radiation from the source without any radiation shielding material at the loading or unloading areas or at the second conveyor system, and,
• the second conveyor system being free of radiation and the loading and unloading areas being free of radiation.

A method of irradiating articles, including the steps of:

• providing a radiation source,
• providing a loading area,
• providing an unloading area,
• providing a target region for receiving radiation from the source,
• providing a particular path in a loop for a movement of the articles from the loading area in the particular path through the target region to the unloading area, the particular path in the loop having configurations at particular positions in the particular path to inhibit radiation from the source from reaching the loading area and the unloading area,
• there being space within the loop and space outside of the loop,
• providing radiation shielding material at the particular positions in the space within the loop to prevent radiation from the source from reaching the loading area and the unloading area, the radiation shielding material being disposed in the particular path in the space within the loop and in the space outside of the loop and the radiation shielding material in the space within the loop substantially filling the space within the loop, and
• providing for a movement of the articles through the particular path in the loop to obtain an irradiation of the articles by the source in the target region.

A system for irradiating articles, including,

• a target region,
• a radiation source positioned for scanning the target region,
• a loading area for the articles,
• an unloading area for the articles,
• a conveyor system disposed in a loop for transporting articles from the loading area through the target region to the unloading area, the loop being shaped to define a space within the loop,
• radiation shielding material substantially filling the space within the loop to prevent radiation from the source from reaching the loading area and the unloading area,
• the loading area and the unloading area being free of radiation shielding material and being free of radiation.

A system for irradiating articles having first and second sides, including,

• a target region,
• a radiation source positioned for scanning the target region,
• a loading area for the articles,
• an unloading area for the articles, the unloading area being disposed in a substantially contiguous arrangement to the loading area and being spaced from the target region and the radiation source,
• a first conveyor system disposed in a loop for transporting articles from the loading area past the target region to the unloading area to obtain an irradiation of the first side of the articles by the radiation source, the loop having curved portions with opposite ends and there being straight portions at the opposite ends of the curved portions,
• radiation shielding material disposed relative to the loop for shielding the loading area and the unloading area from the radiation source, and
• a reroute conveyor system disposed between the loading area and the target region to transfer to the first conveyor system the articles moving toward the unloading area after being irradiated by the source and to position the transferred articles for movement by the first conveyor system and to obtain an irradiation of the second side of the articles during the movement of the articles by the first conveyor system,
• the reroute conveyor system having opposite ends coupled to the straight portions of the first conveyor system,
• the reroute conveyor system and the loading and unloading areas being free of radiation and radiation shielding material.

A method of irradiating articles having first and second opposite sides, including the steps of:

• providing a radiation source in a target region,
• providing a loading area,
• providing an unloading area in a substantially contiguous relationship to the loading area for a transfer of the articles from the unloading area to the loading area,
• providing a movement of the articles in a loop from the loading area through the target region to the unloading area to obtain an irradiation by the source of the first side of the articles, the loop having curved portions and defining a space within the loop,
• providing radiation shielding material in the space within the loop to produce, within the loop, spaces free of radiation at positions between the target region and the loading and unloading areas, and
• disposing a reroute conveyor system, free of radiation shielding material and free of radiation, at one of the spaces, free of radiation, between the target region and the loading and unloading areas to provide for a transfer of the articles from the loop at a position past the irradiation of the articles to a position in the loop in front of the irradiation of the articles for the irradiation of the second side of the articles by the radiation source,
• the loading area and the unloading area also being disposed at positions free of radiation and radiation shielding material.

A method of irradiating articles having first and second sides, including the steps of:

• conveying the articles in a loop having a space within the loop,
• transferring the articles to the loop from a loading area free of radiation shielding material,
• transferring the articles from the loop to an unloading area free of radiation shielding material,
• irradiating the articles during the movement of the articles in the loop, and
• disposing radiation shielding material within the loop to shield the loading area and the unloading area against radiation,
• the loading area and the unloading area being free of radiation and radiation shielding material.