TW202241786A - Automatic tray recycling and supplying system capable of easily integrating various inspection machines and achieving better space utilization - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic tray recycling and supplying system, which may be applied in the occasions, like custom clearance security check at airport or station, and may be easily integrated with various inspection machines, such as computed tomography (CT) scanner, X-ray, etc. The automatic tray recycling and supplying system of the present invention is first passing a tray through the inspection machine at the inspection machine side in an about waist height compliant with ergonomics; after transmitting the tray to the first returning side, automatically transmitting the tray by gravity to a returning passage at the returning route, wherein the conveyor height in the returning passage is reduced below the height of the original inspection machine; transmitting the tray by the conveyor within the returning passage covered with a transparent upper cover capable of being opened and closed; pushing out upwardly and supplying the empty tray through a ramp at the second returning side by an automatic control module to enable the tray returning to the inspection machine side. The upper side of the conveyor of the returning passage at the returning route is provided with a transparent U-shaped upper cover capable of being opened and closed, so as to easily watch the tray status inside the returning passage. The U-shaped upper cover may be opened and closed from the top or side, so as to easily perform adjustment and troubleshooting for trays and thus ensure a smooth tray conveyance. Because the height of conveyor of the returning passage at the returning route is reduced and provided with the U-shaped upper cover, the inspector may utilize the space above the returning passage to place the inspection screen or other objects, so as to achieve better space utilization. The present invention is not limited to an existing client space even though the current space has already configured with inspection machine, and may be easily customized to plan the tray conveyance route and arbitrarily combined and installed.

Description

An automatic recovery and supply system for storage baskets

The present invention relates to an automatic recovery and supply system for storage baskets that can be combined with various inspection instruments and is at least applicable to airport or station customs clearance and security inspection fields and situations.

It is known that the recovery and supply of the storage baskets of inspection instruments including X-ray machines, computerized tomography (CT) scanners, etc. used in airports or stations for customs clearance security checks can be done manually; Known systems may be bulky, have complex moving lines, and take up space. It is still necessary to adapt these systems to be deployed in places such as airports or stations, and the degree of customization is low.

It is known that the newer automatic recovery and supply system (as shown in Figure 2) has improved in size, moving line, occupied space, and degree of customization, but its automatic recovery and supply capabilities come from complex mechanical parts and many The design of the sensor; anyone who is familiar with related skills knows that the higher the level of machinery, the more difficult it is to maintain. Once the maintenance or use is wrong, the probability of failure is high, and the success rate is limited. It cannot guarantee smooth delivery of the storage basket at any time.

In the known automatic recovery and supply system (as shown in Figure 2), the storage basket is automatically recovered downward and upward automatically supplied, and each is implemented with a different mechanical module. However, the mechanical module of the automatic control is relatively complicated, and the failure The probability is relatively high, and maintenance is relatively time-consuming and expensive.

In the known automatic recovery and supply system (as shown in Figure 2), the storage basket is transported in a closed space after being recovered downwards and before being supplied again upwards. If the storage basket is improperly placed or not emptied, it may affect the smoothness of the conveying process It even causes interruptions, and the transportation status cannot be observed at any time during transportation in a closed space, nor can it be dealt with immediately once a situation occurs.

The maintenance difficulty, correctness rate and time are directly proportional to the cost of money. Once the system fails or shuts down, it will inevitably have a huge impact on the overall operating efficiency of airports or stations, and the operating costs such as time cost and money cost will exhaust the relevant units. consider.

The present invention is an automatic recovery and supply system for storage baskets, which can be easily combined with various inspection instruments, such as computerized tomography (CT) scanners, X-ray machines, etc.

The automatic recovery and supply system for the storage basket of the present invention is to transmit the storage basket through the inspection equipment at the waist height conforming to the ergonomics on the side of the inspection instrument, and after the storage basket is transferred to the first return side, a downward slope is used. The conveyor uses gravity to automatically transport the storage basket into the return channel on the side of the return moving line, so the height of the conveyor belt in the return channel is reduced to below the height of the original inspection instrument side; then, the storage basket is covered with a transparent and openable The conveyor belt in the return passage of the upper cover is conveyed, and an automatic control module is pushed upward to supply the empty storage basket through an upward ramp on the second return side, so that the storage basket returns to the inspection instrument side again.

The top of the conveyor belt of the return channel on the return moving line side is an openable transparent The clear ㄇ-shaped top cover makes it easy to observe the status of the built-in basket in the return channel, and the ㄇ-shaped top cover can be opened and closed from above or from the side, making it easier to adjust and remove obstacles for the storage basket to ensure smooth delivery of the storage basket.

Since the height of the conveyor belt of the return channel on the return line side is reduced and there is a ㄇ-shaped upper cover, in one embodiment of the present invention, inspectors can use the space above the return channel to place inspection screens or other items, and the space utilization is particularly flexible. good.

In order to make any person familiar with the relevant art understand the technical content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and according to the content disclosed in this specification, the scope of the patent application and the drawings, any person familiar with the relevant art can easily understand the purpose and advantages of the present invention , so the detailed features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the embodiments.

11: The section in front of the inspection instrument entrance of the conveying channel on the inspection instrument side

12: The inspection instrument section and inspection instrument of the conveying channel on the inspection instrument side, the inspection instrument of the conventional system

12A: The inspection instrument entrance side of the conventional system

12B: Exit side of the inspection instrument of the conventional system

13: The section behind the inspection instrument exit of the conveying channel on the inspection instrument side

21: The first recovery section of the recovery channel on the first return side

22: The recovery downhill section of the recovery channel on the first return side

31: The return channel conveyor belt of the return channel on the return moving line side

32: Openable and closable transparent upper cover of the return channel of the return channel on the side of the return moving line

41: Conveyor belt on the second return side of the supply channel on the second return side

42: The basket supply uphill conveying section of the supply channel on the second return side

5: storage basket

5A: Conventional system storage basket supply export

5B: Recycling entrance of storage basket in conventional system

6: Check the screen or other items

Figure 1 - Schematic diagram of an automatic recovery and supply system for storage baskets

Diagram 2 - Schematic diagram of the automatic recycling and supply system of conventional storage baskets

Figure 3 - Schematic diagram of a product assembly line in a known industrial field

As shown in Figure 2, the known automatic recovery and supply system, the storage basket is automatic downward recovery (5B) and upward automatic supply (5A), each implemented with different mechanical modules, only the mechanical module of the automatic control The assembly is relatively complex, the failure rate is relatively high, and the maintenance is relatively time-consuming and expensive.

As shown in Figure 2, the known automatic recovery and supply system, the storage basket is transported in a closed space after it is recovered downwards and before it is supplied again upwards. If the basket is not placed properly or not cleared, it may affect the smoothness of the conveying process or even cause interruption. In the closed space, the conveying status cannot be observed at any time, and the situation cannot be dealt with immediately once it occurs.

The present invention is an automatic recovery and supply system for storage baskets, which is applied to at least fields including customs clearance security checks at airports or stations, and can be easily combined with various inspection instruments (12), such as computerized tomography (CT) scanners, X-ray machines, etc. .

As shown in Figure 1, the automatic recovery and supply system for the storage basket of the present invention includes:

1. Check the conveying channel on the side of the instrument;

1. The recovery channel on the first return side;

A loopback channel on the loopback side; and

A supply channel for the second return side.

In the automatic recovery and supply system of the storage basket of the present invention, the conveying channel on the side of the inspection instrument includes:

- check the section in front of the entrance of the instrument (11);

a check instrument section (12); and

- Check the rear section (13) of the instrument outlet.

Among them, the two ends of the front section (11) of the inspection instrument entrance are respectively connected to a supply channel (41) on the second return side and an inspection instrument section (13), and the supply channel (41) on the second return side supplies an empty object The basket (5) is sent to the front section (11) of the inspection instrument entrance, and the basket (5) is transferred to the inspection instrument section (12). Check that the conveying channel on the side of the instrument is transported through the basket (5) at about waist height in line with ergonomics. Check the instrument (12).

The empty basket (5) is supplied from the supply channel (41) on the second return side to the front section (11) of the inspection instrument entrance. After the object to be inspected is placed in the empty object basket (5), the object basket (5) continues to be transmitted to the inspection section (12), but the transmission method is not limited to the manual delivery or pushing of the object by the user or the staff. The basket (5) is sent to the inspection instrument section (12), or the storage basket (5) is automatically conveyed to the inspection instrument section (12) by a conveyor belt; depending on which transmission module the system adopts, the present invention can easily Combine various manual or automatic teleport mods.

Among them, the two ends of the inspection instrument section (12) are respectively connected to a front section (11) of the inspection instrument entrance and a rear section (13) of the inspection instrument exit. Section (11) transmits and enters inspection instrument (12) to this inspection instrument section (12), and is automatically delivered to the rear section (13) of this inspection instrument exit after inspection by inspection instrument (12).

In the automatic recovery and supply system of the storage basket of the present invention, the recovery channel on the first return side includes:

a first recovery section (21); and

- Recover the downhill section (22).

Among them, the two ends of the rear section (13) of the inspection instrument exit are respectively connected to an inspection instrument section (12) and a first recovery section (21) of the recovery channel on the first return side, and a storage basket containing the user's inspection objects ( 5) After being inspected by the inspection instrument, it is automatically transported to the section (13) behind the exit of the inspection instrument, and then continues to the first recovery section (21) Conveying, but the conveying method is not limited to manual delivery or pushing of the storage basket (5) to the first recovery section (21) by the user or staff, or automatic conveyance of the storage basket (5) by a conveyor belt ) to the first recycling section (21).

Users (such as customs clearance passengers) can retrieve the inspection objects in the storage basket (5) at the rear section (13) or the first recovery section (21) of the inspection instrument exit, and the empty storage basket (5) after emptying ) is also not limited to being delivered or pushed manually by the user or staff, or automatically conveyed by the conveyor belt to convey the empty object basket (5) to the recovery downhill section (22).

The first recovery section (21) can be regarded as the recovery buffer waiting area of the empty storage basket (5), and the staff confirms that the storage basket (5) has been emptied and placed correctly by the staff visually, manually or automatically, and then sent to The recovery downhill section (22) is further recovered. The automatic control mode depends on which automatic control module the system adopts, and the present invention can easily combine various manual or automatic control modules.

In the automatic recovery and supply system of the storage basket of the present invention, the return channel on the return moving line side includes:

a return channel conveyor belt (31); and

One openable and closable transparent return passage upper cover (32).

In the automatic recovery and supply system for the storage basket of the present invention, the supply channel on the second return side includes:

A second return side conveyor belt (41);

A storage basket supplies the uphill conveying section (42); and

An automatic control module.

Wherein the two ends of the return channel conveyor belt (31) are respectively connected to a recovery downhill section (22) and a storage basket supply uphill conveying section (42), and an empty storage basket (5) passes through the recovery downhill section (22) The empty basket (5) is slid down to the return passage conveyer belt (31) by gravity for recycling, automatically conveyed through the return passage conveyer belt (31), and then supplied to the uphill conveying section (42) by the deposit basket. The empty object basket (5) is pushed upwards to resupply the empty object basket (5), so that the empty object basket (5) gets back to the delivery channel on the inspection instrument side again.

The automatic control module of the supply channel on the second return side includes at least several sensors, control software, and a supply mechanism. The sensor and the control software are used to automatically judge the timing of supplying the storage basket, and then the supply mechanism combines the The storage basket supply uphill conveying section (42) pushes the empty storage basket upwards and re-supplies it back to the conveying channel on the inspection instrument side.

A transparent ㄇ-shaped upper cover (32) that can be opened and closed is placed above the conveyor belt (31) of the return channel on the return moving line side. The transparent ㄇ-shaped upper cover (32) is made of acrylic or tempered glass that is not easy to break The transparent material, through the transparent upper cover (32), the status of the storage basket in the return channel can be easily observed, and the transparent upper cover (32) is in the shape of ㄇ, which can be opened and closed from the top or the side, and the transparent upper cover can also be easily removed (32), further easily carry out actions such as adjustment and obstacle removal for the storage basket (5) in the return channel, to ensure that the storage basket is conveyed smoothly.

Since the height of the conveyor belt of the return channel on the return line side is reduced and there is a ㄇ-shaped upper cover, in one embodiment of the present invention, inspectors can use the space above the return channel to place inspection screens or other items, and the space utilization is particularly flexible. good.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the return passage on the return moving line side of this case can also be designed as shown in Figure 2 below the conveying passage on the inspection instrument side. The storage basket is conveyed to the conveyor belt of the return channel through the recovery downhill section, and finally the storage basket is resupplied through the supply channel on the second return side. The conveyor belt of the return channel in this embodiment also has a transparent side cover that can be opened and closed. The transparent side cover is made of a transparent material that is not easy to break, such as acrylic or tempered glass. In the state of the storage basket, and the transparent side cover is opened and closed by one or both sides of the conveyor belt of the return channel, the transparent side cover can also be easily removed to further easily adjust and remove obstacles for the storage basket in the return channel , to ensure the smooth delivery of the storage basket.

The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to applications in fields such as airport or station customs clearance security inspections, and other embodiments can be applied to fields including product assembly production lines in industrial fields (as shown in Figure 3), fruit grading and sorting in agricultural fields, etc. . For example, in a product assembly line in a known industrial field (as shown in Figure 3), the conventional practice of recycling empty baskets after the baskets (or trays) pass through the product assembly line that may have a considerable length is manual recycling, from At the end of the production line, a certain number of empty baskets will be accumulated and transported back to the beginning of the production line for resupply by means of a stacker or other transport methods. One embodiment of the present invention can build an automatic recovery and supply system for storage baskets at a reasonable cost, without the need to recover or supply in the conventional way. If the aforementioned manual recovery method is used, the recovery process will increase. The machine poses a "car accident" risk to field workers.

In addition to the improvements and advantages of the conventional system in terms of volume, moving line, occupied space, degree of customization, etc., the features of the present invention further propose Only relatively simple mechanical parts and fewer sensors are designed to minimize the probability of failure and save maintenance, repair and construction costs. In some embodiments, the features of the present invention can also reduce or avoid personal safety risks of on-site operators.

However, the above-mentioned embodiments are used to illustrate the characteristics of the present invention, and its purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, rather than to limit the patent scope of the present invention, so all others do not depart from the disclosure of the present invention. Equivalent modifications or modifications completed in accordance with the spirit of the invention should still be included in the scope of the patent application described below.

11: The section in front of the inspection instrument entrance of the conveying channel on the inspection instrument side

12: Inspection instrument section and inspection instrument of the conveying channel on the inspection instrument side

13: The section behind the inspection instrument exit of the conveying channel on the inspection instrument side

21: The first recovery section of the recovery channel on the first return side

22: The recovery downhill section of the recovery channel on the first return side

31: The return channel conveyor belt of the return channel on the return moving line side

32: Openable and closable transparent upper cover of the return channel of the return channel on the side of the return moving line

41: Conveyor belt on the second return side of the supply channel on the second return side

42: The basket supply uphill conveying section of the supply channel on the second return side

5: storage basket

6: Check the screen or other items

Claims (16)

An automatic recovery and supply system for a storage basket, comprising: 1. Check the conveying channel on the side of the instrument; 1. The recovery channel on the first return side; A loopback channel on the loopback side; and A supply channel for the second return side. For the system in item 1 of the scope of patent application, the conveying channel on the side of the inspection instrument includes: - Check the section in front of the entrance of the instrument; an inspection instrument section; and - Check the rear section of the instrument outlet. For the system in item 1 of the scope of patent application, the recovery channel on the first return side includes: a first recovery stage; and 1. Recover the downhill section. For the system in item 1 of the scope of patent application, the return channel on the return moving line side includes: a return channel conveyor belt; and 1. Openable and closable transparent return channel top cover. For the system in item 1 of the scope of patent application, the supply channel on the second return side includes: a second return side conveyor belt; a storage basket for the uphill conveyor section; and An automatic control module. For the systems in items 1 and 2 of the scope of patent application, the inspection equipment is not limited to computerized tomography (CT) scanners, X-ray machines, etc. For the system of items 2 and 5 of the scope of patent application, the two ends of the front section of the inspection instrument entrance are respectively connected to a supply channel on the second return side and an inspection instrument section, and the supply channel on the second return side supplies an empty object The basket is sent to the section in front of the entrance of the inspection instrument and sent to the section of the inspection instrument. For the system of item 7 of the scope of the patent application, the empty basket is supplied from the supply channel on the second return side to the section in front of the entrance of the inspection instrument, and after the empty basket is placed into the inspection object, it is sent to the section of the inspection instrument Conveying, the conveying method of which is not limited to manual delivery or pushing, or automatic conveying by conveyor belt. For the system in item 2 of the scope of patent application, the two ends of the inspection instrument section are respectively connected to a section in front of the entrance of the inspection instrument and a section behind the exit of the inspection instrument, and a storage basket filled with inspection objects is directed from the front section of the inspection instrument entrance The instrument section is transmitted into the inspection instrument, and is automatically transported out to the section behind the inspection instrument exit after being inspected by the inspection instrument. For the system of item 2 of the scope of patent application, the two ends of the rear section of the inspection instrument exit are respectively connected to an inspection instrument section and a recovery channel on the first return side, and a storage basket filled with inspection objects is automatically checked by the inspection instrument. It is transported to the section behind the exit of the inspection instrument, and after the inspection objects in the basket are taken out and emptied, the basket is then sent to the recovery channel on the first return side. For the system of item 10 of the scope of the patent application, the storage basket is conveyed from the rear section of the inspection instrument exit to the recovery channel on the first return side, and the conveying method is not limited to manual delivery or push, or automatic conveyance by a conveyor belt. For the system of items 2 and 3 in the scope of the patent application, the two ends of the first recovery section are respectively connected to a conveying channel on the side of the inspection instrument and a recovery downhill section, and a storage basket filled with inspection objects is automatically checked by the inspection instrument. Transported to the section behind the exit of the inspection instrument, after the inspection objects in the basket are taken out and emptied, the basket is then sent to the first recovery section to wait for recovery; after confirming that the basket has been emptied and placed correctly, send it to the Recover the downhill section for further recovery. For the system of items 2 to 5 in the scope of the patent application, the two ends of the return channel conveyor belt are respectively connected to a recovery downhill section and a storage basket to supply the uphill conveying section, and an empty storage basket passes through the recovery downhill section with the help of gravity. The empty object basket slides down to the conveyor belt of the return channel for recycling, and is automatically transported through the conveyor belt of the return channel, and then the empty object basket is pushed upward to resupply the empty object basket through the uphill conveying section of the object basket supply, so that the empty object basket The empty basket returns to the conveying channel on the inspection instrument side again. For the system in item 4 of the scope of patent application, the openable and closable transparent return channel upper cover is covered and installed on the return channel conveyor belt in a ㄇ shape, and the openable and closable transparent return channel upper cover is made of acrylic Hardened or strengthened glass and other non-breakable transparent materials to facilitate observation of the situation on the conveyor belt of the return channel. For the system in item 4 of the scope of the patent application, the openable and closable transparent return channel upper cover is covered and installed on the return channel conveyor belt in a ㄇ shape, and the openable and closable transparent return channel The upper cover of the delivery channel can be opened upwards or sideways, and can also be easily removed for adjustment and obstacle removal to ensure smooth delivery of the basket. For example, the system of item 5 of the scope of patent application, its automatic control module includes at least several sensors, control software and supply mechanism, the sensor and the control software are used to automatically judge the timing of supplying the storage basket, and then the supply mechanism is combined The storage basket is supplied to the uphill conveying section to push out the empty storage basket upwards and resupply it back to the conveying channel on the side of the inspection instrument.

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