Device for use in detecting dangerous materials or illegal substances in shipping containers

A portable device for use in detecting dangerous materials and illegal substances in shipping containers with the aid of a trained dog. The device is used by a dog handler and constructed to be able to withdraw air from within a shipping container, through a high air vent in it's sidewall, and present the withdrawn air to the dog to smell. The dog is beside the handler on the ground beside the container when smelling the withdrawn air.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention is directed toward a portable device to be used in locating dangerous material and illegal substances in shipping containers. The device is to be used by a dog handler and his dog.

2. Background Art

Dangerous material or illegal substances such as explosives and drugs are often shipped into a country in shipping containers. The examination of shipping containers has always been difficult for any country's customs enforcement administration. The cost of examination is high and only a small percentage of the containers entering a country can be examined. Custom's enforcement personnel presently rely on intelligence information, expensive technology such as container x-ray systems, and labour intensive and time consuming manual inspections to try to minimize the entry of explosives and drugs into their country via shipping containers.

It is well known by custom's enforcement personnel to use dogs to detect dangerous materials or illegal substances such as explosives or drugs by smell. When the dogs are used to inspect shipping containers, it is necessary to unseal and open a shipping container to be able to have the dog inspect the container for explosives or drugs. Opening up a container for inspection by a dog however is time consuming and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been discovered that a small sample of air drawn from within a container through an existing air vent in the container and passed to a dog outside the container to smell, is sufficient for the dog to quickly tell if the material or substance the dog has been trained to detect is present within the container. The invention relates to a portable air sampling device used for obtaining the small air sample from within a closed container and positioning the sample for the dog to analyse.

The portable air sampling device can withdraw air from within the container through a high air vent commonly found on a sidewall of the container and direct it to a dog on the ground, beside the container, to smell. The sampling device is operated by the dog's handler. The device, which is light in weight, can be carried on the handler's hip supported by a shoulder strap. The sampling device has an inlet member at one end which is shaped to cover at least part of the vent in the container. The inlet member leads to a light weight conduit which leads to a small, battery operated, fan unit at the other end of the conduit. An outlet is provided from the fan unit for directing the air sample to the dog. An outlet member shaped to receive a dog's muzzle is preferably mounted to the outlet. The conduit is preferably rigid and telescopic.

In use, the handler locates a container to be searched on the ground and manipulates the device to position the inlet member over at least part of the vent on a sidewall of the container. The inlet member preferably has a seal member that bears against the vent to prevent mixing outside air with the air to be withdrawn from the container. Once the inlet member is positioned over the vent, the fan in the fan unit is operated to draw air from within the container and pass it through the vent, through the inlet member, and through the conduit to the fan unit. From the fan unit, the air is passed out of the outlet. The handler has the dog put his muzzle to the outlet to sniff the air passing from the outlet. The device is lightweight enough that the handler can position and operate the device while directing the dog to the outlet.

The invention is particularly directed toward a portable device for use in detecting dangerous materials and illegal substances in shipping containers. The device has a conduit with the conduit having an inlet member at one end, the inlet member shaped and sized to at least cover part of a vent on a sidewall of a shipping container. The conduit leads to a fan unit which has an outlet where a dog can smell an air sample taken from the shipping container. With the inlet member covering the vent opening, the fan unit is operated to draw air out of the container through the vent and the conduit to the fan unit and then out of the outlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The portable air sampling device1, as shown inFIG. 1, has an air conduit3having an inlet member5at one inlet end7of the conduit3, a fan unit9at the other outlet end11of the conduit3and an air outlet13on the fan unit9.

The inlet member5, as shown inFIG. 2, is sized to fit over a vent opening17in an air vent19on the upper portion of a sidewall21of a shipping container23. The inlet member5has a back wall25and a sidewall27extending from the back wall25shaped to fit about the vent opening17. The free edge29of the sidewall27can have a soft seal31attached thereon to abut the vent19encircling the vent opening17. The seal31can be made of a polyurethane, such as visco-elastic polyurethane foam, or any other suitable air-sealing material. When the inlet member5is placed over the vent opening17in the vent19on the container23to have seal31on the edge29of its sidewall27abut the vent19, it is sized to enclose the vent opening17in the vent19. An inlet opening33in the back wall25of the inlet member5connects to the conduit3. The vent opening17has been shown as a single opening but it usually comprises a cluster of small perforations in the outer wall of the vent19. The inlet member5is sized to cover the cluster.

The conduit3is a rigid, light-weight, tube preferably made of aluminum, and preferably telescopic. The inlet end7of the conduit3is suitably attached to the back wall25of the inlet member5. Preferably, the inlet member5is detachably connected to the conduit3. A swivel connection (not shown) could be provided between the inlet member5and the conduit3to allow the inlet member5to swivel with respect to the conduit3so as to allow the inlet member5to be placed flush on the vent19irregardless of the angle the conduit3makes with the vent19. The outlet end11of the conduit3can be fixedly or detachably connected to the fan unit9.

The fan unit9, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, has a generally cylindrical, elongated, casing41. A fan43is rotatably mounted within the casing41adjacent one end45, the fan43operated by an adjacent motor47. The motor47can be operated by a battery49located adjacent the other end51of the casing. The casing41has an inlet opening53at the one end45into which the outlet end11of the conduit3is suitably connected. The air outlet13is provided in the casing41at the other end51opposite the conduit3. The fan47passes air from the conduit3through the casing41and out the air outlet13. A harness55is preferably attached to the casing41of the fan unit9, the harness55carrying a belt and a shoulder strap for use by the handler in carrying the device.

In use, the dog handler positions the inlet member5of the device1over a the vent opening17in a vent19on a container21to be checked for dangerous material or illegal substances and then starts the fan47in the fan unit9with a switch (not shown). The fan47operates to withdraw air from within the container out through the vent opening17, through the conduit3, and out the air outlet13. While manipulating the device1to keep the inlet member5against the vent19covering the vent opening17, the handler has the dog place his snout to the air outlet13to smell the air obtained from the container.

To obtain a more concentrated air sample for the dog to smell, the air outlet13is preferably provided with an outlet member59shaped to receive the muzzle of the dog. The outlet member59, as shown inFIG. 5, has a relatively truncated, cone shape. The outlet member59can be made from leather or a suitable moldable, plastic material that is flexible yet stiff enough to generally retain its shape. The outlet member59can be attached directly to the casing41, or to a short conduit (not shown), rigid or flexible, leading from the air outlet13in the casing41.

The conduit3has been described as being rigid. It could however be flexible as shown by conduit3A inFIG. 6. A rigid rod61can be attached between the casing41and the inlet member5to support the inlet member and the attached conduit3A. The rod61could be made adjustable in length or its point of attachment on the casing41could be varied to adjust its operative length.

If desired, the casing41can carry a tripod(not shown) on its bottom which could be opened up to support the fan unit9, and thus the device, on the ground while the air sample is being taken. Different sized inlet members5could be used to match different sized vent outlets17on the container, the members being easily changeable. The inlet members5have been described as having a seal made from a soft sealing material. The outlet member5could however be made in one piece from the sealing material. The outlet member5has also been described as being sized to enclose a vent opening on a vent. The outlet member5could however also be sized to enclose the entire vent19, bearing against the sidewall21of the container instead of on the vent. Different sized outlet members59could also be used to match the muzzle size of the dogs being used so that the dog's muzzle has a snug fit with the outlet member59.