Abstract:
In order to check hand luggage and other objects carried by persons, control stations are needed, which have a control unit, in particular an X-ray checking unit, a conveyor which extends through the control unit, a depositing point which is arranged ahead of the conveyor, and a removal point which is arranged behind the conveyor, for the objects and having transport tubs which can be placed onto the conveyor. Small objects and items of clothing are placed in the transport tubs and conveyed through the control unit for checking. A return conveyor for the transport tubs is arranged next to or below the conveyor which passes through the control unit, which return conveyor reaches from the removal point behind the conveyor at least as far as into the region of the depositing point ahead of the conveyor.

Description:
[0001]    This nonprovisional application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2006/011631, which was filed on Dec. 5, 2006, and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2006 006 208.6, which was filed in Germany on Feb. 9, 2006, and which are both herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an inspection station for screening hand luggage and other items carried by persons, having an inspection unit, in particular an X-ray inspection device, a conveyor extending through the inspection unit for conveying the items through the inspection unit, a deposit point located ahead of the conveyer, and a retrieval point located behind the conveyor for the items, and having transport bins that can be placed on the conveyor, in which small items and articles of clothing are placed and conveyed through the inspection unit for screening. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Background Art 
         [0005]    For security screening of hand luggage and other items carried by persons, for example for security screening at airports, it is known to use inspection stations with X-ray inspection devices that transradiate the items. The items to be screened are conveyed on a conveyor, typically a conveyor belt, through the inspection unit, which is run by an operator. Located at the entry side ahead of the conveyor is a roller conveyor, which is used for depositing the items to be screened. In a similar manner, a roller conveyor from which the screened items can be retrieved is located at the output side following the conveyor. 
         [0006]    In a known manner, transport bins are used for transporting small items (wallets, cell phones, laptops, small backpacks, etc.) and articles of clothing, with the items being placed in the bins. The transport bins containing the items are placed on the conveyor and are conveyed by it through the inspection unit, in exactly the same way as larger items (briefcases, carry-on bags, etc.). After the screening, the items are removed from the bins by the passengers at the retrieval point. After being emptied, the transport bins must be brought back to the entry of the inspection station. For this purpose, they are either carried back by operating personnel, or are lifted up at the retrieval point and transferred to a non-driven roller section and pushed back on it. All known methods are not ergonomic and place considerable physical and time demands on the operating personnel. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an inspection station which uses transport bins such that the time and physical demands on the operating personnel are reduced. 
         [0008]    This object is attained according to the invention in that a return conveyor for the transport bins is arranged next to or below the conveyor passing through the inspection station, and extends from the retrieval point behind the conveyor to at least the area of the deposit point ahead of the conveyor. 
         [0009]    According to the invention, the transport bins are automatically conveyed from the end of the screening section back to the beginning of the screening section. The time and physical demands on the operating personnel are reduced. As a result, the operating personnel can work more efficiently. 
         [0010]    The layout and design of the return conveyor for the bins is chosen here such that the bins are transferred to the return conveyor with a minimum expenditure of physical effort and time at the retrieval point of the primary conveyor. Transfer can either be accomplished by service personnel, for example the operator of the inspection station, by the passenger himself, or automatically. During return transport, the bins either lie flat on a conveyor or stand edgewise upon it. Either commensurately wide or narrow roller conveyors, or even belt conveyors, are used for this purpose. Return transport of the bins in the edgewise position has the advantage that a very narrow conveyor can be used which requires very little space. Return transport in the lying position makes it possible to place the return conveyor beneath the inspection unit and [primary] conveyor. 
         [0011]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0012]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  shows an oblique view of an inspection station with a return conveyor for the transport bins located beneath the inspection unit; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of an embodiment in which the bins are conveyed back in the lying position next to the inspection unit; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  shows an oblique view of the embodiment from  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  shows an embodiment in which the bins are conveyed back in the lying position on the passenger side; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  shows an embodiment in which the bins are conveyed back in the edgewise position on the operator side; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  shows an oblique view of the embodiment from  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  shows an embodiment in which the bins are conveyed back in the edgewise position on the passenger side; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 8-11  show three different possibilities for getting the bin from a lying position to a standing position for edgewise return transport, wherein  FIGS. 8 and 9  show a downward angled chute for the bins, 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  shows a chute with a 90° bend meant to be loaded manually; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  shows a table with a downwardly opening flap, upon which the bins slide to the return conveyor. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]    All inspection stations represented in the figures are used for screening hand luggage and other articles carried by persons. They are preferably used for security screening at airports in order to screen passengers&#39; carry-on items for weapons, explosives, or other impermissible items. Each inspection station contains an inspection unit  1 , preferably an X-ray inspection device, used to transradiate the carried items. The items to be screened are conveyed on a conveyor  2 , preferably a belt conveyor, through the inspection unit. Located at the entry side of the inspection station, ahead of the conveyor  2 , is a deposit point  3 , upon which the items to be screened are deposited and delivered to the conveyor  2 . Customarily, the deposit point  3  has a roller section with freely rotating rollers. At the output side, the conveyor  2  is adjoined by a retrieval point  4 , where the passengers retrieve the screened items. The retrieval point  4  also typically has a roller section with freely rotating rollers to which the screened items are delivered from the inspection unit  1  by the conveyor  2 . In a known manner, a recheck point  5  is located next to the retrieval point  4 , to which the items are delivered by an alternative conveyor  6  behind the inspection unit if the screening by the inspection unit  1  is not clear, so that a manual recheck in the presence of an operator is required. 
         [0024]    Located next to the inspection unit  1  on the operator side O is the operator&#39;s terminal for the operator, containing a screen which displays the results of the transradiation. The recheck point  5  is likewise located on the operator side, so that the operator can reach it quickly for a follow-up inspection. A switch point  7  in the conveyor section  2 , which can be actuated by the operator or automatically, makes it possible to switch over to the conveyor section  6 , so that the items are conveyed to the recheck point  5  instead of to the retrieval point  4 . 
         [0025]    The passengers move through the inspection station on the side P opposite the operator side O. This is the reason the luggage retrieval point  4  is located on the passenger side P. 
         [0026]    Transport bins  10  are used for transporting small items (wallets, cell phones, laptops, small backpacks, etc.) and articles of clothing through the inspection unit  1 , with these items and articles of clothing being placed in the bins. The transport bins  10  are placed on the rollers of the deposit point  3 , where the passengers place the small items and clothing in the bins  10 . After the screening in the inspection unit  1 , the passengers remove the screened items from the bins  10  again at the retrieval point  4 . 
         [0027]    All embodiments according to the invention have in common that a return conveyor  11  for the empty transport bins  10  is arranged next to or below the conveyor  2  passing through the inspection unit  1 , and extends from the retrieval point  4  to at least the area of the deposit point  3  ahead of the conveyor  2 . The transport bins  10  are automatically conveyed from the end of the screening section back to the beginning of the screening section by the return conveyor  11 . It is not necessary for an operator to carry the transport bins  11  back or manually push them back on a roller conveyor. The time and physical demands on the operating personnel are thus reduced considerably. 
         [0028]    Shown in  FIG. 1  is an embodiment in which the return conveyor  11  is arranged to run beneath the conveyor  2  and the inspection station  1 . The return conveyor  11  contains driven belts or rollers and has a transport width at least as wide as the transport bins  11 . The transport bins  11  can in this way be transported back lying flat, in order to keep the height required beneath the inspection unit  1  and conveyor  2  as small as possible. The transfer point  12  at the end of the screening section, where the emptied bins  10  are transferred by the conveyor  2  to the return conveyor  11 , contains either freely rotating or driven rollers. In the case of freely rotating rollers at the transfer point  12 , either an operator or the passenger pushes the empty bins  10  onto the return conveyor  11 . In the case of driven rollers at the transfer point  12 , the transfer can take place automatically, for example initiated by an operator. The transfer of the empty transport bins  10  from the return conveyor  11  to the deposit point  3  at the start of the screening area is either done manually by an operator or the passenger himself, or suitable conveying means that can be activated by an operator are arranged at this point. 
         [0029]    Shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  is another embodiment, in which the return conveyor  11  for the bins  10  is arranged to run next to the conveyor  2  on the operator side O. Also shown in both  FIGS. 2 and 3  are the recheck point  5  and the switch point  7  with the conveyor  6  leading to the recheck point  5 . In this embodiment, too, the bins  10  are transported back lying flat. The return conveyor  11  begins between the retrieval point  4  and the recheck point  5 , and initially runs at a level lower than the conveyors  2  and  6 . This lower level is drawn with crosshatching in the figures. Located between the retrieval point  4  and the recheck point  5  is a downwardly angled conveyor surface leading to the return conveyor  11 , on which surface the transport bins  10  slide downward to the return conveyor  11 . The return conveyor  11  runs on the operator side until it is alongside the deposit point  3 . In its final conveying section, it rises to the level of the deposit point  3 , so that a bin  10  can simply be pushed from the end of the return conveyor  11  to the deposit point  3 . 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 4 , another embodiment is shown in which the bins  10  are transported back on the return conveyor  11  lying flat. The structure of this inspection station corresponds to that of the inspection station shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , except that the return conveyor  11  for the bins  10  is arranged to run on the passenger side P next to the conveyor  2 . In this embodiment, too, the return conveyor begins between the retrieval point  4  and the recheck point  5 , below the two conveyors  2 ,  6  conveying to these locations. The return conveyor  11  initially runs at an angle below the conveyor  2  to the outside on the passenger side P, and is then guided parallel to the conveyor  2 , past the inspection unit  1 , until it is next to the deposit point  3  at the entry of the inspection station. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 5-7  show embodiments in which the bins  10  are conveyed back standing edgewise on the return conveyor  11 . This has the advantage that very narrow conveyors  11  (belt conveyors or roller conveyors) can be used, which take up very little space. The return conveyor  11  runs next to the conveyor  2  passing through the inspection unit  1 . It is located either on the operator side O ( FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ), or on the passenger side P ( FIG. 7 ). The structure of the relevant inspection station corresponds essentially to the embodiments with lying return transport described in  FIGS. 1-4 . Like parts are thus also labeled with like reference numbers. The embodiments with return transport of the bins  10  in the edgewise position additionally have, at the start of the return conveyor section, means for standing up the bins  10  located either at the retrieval point  4  or at the recheck point  5 , and getting them in a position standing edgewise on the return conveyor  11 . A variety of these means are shown in  FIGS. 8-11 . 
         [0032]    In the embodiment from  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a chute  12  leads downward from the retrieval point  4  to the narrow return conveyor  11 . Within the chute  12 , an angled guide surface  13  leads downward and is designed such that a bin  10  sliding down stands on edge, and is placed on the return conveyor  11  in this orientation. The bins  10  are pushed into the chute  12  at the retrieval point  4  either by an operator or by the passenger himself, after it has been verified that no items remain in the bin  10 . Alternatively, it is possible to provide a motor drive that conveys a bin  10  into the chute  12 . A chute designed as the mirror image is also arranged at the recheck point  5  to move empty bins  10  located there to the return conveyor  11 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 10  shows an embodiment that also has a chute  12  with a 90° bend, whose inlet is located on the operator side O between the retrieval point  4  and recheck point  5 . The inlet  14  of the chute  12  is located laterally beneath the deposit surface of the retrieval point  4  or recheck point  5 . An operator pulls an empty bin  10  towards himself, and inserts it through the inlet  14  into the chute  12 . As it moves through the chute  12 , the bin  10  is stood up so that it stands edgewise on the return conveyor  11 . 
         [0034]    In the embodiment from  FIG. 11 , a flap  16  that swings downward is located in a deposit surface  15 , which is located at the same level as and between the retrieval point  4  and recheck point  5 . The flap  16  swings downward in such a way that a bin  10  on it slides downward onto the return conveyor  11 , standing itself edgewise in the process. The hinge mechanism for the flap  16  is actuated by an operator when he has determined that the bin  10  has been completely emptied. 
         [0035]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.