Security tray

Abstract

A tray, serving as a transaction drawer, optimally fitted to X-ray inspection equipment for ease and efficiency of the operation. Yet, easy to handle by the operator and stackable for storage and having a test wedge to verify read outs by the X-ray machine, made out of translucent, plastic material, economically produced.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a hand held container, made of translucent plastic, incorporating several useful features. This invention improves the way passengers depose pocket objects and smaller carry-on objects, such as cameras into the tray, to be inspected by X-ray while traveling on a conveyor, used at all airports, international railroad stations and Custom's border posts. Such a tray can also be useful for governmental areas or research areas to decrease security risk. In these times when we fear terrorists attacks and are faced with illicit drug trafficking, along with the congestion found at airports around the world, an efficient, rapid inspection through these X-ray machines is not usually the case. Normally, long lines and waits are usually encountered. The inventor's objective is to improve upon this security operation by allowing inspectors to have a large enough tray to handle all of the pocket objects safely and quickly, while allowing all the trays to maintain alignment, made possible by the directive labeling and the non-skid under-surface of the tray. The "V" shape formed from the higher, rear side towards the front lower side also helps in opening and sliding through the lead curtains of the X-ray machine. Another, quite useful feature of the tray is that it is stackable up to groups of 20, making for easier storage and transportation. The tray also has another very positive feature in that it carries a metal step wedge, which allows the X-ray machine to check its own performance. The inventor, who has had a life time of experience with such security systems, feels that all the features previously sited can be provided in a single tray, offering an advance in the art of security, based on a faster and better 24-hour vigilant response.

PRIOR ART

[0002] Researching prior art regarding this invention, showed similar concepts were patented in.

[0003] a. U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,004, 1980, Daniel E. Richardson

[0004] b. U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,527, 1985, Claude P Bourlier

[0005] c. U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,589, 1998, Larry G. Clark

[0006] However, none were separable plastic trays and none were used in relation to X-ray machines. They were part of a more complex piece of equipment or made to go through a wall.

[0007] Following his prior disclosure made to the Washington Patent Office on Aug. 2, 2001 and recorded as # 497968, Steven Craig Holland personally claims all patenting and comunercial rights to this invention.

INVENTION SUMMARY

[0008] A brief description of the invention is as follows. A light, easy to handle, translucent, plastic tray used for transactions through an X-ray machine, allowing easier handling and affording better X-ray wall penetration. This invention, therefore, makes for safer inspections, allowing the tray to be handled with one hand, yet making the tray spacious enough to hold all pocket objects. With a non-skid pad on the underside, the tray travels the belt, less susceptible to moving around inside the X-ray machine, allowing safer and more reliable transport of its contents. Yet, this invention remains a low cost item, due to the type of material and the vacuuming process used to produce it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 shows a perspective of the tray as seen from the elevated right side along with the inside along with an indented central rear bottom cavity.

[0010] FIG. 2 shows a central cross section of the rear side along with one of its impeding ears.

[0011] FIG. 3 shows a several trays, stacked within each other.

[0012] The next four drawings show an orthographic layout of the tray.

[0013] FIG. 4 shows the left side elevation, with one hand holding the tray.

[0014] FIG. 5 shows the top view of the tray.

[0015] FIG. 6 shows the rear elevated view of the tray.

[0016] FIG. 7 shows the bottom view of the tray, rotated 90.degree. from the standard rear view projection.

[0017] FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the X-ray system, with the referenced metal wedge.

DESCRIPTION

[0018] The security tray is seen in perspective on FIG. 1, showing all the details of the tray looking from the inside and two outer sides. A base 1, enclosed by four sides, tapered outward in relation to the base. All areas of the tray are integrally formed from one common sheet of translucent plastic and trimmed. The front side 2 is lower than the rear side 3. Both the right 4 and left 5 sides are equal and have a trapezoidal shape, giving the tray a tapered shape from front to back, allowing the tray to easily open the two halves of each of the X-ray machine's lead curtains. The base 1 has several hot-formed bosses rising from its inside surface: in the front, it has three (3) arrows 6, 7, and 8, painted in bright yellow. Above the arrows, widthwise, is a centered rectangle with raised edges 9, framing an area where a directional instruction label 1d is bonded. Located above, on the left side of the frame 10 is a smaller raised pad 11, allowing the bonding of an X-ray metallic, stepped wedge to be used as a test piece 12. The metal, stepped wedge is bonded on the base of each tray to allow verification of the machine's performance for QC. This wedge allows the system to detect any defect of the X-ray calibration, allowing the system to stop by detecting any abnormal x-ray signals. Further up the tray, centrally located between the base 1 and the bottom of the rear wall 3, is a 90.degree. arc with an external opening 13, allowing placement of four fingers. The holder can now pinch the tray by placing the thumb of the same hand on the top rear edge of the tray and applying pressure (see rear view, FIG. 6). Each of the front 2 and rear 3 sides have two blind ears, 14 and 15 on rear side 3 and 16 and 17 on the wall of the front side 2. These ears are used as stops when several trays are stacked within each other (see FIG. 3). FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 show four orthographic views of the tray. These figures show the left, top, rear and bottom sides of the tray in different views. The bottom of the tray has a non-skid plastic pad 25, allowing better stability while traveling the belt through the X-ray machine during inspection (see FIG. 8). A metal, stepped wedge 12 is bonded onto the pad 1l. This wedge allows the X-ray projection system to be verified for reliability with every tray excursion through the machine. The operator can now more easily notice any breakage or lamp defect as well as the X-ray's dynamic intensity with more regularity than is presently available. This technique consists of a flow of "X" rays, see FIG. 8, emitted from an X-ray metallically-sealed electronic lamp 18, where an electric current flows through a cathode 19, causing it to become extremely hot. The heat releases electrons from the cathode, while at the same time, a high voltage is applied across the cathode and the anode 20. This voltage forces the electrons to travel at high speed toward a slanted tungsten target. X-rays are then produced when the electrons strike the angularly reflective target. They form a frustum of pyramid 21 penetrating and crossing through the metal envelope 22 which is trimmed by an aperture 23, allowing an array large enough to cover the width of the transfer belt 24. The X-ray bundle then passes through the belt 24 and impacts a receiving screen 25, which transmits the reception to a CRT screen ( not shown) placed at a convenient reading area for visual inspection. As the tray 1 moves along the belt with its contents, the X-ray profiles all objects, with the metal wedge giving several signals of different intensity on the several, thin steps and none on the last thick one. This modulation verifies that the x-ray bundle's intensity is correct at each phase, automatically alerting the machine to any system change.

Claims

1. I claim a rectangular, translucent, plastic tray, vacuum formed with a flat bottom, surrounded by four sides, slanted out from the base, with each side forming a trapezoidal shape, and with the rear side being considerably larger that the front, while both the right and left side are of equal shape, with all four side blending to form an arrow shaped tray.

2. I claim a tray, as described in claim 1, which has several, large, recesses at the bottom corner of the rear side and the rear bottom allowing a volume and edge large enough to allow four fingers of the hand to fit as the thumb of the same hand clamps the tray, holding it steady by the top, rear edge.

3. A tray, as described in claims 1 and 2, which also has four exterior depressions, with two on the front edge and two on the rear beveled side, allowing a means of multiple stacking of trays within each other, up to 12.

4. A tray, as described in claims 1, 2 and 3 which has a non-skid material permanently bonded to its underside.

5. A tray, as described in claims 1, 2, 3, and 4 which has several embossed windows, limited by an edge integrally formed, allowing directional labeling instruction and display.

6. A tray, as described in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 which has a raised pad, allowing placement and bonding of a wedge with multiple steps, as a testing sample for the X-ray machine.