Apparatus for inspecting shoes and method for inspecting shoes using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449332-B2
Application number	US-202217938239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2022
Priority date	Mar 3, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

The inventive concept relates to an apparatus for inspecting shoes and a method for inspecting shoes, and the apparatus includes an inspection unit configured to accommodate an inspection subject, a transmission unit configured to emit electromagnetic waves toward the inspection subject accommodated in the inspection unit, a reception unit configured to receive the electromagnetic wave reflected from the inspection subject, an injection unit configured to inject a fluid toward a bottom part of the inspection subject accommodated in the inspection unit, a suction unit configured to suction a material separated from the bottom part of the inspection subject together with the fluid, and an analysis unit configured to analyze a component of the material introduced into the suction unit and the electromagnetic wave received by the reception unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe inspection apparatus for detecting hidden or dangerous substances, the shoe inspection apparatus comprising:
an inspection unit configured to accommodate an inspection subject;
a transmission unit configured to emit electromagnetic waves toward the inspection subject accommodated in the inspection unit;
a reception unit configured to receive the electromagnetic wave reflected from the inspection subject;
an injection unit configured to inject a fluid toward a bottom part of the inspection subject accommodated in the inspection unit;
a suction unit configured to suction a material separated from the bottom part of the inspection subject together with the fluid; and
an analysis unit configured to analyze a component of the material introduced into the suction unit and the electromagnetic wave received by the reception unit,
wherein the injection unit comprises a first injection unit and a second injection unit,
wherein the suction unit comprises a first suction unit and a second suction unit,
wherein the first injection unit and the first suction unit spaced apart in a first direction,
wherein the second injection unit and the second suction unit spaced apart in a second direction that is intersecting with the first direction,
wherein the inspection unit disposed between the first injection unit and the first suction unit, and disposed between the second injection unit and the second suction unit,
wherein microfluidic channels are provided on an upper surface of the inspection unit,
wherein the microfluidic channels comprise trenches defined on the upper surface of the inspection unit respectively, and
wherein the trenches extend in the first direction.

2. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display unit for displaying a result analyzed in the analysis unit.

3. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inspection unit comprises an inspection stand configured to receive at least one shoe as the inspection subject,
wherein an upper surface of the inspection stand has a flat plate shape.

4. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic wave comprises millimeter wave or terahertz wave.

5. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid injected from the injection unit comprises compressed air.

6. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the injection unit is configured to inject the fluid in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the inspection unit.

7. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the injection unit is adjacent to at least one of front, rear and side surfaces of the inspection subject.

8. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the injection unit comprises a first outlet and a second outlet vertically overlapping with the first outlet.

9. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the injection unit comprises at least one air nozzle.

10. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the air nozzle comprises a tubular flow path,
wherein a diameter of the flow path decreases toward an exit through which the fluid is discharged.

11. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the suction unit further comprises a concentration part for concentrating the fluid.

12. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the analysis unit, comprises an ion mobility spectrometer.

13. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inspection unit comprises an inspection stand configured to receive at least one shoe as the inspection subject.

14. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the microfluidic channels are provided based on an area in which the inspection subject contacts the upper surface of the inspection unit.

15. The shoe inspection apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the microfluidic channels comprises trenches defined on the upper surface of the inspection unit, respectively.

16. A method for inspecting shoes for detecting hidden substances or hazardous substances, the method comprising:
placing an inspection subject on an upper surface of an inspection unit;
spraying a fluid from an injection unit toward the inspection subject on the inspection unit;
suctioning a material separated from the inspection subject together with the fluid toward a suction unit;
scanning the inspection subject on the inspection unit using electromagnetic waves; and
analyzing the suctioned material through an IMS (Ion Mobility Spectrometer),
wherein the injection unit comprises a first injection unit and a second injection unit,
wherein the suction unit comprises a first suction unit and a second suction unit,
wherein the first suction unit and the first injection unit spaced apart in a first direction,
wherein the second suction unit and the second injection unit spaced apart in a second direction,
wherein microfluidic channels are provided on an upper surface of the inspection unit,
wherein the microfluidic channels comprise trenches defined on the upper surface of the inspection unit respectively, and
wherein the trenches extend in the first direction.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the scanning of the inspection subject comprises scanning an inside of the inspection subject using millimeter wave or terahertz wave.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the analyzing of the suctioned material comprises analyzing the material through an ion mobility spectrometer.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising displaying a presence of a hidden substance or a dangerous substance based on an analysis result of the material.

Assignees

• Electronics & Telecommunications Res Inst

Inventors

• Choi Da Hye
• Park Kyung Hyun
• Lee Il Min
• Kim Mugeon
• Lee Eui Su

Classifications

• G01N2001/1031

  Sampling from special places · CPC title

• G01N2001/024

  passengers or luggage · CPC title

• G01N27/622

  Ion mobility spectrometry · CPC title

• G01N21/3581

  using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation · CPC title

• G01V8/005

  operating with millimetre waves, e.g. measuring the black losey radiation · CPC title