Radiation-resistant industrial code scanner and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an irradiation-resistant industrial code scanner which comprises a code scanner body, a shielding shell, a reflecting mirror and an external lighting device. The code scanner body and the reflector are both arranged in the shielding shell, the front end of the code scanner body and the mirror surface of the reflector form an included angle of 45 degrees, the side surface of the shielding shell is provided with a window, and the window and the reflector also form an included angle of 45 degrees; and the external lighting equipment is arranged outside the shielding shell and is used for supplementing light to the graphic code and assisting the code scanner body in code scanning and imaging. The invention further discloses a manufacturing method of the radiation-resistant industrial code scanner. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that the radiation resistance is high, the capability of identifying graphic codes on the surfaces of bright and clean stainless steel or other metal media is high, and the method is suitable for being applied to the nuclear energy industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention specifically relates to a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, image recognition technology has been widely used in all walks of life. As image recognition technology gradually matures and its advantages become more and more obvious, the entire nuclear energy industry, including nuclear fuel production, nuclear power plant operation and maintenance, spent fuel reprocessing, and nuclear waste storage, has gradually begun to pay attention to this emerging technology.

[0003] For a long time, there has been a lot of manual character number recognition work in the nuclear energy industry using human eyes, telescopes or television cameras. It has long been proven that graphic code recognition technology is a more efficient, accurate and economical choice for these tasks.

[0004] The main carrier of graphic code automatic recognition technology is the industrial barcode scanner, which has been widely used in manufacturing, commerce and the Internet of Things industry. However, since the industrial barcode scanners currently on the market are not resistant to gamma and neutron radiation, they will quickly be damaged and fail in a radiation environment, resulting in their seldom use in the nuclear energy industry.

[0005] In addition, in the nuclear energy industry, the coding medium for graphic codes is often smooth stainless steel or other metal surfaces, which is very different from the paper graphic code media in other industries. Therefore, even if the radiation problem is not considered, the application effect of common industrial barcode scanners in the nuclear energy industry is not good. This requires targeted research and development and optimization of barcode scanning equipment dedicated to the nuclear energy industry.

[0006] However, the nuclear energy industry has a much smaller demand for barcode scanning equipment than other industries, and almost no manufacturer is willing to customize dedicated graphic code recognition equipment for the nuclear energy industry. Therefore, it is difficult to find available nuclear energy industry barcode scanning products on the market. Summary of the invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner and a method for manufacturing the same in view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has strong radiation resistance and a strong recognition capability for graphic codes on the surface of smooth stainless steel or other metal media, and is suitable for application in the nuclear energy industry.

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above technical problems is:

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner, comprising a barcode scanner body, a shielding shell, a reflector, and an external lighting device, wherein:

[0010] The scanner body and the reflector are both arranged inside the shielding shell, the front end of the scanner body forms an angle of 45° with the mirror surface of the reflector, and a window is provided on the side of the shielding shell, and the window and the reflector also form an angle of 45°;

[0011] The external lighting device is arranged outside the shielding shell, and is used to supplement the light of the graphic code and assist the barcode scanner body in scanning and imaging the code.

[0012] Preferably, the barcode scanner body is arranged at the bottom end of the inside of the shielding shell, the front end of the barcode scanner body faces upward, and the reflector is located above the barcode scanner body.

[0013] Preferably, the barcode scanner body includes a camera unit and a focusing unit. The shooting end of the camera unit is located at the front end of the barcode scanner body. The graphic code enters the shooting field of the camera unit after being reflected by a reflector. The camera unit is used to shoot the graphic code image, process the image, identify the graphic code and transmit the signal; the focusing unit is arranged on one side of the camera unit to assist the barcode scanner body in aiming at the graphic code.

[0014] Preferably, the external lighting device comprises a lighting unit and a universal adjustment bracket, the lighting unit is installed outside the shielding shell through the universal adjustment bracket, and the universal adjustment bracket is used for adjusting the illumination direction of the lighting unit by 360° rotation.

[0015] Preferably, the shielding shell includes a shell body and a shell cover, the window is arranged on the side of the shell body, a recess is provided on the shell body, the barcode scanner body and the reflector are arranged in the recess, and the shell cover is arranged on the recess.

[0016] Preferably, the shell has an outer shape of a cube or a cuboid, the window is provided on a first side surface of the shell, the recess is provided on a second side surface of the shell, and the first side surface is adjacent to the first side surface.

[0017] Preferably, the shielding shell includes at least three layers, which are an outer shell layer, a neutron shielding layer, and a gamma shielding layer from the outside to the inside, so as to take into account both the attenuation of gamma rays and the slowing absorption of neutrons in the irradiation environment.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner, comprising:

[0019] Making a shielding shell and opening a window on the side of the shielding shell;

[0020] Install the scanner body and the reflector inside the shielding shell, and make the front end of the scanner body form a 45° angle with the mirror surface of the reflector, and make the window and the reflector also form a 45° angle;

[0021] An external lighting device is installed outside the shielding shell to supplement the light of the graphic code and assist the barcode scanner to scan and image the code.

[0022] Beneficial effects:

[0023] The radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner and the manufacturing method thereof of the present invention have at least the following advantages:

[0024] (1) By providing a shielding shell, the scanner body can be protected, which helps to enhance the radiation resistance of the industrial scanner and can be used in an environment where the dose is much higher than that of the existing commercially available industrial scanners.

[0025] (2) By setting up external lighting equipment, compared with the built-in lighting used in existing commercially available industrial barcode scanners, direct illumination of the surface of the metal coding medium can be avoided. Instead, diffuse reflected light formed by illuminating surrounding objects can be used to illuminate the surface of the metal coding medium, thereby improving the industrial barcode scanner's ability to recognize graphic codes on the surface of smooth stainless steel or other metal coding media, making it more suitable for application in the nuclear energy industry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of an existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the reflection of an existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner on a smooth stainless steel surface;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the reflection of the radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner of an embodiment of the present invention on a smooth stainless steel surface;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of an external lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 Another structural schematic diagram of the radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Side view of

[0034] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of an external lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Fig.10Schematic diagram of the connection between the external lighting device and the barcode scanner body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] In the figure: 1-existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner; 2-front end; 3-illumination unit; 4-camera unit; 5-focus unit; 6-shielding shell; 7-reflector; 8-window; 9-viewing direction;

[0037] 10-external lighting equipment; 11-smooth stainless steel surface; 12-illumination light; 13-mirror reflection light; 14-diffuse reflection light; 15-barcode scanner body; 31-mounting seat; 32-glass and LED array; 33-heat dissipation fins; 34-cables and connectors; 35-universal adjustment bracket;

[0038] 36- movable bracket; 37- fixed bracket; 38- pitch rotation lock handle; 39- horizontal rotation lock handle;

[0039] 40 - lighting fixing hole; 41 - built-in lighting device; 61 - housing; 62 - housing cover; 63 - connector of the scanner body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the term "upper" and the like to indicate orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience and simplification of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0042] In the description of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0043] like Figure 3As shown, the structure of the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1 is relatively simple, and is usually composed of a camera unit 4 located in the center of the front end 2 and a lighting unit 3 and a focusing unit 5 located on both sides of the camera unit 4, wherein: the camera unit 4 is the core component of the barcode scanner, and is composed of a lens and an image sensor, an image processor, a barcode scanning and recognition chip, a communication interface, a driving power supply and other devices, and is used to realize functions such as capturing images, processing images, recognizing graphic codes, and signal transmission; the lighting unit 3 is an important component second only to the camera unit, and is composed of a lens and an LED light-emitting diode, a driving power supply and other devices, and is used to illuminate the graphic code and assist the camera unit in imaging; the focusing unit 5 is composed of a lens and a laser diode, a driving power supply and other devices, and is used to assist the barcode scanner in aiming at the captured graphic code.

[0044] Among the above three units of the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1, the image sensor, image processor, and barcode scanning recognition chip included in the camera unit 4 are all complementary metal oxide semiconductor CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) devices, with a total radiation dose resistance of about 100Gy, which is the component with the worst radiation resistance in the industrial barcode scanner; the radiation resistance of various lenses and lenses, communication interfaces, driving power supplies, LED light-emitting diodes, and laser diodes, although significantly better than CMOS devices, with a total radiation dose resistance of less than 1000Gy, but, due to the drag of CMOS devices, the total radiation dose resistance of the industrial barcode scanner can only reach about 100Gy.

[0045] The inventor conducted a Co60 radiation source irradiation test on several currently available industrial barcode scanners. After a total dose of 100 to 200 Gy, these industrial barcode scanners all failed to work properly due to damage to CMOS devices such as image processors or barcode scanning recognition chips. In addition, when scanning the graphic code on the surface of the coding medium such as smooth stainless steel or other metals, since the lighting unit 3 of the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1 is a built-in lighting lamp, its irradiation direction is basically consistent with the shooting direction. The built-in lighting lamp will directly irradiate the metal surface, which is very easy to reflect visible light, causing abnormal exposure of the captured image, resulting in the inability to recognize the graphic code.

[0046] The existing commercially available industrial barcode scanners have the above-mentioned problems of poor radiation resistance and abnormal exposure leading to the inability to recognize graphic codes. Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the present invention discloses a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner, comprising a barcode scanner body 15, a shielding shell 6, a reflector 7 and an external lighting device 10, wherein:

[0047] The scanner body 15 and the reflector 7 are both arranged inside the shielding shell 6, the front end 2 of the scanner body 15 and the mirror surface of the reflector 7 form an angle of 45°, and a window 8 is provided on the side of the shielding shell 6, and the window 8 and the reflector 7 also form an angle of 45°;

[0048] The external lighting device 10 is arranged outside the shielding shell 6, and is used to provide supplementary light to the graphic code and assist the barcode scanner body in scanning and imaging the code.

[0049] The present invention conducts secondary development on the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanners. The barcode scanner body can be almost completely protected by the shielding shell, with only a small amount exposed to the outside at the window position. The purpose is to use the shielding shell to attenuate the energy of gamma and neutron radiation, so that the radiation dose inside the shielding shell is significantly lower than that outside the shielding shell, thereby achieving the purpose of protecting the barcode scanner and enhancing the radiation resistance of the industrial barcode scanner. Secondly, by redesigning the lighting unit of the industrial barcode scanner and setting an external lighting device, compared with the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanners that use built-in lighting that can only fill in the graphic code, the light projection direction of the external lighting device is adjusted to avoid direct irradiation of the surface of the metal coding medium. Instead, the surface of the metal coding medium is illuminated by irradiating surrounding objects to form diffuse reflected light, thereby improving the industrial barcode scanner's ability to recognize graphic codes on the surface of smooth stainless steel or other metal coding media.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in 6-10, this embodiment discloses a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner, including a barcode scanner body 15, a shielding shell 6, a reflector 7 and an external lighting device 10, wherein:

[0052] An accommodation space is provided in the shielding shell 6, and the scanner body 15 and the reflector 7 are both arranged in the accommodation space inside the shielding shell 6. The front end 2 of the scanner body 15 and the reflector 7 are at a 45° angle, so that the framing direction 9 of the scanner body is turned 90°, and a window 8 is provided on the side of the shielding shell 7, and the window 8 and the reflector 7 are also at a 45° angle, that is, the window 8 is in the area where the framing direction 9 of the scanner body 15 passes, so that the framing direction 9 is not blocked by the shielding shell 6. Through the above arrangement, the shielding shell 6 can protect the scanner body, which helps to improve the radiation resistance performance of the industrial scanner.

[0053] The external lighting device 10 is arranged outside the shielding shell 6, and is used to supplement the image code with light during the scanning process, and to assist the scanner body in scanning the code. Figure 3Compared with the above, the industrial barcode scanner adopts an external lighting device 10 to facilitate the adjustment of the light projection direction, which can avoid direct irradiation of the metal coding medium surface. Instead, it illuminates the metal coding medium surface by irradiating the surrounding objects to form diffuse reflected light, thereby improving the industrial barcode scanner's ability to recognize graphic codes on the surface of smooth stainless steel or other metal coding media.

[0054] Specifically, taking the scanning of graphic codes of fuel assemblies or spent fuel assemblies, spent fuel post-transfer and storage containers as an example, since most fuel assemblies or spent fuel assemblies, spent fuel post-transfer and storage containers are made of stainless steel, in order to facilitate surface cleaning, their stainless steel surfaces are mostly smooth mirror surfaces, so they are very easy to reflect visible light. Figure 4 As shown, the lighting unit used by the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1 is a built-in lighting lamp, and most of the lighting light 12 emitted by the built-in lighting lamp is mirror-reflected with the smooth stainless steel surface 11. Except for a small part of the mirror-reflected light 13 returning to the industrial barcode scanner 1, most of the mirror-reflected light 13 is reflected in a direction deviating from the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1, which makes the image exposure of the smooth stainless steel surface 11 have obvious light and dark differences, and it is difficult to eliminate, resulting in abnormal exposure and making the graphic code unrecognizable. In addition, if the built-in lighting lamp of the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1 is dimmed, the mirror-reflected light 13 reflected by the dark area of ​​the smooth stainless steel surface 11 will be less, which will cause the area to be unable to be exposed normally; if the built-in lighting lamp of the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1 is brightened, the mirror-reflected light 13 reflected by the bright area of ​​the smooth stainless steel surface 11 will be more, which will cause the area to be overexposed. Therefore, even if the radiation problem is not considered, the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner is not good at scanning the graphic code on the surface of the coding medium such as the smooth stainless steel or other metals as described above.

[0055] like Figure 5 As shown, the industrial barcode scanner uses an external lighting device 10 to replace the built-in lighting of the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1. By adjusting the direction of the external lighting device, the lighting light 12 avoids the smooth stainless steel surface 11, and forms diffuse reflection light 14 in the surrounding environment. Since the diffuse reflection light 14 can irradiate all areas of the smooth stainless steel surface 11 more evenly, there will always be some specular reflection light 13 that will be reflected from the smooth stainless steel surface 11 back to the barcode scanner body, so that the exposure is completed smoothly and the correct recognition of the graphic code is guaranteed. In addition, when the exposure of the smooth stainless steel surface 11 is not uniform enough, it can be corrected by adjusting the light projection direction of the external lighting device and adjusting the uniformity of the diffuse reflection light 14; when the exposure brightness of the smooth stainless steel surface 11 is too high or too low, it can be corrected by adjusting the brightness of the external lighting device and changing the brightness of the diffuse reflection light 14.

[0056] In some embodiments, the scanner body 15 is disposed at the bottom of the accommodation space inside the shielding shell 6 , the front end of the scanner body 15 faces upward, and the reflector 7 is disposed in the accommodation space above the scanner body 15 .

[0057] In some embodiments, the barcode scanner body 15 includes a camera unit 4 and a focusing unit 5, wherein: the shooting end of the camera unit 4 is located at the front end 2 of the barcode scanner body 15, and the graphic code enters the shooting field of view of the camera unit after being reflected by the reflector, and the camera unit 4 is used to shoot the graphic code image, process the image, identify the graphic code, and transmit the signal; the focusing unit 5 is arranged on one side of the camera unit 4 to assist the barcode scanner body to aim at the graphic code.

[0058] In this embodiment, the camera unit 4 is the core component of the barcode scanner body 15, which adopts the camera unit 4 used in the commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1. The camera unit 4 is composed of a lens and image sensor, an image processor, a barcode scanning recognition chip, a communication interface, a driving power supply and other devices, and its structure will not be described one by one here.

[0059] In this embodiment, the focusing unit 5 adopts the focusing unit 5 used in the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1, which is composed of a lens, a laser diode, a driving power supply and other devices, and its structure is not described one by one here.

[0060] In some embodiments, the external lighting device 10 includes a lighting unit and a universal adjustment bracket 35. The lighting unit is installed outside the shielding shell 6 through the universal adjustment bracket 35. The universal adjustment bracket is adjusted to be able to rotate 360° to adjust the illumination direction of the lighting unit.

[0061] In some embodiments, Figure 6-10 As shown, the lighting unit includes a mounting base 31, glass and LED array 32, cable and connector 34, and heat sink fins 33, wherein: the glass and LED array 32 are arranged on the first surface (irradiation surface) of the mounting base 31, and are connected to the cable and connector 34; the heat sink fins 33 are arranged on the second surface of the mounting base 31; the mounting base 31 is connected to the universal adjustment bracket 35 through the pitch locking nut, and the universal adjustment bracket 35 is installed and fixed outside the shielding shell 6 (such as the top or side). By loosening the pitch locking nut at the connection between the mounting base 31 of the lighting unit and the universal adjustment bracket 35, the irradiation direction of the external lighting device 10 can be adjusted 360 degrees.

[0062] In this embodiment, the glass and LED array 32 are preferably a 4*3 2700K warm white LED array; the cable and connector 34 (such as an M12 connector) are preferably arranged on the second surface, and the second surface is preferably the back of the first surface (the irradiated surface), that is, a lead-out cable and an M12 connector are provided from the back of the mounting base 31; the universal adjustment bracket 35 is preferably on the side of the lighting unit, that is, the side of the mounting base 31 of the lighting unit is connected to the universal adjustment bracket 35 through a pitch locking nut.

[0063] In some embodiments, Figure 7-10 As shown, a bracket (such as the bracket of the RHS-Soldier180s barcode scanner) is preferably provided on the side of the shielding shell 6, and the bracket includes a movable bracket 36 and a fixed bracket 37. One end of the movable bracket 36 is movably connected to the fixed bracket 37 through a pitch rotation lock handle 38 so as to move up and down to adjust the height. The other end of the movable bracket 36 is connected to the side of the shielding shell 6 through a horizontal rotation lock handle 39, and a lighting fixing hole 40 is provided on the end so as to install and fix the universal adjustment bracket 35 on the bracket outside the shielding shell 6 through the lighting fixing hole 40.

[0064] In this embodiment, the fixing bracket 37 may specifically be a φ20 mm columnar bracket.

[0065] In some embodiments, Figure 7-10 As shown, the industrial barcode scanner may further include a built-in lighting device 41, which is disposed below the viewing window 8. The built-in lighting device 41 may specifically be a built-in lighting device used in a commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1, and the built-in lighting device is composed of a lens, an LED light-emitting diode, a driving power supply and other devices, and its structure is not described one by one here; of course, the built-in lighting device 41 may also be other lighting devices having the same or similar functions as the built-in lighting device used in the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1, and they are not listed one by one here.

[0066] In some embodiments, the shielding shell 6 includes a shell 61 and a shell cover 62. The window 8 is provided on the side of the shell 61. The connector 63 of the scanner body is provided on the shell 61 on the back of the window 8. A recess is provided on the shell 61. The scanner body 15 and the reflector 7 are provided in the recess. The shell cover 62 is provided on the recess. This not only ensures that the scanner body can smoothly collect light outside the shield, but also allows the scanner body to be covered in the shielding shell as completely as possible to avoid the window facing the scanner body, thereby achieving the best protection effect.

[0067] In some more specific embodiments, the shell 61 has a cube or a cuboid shape, the window 8 is provided on a first side surface of the shell 61 , the recess is provided on a second side surface of the shell 61 , and the first side surface is adjacent to the second side surface.

[0068] In some embodiments, the shielding shell 6 includes at least three layers, including an outer shell layer, a neutron shielding layer, and a gamma shielding layer from the outside to the inside, so as to take into account the attenuation of gamma rays and the slowing absorption of neutrons in the irradiation environment.

[0069] In this embodiment, the outer shell material is aluminum alloy, the neutron shielding layer material is 20% boron carbide polyethylene, and the gamma shielding layer material is tungsten alloy. The advantages of the shielding shell composed of this composite material are: 1) The boron-containing polyethylene layer (i.e., the neutron shielding layer) located in the outer layer is rich in H hydrogen atoms and B10 boron atoms. H has excellent fast neutron slowing ability, slowing down fast neutrons into thermal neutrons, and B10 has a large thermal neutron absorption cross-section, absorbing most of the thermal neutrons injected into the environment. The use of this mixed material can make the use of the code scanner better, and can significantly improve the applicability of the electronic components of the code scanner in a complex irradiation environment (both neutrons and gamma rays). 2) B10 boron atoms will generate secondary gamma rays while absorbing thermal neutrons. Placing the boron carbide polyethylene layer outside the tungsten alloy layer (i.e., the gamma shielding layer) can absorb the secondary gamma rays generated by the tungsten alloy in the inner layer, thereby better protecting the code scanner body located in the center.

[0070] In summary, the radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner of this embodiment has at least the following advantages:

[0071] (1) By providing a shielding shell, the scanner body can be protected, which helps to enhance the radiation resistance of the industrial scanner and can be used in an environment where the dose is much higher than that of the existing commercially available industrial scanners.

[0072] (2) By setting up external lighting equipment, compared with the built-in lighting used in existing commercially available industrial barcode scanners, direct illumination of the surface of the metal coding medium can be avoided. Instead, diffuse reflected light formed by illuminating surrounding objects can be used to illuminate the surface of the metal coding medium, thereby improving the industrial barcode scanner's ability to recognize graphic codes on the surface of smooth stainless steel or other metal coding media, making it more suitable for application in the nuclear energy industry.

[0073] Example 2

[0074] This embodiment discloses a method for manufacturing a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner, which is used to manufacture the radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner as described in Embodiment 1, comprising:

[0075] A shielding shell 6 is manufactured, and a viewing window 8 is provided on a side of the shielding shell 6;

[0076] The scanner body 15 and the reflector 7 are installed inside the shielding shell 6, and the front end 2 of the scanner body 15 and the mirror surface of the reflector 7 form an angle of 45°, and the window 8 and the reflector 7 also form an angle of 45°;

[0077] An external lighting device 10 is installed outside the shielding shell 6 to provide supplementary light for the graphic code and assist the code scanner body 15 in scanning the code and forming an image.

[0078] Specifically, the shielding shell 6 includes at least three layers, which are an outer shell layer, a neutron shielding layer, and a gamma shielding layer from the outside to the inside, so as to take into account the attenuation of gamma rays and the slowing absorption of neutrons in the irradiation environment. The shielding shell includes a shell 61 and a shell cover 62. The window 8 is opened on the side of the shell 61, and a recess is set on the shell 61. The scanner body 15 and the reflector 7 are installed in the recess, wherein the scanner body 15 is installed at the bottom of the recess, the front end of the scanner body 15 faces upward, and the reflector 7 is installed in the recess above the scanner body 15. The shell cover 62 is used to cover the recess.

[0079] In this embodiment, the outer shell material is aluminum alloy, the neutron shielding layer material is 20% boron carbide polyethylene, and the gamma shielding layer material is tungsten alloy. The advantages of the shielding shell composed of this composite material are: 1) The boron-containing polyethylene layer (i.e., the neutron shielding layer) located in the outer layer is rich in H hydrogen atoms and B10 boron atoms. H has excellent fast neutron slowing ability, slowing down fast neutrons into thermal neutrons, and B10 has a large thermal neutron absorption cross-section, absorbing most of the thermal neutrons injected into the environment. The use of this mixed material can make the use of the code scanner better, and can significantly improve the applicability of the electronic components of the code scanner in a complex irradiation environment (both neutrons and gamma rays). 2) B10 boron atoms will generate secondary gamma rays while absorbing thermal neutrons. Placing the boron carbide polyethylene layer outside the tungsten alloy layer (i.e., the gamma shielding layer) can absorb the secondary gamma rays generated by the tungsten alloy in the inner layer, thereby better protecting the code scanner body located in the center.

[0080] Specifically, the barcode scanner body 15 includes a camera unit 4 and a focusing unit 5, wherein: the shooting end of the camera unit 4 is located at the front end 2 of the barcode scanner body 15, and is the core component of the barcode scanner body 15. The camera unit 4 is used to shoot graphic code images, process images, identify graphic codes, and transmit signals. The graphic code enters the shooting field of view of the camera unit after being reflected by the reflector. In this embodiment, the camera unit 4 adopts the camera unit 4 used in the existing commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1. The camera unit 4 is composed of a lens and an image sensor, an image processor, a barcode scanning and recognition chip, a communication interface, a driving power supply and other devices, and its structure is not described one by one here; the focusing unit 5 is arranged on one side of the camera unit 4, and is used to assist the barcode scanner body 15 to aim at the graphic code. In this embodiment, the focusing unit 5 adopts the focusing unit 5 used in the commercially available industrial barcode scanner 1, which is composed of a lens and a laser diode, a driving power supply and other devices, and its structure is not described one by one here.

[0081] Specifically, the external lighting device 10 includes a lighting unit and a universal adjustment bracket. The lighting unit is installed outside the shielding shell 6 through the universal adjustment bracket. The universal adjustment bracket is adjusted to adjust the illumination direction of the lighting unit by 360° rotation.

[0082] In some embodiments, Figure 6-10 As shown, the lighting unit includes a mounting base 31, glass and LED array 32, cable and connector 34, and heat sink fins 33, wherein: the glass and LED array 32 are arranged on the first surface (irradiation surface) of the mounting base 31, and are connected to the cable and connector 34; the heat sink fins 33 are arranged on the second surface of the mounting base 31; the mounting base 31 is connected to the universal adjustment bracket 35 through the pitch locking nut, and the universal adjustment bracket 35 is installed and fixed outside the shielding shell 6 (such as the top or side). By loosening the pitch locking nut at the connection between the mounting base 31 of the lighting unit and the universal adjustment bracket 35, the irradiation direction of the external lighting device 10 can be adjusted 360 degrees.

[0083] In this embodiment, the glass and LED array 32 are preferably a 4*3 2700K warm white LED array; the cable and connector 34 (such as an M12 connector) are preferably arranged on the second surface, and the second surface is preferably the back of the first surface (the irradiated surface), that is, a lead-out cable and an M12 connector are provided from the back of the mounting base 31; the universal adjustment bracket 35 is preferably on the side of the lighting unit, that is, the side of the mounting base 31 of the lighting unit is connected to the universal adjustment bracket 35 through a pitch locking nut.

[0084] In some embodiments, Figure 7-10 As shown, a bracket (such as the bracket of the RHS-Soldier180s barcode scanner) is preferably provided on the side of the shielding shell 6, and the bracket includes a movable bracket 36 and a fixed bracket 37. One end of the movable bracket 36 is movably connected to the fixed bracket 37 through a pitch rotation lock handle 38 so as to move up and down to adjust the height. The other end of the movable bracket 36 is connected to the side of the shielding shell 6 through a horizontal rotation lock handle 39, and a lighting fixing hole 40 is provided on the end so as to install and fix the universal adjustment bracket 35 on the bracket outside the shielding shell 6 through the lighting fixing hole 40.

[0085] In some embodiments, Figure 7-10 As shown, the industrial barcode scanner may further include a built-in lighting device 41 , which is disposed below the viewing window 8 .

[0086] In some embodiments, the outer shape of the shell 61 is set to be a cube or a cuboid, the window 8 is set on the first side of the shell 61, the recess is set on the second side of the shell 61, and the first side is adjacent to the second side.

[0087] The method for manufacturing a radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner of this embodiment has at least the following advantages:

[0088] (1) By providing a shielding shell, the scanner body can be protected, which helps to enhance the radiation resistance of the industrial scanner and can be used in an environment where the dose is much higher than that of the existing commercially available industrial scanners.

[0089] (2) By setting up external lighting equipment, compared with the built-in lighting used in existing commercially available industrial barcode scanners, direct illumination of the surface of the metal coding medium can be avoided. Instead, diffuse reflected light formed by illuminating surrounding objects can be used to illuminate the surface of the metal coding medium, thereby improving the industrial barcode scanner's ability to recognize graphic codes on the surface of smooth stainless steel or other metal coding media, making it more suitable for application in the nuclear energy industry.

[0090] It is to be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner, characterized in that: It comprises a barcode scanner body (15), a shielding shell (6), a reflector (7) and an external lighting device (10); The barcode scanner body and the reflector are both arranged inside the shielding shell, the front end of the barcode scanner body and the mirror surface of the reflector form an angle of 45°, and a window (10) is provided on the side of the shielding shell, and the window and the reflector also form an angle of 45°; The external lighting device is arranged outside the shielding shell, and is used to supplement the light of the graphic code and assist the barcode scanner body in scanning and imaging the code.

2. The radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The barcode scanner body is arranged at the bottom end of the inside of the shielding shell, the front end of the barcode scanner body faces upward, and the reflector is located above the barcode scanner body.

3. The radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The barcode scanner body comprises a camera unit (4) and a focus unit (5). The shooting end of the camera unit is located at the front end of the scanner body. The graphic code enters the shooting field of the camera unit after being reflected by the reflector. The camera unit is used to shoot the graphic code image, process the image, identify the graphic code and transmit the signal; The focusing unit is arranged on one side of the camera unit and is used to assist the barcode scanner body to aim at the graphic code.

4. The radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external lighting device includes a lighting unit and a universal adjustment bracket. The lighting unit is installed outside the shielding shell through the universal adjustment bracket, and the universal adjustment bracket is used for adjusting the irradiation direction of the lighting unit by 360° rotation.

5. The radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shielding shell comprises a shell (61) and a shell cover (62), wherein the viewing window is arranged on a side surface of the shell. The shell body is provided with a recessed portion, the barcode scanner body and the reflector are arranged in the recessed portion, and the shell cover is arranged on the recessed portion.

6. The radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to claim 5, characterized in that: The shell has a cube or a cuboid shape, the window is arranged on a first side surface of the shell, the recess is arranged on a second side surface of the shell, and the first side surface is adjacent to the first side surface.

7. The radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shielding shell comprises at least three layers of structure, which are an outer shell layer, a neutron shielding layer and a gamma shielding layer from the outside to the inside.

8. A method for manufacturing the radiation-resistant industrial barcode scanner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: Making a shielding shell and opening a window on the side of the shielding shell; Install the scanner body and the reflector inside the shielding shell, and make the front end of the scanner body form a 45° angle with the mirror surface of the reflector, and make the window and the reflector also form a 45° angle; An external lighting device is installed outside the shielding shell to supplement the light of the graphic code and assist the barcode scanner to scan and image the code.

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