System for, and method of, irradiating articles to sterilize the articles

摘要

A first robotic assembly transfers articles from carriers on a transport mechanism at a loading area to a first load conveyor. The conveyor transfers the articles to a process conveyor which moves the articles through a target region at a substantially constant speed. The process conveyor then transfers the articles to a second load conveyor. A second robotic assembly then transfers the articles to article carriers on the transport mechanism at an unloading area. The load and process conveyors may be divided into two tracks. First and second radiation sources respectively disposed at first and second gaps in the process conveyor in the target region respectively irradiate the articles in both tracks in opposite directions from positions above and below the articles. Articles on the tracks may be (a) diverged on the first load conveyor to separate the articles from the dividers, (b) converged on the process conveyor to minimize the width of the radiation sources and (c) diverged on the second load conveyor. If one of the radiation sources is not operative, the other source may irradiate the opposite sides of the articles during article movements sequentially on the first tracks of the first load conveyor, the process conveyor and the second load conveyor and then sequentially on the second tracks of the first load conveyor, the process conveyor and the second load conveyor. The articles are inverted during their transfer from the first track of the second load conveyor to the second track of the first load conveyor.