Article conveying system with diffuse illumination
AssigneeCompac Technologies Limited
InventorsDuncan Galbraith, Michael Edmondson, Simon Knightley
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Abstract
This invention relates to an article inspection system having one or more endless article conveyors configured to convey articles along one or more conveying paths. One or more light sources and one or more light diffusers are provided, wherein each light diffuser is positioned substantially at or below the level of the articles when conveyed along the conveying paths so as to illuminate, using light from the one or more light sources, at least side portions of the articles with substantially diffuse light when the articles are conveyed along the conveying path(s). At least one camera is positioned to image articles which are conveyed along the conveying paths.
Claims17
An article inspection system comprising:
- one or more endless article conveyors configured to convey articles along one or more conveying paths;
- one or more light sources;
- and
- one or more lane dividers, each lane divider positioned adjacent one of the one or more conveying paths, each lane divider comprising an elongate housing having a longitudinal axis, the elongated housing having a cross-sectional shape in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis in a form selected from the group consisting of;
- an arch, bell-shape, upturned U and upturned V, the housing comprising one or more light diffusers, wherein each light diffuser is positioned substantially at or below the level of the articles when conveyed along the one or more conveying paths so as to illuminate, using light from the one or more light sources, at least side portions of the articles with substantially diffuse light when the articles are conveyed along the one or more conveying path(s);
- each light diffuser comprising an elongate light emitting surface which has a length such that parts of the light emitting surface are substantially adjacent a plurality of articles when the articles are conveyed down the one or more conveying path;
- the article inspection system further comprising at least one camera positioned to image articles conveyed along the one or more conveying paths.
An article inspection system as claimed in, wherein the one or more light diffusers comprise a plurality of second translucent light diffusers and each one or more lane dividers comprises one or more of the second translucent light diffusers positioned to diffuse light emitted by the one or more light sources so that diffuse light is incident on the reflective one or more light diffuser(s).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.