# US 11,896,985 B2 · System for analysing drops and coating installation comprising such a system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,896,985 B2 - Document ID: US11896985B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/850,305 - Filed: 2022-06-27 - Published: 2022-12-29 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-28 - Assignees: Exel Industries - Applicants: Exel Industries - Inventors: Cédric Le Strat; Juan Guillermo Palacio - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896985B2 ## CPC - B05B 12/082: {responsive to a condition of the discharged jet or spray, e.g. to jet shape, spray pattern or droplet size} - B05B 13/002: {Machines or plants for applying coating liquids or other fluent materials by inkjet} - B05B 13/0433: {the work being vehicle components, e.g. vehicle bodies} - B05B 13/0452: {the objects being vehicle components, e.g. vehicle bodies} - B05B 14/00: Arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material (arrangements integral with nozzles B05B1/28) - B41J 2/2142: {Detection of malfunctioning nozzles (generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045, B41J2/05; jet deflection sensors B41J2/125; for cleaning purposes B41J2/16579)} - G01N 15/0227: using imaging; using holography - G01N 15/1434: Optical arrangements - G01N 15/1459: {the analysis being performed on a sample stream} - B05B 13/0431: {with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to three-dimensional [3D] surfaces} - B41J 2/16508: {connected with the printer frame} - G01N 2015/1493: {Particle size} - G01N 2015/1497: {Particle shape} - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A system for analysing drops capable of being ejected by a coating product applicator, includes a light source configured to illuminate a drop ejection zone, designated observation zone; a first image acquisition device configured to acquire an image of the observation zone; and an image analyser configured to determine, from the image of the observation zone, the presence of drops at a given distance from the applicator, the size of the drops and the absence of satellite; the light source and the first image acquisition device being situated on a same side of the observation zone. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for analysing drops capable of being ejected by a coating product applicator, said system comprising: a light source configured to illuminate a drop ejection zone, which forms an observation zone; a first image acquisition device configured to acquire an image of the observation zone; a second image acquisition device configured to acquire an image of the observation zone; an image analyser configured to determine, from the image of the observation zone, a presence of drops at a given distance from the coating product applicator, a size of the drops and an absence of satellite; and wherein the light source and the first image acquisition device are situated on a same side of the observation zone, the second image acquisition device being arranged on the same side of the observation zone as the light source and the first image acquisition device, the first and second image acquisition devices being situated on either side of the light source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the light source has a light propagation axis, wherein the first image acquisition device has a first optical axis situated in a same plane as the light propagation axis, the first optical axis forming with the light propagation axis an angle α1 greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 45°. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, further comprising a background situated opposite the light source with respect to the observation zone, the background comprising a first part of a first hue and a second part of a second hue, the first hue being darker than the second hue. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the first image acquisition device is configured to acquire images of the observation zone at an acquisition frequency less than or equal to the drop ejection frequency divided by two. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4, wherein the first image acquisition device is configured to acquire images of the observation zone at an acquisition frequency less than or equal to the drop ejection frequency divided by five. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the first image acquisition device is controlled by a circuit for controlling the ejection of the drops. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a stroboscope and wherein a frequency of the stroboscope is equal to n times an acquisition frequency of the first image acquisition device, with n a natural integer greater than or equal to 2. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system according to claim 7, wherein n is greater than or equal to 5. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the image analyser is further configured to determine, from the image of the observation zone, one or more characteristics chosen from among the following: a direction of the drops, a shape of the drops, a point of creation of the drops and a speed of the drops. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A coating installation comprising: a multi-axis robot comprising a moveable arm; a coating product applicator mounted at an end of the moveable arm and comprising at least one drop ejection nozzle; and a system for analysing drops according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The coating installation according to claim 10, further comprising: a cabin in which the multi-axis robot is arranged; at least one glazed wall; the light source and the first image acquisition device being arranged outside of the cabin and separated from the observation zone by said at least one glazed wall. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The coating installation according to claim 11, wherein said at least one glazed wall belongs to the cabin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The coating installation according to claim 11, wherein the system for analysing drops further comprises a casing, wherein said at least one glazed wall belongs to the casing and wherein the casing is arranged in an opening made in a side wall of the cabin. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The coating installation according to claim 10, further comprising: a cabin in which the multi-axis robot is arranged; a caisson arranged inside the cabin and provided with at least one glazed wall; the light source and the first image acquisition device being arranged inside the caisson and separated from the observation zone by said at least one glazed wall. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The coating installation according to claim 10, wherein the system for analysing drops further comprises a third image acquisition device oriented towards a face of the coating product applicator in which said at least one drop ejection nozzle is arranged. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The coating installation according to claim 10, wherein the coating product applicator is a drop on demand type print head.