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US 2003/0193817 A1Published application
Lighting unit
AssigneeCCS Inc.
InventorsKenji Yoneda, Shigeki Masumura
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AssigneeCCS Inc.
InventorsKenji Yoneda, Shigeki Masumura
Estimating the term…
An efficient lighting unit with improvements in ease of moving its head, reliability and the like is provided. The lighting unit includes: heads 6A and 6B defining illuminating apertures 6Aa and 6Ba, respectively, for directing light to an object W to be illuminated, the heads 6A and 6B being supported by a movable support member 1; LED light source devices 5A and 5B mounted at the movable support member 1 for emitting light when supplied with electric power from an electric power source 3 disposed separately from the movable support member 1 through an electric cable 4; and flexible optical fibers 7A and 7B for guiding light from the LED light source devices 5A and 5B to the respective illuminating apertures 6Aa and 6Ba of the heads 6A and 6B.
A lighting unit comprising:
A lighting unit comprising:
A lighting unit comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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The light guides being of the fibre type: the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination: specially adapted optical and illumination features
The light guides being of the fibre type: coupling light into the fibre
Term end not estimated
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lighting units for use in inspecting products for their outward appearances, flaws or finished conditions, or in position detection or like applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a lighting unit according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) are a vertical sectional view and a rear view, respectively, of a first LED light source device in the same embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front elevational view of a second LED light source device in the same embodiment;
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout several views.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a lighting unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes an XY stage 1 as a movable support member that is biaxially movable in a horizontal plane, i.e., horizontally movable along X-axis and Y-axis. The lighting unit includes a unit body 2 supported by the XY stage 1, an electric power source 3 installed separately from the XY stage 1, LED light source devices 5A and 5B to be supplied with electric power from the electric power source 3 through a robot cable 4, heads 6A and 6B mounted on the unit body 2 and defining illuminating apertures 6Aa and 6Ba, respectively, for directing light to a work W as an object to be illuminated, optical fiber bundles 7A and 7B as light guides for guiding light from the LED light source devices 5A and 5B to the heads 6A and 6B, and an image pick-up device 8 for imaging the work W. The lighting unit is adapted to apply light outgoing from the illuminating apertures 6Aa and 6Ba onto the work W as an object to be inspected that has been conveyed to a predetermined position by a conveyor unit and inspect the outward appearance of the work W by means of the image pick-up device 8.
Description will be made of each part of the lighting unit.