Compact in-line non-contact optical property measurement system
AssigneeNDC Technologies, Inc.
InventorsWilhelm WAGNER, Phillip Coleman JONES
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are compact, on line, real-time, non-contact optical property measurement systems and methods thereof capable of measuring optical quality such as haze, clarity, luminance of a film during the film manufacturing process. More specifically, the optical property measurement system can move in the transverse direction along the film while the film is on the line, thereby measuring the optical property of the film in real time at various locations on the film in both the transverse and machine direction.
Claims20
An optical property measurement system comprising:
- a transmitter, the transmitter comprising:
- a diffuse reflector comprising a first aperture and a second aperture;
- a direct light source configured to direct light through the second aperture and first aperture toward a sample spaced apart from the first aperture at less than a predetermined amount of degrees around an illumination axis between the direct light source and a receiver,
- wherein the diffuse reflector comprises at least one light source adjacent the first aperture and configured to direct light at an inner surface of the diffuse reflector such that it is reflected out the first aperture towards the sample over a range of angles greater than or equal to the predetermined amount of degrees around the illumination axis;
- and
- the receiver configured to detect light from the direct light source and the at least one light source that is scattered by the sample to an angle of less than the predetermined amount of degrees around the illumination axis, wherein the system is configured to determine an optical property of the sample based on the scattered light detected from the at least one light source and the direct light source.
A method of measuring an optical property of a sample, comprising:
- illuminating a sample via at least one light source, wherein the at least one light source is adjacent a first aperture of a diffuse reflector and configured to direct light at an inner surface of the diffuse reflector such that it is reflected out the first aperture towards the sample over a range of angles greater than or equal to a predetermined amount of degrees around an illumination axis between a direct light source and a receiver;
- detecting light from the at least one light source that is scattered by the sample to an angle of less than the predetermined amount of degrees around the illumination axis;
- illuminating a sample via the direct light source configured to direct light through a second aperture of the truncated spherical diffuse reflector and through the first aperture at less than the predetermined amount of degrees around the illumination axis;
- and
- detecting light from the direct light source that is scattered by the sample to an angle of less than the predetermined amount of degrees around the illumination axis;
- and
- determining an optical property of the sample based on the scattered light detected from the at least one light source and the direct light source,
- wherein the sample is spaced apart from the first aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.