Continuous color measurement for small fabric samples

Apparatus for determining the color of swatches of fabric, having a length significantly greater than its width comprising:

• (a) a filter colorimeter head for continuously sampling a swatch along its entire length;
• (b) an A/D converter directly connected to the filter colorimeter head for receiving analog signals from the colorimeter head and converting them to digital signals;
• (c) computer means directly connected to the A/D convertor to receive digital signals from the A/D convertor and store them, and subsequently for analyzing the stored digital signals to determine average color of the swatch, and
• (d) means for moving the swatch of fabric continuously past, and in operative association with, said colorimeter head.

Apparatus for determining the color of swatches of fabric, comprising:

• (a) a filter colorimeter head in a housing, including an electrically powered light source, and capable of taking at least 100 readings/second of a swatch of fabric continuously moved with respect to the colorimeter head;
• (b) an A/D convertor directly connected to the filter colorimeter head for receiving analog signals from the colorimeter head and converting them to digital signals;
• (c) computer means directly connected to the A/D convertor to receive digital signals from the A/D convertor and store them, and subsequently for analyzing the stored digital signals to determine an average color of the switch;
• and
• (d) means for monitoring the voltage to said light source to calibrate the digital signals from the A/D convertor depending on the voltage to said light source.

Apparatus for moving a swatch of fabric with respect to a colorimeter head, comprising:

• (a) a filter colorimeter head having a housing with a generally planar surface having a viewing port therein in operative association with the colorimeter head;
• (b) swatch detection means mounted on said generally planar surface at first side of said viewing port;
• (c) swatch moving means mounted on said generally planar surface and extending from said swatch detection means toward and to a second side of said viewing port, opposite said first side, for engaging a swatch of fabric resting on said housing generally planar surface and moving the fabric from said first side of said viewing port to said second side thereof;
• said means including power means;
• and
• (d) adjustment means for adjusting the position of said swatch moving means with respect to said housing generally planar surface to accommodate fabric swatches of different dimensions.

A method of determining color of non-rigid fabric swatches, utilizing a colorimeter head including an electrically powered light source, an A/D convertor, and computer means, comprising the steps of:

• (a) continuously moving a swatch of non-rigid fabric with respect to the colorimeter head light source;
• (b) continuously sampling the swatch with the colorimeter head until the length of the entire swatch has been sampled and analog signals have been generated for all readings;
• (c) continuously converting the analog signals from the colorimeter head to digital signals utilizing the A/D convertor, and passing the digital signals to storage in the computer means;
• (d) monitoring the voltage to the light source to calibrate the digital signals from the A/D convertor to the computer means depending upon the voltage;
• and
• (e) after completion of step (b), analyzing the stored digital signals with the computer means to determine average coloration of the fabric swatch.