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US 5,168,322 AGranted
Surface inspection using retro-reflective light field
AssigneeDiffracto Ltd.
InventorsDonald A. Clarke, Rodger L. Reynolds, Timothy R. Pryor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to an electro-optical technique which senses form type and other defects on surfaces such as sheet metal or plastic panels. Method and apparatus are disclosed for allowing the inspection of the entire surface of interest from a single point of view while reducing the complexity of defects' optical signatures to simplify their subsequent analysis.
Claims14
A method of inspecting a flat surface comprising the steps of:
- illuminating a retro-reflective screen with light reflected from a beam splitter;
- imaging with an image sensor the light from the screen which passes through the beam splitter and is then reflected from the flat surface;
- and
- determining, from the image detected by the image sensor, a condition of the flat surface.
1 more element
A method of inspecting a curved surface comprising the steps of:
- illuminating a retro-reflective screen with light reflected first from a curved master surface and thence from a beam splitter;
- imaging with an image sensor the light from the screen which passes through the beam splitter and is then reflected from the curved surface;
- and
- determining, from the image detected by the image sensor, a condition of the curved surface.
1 more element
An apparatus for inspecting a surface comprising:
- a source of light;
- a retro-reflective screen;
- a beam splitter means provided between the surface and the screen for directing a portion of the light from the light source to the retro-reflective screen to form a light field;
- and
- an imaging means for imaging the surface with light from the light field which passes back through said beam splitter means from said screen and is reflected from the surface whereby a condition of the surface is determined by the surface image.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.