Illumination device for providing continuous diffuse light on and off an observing axis
OwnerTimothy P. Whiteinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An illumination device for illuminating an object to be observed, by a machine vision camera of the like for example, with a continuous diffuse wide angle light which is supplied both along the viewing axis of the machine vision camera and off axis. The diffuser of the present invention is tilted with respect to the observation axis so that the diffuser is not viewable by the object to be observed. This provides better uniformity of the light which illuminates the object. A second diffuser may be utilized to provide illumination of the object with light of reduced intensity.
Claims20
An illumination device for illuminating an object to be observed by a camera along an observation axis extending from the camera to the object, said illumination device comprising:
- a housing having at least one aperture therein aligned with an observation axis;
- a partially reflective beam splitter being supported by said housing and being positioned obliquely relative to the observation axis adjacent said at least one aperture;
- a light source being arranged to cast light on a first surface of said beam splitter;
- and
- a diffuser being positioned between said first surface of said beam splitter and said light source for diffusing light from said light source as the light passes through said diffuser to said beam splitter;
- wherein at least a first portion of said diffuser, facing said beam splitter, is inclined a sufficient distance relative to the observation axis so that at least the first portion of the surface of said diffuser facing said beam splitter is invisible by any portion of an object to be observed when the object is positioned along the observation axis.
In an illumination device, for illuminating an object to be observed by a camera along an observation axis extending from the camera to the object, comprising a housing having at least one aperture therein aligned with an observation axis;
- a partially reflective beam splitter being supported by said housing and being positioned obliquely relative to the observation axis adjacent said at least one aperture;
- a light source being arranged to cast light on a first surface of said beam splitter;
- and a diffuser being positioned between said first surface of said beam splitter and said light source for diffusing light from said light source as the light passes through said diffuser to said beam splitter;
- wherein at least a first portion of said diffuser facing said beam splitter is inclined a sufficient distance relative to the observation axis such that an emitting surface of said diffuser is completely hidden from direct viewing by the object to be observed, when the object is positioned on the observation axis and during use of said illumination device, whereby at least the first portion of said diffuser only indirectly illuminates the object to be observed by reflect.
A method of illuminating an object to be observed by a camera along an observation axis extending from the camera to the object, said method comprising the steps of:
- utilizing a housing having at least one aperture therein aligned with an observation axis;
- supporting a partially reflective beam splitter within said housing, and positioning said partially reflective beam splitter obliquely relative to the observation axis adjacent said at least one aperture;
- arranging a light source to cast light on a first surface of said beam splitter;
- and
- positioning a diffuser between said first surface of said beam splitter and said light source for diffusing light from said light source as the light passes through said diffuser to said beam splitter;
- and
- inclining at least a first portion of said diffuser facing said beam splitter a sufficient distance relative to the observation axis so that at least the first portion of the surface of said diffuser facing said beam splitter is not directly visible by any portion of an object to be observed when the object is positioned along the observation axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.