System for automatically inspecting a flat sheet part
US5184217A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 2, 1990 |
| Grant date | Feb 2, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 2, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/024
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An inspection system for automatically documenting and verifying the perimeters and hole dimensions of flat sheet metal workpiece. The system includes an inspection table with a transparent surface upon which the workpiece is placed. A servo controlled rack and pinion gear driven carriage which travels along the table on rails in the X direction. The carriage consists of a shelf above the table containing a fluorescent tube lamp for back illuminating the workpiece, and a shelf below the table surface containing an optical/sensor imaging array module which travels on rails cross the width of the carriage in the Y direction servo driven via a ball screw drive. The optical sensor imaging array is responsive to light energy, detecting light-to-dark and dark-to-light transitions as it scans across the workpiece, the scan transition addresses being representative of the location of the edges of the workpiece. The X and Y axis transition data is processed and stored in a microcomputer for subsequent display, plotting and/or print out.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.