Multi-beam apparatus for measuring surface quality
US6509964B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 15, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jan 21, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 21, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/57
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus for measuring the visual characteristics of a surface of a workpiece includes two separate light sources. The first source provides one or more focused beams of light which strike the workpiece at a first angle and are reflected therefrom. The second source provides one or more unfocused beams of light which strike the workpiece at a second angle, different from the first angle, and are reflected therefrom. All of the reflected beams converge onto a single photo detector. The beams are time multiplexed so that the photo detector only reads one beam at a time. The output of the photo detector is processed to provide surface quality measurements of the workpiece such as gloss, distinctness of image and orange peel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.