MEASURING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SAME

• US 20160313117A1
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hatch Limited (Hatchcos Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hatch Limited (Hatchcos Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: PEARCEY, Owen
• Granted Patent: US 10,288,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/20 Strips; Plates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/524 Position of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/026 by measuring distance between sensor and object G01B11/0608 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0683 measurement during deposition or removal of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/02 Details

Abstract

A measuring apparatus, for measuring the distance to a surface having fluctuating reflectivity, the measuring apparatus comprising, a measuring light source and sensor unit positioned at an angle to the perpendicular of the surface to allow the light to be reflected to a diffuse target surface in a known position; and a processor unit, wherein the processor unit is adapted to collect and analyse data from the a measuring light source and sensor unit and classify whether the reading of the measuring light source and sensor unit is a direct reading or a reflected reading.

Claims

1. A measuring apparatus, for measuring the distance to a surface having fluctuating reflectivity, the measuring apparatus comprising,

a measuring light source and sensor unit positioned at an angle to the perpendicular of the surface to allow the light to be reflected to a diffuse target surface in a known position;

and

a processor unit,

wherein the processor unit is adapted to collect and analyse data from the measuring light source and classify whether the reading of the measuring light source and sensor unit is a direct reading or a reflected reading.

2. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring apparatus further comprises:

a reference light source and sensor unit positioned apart from the surface and directed at a reference target at a known position,

wherein the processor unit is further adapted to collect and analyse data from the reference light source and sensor unit and thereby classify whether the reading of the measuring light source and sensor unit is a direct reading or a reflected reading.

3. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the light source and sensor units utilises laser, infra-red or LED light sources.

4. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the light source and sensor units utilise laser light sources.

5. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus utilises two or more measuring light source and sensor units in a planar orientation spaced along the width of the surface.

6. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus utilises two reference light source and sensor units positioned on each side of the surface.

7. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor unit is any processor unit that is capable of calculating,

8. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor unit is as a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or Programmable Controller (PC).

9. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the light source and sensor units are provided in single a protective housing.

10. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the each of the light source and sensor units are provided behind a protective shield.

11. The measuring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the protective shield is constructed of a diffuse material to provide the diffuse target surface.

12. The measuring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the protective shield has a concave profile.

13. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus measures the distance between an air knife and a coated strip surface during an air wiping process in which a strip of coated metal is passed between two opposed parallel air knives.

14. A method for measuring the distance to a surface with fluctuating reflectivity, the method comprising the method steps of:

taking a reading from a measuring light source and sensor unit positioned at an angle to the perpendicular of the surface to allow the light to be reflected to a diffuse target surface in a known position; and

utilising a processor unit adapted to collect and analyse the reading from the measuring light source classifies whether the reading of the measuring light source and sensor unit is a direct reading or a reflected reading.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

taking a reading from a reference light source and sensor unit positioned apart from the surface and directed at a reference target at a known position,

wherein the processor unit is further adapted to collect and analyse data from the reference light source and sensor unit and thereby classify whether the reading of the measuring light source and sensor unit is a direct reading or a reflected reading.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method utilises the reading of two or more measuring light source and sensor units in a planar orientation spaced along the width of the surface.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises utilising readings from two reference light source and sensor units positioned on each side of the surface.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises the comparison of the reading of the measuring light source and sensor unit and the reading of the reference light source and sensor unit.

19. The method for measuring the distance between an air knife and a coated strip surface during an air wiping process in which a strip of coated metal is passed between two opposed parallel air knives, the method comprising the method steps of claim 14.