MEASURING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SAME
First Claim
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;
- anda 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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
19 Claims
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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.
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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.
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4. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the light source and sensor units utilise laser light sources.
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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.
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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.
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7. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor unit is any processor unit that is capable of calculating,
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8. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor unit is as a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or Programmable Controller (PC).
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9. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the light source and sensor units are provided in single a protective housing.
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10. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the each of the light source and sensor units are provided behind a protective shield.
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11. The measuring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the protective shield is constructed of a diffuse material to provide the diffuse target surface.
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12. The measuring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the protective shield has a concave profile.
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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.
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14. A method for measuring the distance to a surface with fluctuating reflectivity, the method comprising the method steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification