Densitometer head with fiber optics
First Claim
1. A densitometer head comprising a housing having first and second opposing walls, said first wall having apertures therein from which light is directed to a surface and reflected light received therefrom, a light source disposed in said housing for directing light therefrom onto the surface to be tested, first optical elements disposed between said light source and said first wall for directing the light onto the surface to be tested, second optical elements proximate said first wall for receiving light reflected from the surface, transducers for sensing the light received from the surface and disposed adjacent said second wall, light transmitting means comprising at least one fiber optics element per transducer for conducting light from said second optical elements to said transducers, said fiber optics elements extending from a location intermediate said first wall and said light source and extending to said transducers, and electrical circuit means for connecting said transducers to processing circuitry external of the head, each of the fiber optics elements in said head for conducting light to said transducers has first and second adjusting means connected respectively to the opposite ends of the fiber optics element to adjust the optical alignment transversely of the light received by and transmitted from the ends of the fiber optics elements, said fiber optics elements being flexible.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Densitometer head having a light source and optics for directing light onto a surface, optics and transducers for receiving and sensing light reflected from the surface, and external connections to signal processing circuitry. Fiber optics are used to receive the reflected light and transmit it to the sensors. The sensors, light source and optics are located in an in-line arrangement. Adjusting means are provided for adjusting the fiber optics relative to the light receiving optics and the sensors. The head is also provided with selected color filters which can be remotely selected. Purge air keeps the densitometer lenses clean.
21 Citations
9 Claims
- 1. A densitometer head comprising a housing having first and second opposing walls, said first wall having apertures therein from which light is directed to a surface and reflected light received therefrom, a light source disposed in said housing for directing light therefrom onto the surface to be tested, first optical elements disposed between said light source and said first wall for directing the light onto the surface to be tested, second optical elements proximate said first wall for receiving light reflected from the surface, transducers for sensing the light received from the surface and disposed adjacent said second wall, light transmitting means comprising at least one fiber optics element per transducer for conducting light from said second optical elements to said transducers, said fiber optics elements extending from a location intermediate said first wall and said light source and extending to said transducers, and electrical circuit means for connecting said transducers to processing circuitry external of the head, each of the fiber optics elements in said head for conducting light to said transducers has first and second adjusting means connected respectively to the opposite ends of the fiber optics element to adjust the optical alignment transversely of the light received by and transmitted from the ends of the fiber optics elements, said fiber optics elements being flexible.
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5. A densitometer head comprising a housing having first and second opposed walls, said first wall forming a viewing face for the densitometer head and having apertures laterally spaced therein for directing light onto a surface to be tested and for receiving light therefrom, means for directing light from said first wall onto the surface to be tested comprising a lamp disposed within said head, means for receiving light reflected from the surface through a light receiving aperture in said first wall comprising a lens element having an optical centerline, a light sensor disposed within said head, a flexible fiber optics element for conducting light received from said lens element to said sensor, first adjusting means connected to the end of said fiber optics element adjacent said lens element to align the fiber optics element transversely of the optical axis of said lens element, and second adjusting means connected to the end of said fiber optics element adjacent said sensor to effect alignment of that end of the fiber optics transversely of an optical axis for transmitting light to said sensor.
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6. A densitometer head comprising
a housing having an apertured face for transmitting light, a light source arranged in said housing for illuminating an external surface disposed proximate said face, said surface having both a test area whose optical reflection density is to be measured and a density reference area, sensing means in said housing including first and second photosensitive transducers receiving light reflected from said test area and from said reference area respectively for producing first and second respective electrical signals, said sensing means and said light source being disposed in fixed relationship to each other and to said face, and generally along a common line extending from said face, said sensing means and said source being at different distances from said face, light conducting means comprising fiber optics means for conducting light along at least part of a distance between sensing means, said fiber optics means comprises optical components including at least one flexible fiber optics light path element and means for adjustably positioning at least one end of said fiber optics light path element transversely to the direction of light propagation in the light path, for optically aligning said fiber optics light path element with other of said optical components.
Specification