Diffuser Plate Illumination for Specular Measurement of Painted Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Achieving highly accurate measurement of painted surfaces with varying normal directions and curvatures has been a challenge due to the difficulty in positioning light sources appropriately for specular reflection.
Innovation Solution
A measuring apparatus with an illuminator and light receiver configuration, where a diffuser plate is used to diffuse light beams, ensuring the light source and diffuser plate distances satisfy specific conditional expressions, allowing for specular reflection capture regardless of surface tilting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple light sources are positioned to illuminate surfaces with varying normal directions and curvatures, then measurement accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system is divided into multiple independent light sources arranged in an array, each capable of illuminating specific regions of the object surface. This segmentation allows the system to handle surfaces with varying normal directions by activating appropriate light sources without requiring complex positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional single-point light sources to a distributed light source array, adding a spatial dimension to the illumination system. This dimensional change enables the system to accommodate surfaces with different orientations and curvatures by selecting appropriate light sources from the array, thereby improving measurement accuracy without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If light sources are positioned for specular reflection from tilted surfaces, then measurement accuracy improves, but light source quantity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system is divided into multiple independent light sources arranged in an array, each capable of illuminating specific regions of the object surface. This segmentation allows the system to handle surfaces with varying normal directions by activating appropriate light sources without requiring complex positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects and activates appropriate light sources from the array based on the surface orientation and measurement requirements. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt to different surface tilts and curvatures, capturing specular reflection accurately while avoiding the need to position all light sources simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables highly accurate measurement of painted surfaces by ensuring consistent light reception and reduced light source requirements, even with varying surface orientations.
Implementation Method 1
a diffuser plate to diffuse the light beam emitted from the light source to illuminate a surface of the object with a diffused light beam
Implementation Method 2
The light receiver receives reflection light specularly reflected from the surface of the object illuminated by the illuminator
Data Source
AI summary
A measuring apparatus includes an illuminator and a light receiver. The illuminator includes a light source to emit a light beam to an object conveyed in a conveyance direction; and a diffuser plate to diffuse the light beam emitted from the light source to illuminate a surface of the object with a diffused light beam. The light receiver receives reflection light specularly reflected from the surface of the object illuminated by the illuminator. A conditional expression below is satisfied:L1>L2whereL1 denotes a distance between the light source and the diffuser plate, andL2 denotes a distance between the diffuser plate and the surface of the object.