Optical Sensor for Material Web Orientation Detection

The patent replaces the mechanical roller-based deviation correction system with an optical measurement system. Instead of using physical rollers to mechanically adjust and hold the material web at the predetermined level, the invention uses a sensor device with light transmitters and sensor elements to optically detect and measure deviations. This substitution eliminates the need for additional mechanical rollers while maintaining measurement precision through non-contact optical sensing.

The patent creates an optical copy or representation of the material web's position and orientation through light beams and sensor signals. Rather than physically interacting with the material web to correct deviations, the system projects light beams onto the material web and captures the reflected or transmitted light patterns with sensor elements, creating an informational copy of the deviation state that can be measured and used for control purposes.

The patent eliminates the harmful mechanical contact between support rollers and the material web by substituting the mechanical measurement system with an optical one. Light beams pass through or reflect off the material web without physical contact, preventing warping and wrinkling while maintaining the ability to accurately measure deviations from the predetermined level.

The patent introduces light beams as an intermediary between the sensor device and the material web. Instead of direct mechanical contact between rollers and the material web surface, the light beams serve as a non-contact mediator that carries information about the material web's position and orientation, enabling measurement without physical interference or damage.