Materials Technologies Corporation

Black Decker Inc.

Tennessee Scientific, Inc.

John Nazarian Pike

Yogesh Mehrotra

Herbert Kaplan

Douglas James Paul

R Matthew Mosley

An instrument for testing fluid characteristics has a vial and a housing. The vial defines a chamber for receiving a sample of the fluid and has a cap for sealing the fluid therein. The housing defines a recess for receiving the vial. Multiple light emitting diodes and photovoltaic detectors are arranged on multiple meridional planes within the housing. The meridional planes each intersect approximately at a central axis of the chamber when the vial is placed within the recess. Modulation of the light emitting diodes and tuned processing electronics allow for simultaneous evaluation of sample characteristics such as spectral transmittance, turbidity and fluorescence. The user selects particular tests via a keypad and a display indicates the results of the chosen analysis.

Instrument and method for testing fluid characteristics

An apparatus for viewing and inspecting the surface area of an object, including a probe having a viewing window defining a field of view, and an image-forming lens within the probe. The probe also includes an image detector on an opposite side of the image-forming lens relative to the viewing window for receiving a viewed image of the surface area through the lens, and transmitting electrical signals indicative thereof. At least one of a focal length of the lens, a primary object distance between the lens and a primary target plane wherein image resolution is optimal, and a primary image distance between the lens and the detector, is selected to: (i) form the primary target plane at approximately the viewing window of the probe; (ii) focus approximately the entire field of view onto the image detector; and (iii) define a depth of the field of view at least approximately equal to a height of the field of view. At least one light source is mounted within the probe between the viewing window and the image-receiving lens. The apparatus also includes an image display remotely mounted relative to the hand-held probe and coupled to the image detector for receiving the image signals transmitted by the detector and generating an enlarged image of the viewed surface area on the display.

Apparatus for viewing and inspecting a surface area of an object

An apparatus (10) and method is provided for generating a 360.degree. view of a surface area of a three-dimensional object, such as a wire or cable, and for inspecting the surface area for flaws or imperfections. A receiving lens (12) defines an optical axis (14) extending through the object, and an origin (0) located on the optical axis within the object and spaced a predetermined distance (S) from the receiving lens (12), for generating a direct image of a front surface section of the object. A first mirror (16) is spaced a first predetermined distance (L1) from the origin (0) on another side of the object relative to the receiving lens (12) for generating a first mirror image of a first rear surface section of the object. A second mirror (18) is spaced a second predetermined distance (L2) from the origin (0) on another side of the object relative to the receiving lens (12), and on another side of the optical axis (14) relative to the first mirror, for generating a second mirror image of a second rear surface section of the object. The first and second mirror images are each defined in part by a first and second central ray (18, 22), respectively, and each central ray forms an angle of incidence (.theta.1, .theta.2) on the respective mirror. The first and second predetermined distances (L1, L2) and the angles of incidence (.theta.1, .theta.2) of the mirrors are each selected to simultaneously generate at least three spatially distinct, non-vignetting images forming a 360.degree. view of the surface area.

Apparatus and method for viewing and inspecting a circumferential

An apparatus and method is provided for generating a 360.degree. view of a surface area of a three-dimensional object, such as a wire or cable, and for inspecting the surface area for flaws or imperfections. A receiving lens defines an optical axis extending through the object, and an origin located on the optical axis within the object and spaced a predetermined distance from the receiving lens, for generating a direct image of a front surface section of the object. A first mirror is spaced a first predetermined distance from the origin on another side of the object relative to the receiving lens for generating a first mirror image of a first rear surface section of the object. A second mirror is spaced a second predetermined distance from the origin on another side of the object relative to the receiving lens, and on another side of the optical axis relative to the first mirror, for generating a second mirror image of a second rear surface section of the object. The first and second mirror images are each defined in part by a first and second central ray, respectively, and each central ray forms an angle of incidence on the respective mirror. The first and second predetermined distances and the angles of incidence of the mirrors are each selected to simultaneously generate at least three spatially distinct, non-vignetting images forming a 360.degree. view of the surface area.

An apparatus and method is provided for identifying a diffusely-reflecting material, such as a textile fabric. A light source transmits radiation onto the unknown material, and a detector receives radiation diffusely reflected by the unknown material, and generates signals indicative of diffuse-reflection characteristics of the unknown material. A processor is coupled to the detector, and includes diffuse-reflection data on a plurality of reference materials. The processor compares the diffuse-reflection characteristics of the unknown material based on the signals of the detector to the reference data, and by a process of elimination, identifies the unknown material.

Method for identifying a diffusely-reflecting material

An apparatus and method measures the roughness or some other surface dimension by transmitting a beam of light through a grating member at an angle of incidence relative to the grating member. The grating member has a plurality of parallel opaque bars and adjacent transparent bars. The beam of light forms a multiple line shadow pattern on the surface below the grating member formed by the shadows of the opaque bars of the grating member. A camera records the multiple line shadow pattern, and the recorded pattern is superimposed on a plurality of parallel, equally spaced scan lines oriented perpendicular to the shadow lines. The distances between the points at which adjacent shadow lines cross each respective scan line are measured to determine the roughness or some other surface dimension.

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Pleasantville, NY, United States of America

John Nazarian Pike