EP0039143A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for determining the shape of objects
Assignee: Harmo Industries Ltd
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Filing: 1981-03-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-03-31
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for determining the shape of an object such as an exhaust pipe comprises a carriage (11) which carries a scanning unit (10) and is movable by a motor (22) along a base (12) having supports (17) for the object. The scanning unit comprises two laser units (37) the light beams of which are directed by rotating mirrors (42) towards two parabolic mirrors (35), the beams being reflected by the latter so as to traverse the object at right angles to one another and in a common plane at right angles to the movement of the carriage. The beams are interrupted by the object, and light-responsive means (38) detect such interruption to determine the shape of the object. In a modification, the apparatus has two or three rotating laser units (50).
Inventors
- 👤 Michael Poole
- 👤 Christopher Sanders Edwards
- 👤 Bernard Hon
- 👤 Fereidoon Ghazizadehs
- 👤 Kah-Hooi Lim
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 18:49
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B11/00; G01B11/24; G01B11/245; G01B11/002; G01B11/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
188 words
An apparatus for determining the shape of an object, which comprises means adapted to generate at least two beams of electromagnetic radiation each of a wavelength such that it is capable of interruption by the object, means for causing relative movement between the beams and the object so that the beams traverse a portion of the object in respective planes which are coincident or parallel to one another with the beams at an angle to one another, whereby each beam during its traverse scans said portion of the object and is interrupted thereby, means for detecting interruption of each beam during its traverse and hence the locations of opposite edges of the portion of the object scanned by the beam, the said locations detected by the detecting means constituting information representing the shape of the scanned portion of the object, and means for causing relative movement between the beams and the object along an axis at right angles to said plane or planes whereby the beams may effect a number of traverses at different positions along said axis to determine the shape of successive portions of the object.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
188 words
An apparatus for determining the shape of an object, which comprises means adapted to generate at least two beams of electromagnetic radiation each of a wavelength such that it is capable of interruption by the object, means for causing relative movement between the beams and the object so that the beams traverse a portion of the object in respective planes which are coincident or parallel to one another with the beams at an angle to one another, whereby each beam during its traverse scans said portion of the object and is interrupted thereby, means for detecting interruption of each beam during its traverse and hence the locations of opposite edges of the portion of the object scanned by the beam, the said locations detected by the detecting means constituting information representing the shape of the scanned portion of the object, and means for causing relative movement between the beams and the object along an axis at right angles to said plane or planes whereby the beams may effect a number of traverses at different positions along said axis to determine the shape of successive portions of the object.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 which has means adapted to produce three beams of electromagnetic radiation arranged to traverse the object at an angle to one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 which has means adapted to produce two beams of electromagnetic radiation arranged to traverse the object at an angle to one another.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the beam-generating means are adapted to produce beams of light.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein each beam is produced by a laser unit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
82 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the beam-generating means comprise two laser units each associated with a parabolic mirror which is arranged to reflect the beam from the unit and to traverse it through successive parallel positions, the said positions of the reflected beam of one unit being parallel to a first scanning axis and the said positions of the reflected beam of the other unit being parallel to a second scanning axis at right angles to the first axis.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 wherein each laser unit has an associated rotatable mirror arranged to direct the beam from the unit towards the associated parabolic mirror.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 or 7 wherein the detecting means comprise two light-responsive means associated with two parabolic mirrors arranged to direct the beams reflected by the mirrors associated with the laser units towards the light-responsive means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 or 3 wherein the beam-generating means comprise rotating laser units.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
40 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the beam-generating means and the detecting means are mounted on a carriage which is movable by drive means relative to a base carrying means for supporting the object.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
37 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is connected to a computer and data storage means so as to transmit the information representing the shape of the scanned object to said means.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
163 words
A method for determining the shape of an object, which comprises causing at least two beams of electromagnetic radiation each of a wavelength such that it is capable of interruption by the object, to traverse a portion of the object in respective planes which are coincident or parallel to one another with the beams at an angle to one another, whereby each beam during its traverse scans said portion of the object and is interrupted thereby, detecting such interruption of each beam during its traverse and hence the locations of opposite edges of the portion of the object scanned by the beam, the said detected locations constituting information representing the shape of the scanned portion of the object, and causing relative movement between the beams and the object along an axis at right angles to said plane or planes whereby the beams effect a number of traverses at different positions along said axis to determine the shape of successive portions of the object.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
163 words
A method for determining the shape of an object, which comprises causing at least two beams of electromagnetic radiation each of a wavelength such that it is capable of interruption by the object, to traverse a portion of the object in respective planes which are coincident or parallel to one another with the beams at an angle to one another, whereby each beam during its traverse scans said portion of the object and is interrupted thereby, detecting such interruption of each beam during its traverse and hence the locations of opposite edges of the portion of the object scanned by the beam, the said detected locations constituting information representing the shape of the scanned portion of the object, and causing relative movement between the beams and the object along an axis at right angles to said plane or planes whereby the beams effect a number of traverses at different positions along said axis to determine the shape of successive portions of the object.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
34 words
An apparatus for determining the shape of an object substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 or Figure 6 or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
34 words
An apparatus for determining the shape of an object substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 or Figure 6 or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
Any novel feature or novel combination of features herein described and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
Any novel feature or novel combination of features herein described and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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