Optical fiber inspection system

Patent · 31 December 1986

OSTI ID:866106

Moore, Francis W ^[1]

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1. Richland, WA

A remote optical inspection system including an inspection head. The inspection head has a passageway through which pellets or other objects are passed. A window is provided along the passageway through which light is beamed against the objects being inspected. A plurality of lens assemblies are arranged about the window so that reflected light can be gathered and transferred to a plurality of coherent optical fiber light guides. The light guides transfer the light images to a television or other image transducer which converts the optical images into a representative electronic signal. The electronic signal can then be displayed on a signal viewer such as a television monitor for inspection by a person. A staging means can be used to support the objects for viewing through the window. Routing means can be used to direct inspected objects into appropriate exit passages for accepted or rejected objects. The inspected objects are advantageously fed in a singular manner to the staging means and routing means. The inspection system is advantageously used in an enclosure when toxic or hazardous materials are being inspected.

• Research Organization: WESTINGHOUSE HANFORD CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC14-76FF02170
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4635111
• OSTI ID: 866106
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/348/209/
accepted
advantageously
appropriate
arranged
assemblies
beamed
coherent
coherent optical
converts
direct
displayed
electronic
electronic signal
enclosure
exit
fed
fiber
fiber light
gathered
guides
hazardous
hazardous material
hazardous materials
head
image
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including
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lens
light
light guide
light guides
light image
manner
materials
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monitor
optical
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passed
pellets
person
plurality
provided
reflected
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rejected
remote
remote optical
representative
routing
signal
singular
staging
staging means
support
television
television monitor
toxic
transducer
transfer
transferred
viewer
viewing
window