Light source module for sheet inspection system.

摘要

A light source module 100 for use with a multi-camera array 130 in a video surface inspection system includes a first light emitter 104 which extends lengthwise across the entire width of a sheet 106 to be inspected. Light from the first light emitter 104, which preferably comprises one or more fluorescent lamps, is received by a light guide 110 and carried by the guide to uniformly illuminate a band extending entirely across the width of the moving sheet. The light guide comprises a transparent thermoplastic such that the light receiving end 118 of the guide can be bent to define a plurality of sections which can be axially aligned with a corresponding plurality of fluorescent lamps. The light source module can also assist the inspection system in overcoming redundant data processing problems by providing second light emitters 134 which illuminate the sheet in overlapping portions 132 of the fields of view of adjacent cameras of the multi-camera array 130 to define data dividing points. Accordingly, duplicated data generated by the video cameras can be divided among the cameras at the defined data dividing points such that duplicated data is only processed once by the video surface inspection system.