Method and apparatus for detecting surface qualities on an optical fiber

摘要

The present invention provides an optical detection system for detecting surface qualities on an optical fiber. The system comprises a light source for projecting a beam of light onto the outer surface of an optical fiber. An optical detector positioned adjacent the optical fiber receives light reflected from the outer surface of the optical fiber and generates an electrical output signal which is delivered to a signal processing device. The signal processing device analyzes the electrical output signal to determine whether one or more surface qualities exist on the outer surface of the optical fiber. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optical detection system is used to detect surface qualities that include ink skips, i.e., locations on the outer surface of the optical fiber that do not contain any ink. The signal processing device comprises a computer that records the intensity of the light received by the optical detector array, which corresponds to the magnitude of the electrical signal generated by the optical detector array, along with the location along the optical fiber that corresponds to the electrical output signal. This data can be used by the computer to determine the amount of ink existing at a particular location on the optical fiber, the size and location of an ink skip and the opacity of the ink.