US20010001576A1 - Light sensor for web-guiding apparatus - Google Patents
Light sensor for web-guiding apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20010001576A1 US20010001576A1 US09/756,967 US75696701A US2001001576A1 US 20010001576 A1 US20010001576 A1 US 20010001576A1 US 75696701 A US75696701 A US 75696701A US 2001001576 A1 US2001001576 A1 US 2001001576A1
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- collimated light
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01D5/00—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable
- G01D5/26—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light
- G01D5/32—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light with attenuation or whole or partial obturation of beams of light
- G01D5/34—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light with attenuation or whole or partial obturation of beams of light the beams of light being detected by photocells
- G01D5/342—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light with attenuation or whole or partial obturation of beams of light the beams of light being detected by photocells the sensed object being the obturating part
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Length Measuring Devices By Optical Means (AREA)
- Registering, Tensioning, Guiding Webs, And Rollers Therefor (AREA)
- Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- Not applicable.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a solid-state sensor system for determining the position of at least one edge of a web material.
- 2. Prior Art
- Web edge sensor systems having a transmitter disposed on one side of a web and a receiver disposed on the other side of the web for locating the position of an edge of the web therebetween, are known in the art. To determine information such as the web center, the prior art web edge sensor systems require two sensors. Under this scheme, the two sensors are located at the lateral web edges and are positioned perpendicular to the web direction of travel. The sensors are mounted on mechanical drive systems which adjust the position of the sensors via belts and motors in response to periodic lateral web travel.
- The drive system of the prior art web edge sensor systems maintains the position of the sensor relative to the web, which is disposed in between the sensor transmitter and receiver, to accurately determine web location and travel. However, such drive systems are complex and have many moving parts. These drive systems suffer from mechanical error, operate incorrectly, or in some cases completely fail as a result of their complexity. Even minor mechanical error can result in stoppage of the web production line to replace or repair the drive systems. Such interruptions are inefficient and costly.
- Thus, a need exists for a sensor system which does not suffer from the aforementioned problems caused by sensors requiring complex mechanical drive systems, as described above, while continuing to accurately determine the web location and movement. It is to such an improved sensor system that the present invention is directed.
- The present invention relates to a light sensor system for determining the position of at least one edge of a web of material traveling along a predetermined path. Generally, the sensor system comprises a transmitter assembly and a receiver assembly.
- The transmitter assembly is capable of selectively transmitting at least one collimated light curtain. The receiver assembly is capable of generating output signals in response to receiving at least a portion of the collimated light curtain transmitted by the transmitter assembly. The receiver assembly is spaced a distance from the transmitter assembly so as to define the travel path therebetween. The web of material traveling along the travel path blocks at least a portion of the collimated light curtain transmitted by the transmitter assembly. Thus, the output signal generated by the receiver assembly indicates the position of the web of material as the web of material is moved along the predetermined path in between the transmitter assembly and the receiver assembly.
- In one embodiment of the present invention, the transmitter assembly of the present invention includes a plurality of modularly connectable transmit segments to create the collimated light curtain. In this embodiment, the receiver assembly is similarly comprised of a plurality of modularly connectable receive segments. Each receive segment is capable of determining the position of at least a portion of the web of material.
- The advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in conjunction with the attached drawings and the appended claims.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic, diagrammatic view of one embodiment of a light sensor system for web-guiding which is constructed in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective, diagrammatic view, in more detail, of one embodiment of a transmit segment of the light sensor system depicted in FIG. 1.
- FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view, in more detail, of an upper lens of the transmit segment taken along the
lines 2A-2A depicted in FIG. 2. - FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view, in more detail, of a lower lens of the transmit segment taken along the
lines 2B-2B depicted in FIG. 2. - FIG. 2C is a perspective view of a light source generating an elliptically shaped light beam.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the transmit segment depicted in FIG. 2 retained in a lens holder.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view, in more detail, of one embodiment of a receiver segment of the light sensor system depicted in FIG. 1.
- FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a transmitter assembly and receiver assembly of the light sensor system with a web material disposed therebetween.
- FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the transmitter assembly and receiver assembly depicted in FIG. 5A with the web material disposed therebetween laterally shifted.
- FIG. 6 is a perspective, diagrammatic view of the transmit segment depicted in FIG. 3 and the receiver segment depicted in FIG. 4 having the web material disposed therebetween.
- FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the process for calculating a continuous logical sensor from a plurality of staggered and overlapping receive segments.
- FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view, in more detail, of the embodiment of the calculation process depicted in FIG. 7.
- FIG. 9 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the receive segment driver of the receiver assembly.
- FIG. 10 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the main controller of the light sensor system depicted in FIG. 1.
- Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, shown therein is a
light sensor system 10 which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. Thelight sensor system 10 is adapted and constructed to accurately determine the position of at least anedge 12 of aweb material 14. Theweb material 14 may be a continuous web of material and may be moving in a general direction oftravel 16 which is generally along a longitudinal axis of theweb material 14. Theweb material 14 may be opaque. As theweb material 14 moves along the web direction oftravel 16, theweb material 14 may deviate in adirection 18, which is generally transverse or lateral to the web direction oftravel 16. - The
light sensor system 10 includes asystem housing 20 constructed of a rigid material, such as sheetmetal. Thesystem housing 20 is adapted to receive atransmitter assembly 22. Thetransmitter assembly 22 may be formed from a plurality oftransmit segments 23. Thesystem housing 20 is also adapted to receive areceiver assembly 24. Thereceiver assembly 24 may be formed from a plurality of receivesegments 25. Only two of thetransmit segments 23 and the receivesegments 25 are labeled in FIG. 1 for purposes of clarity. Thesystem housing 20 is preferably mounted perpendicularly with respect to the web direction oftravel 16. Thesystem housing 20 serves to space thetransmitter assembly 22 from thereceiver assembly 24 to form a sensor field ofview 26 therebetween. The sensor field ofview 26 has alength 27 and asensing gap 28. Thelength 27 can be greater then the width of theweb material 14. Thesensing gap 28 extends generally in between thetransmitter assembly 22 and thereceiver assembly 24. Thesensing gap 28 is sufficient to dispose theweb material 14 therebetween. - The
light sensor system 10 also includes amain controller 30, which communicates with thetransmitter assembly 22 via a transmitsignal path 32. The transmitsignal path 32 is connected to and capable of communicating with a plurality of transmitsegment drivers 33. Only two of the transmitsegment drivers 33 are labeled in FIG. 1 for purposes of clarity. Themain controller 30 also communicates with thereceiver assembly 24 via areceiver signal path 34. Thereceiver signal path 34 is connected to and capable of communicating with a plurality ofreceiver segment drivers 35. Only two of the receivesegment drivers 35 are labeled for purposes of clarity. - Generally, each transmit
segment 23 is capable of selectively transmitting a collimatedlight curtain 36 across the sensor field ofview 26. That is, themain controller 30 is capable of transmitting a light transmit signal along the transmitsignal path 32 which is received by the transmitsegment driver 33. In response thereto, the transmitsignal driver 33 transmits a signal to the corresponding transmitsegment 23. The transmitsegment 23 then generates the collimatedlight curtain 36. Each receivesegment 25 of thereceiver assembly 24 is positioned and constructed to receive at least a portion of the collimatedlight curtain 36 transmitted by the corresponding transmitsegment 23, and to generate output signals indicative of the position of theweb material 14 disposed in between thetransmitter assembly 22 and thereceiver assembly 24. - Further, the
main controller 30 is capable of receiving output signals on theoutput signal path 34 from the receivesegment drivers 35, which receives such output signals from the corresponding receivesegment 25. Each receiver output signal is indicative of the position of at least a portion of theweb material 14. Thereafter, themain controller 30 is capable of generating and outputting output signals via anoutput signal path 38 for communication with other devices, such as a conventional web guiding signal processor (not shown), which may be attached thereto. It will be appreciated that computers or other serial or parallel connected peripheral devices receiving output signals indicative of the position of the web ofmaterial 14 may use the output signals for the purpose of controlling the lateral position of theweb material 14 by making adjustments in thedirection 18 with a motor controlled pivotal platform, for example, to maintain the web ofmaterial 14 traveling along a predetermined and desired travel path. The output signals received by such devices on theoutput signal path 38 may also be used for other purposes such as web width measurement and tension control of theweb material 14. - Generally, as the
web material 14 passes in between thetransmitter assembly 22 and thereceiver assembly 24, theweb material 14 will interfere with or block the passage of the collimatedlight curtain 36. The interruptedlight beams 40 are unable to pass through theweb material 14 and will not be received by thereceiver assembly 24. The unblocked portions of the collimatedlight curtain 36 are received by thereceiver assembly 24. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the portions of the collimatedlight curtain 36 received by thereceiver assembly 24 and the interruptedlight beam 40 blocked by theweb 14 determine the indicated position of theedge 12. Thereceiver assembly 24 thereafter transmits via thereceiver signal path 34 the information indicative of the location of the interruptedlight beam 40. As theweb material 14 deviates in thedirection 18, various portions of the collimatedlight curtain 36 transmitted by thetransmitter assembly 22 are blocked while other portions of the collimatedlight curtain 36 become unblocked. Therefore, as theweb material 14 moves along the web direction oftravel 16, and periodically deviates in thelateral direction 18, thereceiver assembly 24 is capable of determining the position of at least oneweb edge 12 of theweb material 14 by the portion of the collimatedlight curtain 36 received by thereceiver assembly 24. - In one embodiment, the
transmitter assembly 22 is formed from the plurality of transmitsegments 23. Referring now to FIG. 2, the transmitsegment 23 is shown in more detail. Because each of the transmitsegments 23 is substantially identical in construction and function, only one of the transmitsegments 23 will be described in detail. The transmitsegment 23 includes alight source 52, and alens assembly 53. Thelens assembly 53 is adapted and constructed to collimate the light generated by thelight source 52. In one embodiment, thelens assembly 53 includes an upperoptical lens 54, and a loweroptical lens 56. Thelight source 52 is capable of producinglight beams 60 of elliptical shape. As shown in FIG. 2C, light beams 60 are wider in themajor axis 58 direction (horizontal) and smaller in theminor axis 59 direction (vertical). That is, the elliptically shaped light beams 60 emitted by thelight source 52 diverges both along themajor axis 58 and theminor axis 59. The transmitsegment driver 33 consists of an on-off switch so as to be independently controllable by themain controller 30. The transmitsegment driver 33 can be actuated and deactuated by interpreting the light transmit signal received on the transmitsignal path 32 for light beam transmission. The transmitsegment driver 33 is capable of light intensity control adjustment. Based on the interpretation of the received light transmit signal, the transmitsegment driver 33 communicates with thelight source 52 such that the light beam emitted may be turned on and off accordingly. Therefore, thelight source 52 can be selectively actuated and deactuated and can be controlled independently of thelight sources 52 of other transmitsegments 23 via thesignal path 32. - The
light source 52 can be any light source capable of generating a light beam (visible or non-visible) that can be collimated. For example, thelight source 52 can be a semiconductor laser diode, a light emitting diode, a light emitting diode cluster, an incandescent lamp, or a gas laser. In one embodiment, thelight source 52 may be a visible or infrared laser diode (Class IIIA type) having a wavelength ranging from about 635 nM to about 800 nM and a power output ranging from about 1 mW to about 5 mW, obtainable from Samsung of Korea. - The upper
optical lens 54 has a substantiallyplanar entry side 61 and aconvex exit side 62. The upperoptical lens 54 is spatially disposed from thelight source 52 and positioned to receive a substantial portion of the light beams 60 emitted by thelight source 52. The upperoptical lens 54 is shaped to collimize one axis of the elliptically-shaped light beams 60. Thus, the light beams 60 received through theentry side 61 of the upperoptical lens 54 pass through theupper lens 54 and are optically modified by the upperoptical lens 54 so as to producelight beams 63 which are collimated on theminor axis 59, and non-collimated on themajor axis 58. - Referring to FIG. 2A, it can be seen that the
exit side 62 of the upperoptical lens 54 is curved outwardly (convex) in relation to theentry side 61 so as to collimize the light beams 60 along theminor axis 59. That is, the light beams 63 exiting the upperoptical lens 54 continue to elliptically diverge along themajor axis 58, but are collimized along theminor axis 59. - Referring back to FIG. 2, the lower
optical lens 56 is spaced a distance from the upperoptical lens 54. The loweroptical lens 56 has a substantiallyplanar entry side 65 and a substantially curved orconvex exit side 66. Theexit side 66 has a substantially curved length in relation to theentry side 65. Theentry side 65 of the loweroptical lens 56 is capable of receiving the light beams 63, which are collimated on theminor axis 59 and non-collimated on themajor axis 58, projected from the upperoptical lens 54. The loweroptical lens 56 is shaped to collimize the remaining non-collimatedmajor axis 58 of the light beams 63 and thereby produce a collimatedlight curtain 64 formed of light beams which are collimated on both axes of the major andminor axes - It can be seen that the
exit side 66 is substantially curved and in a non-parallel relationship with theentry side 65. Referring to FIG. 2B, it can be seen that theentry side 65 of the loweroptical lens 56 is substantially non-parallel to theexit side 66. This curved non-parallel disposition contributes to produce the collimatedlight curtain 64 which is collimated on both themajor axis 58 and theminor axis 59. Thus, the resulting collimatedlight curtain 64 has awidth 67 extending across theexit side 66 of the loweroptical lens 56 and is projected as a substantially continuous, rectangular shaped collimatedlight curtain 64. Therefore, the transmitsegment 23, upon receiving a light transmit signal on the transmitsignal path 32, produces the collimatedlight curtain 64 of varying intensity with negligible divergence. - Now referring to FIG. 3, the transmit
segment 23 includes aholder 68 for supporting thelight source 52 and thelens assembly 53. Theholder 68 is constructed of a rigid material, such as sheetmetal, steel, molded plastic, polymeric material or polymeric composite material of low thermal coefficient of expansion, graphite, fiberglass, aluminum, and combinations thereof. Theholder 68 includes ahousing 70 having aninternal cavity 72 disposed therein and anopening 74 for permitting the collimatedlight curtain 64 generated therein to exit thehousing 70. Theholder 68 includes afirst support member 76, asecond support member 78, and aconnector assembly 80. Thefirst support member 76 is disposed within or adjacent to theinternal cavity 72 for retaining the upperoptical lens 54 and loweroptical lens 56 of thelens assembly 53 in a spatially disposed relationship. Thesecond support member 78 is disposed within theinternal cavity 72 of thehousing 70 and communicates therewith for retaining thelight source 52 such that thelight source 52 is in optical alignment with the upper andlower optic lenses light source 52 allows light beams 60 generated by thelight source 52 to pass sequentially through the upper andlower optic lenses housing 70 via theopening 74. - The
connector assembly 80 of theholder 68 is provided on thehousing 70 for connecting thehousing 70 of theholder 68 to thehousing 70 of an adjacently disposedholder 68 in such a manner that the collimatedlight curtains 64 emitted by the adjacently disposed transmitsegments 23 overlap in a spaced-apart and staggered formation as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. - In one embodiment, the
housing 70 of theholder 68 has anupper end 82, alower end 84, afront side 86, and arear side 88. Amating rib 90 is located on therear side 88 of thehousing 70. Themating rib 90 extends outwardly from therear side 88 and is disposed the length of theholder 68 from theupper end 82 to thelower end 84. Themating rib 90 has afirst side 92 and asecond side 94 which are adapted to matingly engage with adjacently disposedholders 68 when such adjacently disposedholders 68 are reversely disposed relative to theholder 68 in a staggered formation, as will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. - An
aperture 96, located on theupper end 82, is fitted to receive thelight source 52. Theaperture 96 communicates with theinternal cavity 72 of theholder 68 so that thelight beam 60 generated by thelight source 52, which is disposed within theaperture 96, projects unimpeded into theinternal cavity 72. - The
connector assembly 80 can be provided with a plurality of spatially disposedapertures 104. Eachaperture 104 of theconnector assembly 80 communicates from thefront side 86 to therear side 88 of thehousing 70 of theholder 68. Theaperture 104 is sized to allow a connecting means, such as a threaded screw or other attaching devices, to be disposed therethrough to secure thehousing 70 of theholder 68 to the reversely disposedhousing 70 of an adjacently disposedholder 68. - The
first support member 76 is provided with alignedupper slots 106 near theupper end 82 of thehousing 70. Theupper slots 106 are fitted to receive and retain the upperoptical lens 54. Similarly, thefirst support member 76 is also provided with alignedlower slots 108 near thelower end 84 of thehousing 70. Thelower slots 108 are fitted to receive and retain the loweroptical lens 56, such that the upperoptical lens 54 is securely retained and disposed a distance from the loweroptical lens 56. - Therefore, when the
light source 52 transmits light beams 60 through theaperture 96, wherein thelight source 52 is disposed, the light beams 60 project into theinternal cavity 72, and pass through the upperoptical lens 54, and through the loweroptical lens 56 with the previously described result of producing the collimatedlight curtain 64. Further, theopening 74 provided in thelower end 84 of theholder 68 allows the resulting collimatedlight curtain 64 to be projected out of thehousing 70 of theholder 68 without any obstruction thereto. Therefore, one skilled in the art will appreciate that theholder 68 provides a secure and efficient means for retaining thelight source 52, andlens assembly 53 of the transmitsegment 23, as well as providing mating capabilities in combination with similarly constructed transmitsegments 23. - Referring now to FIG. 5A, a plurality of transmit
segments 23 is shown disposed above a plurality ofreceiver segments 25. For purposes of clarity similar elements of the transmitsegments 23 have been provided with an alphabetic suffix, i.e. a, b, c, d and e. Also for purposes of clarity, only the first transmitsegment 23 a and the second transmitsegment 23 b will be described herein. - It can be seen that the first transmit
segment 23 a is disposed adjacent and in a generally inverted or reverse relationship relative to the disposition of the second transmitsegment 23 b. The transmitsegments 23 are shown having a first side 148, and a second side 149. Themating rib 90 a of the first transmitsegment 23 a is shown to matingly engage the second side 149 b of the second transmitsegment 23 b. Because adistance 150 from thefirst side 92 a of themating rib 90 a to thesecond edge 149 a of the transmitsegment 23 a represents thesame distance 150 from thefirst side 92 b of themating rib 90 b to the second edge 149 b of the second transmitsegment 23 b, the first transmitsegment 23 a formingly mates with the adjacent and reversely disposed transmitsegment 23 b. - Once the transmit
segment 23 a and the transmitsegment 23 b have been mated, they are secured in their mated position by a securing means, such as a threaded screw, bolt or other such known securing device, through theaperture 104 b of the connecting assembly 80 b located on thefront side 86 b of the second transmitsegment 23 b until such securing means similarly attaches to the aperture 104 a located on therear side 88 a of the first transmitsegment 23 a. - Such mating and securing construction enables the transmit
segment 23 a to be mated and securely fixed to the transmitsegment 23 b to prevent independent movement of either transmitsegment segment segment 23 b with the transmitsegment 23 c, shown adjacent and reversely disposed relative to the second transmitsegment 23b. It can be seen that such a mating scheme permits any number of transmitsegments 23 to be interconnected and thereby provide the field ofview 26 with anysuitable length 27 appropriate for sensing on or bothedges 12 of theweb material 14. - The staggered mating scheme of the transmit
segments 23 also produces collimatedlight curtains 64 that are spaced a distance apart and overlap in a staggered formation. Thus, the staggered orientation of eachcollimated light beam 64 produces a continuous collimated light curtain 152 that extends throughout thelight sensor system 10 field ofview 26. However, this staggered arrangement also has the effect of creating anoverlap distance 154 whereby the collimatedlight curtain 64 a of the first transmitsegment 23 a extends past the edge of the collimatedlight beam 64 b produced by the second transmitsegment 23 b. The consequences of theoverlap distance 154 created thereby will be discussed in greater detail hereafter. - In one embodiment, the
receiver assembly 24 is formed from the plurality of receivesegments 25. Each receivesegment 25 receives the collimatedlight curtain 64 generated by one of the transmitsegments 23 of thetransmitter assembly 22. Referring now to FIG. 4, the receivesegment 25 is shown in more detail. Because each receivesegment 25 is substantially identical in construction and function, only one of the receivesegments 25 will be described in detail. The receivesegment 25 includes alinear sensor array 120 mounted onto anarray base 122. Thelinear sensor array 120 has afirst end 124, asecond end 126 and a plurality ofphotodiodes 128. Thephotodiodes 128 are well known in the art of light-sensitive and photoactivated devices capable of generating signals in response to photoactivation. Since these devices are well known in the art, no further discussion is deemed necessary to teach one of ordinary skill in the art how to make or use the present invention. - The
photodiodes 128 extend from thefirst end 124 to thesecond end 126 of thelinear sensor array 120. Thearray base 122 has afirst end 130 and asecond end 132.Apertures 134 are located near thefirst end 130 and thesecond end 132 of thearray base 122. Theapertures 134 are provided so that the receivesegment 25 can be secured to the system housing 20 (FIG. 1) by projecting a connecting member, such as a threaded screw, through theapertures 134 for attachment to thesystem housing 20. - Each receive
segment 25 is provided as a means for detecting light signals received from a corresponding one of the transmitsegments 23. As thephotodiodes 128 react to the collimatedlight curtain 64 produced by the transmitsegments 23, eachphotodiode 128 produces a signal in response to receipt of light as such are photoactivated and thus indicate reception of such portion of the collimatedlight curtain 64. These signals are transmitted onto thereceiver signal path 34. Other types of light sensing arrays of linear or non-linear construction may be employed for the present purposes. However, thelinear sensor array 120 is shown for the purposes of describing an example of a linear sensor array capable of performing the light sensing requirements of the present invention. For ambient light immunity, afilter 135, is placed in between thetransmitter assembly 22 and the plurality ofphotodiodes 128. Thefilter 135 is capable of passing the collimatedlight curtain 36 while preventing the passage of other light therethrough so as to provide the ambient light immunity for thephotodiodes 128. For example, in one embodiment thefilter 135 is a red light filter including an integral horizontal light control film. - Referring now to FIG. 5A, only a first receive
segment 25 a and a second receivesegment 25 b will be described hereinafter for purposes of clarity. Each receivesegment 25 is fixed to thesystem housing 20 as previously described. The receivesegments 25 are disposed on thesystem housing 25 in staggered horizontal formation. The first receivesegment 25 a is therefore disposed on thesystem housing 20 such that thesecond end 126 a of the first receivesegment 25 a extends beyond thefirst end 124 b of the second receivesegment 25 b. That is, thesecond end 126 a of the first receivesegment 25 a is adjacently disposed beside and beyond thefirst end 124 b of the second receivesegment 25 b in a staggered formation. - The first receive
segment 25 a is disposed such that the collimatedlight curtain 64 a projected by the first transmitsegment 23 a will be projected substantially onto thephotodiodes 128 a of the first receivesegment 25 a. The staggered orientation of the plurality of the transmitsegment 23 is substantially duplicated by the plurality of receivesegments 25, which are disposed such that the continuous collimated light curtain 152 produced by the plurality of transmitsegments 23 is projected onto thephotodiodes 128 of the respective receivesegments 25. - Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the
web material 14 is disposed in between thetransmitter assembly 22 and thereceiver assembly 24 in thelight sensor system 10 field ofview 26. Theweb material 14 is disposed such that theweb material 14 interferes with portions of the continuous collimated light curtain 152. Specifically, theweb material 14 blocks passage of portions of the collimatedlight curtain 64 b generated by the first transmitsegment 23 b. Similarly, theweb material 14 blocks passage of portions of the collimated light curtain 64 e generated by the last transmitsegment 25 e. Theweb material 14 is shown to completely impede passage of the collimatedlight curtains 64 c and 64 d generated by respective transmitsegments - As the
web material 14 moves in thelateral direction 18 across the field of view 26 (FIG. 5B), afirst edge 166 of theweb material 14 becomes disposed in between the first transmitsegment 23 a and the first receivesegment 25 a. Therefore, the collimatedlight curtain 64 a generated by the first transmit segment is partially blocked by thefirst edge 166 of theweb material 14. Thus, portions of thephotodiodes 128 a of the receivesegment 25 a receive portions of the collimatedlight curtain 64 and are thereby photoactivated, while other portions of thephotodiodes 128 a of the receivesegment 25 a are blocked by theweb material 14 from receiving portions of the collimatedlight curtain 64 and are non-photoactivated.Photodiodes 128 of the receivesegments web material 14 completely blocks the collimatedlight curtain 64 b and 64 c generated by the transmitsegments segment 25 d receive portions of the collimatedlight curtain 64 d and are thereby photoactivated, while other portions of the photodiodes 128 d of the receivesegment 25 d are blocked by theweb material 14 from receiving portions of the collimatedlight curtain 64 d and are non-photoactivated. The photodiodes 128 e of the receivesegment 25 e are photoactivated because the collimated light 64 e is not impeded by theweb material 14. - Thus it can be seen that the signals transmitted by the
receiver assembly 24 based upon the photoactivated responses of thephotodiodes 128 of the receivesegments 25 are indicative of the position of thefirst edge 166 and thesecond edge 168 of theweb material 14, as well as, other information which can be determined therefrom, such as the center position of theweb material 14. Additionally, it can be seen that the receivesegment 23 a (FIG. 5B) produces output signals indicative of the position of thefirst edge 166 of theweb material 14, while the receivesegment 25 d produces output signals indicative of thesecond edge 168 of theweb material 14. However, the receivesegments first edge 166 or thesecond edge 168 of theweb material 14. - Therefore, the signals generated by the receive
segments 25 where the corresponding collimatedlight curtain 64 is either completely received or completely obscured is less relevant. For efficiency, these output signals produced by the receivesegment 25 may be ignored or the corresponding transmitsegment 23 may be powered off until such time as theweb material 14 moves and the corresponding transmitsegment 23 is powered back on. - Referring now to FIG. 6, one of the transmit
segments 23 of thetransmitter assembly 22 is shown projecting the collimatedlight curtain 64 onto a corresponding receivesegment 25 of thereceiver assembly 24 disposed therebelow. In operation, a light transmit signal, such as a binary bit pattern, is received along the transmitsignal path 32 by the transmitsegment driver 33 to selectively turn the transmitsegment 23 on and off. Once thelight source 52 is actuated, the light beams 60 emitted by thelight source 52 pass through the upperoptical lens 54 and the loweroptical lens 56 of thelens assembly 53 thereby producing the collimatedlight curtain 64. - The
web material 14 projected in between one of the transmitsegments 23 of thetransmitter assembly 22 and one of the receivesegments 25 of thereceiver assembly 24 interferes and obstructsportions 140 of the collimatedlight curtain 64. Theunobstructed portions 141 of the collimatedlight curtain 64 are received by thereceiver assembly 24. Certainlighted photodiodes 142 of the receivesegment 25 will produce a photoactivated response and react to theunobstructed portions 141 of the collimatedlight curtain 64, while otherunlighted photodiodes 144 will not produce a photoactivated response. By monitoring thelinear sensor array 120, the receivesegment 25 determines which ones of thephotodiodes 128 are photoactivated or not photoactivated. This information is conveyed to themain controller 30 and themain controller 30 determines the location of the web edges 166 and 168 of theweb material 14. Once the location of the web edges 166 and 168 has been determined, themain controller 30 can then determine the location of the web center or other information in a well known manner. - Edge detection of the
web material 14 may be accomplished by comparing the signal transition of the activated and non-activated photodiodes with respect to a set threshold. In this scheme, the analog value of the sensor signal is unimportant. Therefore, the environmental effect on thereceiver assembly 24 output, such as the effect of temperature variation, is minimal. - Additionally, the
light sensor system 10 may be used with any signal processor that can accept analog input. Such other applications are a moving-sensor center-guide mode. In such mode, thelight sensor system 10 may accept web width variations within the sensor field ofview 26 without any concerns for mechanical sensor repositioning. Similarly, other such applications for thelight sensor system 10 are fixed-sensor guiding-mode. The fixed sensor guiding mode is intended for guiding with eitheredge web material 14. Theweb material 14 can be placed anywhere within the sensor field ofview 26. Because thelight curtain 64 is collimated, the beam divergence is minimal. Thus, the intensity of thelight curtain 64 remains substantially the same for variable sensing gaps. The collimatedlight curtain 64 also provides plane change immunity throughout the field ofview 26 at any web plane in thesensing gap 28 so non-lateral movement will not generate a false interpretation of the lateral position of theweb material 14. - Therefore, the output signals transmitted onto the
receiver signal path 34 are indicative of the position of theweb material 14. The signals communicated along thereceiver signal path 34 are transmitted to themain controller 30 and thereafter onto theoutput signal path 38 for the purposes described above. Thelight sensor system 10 can also be connected to a serial bus for a wider range of applications to support features such as programmable proportional band for either edge, relocatable proportional bands, web width monitoring and output for other process control besides guiding (such as tension control), web centerline calculations, machine center calculations and calibrations, web centerline shift with respect to calibrated machine center anywhere within thelight sensor system 10 field ofview 26, display amount of relative web centerline shift with respect to a machine center, near instantaneous web seeking, programmable web centerline shift speed, user interface for basic web guiding and positioning. - Referring now to FIG. 7, a diagrammatic view of a plurality of receive
segments 25 is shown adjacently disposed in staggered formation. The staggered formation of the plurality of receivesegments 25 creates an overlap. The overlap is an area ofredundant photodiodes 128 of adjacently disposed receivesegments 25. For illustrative purposes, the first receivesegment 25 a and second receivesegment 25 b are shown and will be described hereinafter. - It can be seen that the
photodiodes 128 a located near thesecond end 126 a of the first receivesegment 25 a overlap and are redundant, for light detecting purposes along a horizontal plane, to thephotodiodes 128 b located near thefirst end 124 b of the second receivesegment 25 b. However, the staggered disposition of the plurality of receivesegments 25 is necessary for receiving the continuous collimated light curtain 152. For purposes of detecting light, consideration must be made for this overlap to prevent redundant information regarding portions of the collimatedlight curtain 64 received to be communicated from both the first receivesegment 25 a and the second receivesegment 25 b for improved accuracy and efficiency. - Referring now to FIG. 8, an enlarged view of the overlap area is shown. The
second end 126 a of the first receivesegment 25 a is substantially adjacent to and extends past thefirst end 124 b of the second receivesegment 25 b. That is, the first and second receivesegments first end 124 b of the second receivesegment 25 b and thesecond end 126 a of the first receivesegment 25 a along the horizontal plane. As a result of the overlapping of the first and second receivesegments photodiodes 164 a of the first receivesegment 25 a that overlap along the horizontal plane and are redundant to thephotodiodes 164 b of the second receivesegment 25 b. - Because the total number of
photodiodes 128 contained within the receivesegment 25 is known, one can determine thephotodiodes 164 b of the receivesegments 25 b which are redundant of thephotodiodes 164 a of the receivesegment 25 a with respect to the light sensing information obtained therefrom. Thus, photoactivated signal from all the overlapped portions of thephotodiodes 128 b of the receivesegment 25 b are unnecessary to obtain accurate and non-redundant signals from the receivesegments - Thus, it can be seen that when the total number of pixels in each receive
segment 25 equals 510, and an overlap of 10 pixels exists in theregion 164 b (FIG. 8), the eleventh pixel of the receivesegment 25 b from thefirst end 124 b becomes the 513th pixel in the logical sensor array and the first ten pixels of the receivesegment 25 b are ignored. - Therefore, by sampling the all the
photodiodes 128 a of the receivesegment 25 a and all thephotodiodes 128 b of the second receivesegment 25 b, ignoring signals received from thephotodiodes 164 b of the second receivesegment 25 b, eliminates redundant photoactivated signals. The process of ignoringcertain photodiodes 128, such as thephotodiodes 164 b of the receivesegment 25 b, which are redundant to adjacently disposedphotodiodes 128, such as the overlappedphotodiodes 164 b of the receivesegment 25 b produces a logical sample of thephotodiodes 128 of the staggered receivesegments 25. Such logical samples yield accurate information about light received by the receivesegment 25 a and the second receivesegment 25 b along a horizontal plane without the error or redundancy otherwise created by computing or sampling the overlappingphotodiodes 164 b of the receivesegment 25 b. - This method of compensating for the overlap created by the staggered transmit
segments 23 and receivesegments 25 has the benefit of creating a continuous area of light reception along the horizontal plane for light detection purposes while not being subject to deficiencies associated with or errors created by the redundant photo-detecting capabilities in the overlap area. Therefore, a continuous logical receiver is created which is capable of detecting light transmissions along the horizontal plane. - One example of calculating the overlap and computing a continuous logical receiver is to assume that each of the receive
segments 25 shown (FIG. 7) contain 510 total pixels (tPX). Also assume that 10 pixels overlap at each point of overlap, for example, that the number of pixels on thesecond end 126 a of the receivesegment 25 a that overlap with pixels on thefirst end 124 b of the second receivesegment 25 b equals 10 pixels. The first receivesegment 25 a overlap position RS[0] is equal to 10 overlapping pixels. Since the overlap condition occurs at thesecond end 126 of each of the receivesegments second end 126 f of the receive segment 25 f, a total number of 5 overlap conditions with a total number of overlapping pixel (tOP) is expressed as: (tOP=RS[0]+RS[1]+RS [3]+RS[4]+RS[5]). The total number of receivesegments 25 can be stated as the variable (tRS) The total logical pixels can be computed with the following formula: ([(tRS-1)xtPX]-tOP). It will be understood that there is no limit to the number of transmitsegments 23 comprising the transmitassembly 22 or the number of receivesegments 25 comprising thereceiver assembly 24 and thus no limitation on thelength 27 of the sensor field ofview 26. - Referring now to FIG. 7, shown therein is the
receiver assembly 24 which is formed of the plurality ofreceiver segments 25 as previously discussed. Thevarious receiver segments 25 forming thereceiver assembly 24 are controlled by the receivesegment drivers 35 so as to selectively actuate and deactuate thereceiver assemblies 25 based upon signals received from themain controller 30. The receivesegment drivers 35, such as a dedicated micro-controller, is capable of initiating scanning of thelinear sensor array 120 or performing scanning based upon signals received from themain controller 30. The selective actuation and deactuation of the receivesegments 25 permits themain controller 30 to selectively actuate and deactuate the transmitsegments 23 so that the actuatedtransmitter assembly 22 andreceiver assembly 24 tends to follow theedge 12 of theweb material 14 so that energy is conserved and the effective lives of thelight sources 52 are extended. The actuated transmitsegments 23 may be referred to herein as relocatable, proportional bands or logical sensors. - As previously stated, each of the receive
segments 25 a-f are identical in construction and function. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, only the receivesegment 25 e has been shown. However, each of the remaining receivesegments 25 forming thereceiver assembly 24 are likewise provided with a left-hand section 170, amedial section 172, and a right-hand section 174. Each of the left-hand section 170, themedial section 172, and the right-hand section 174 includes approximately one-third of the photosensitive pixel-width of the receivesegment 25 e. - When the transition between the actuated and
deactuated photodiodes 128 falls within the left-hand section 170 of the receivesegment 25 e, themain controller 30 is programmed to actuate the transmitsegment 23 located adjacent the left-hand section 170, which in this case, would be the transmitsegment 23 corresponding to the adjacent receivesegment 25 d. When the transition between the actuated anddeactuated photodiodes 128 falls within themedial section 172 of the receivesegment 25 e, themain controller 30 is programmed to only actuate the transmitsegment 23 which, in this case, would be the transmitsegment 23 corresponding to the receivesegment 23 e disposed adjacent theedge 12 of the web ofmaterial 14. - When the transition between the actuated and
deactuated photodiodes 128 indicates that theedge 12 of theweb material 14 is located adjacent the right-hand section 174, themain controller 30 is programmed to automatically actuate the transmitsegment 23 located adjacent the right-hand section 174, which in this case is the adjacent receive segment 25 f . - When the transition between the actuated and
deactuated photodiodes 128 moves from the left-hand section 170 to themedial section 172, themain controller 30 is programmed to automatically deactuate the transmitsegment 23 located adjacent the left-hand section 170 (which is the adjacent receivesegment 25 d) and the transmitsegment 23 located adjacent the right-hand section 174 (which in this case is the adjacent receive segment 25 f). Similarly, when the transition between the actuated anddeactuated photodiodes 128 moves from the right-hand section 174 to themedial section 172, themain controller 30 is programmed to automatically deactuate the transmitsegment 23 located adjacent the left-hand section 170 (which is the adjacent receivesegment 25 d) and the transmitsegment 23 located adjacent the right-hand section 174 (which in this case is the adjacent receive segment 25 f). - By selectively actuating and deactuating the transmit
segments 23 which correspond to the receivesegments 25 which are disposed adjacent the respective left-hand section 170, and right-hand section 174, as discussed above, the actuated transmitsegments 23 generally follow theedge 12 of theweb material 14. - The logical web edge sensors of the present invention are especially useful in that it requires no mechanical movement because the sensor is a logical interpretation of the continuous collimated light curtain152 produced by the plurality of transmit
segments 23 and receivesegments 25. - Further, such logical sensors increase the accuracy and efficiency of the invention by requiring only that portions of the continuous collimated light curtain152 be illuminated (see FIG. 6), by controlling the respective transmit
segments 23, and similarly, only the respective receivesegments 25 remain active for this process. Thus, only a portion of the entire system capability is used for detecting the web edge during normal operation. Due to the autonomous nature of each transmitsegment 23 in combination with the respective receive segment 25 (see FIG. 6), the logical sensor size for web edge guiding can be specified with respect to the associated receivesegment 25 in terms of pixel resolution capability of thephotodiodes 128. - Referring to FIG. 9, in one embodiment, each of the receive
segment drivers 35 of thereceiver assembly 24 may contain amicrocontroller 190 for use by the receivesegment driver 35. Themicrocontroller 190 includes acomparator 192. Themicrocontroller 190 generates signals for transmission to the respective receivesegment 25 viasignal paths shift clock signal 194 and apixel clock signal 195 which are identified separately in FIG. 9 for purposes of clarity. Such signals are generated by themicrocontroller 190 in response to the issuance of a scan signal from themain microcontroller 30. Such scan signals are transmitted via thesignal path 34. - The pixel clock (not shown) is employed to retrieve data from each individual pixel, such as the
photodiodes 128, of the receivesegment 25. Thepixel clock signal 195 is generated by themicrocontroller 190 and transmitted via thesignal path 195. The shift clock transfers signals indicative of video data of all of the pixels, such as thephotodiodes 128, to the analog output of the receivesegment 25, such signals being known as video output. The video output signals transmitted by the receivesegment 25 are received by the receivesegment driver 35 via asignal path 196. Such video output signals may be amplified by anamplifier 198 before being transmitted onto asignal path 200 to thecomparator 192 input of themicrocontroller 190. - The receive
segment driver 35 communicates with themain controller 30 along thereceiver signal path 34 which is shown in FIG. 9 as areference signal path 202, an auto-address insignal path 204, an auto-address outsignal path 206, and a driverbus signal path 208. The driverbus signal path 208 is capable of communicating with other receivesegment drivers 35. Each pixel of the video signal is compared to a common video reference input which may be supplied by themain controller 30 and received along thereference signal path 202 or a local reference input at the receivesegment driver 35. The presence of theedge 12 of theweb material 14 causes a transition in the video signal from its previous state at the pixel where theweb edge 12 is found. Based on this transition, themicrocontroller 190 records a value indicative of theweb edge 12 location based upon the pixel location of thephotodiodes 128 generating photoactivated or non-photoactivated signal responses. In one embodiment, a plurality of receivesegment drivers 35 participate in a full-duplex network such that the receivesegment drivers 35 are capable of transmitting signals onto thereceiver signal path 34 while simultaneously receiving signals via the same transmitted by themain controller 30. - Referring now to FIG. 10, in one embodiment of the present invention the
main controller 30 includes a segment controller 220, acommunication controller 222, aDAC converter 224, a first E/I converter 226, a second E/I converter 228, and a third E/I converter 229. Thecommunication controller 222 receives signals along asignal path 230 from devices attached to themain controller 30 such as personal computers, control panels, or other devices. Such attached devices communicate diagnostic and configuration signals tocommunication controller 222, for example. - The
communication controller 222 transmits signals indicative of the diagnostic, configuration andweb edge 12 information to devices attached thereto. In one embodiment thesignal path 230 may be provided with a RS-485 or other suitable converter for such purposes. Thecommunication controller 222 communicates the diagnostic and other signals to the segment controller 220 via asignal path 232, thesignal path 232 may be a SPI link for such communication. In one embodiment, the segment controller 220 provides command interpreter, status generation and the main diagnostic kernel (not shown) and is the slave portion of the SPI link with thecommunication controller 222. - The segment controller220 communicates light transmit signals to the
transmitter assembly 22 via thesignal path 234. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the light transmit signals transmitted via thesignal path 234 include aclock signal 234 a and a data signals 234 b shown as being carried along twoseparate signal paths signal path 234 for clarity. The light transmit signals transmitted along thesignal path 234 are indicative of the actuation and deactuation of the transmitsegments 23 of thetransmitter assembly 22. - The segment controller220 calibrates the overlapping
photodiodes 128 of the receivesegments 23, such as thephotodiodes 164 b of the receivesegment 25 b (FIG. 8) previously described. The segment controller 220 communicates with the receivesegment drivers 35 via asignal path 238. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, thesignal path 238 includes a RS-485 converter, and may include a plurality ofsignal paths separate signal paths signal path 238 for clarity. The segment controller 220 is capable of transmitting signals via thesignal path 238 which is received by the receivesegment driver 35, such signal initiating synchronous array scanning of the all attached receivesegments 25. The segment controller 220 then receives signals from the receivesegment 25 which indicates the location of the position of theedge 12 of theweb material 14 and transmits a digital signal to theDAC converter 224 along thesignal path 246. That is the segment controller 220 calculates theactual edge 12 position by correcting for the overlaps previously discussed, such as thephotodiodes 164 b of the receivesegment 25 b (FIG. 8). Thereafter, the segment controller 220 assigns and positions the relocatable proportional bands, which is the equivalent of the logical edge sensor position, for eachedge 12 of theweb material 14. - The
DAC converter 224 transmits signals indicative of the video reference, previously discussed, to the receivesegment driver 35 via asignal path 244. TheDAC converter 224 transmits a signal, which is indicative of the location of thefirst edge 12 of theweb material 14, to the first E/I converter 226 via asignal path 248. TheDAC converter 224 transmits a signal, which is indicative of the location of anotheredge 12 of theweb material 14, to the second E/I converter 228 via asignal path 250. Similarly, theDAC converter 224 transmits a signal, which is indicative of the width of the web material, to the third E/I converter 229 via asignal path 249. That is, theDAC converter 224 converts the digital signal received along thesignal path 246 into analog signals. TheDAC converter 224 then transmitts the analog signals ontosignal paths edges 12 of the web ofmaterial 14. - The first E/
I converter 226 outputs an enhanced sensor output signal indicative of the location of thefirst edge 12 via asignal path 252 so that such sensor output signal can be received by a conventional web guiding signal processor (not shown) via theoutput signal path 38. The second E/I converter 228 outputs an enhanced sensor output signal indicative of anotheredge 12 via asignal path 254 so that such sensor output signal can be received by a conventional web guiding signal processor (not shown) via theoutput signal path 38. The third E/I converter 228 outputs an enhanced sensor output signal indicative of the web width via asignal path 256 so that such sensor output signal can be received by a conventional web guiding signal processor (not shown) via theoutput signal path 38. That is, the E/I converters DAC converter 224 and output current signals via therespective signal paths - Additionally, the segment controller220 is responsible for the addressing process. Each receive
segment driver 35 requires a unique address to permit usage of a common bus, such as thedriver bus path 208; therefore, each receivesegment driver 35 must be address configurable. This is typically accomplished with jumpers, dip switches, or downloadable non-volatile memory parameters. For example, auto-addressing of the receivesegment drivers 35 of thereceiver assembly 24 can be accomplished by attaching a personal computer (not shown) to themain controller 30. The auto-addressing of the receivesegment driver 35 of thereceiver assembly 22 does not require jumpers which makes every receivesegment driver 35 substantially identical and easy to manufacture and maintain. - Each receive
segment driver 35 receives a unique address from the segment controller 220 via thereceiver signal path 34 during the initial setup of thelight sensor system 10. The address is stored by the receivesegment driver 35 in non-volatile memory. The auto-addressing is accomplished by the first step of the segment controller 220 transmitting a signal indicative of reset of the receivesegment drivers 35 via thereset signal path 240 of thereceiver signal path 34. In response to receiving such a signal, the receivesegment drivers 35, clear the auto-address out path 206 (FIG. 9). - The segment controller220 sets the auto-
address signal path 242 high. The segment controller 220 then transmits a signal via thereceiver signal path 34 to the receivesegment drivers 35 indicative of initiating auto-addressing. In response thereto, each receivesegment driver 35 sets an address of zero in non-volatile memory. The segment controller 220 then polls for address zero. The receivesegment driver 35 will respond where that receivesegment driver 35 has an auto-address line 204 set to high and an address of zero. The segment controller 220 transmits a signal back to the receivesegment driver 35 indicative of the desired address for the responding receivesegment driver 35 via the auto-address inpath 204. In one embodiment, addresses are assigned by the segment controller 220 and the address are sequential from 1-30. - The receive
segment driver 35 receiving the address stores such address and verifies the address of the receivesegment driver 35 in non-volatile memory. The receivesegment driver 35 then transmits a signal indicative of acknowledgment of the address being successfully stored and verified to the segment controller 220. The receivingsegment driver 35 then sets the auto-address outpath 206 high. The segment controller 220 transmits a signal indicative of successful addressing of the first receivesegment driver 35 to thecommunication controller 222 which communicates same to such attached devices, such as a personal computer (not shown). - The segment controller220 then repeats the steps of polling and addressing each of the receive
segment drivers 35 until all receivesegment drivers 35 of thereceiver assembly 22 have been addressed successfully. The segment controller then records the total number of receivesegment drivers 35 of thereceiver assembly 22. - Where the
web material 14 is substantially transparent, an image sensor, such as the receivesegment 25, with a fine resolution and a substantially homogeneous pixel resolution, such as a charged coupled device (CCD), may be substituted for thelinear sensor array 120. In such construction, detecting theedge 12 oftransparent web material 14 may be accomplished by normalization of all pixels or differentiation along the video signal. The normalized or differentiated signal is compared to a set threshold. In either case, the variation in pixel signals must be amplified to determine the first major transition which is indicative of theedge 12 of theweb material 14. Additionally, fortransparent web material 14, it may be beneficial to scan the receivesegments 25 from the outside, progressively inward, to determine the first major transition, which is indicative of the location of therespective edges 12 of theweb material 14. This method eliminates errors associated with transparent material of intermittent opacity or having opaque printing thereon. - From the above description it is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. While one embodiment of the invention has been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the invention disclosed and defined in the appended claims.
Claims (14)
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KR20190060690A (en) * | 2017-11-24 | 2019-06-03 | 텍스마그 게엠베하 베르트리에브스게셀스차프트 | Sensor for detecting at least one edge of a running product web |
CN109835756A (en) * | 2017-11-24 | 2019-06-04 | 特克斯玛格销售有限公司 | For detecting the sensor at least one edge of mobile product web |
US11097916B2 (en) * | 2017-11-24 | 2021-08-24 | Texmag Gmbh Vertriebsgesellschaft | Sensor for detecting at least one edge of a running product web |
KR102626781B1 (en) | 2017-11-24 | 2024-01-17 | 텍스마그 게엠베하 베르트리에브스게셀스차프트 | Sensor for detecting at least one edge of a running product web |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US6323948B2 (en) | 2001-11-27 |
EP1039261A3 (en) | 2001-08-22 |
US6175419B1 (en) | 2001-01-16 |
EP1039261A2 (en) | 2000-09-27 |
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