Colour measuring devices

Claim 2

A colorimeter for determining the color of a sample comprising: a. a stabilized light source; b. a sensing head; c. an illuminating bundle of fibre optics extending between said light source and said sensing head and having a light receiving end adjacent said light source and a light emitting end at said sensing head for illuminating a discrete area of said sample; d. a number of light guide bundles of fibre optics having light receiving ends at said sensing head for receiving light from said discrete area of said sample, said bund being capable of transmitting said light received along their lengths; e. said sensing head having means for supporting said light emitting end of said illuminating bundle of fibre optics in a direction normal to the surface of said sample so that said sample is illuminated by light from said light emitting end of said bundle in a substantially normal direction, and for supporting said light receiving ends of said light guide bundles of fibre optics so that they are at an angle of 45* to said light emitting end of said illuminating bundle of fibre optics and are evenly spaced around the light emitting end of said bundle of fibre optics; f. means for maintaining the surface of said sample normal to said light emitting end and at an angle of 45* to each of said light receiving ends, whereby said light emitting end illuminates said discrete area substantially normally and said light receiving ends receive light from said illuminated discrete area at an angle of about 45* to the normal to said surface; g. a light detector to which light transmitted by said light guide bundles is conducted for determination of the sum of said light transmitted by said bundles; h. subtractive filter means for filtering at least part of said light transmitted by said light guide buNdles and conducted to said detector so as to modify the spectral response of said detector to one color function, said filter means including individual light subtractive filters for filtering light passing through at least one light guide bundle, and said filter means comprising adjacent relatively rotatable supporting members respectively having ports extending through the members which can be brought into mutual registration by relative rotation, said light guide bundles terminating in the ports of one of said members, and at least some of the ports in the other member supporting filters therein, and means for rotating said members one with respect to the other so as to align particular ports in mutual registration, such alignment of particular ports in turn interposing filter arrangements between at least some of said light guide bundles and said detector so as to modify said spectral response to said detector to each color function in turn so as to measure the color of said sample, and i. means for determining the output of said detector when modified by said filter means to each color function in turn.

Claim 3

A colorimeter according to claim 1 in which said subtractive filter means include at least one subtractive filter positioned between said ends of all of said bundles of fibre optics and said detector.

Claim 4

A colorimeter for determining the color of a sample comprising: a. means for illuminating a discrete area of said sample normally to its surface; b. a sensing head positioned so as to receive light from said illuminated discrete area of said sample; c. a light detector; d. a plurality of light guides extending between said sensing head and said light detector, said light guides having light receiving ends for receiving light from said illuminated discrete area of said sample and supported by said sensing head and directed towards said sample, said light receiving ends being spaced around a normal to the surface of said sample at substantially equal angles to said normal, and having light output ends for directing said light received by said light receiving ends and transmitted by said light guides to said detector; e. filter means positioned between said light output ends of said light guides and said detector, said filter means including an individual correcting subtractive filter associated with at least some of said light guides so as to filter the said light from said associated light guides before it is applied to said detector, said filter means further comprising adjacent relatively rotatable supporting members respectively having ports extending through the members which can be brought into mutual registration by relative rotation, said light output ends of said light guides terminating in the ports of one of said members, and at least some of the ports in the other member supporting filter means therein, and means for rotating said members one with respect to the other to align different filter means with the light output ends of said light guides to modify said spectral response of said detector to one color function and the filter means being arranged to be changed by successive rotations of the members to modify said response to each color function in turn so as to measure the color of said sample, and f. means for determining the output from the detector when modified for each color function.

Claim 5

A colorimeter for determining the color of a sample comprising: a. means for illuminating a discrete area of said sample normally to its surface; b. a sensing head positioned so as to receive light from said illuminated discrete area of said sample; c. a light detector; d. a plurality of light guides extending between said sensing head and said light detector, said light guides having light receiving ends for receiving light from said illuminated discrete area of said sample and supported by said sensing head and directed towards said sample, said light receiving ends being spaced around a normal to the surface of said sample at substantially equal angles to said normal, and having light output ends for directing said light received by said light receiving ends and transmitted by said light guides to said detector; e. filter means positioned between said light output ends of said light guides and said detector, said filter means including an individual correcting subtractive filter associated with at least some of said light guides so as to filter the said light from said associated light guides before it is applied to said detector, said filter means further comprising adjacent relatively rotatable supporting members respectively having ports extending through the members which can be brought into mutual registration by relative rotation, said light output ends of said light guides terminating in the ports of one of said members, and at least some of the ports in the other member supporting filter means therein, and means for rotating said members one with respect to the other to align different filter means with the light output ends of said light guides to modify said spectral response of said detector to one color function and the filter means being arranged to be changed by successive rotations of the members to modify said response to each color function in turn so as to measure the color of said sample, and f. means for determining the output from the detector when modified for each color function.

Claim 6

A colorimeter according to claim 3, in which said light guides are bundles of fibre optics.

Claim 7

A colorimeter for determining the color of a sample comprising: a. a stabilized light source; b. a sensing head; c. an illuminating bundle of fibre optics extending between said light source and said sensing head and having a light receiving end adjacent said light source and a light emitting end at said sensing head for illuminating a discrete area of said sample; d. a number of light guide bundles of fibre optics having light receiving ends at said sensing head for receiving light from said discRete area of said sample, said bundles being capable of transmitting said light received along their lengths; e. said sensing head having means for supporting said light emitting end of said illuminating bundle of fibre optics in a direction normal to the surface of said sample so that said sample is illuminated by light from said light emitting end of said bundle in a substantially normal direction, and for supporting said light receiving ends of said light guide bundles of fibre optics so that they are at an angle of 45* to said light emitting end of said illuminating bundle of fibre optics and are evenly spaced around the light emitting end of said bundle of fibre optics; f. means for maintaining the surface of said sample normal to said light emitting end, and at an angle of 45* to each of said light receiving ends, whereby said light emitting end illuminates said discrete area substantially normally and said light receiving ends receive light from said illuminated discrete area at an angle of about 45* to the normal to said surface; g. a light detector to which light transmitted by said light guide bundles is conducted for determination of the sum of said light transmitted by said bundles; h. subtractive filter means for filtering at least part of said light transmitted by said light guide bundles and conducted to said detector so as to modify the spectral response of said detector to one color function, said filter means being arranged to be changed to modify said spectral response to said detector to each color function in turn so as to measure the color of said sample; i. means for determining the output of said detector when modified by said filter means to each color function in turn; and j. said filter means including individual light subtractive filters for filtering the light passing through at least one light guide bundle for modifying said spectral response of said detector to each color function in turn, and said filter means including an outer sleeve, and inner sleeve rotatably mounted within said outer sleeve, a number of ports in said outer cylinder, said light guide bundles terminating in said ports in said outer sleeve, a number of ports provided in said inner sleeve, at least one of said ports in said inner sleeve having a filter arrangement, and means for rotating said inner and outer sleeve relative to one another so as to align particular ports in said inner and outer sleeves, whereby alignment of particular groups of ports in turn, interposes filter arrangements between said light guide bundles and said detector so as to modify its spectral response to each color function in turn.

Claim 8

A colorimeter for determining the color of a sample comprising: a. a stabilized light source; b. a sensing head; c. an illuminating bundle of fibre optics extending between said light source and said sensing head and having a light receiving end adjacent said light source and a light emitting end at said sensing head for illuminating a discrete area of said sample; d. a number of light guide bundles of fibre optics having light receiving ends at said sensing head for receiving light from said discRete area of said sample, said bundles being capable of transmitting said light received along their lengths; e. said sensing head having means for supporting said light emitting end of said illuminating bundle of fibre optics in a direction normal to the surface of said sample so that said sample is illuminated by light from said light emitting end of said bundle in a substantially normal direction, and for supporting said light receiving ends of said light guide bundles of fibre optics so that they are at an angle of 45* to said light emitting end of said illuminating bundle of fibre optics and are evenly spaced around the light emitting end of said bundle of fibre optics; f. means for maintaining the surface of said sample normal to said light emitting end, and at an angle of 45* to each of said light receiving ends, whereby said light emitting end illuminates said discrete area substantially normally and said light receiving ends receive light from said illuminated discrete area at an angle of about 45* to the normal to said surface; g. a light detector to which light transmitted by said light guide bundles is conducted for determination of the sum of said light transmitted by said bundles; h. subtractive filter means for filtering at least part of said light transmitted by said light guide bundles and conducted to said detector so as to modify the spectral response of said detector to one color function, said filter means being arranged to be changed to modify said spectral response to said detector to each color function in turn so as to measure the color of said sample; i. means for determining the output of said detector when modified by said filter means to each color function in turn; and j. said filter means including individual light subtractive filters for filtering the light passing through at least one light guide bundle for modifying said spectral response of said detector to each color function in turn, and said filter means including an outer sleeve, and inner sleeve rotatably mounted within said outer sleeve, a number of ports in said outer cylinder, said light guide bundles terminating in said ports in said outer sleeve, a number of ports provided in said inner sleeve, at least one of said ports in said inner sleeve having a filter arrangement, and means for rotating said inner and outer sleeve relative to one another so as to align particular ports in said inner and outer sleeves, whereby alignment of particular groups of ports in turn, interposes filter arrangements between said light guide bundles and said detector so as to modify its spectral response to each color function in turn.

Claim 9

A colorimeter for determining the color of a sample comprising: a. means for illuminating a discrete area of said sample normally to its surface; b. a sensing head positioned so as to receive light from said illuminated discrete area of said sample; c. a light detector; d. a plurality of light guides extending between said sensing head and said light detector, said light guides having light receiving ends for receiving light from said illuminated discrete area of said sample and supported by said sensing head and directed towards said sample, said light receiving ends being spaced around a normal to the surface of said sample at substantially equal angles to said normal and light output ends for directing said light received by said light receiving ends and transmitted by said light guides to said detector; e. filter means positioned between said light outputs ends of said light guides and said detector, said filter means including an individual correcting subtractive filter associated with at least one, and preferably most, of said light guides so as to filter the said light from said associated light guides before it is applied to said detector, said filter means modifying said spectral response of said detector to one color function and being arranged to be changed to modify saId response to each color function in turn so as to measure the color of said sample; f. means for determining the output from the detector when modified for each color function; and g. further comprising an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve rotatably mounted within said outer sleeve, a number of ports in said outer cylinder, said light output ends of said light guides terminating in said ports, a number of ports in said inner sleeve, filters being provided in at least one, and preferably most, of said ports in said inner sleeve, and means for rotating said inner and outer sleeves to align different filters with the light output ends of said guides to modify the spectral response of said detector to each color function in turn.

Claim 10

A colorimeter for determining the color of a sample comprising: a. means for illuminating a discrete area of said sample normally to its surface; b. a sensing head positioned so as to receive light from said illuminated discrete area of said sample; c. a light detector; d. a plurality of light guides extending between said sensing head and said light detector, said light guides having light receiving ends for receiving light from said illuminated discrete area of said sample and supported by said sensing head and directed towards said sample, said light receiving ends being spaced around a normal to the surface of said sample at substantially equal angles to said normal and light output ends for directing said light received by said light receiving ends and transmitted by said light guides to said detector; e. filter means positioned between said light outputs ends of said light guides and said detector, said filter means including an individual correcting subtractive filter associated with at least one, and preferably most, of said light guides so as to filter the said light from said associated light guides before it is applied to said detector, said filter means modifying said spectral response of said detector to one color function and being arranged to be changed to modify saId response to each color function in turn so as to measure the color of said sample; f. means for determining the output from the detector when modified for each color function; and g. further comprising an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve rotatably mounted within said outer sleeve, a number of ports in said outer cylinder, said light output ends of said light guides terminating in said ports, a number of ports in said inner sleeve, filters being provided in at least one, and preferably most, of said ports in said inner sleeve, and means for rotating said inner and outer sleeves to align different filters with the light output ends of said guides to modify the spectral response of said detector to each color function in turn.