Patent ID: 7812953
Filing Date: 2010-10-12
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A mixture identification system comprising: conveying means for conveying a mixture along a predetermined conveyance path, the mixture containing a plurality of different materials of nearly identical color; an irradiation device including an inspection line extending across the conveyance path, wherein said irradiation device includes a pair of lamp units for irradiating infrared light onto the inspection line, the lamp units being arranged upstream and downstream, respectively, of the inspection line as viewed in a conveying direction of the mixture, and wherein each of the lamp units includes a straight tube-type halogen lamp extending parallel with the inspection line and adapted to emit the infrared light, and a reflector for reflecting the infrared light from the halogen lamp toward the inspection line, said irradiation device being adapted to irradiate infrared light toward the mixture located on the inspection line; an infrared camera device for receiving the infrared light reflected from the mixture and outputting image data of the mixture based on the received infrared light; and a discrimination circuit for identifying a target material contained in the mixture, based on the output from said infrared camera device, wherein said infrared camera device includes a spectral mirror for separating the received infrared light into light beams of respective different wavelength regions, a plurality of infrared filters for receiving the respective light beams and allowing only infrared light with respective specific wavelengths to pass therethrough, the specific wavelengths of infrared light causing the materials contained in the mixture to show a predetermined difference in reflectance when irradiated onto the mixture and reflected by the respective materials, and a plurality of optical line sensors for receiving the infrared light beams passed through the respective infrared filters, each of the optical line sensors including a large number of light receiving elements so arranged as to receive the infrared light reflected from the mixture on the inspection line and individually generating, as the image data, electrical signals corresponding to amounts of the infrared light received.