Patent ID: 6088104
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
A portable device for determining the presence or absence of surface roughening, comprising:a hand-held enclosure including a window to be placed adjacent an moved along a surface to be characterized;a light source disposed within the enclosure to project a beam of light through the window and onto a localized area of the surface, the path of the beam reflected by the surface and back through the window defining an optical axis;a light-sensitive detector disposed on the optical axis within the enclosure to receive light scattered by the surface and output an electrical signal representative of the light received;an optical blocking element supported within the enclosure at a point along the optical axis between the window and the detector to block the beam when reflected by a substantially non-roughened surface;a lens supported within the enclosure along the optical axis at a point between the window and the blocking element to gather light scattered off-axis by a roughened surface and focus the gathered light onto the detector;a two-state indicator disposed on the enclosure; andelectrical circuitry disposed within the enclosure, including a source of an adjustable threshold signal and a comparator operative to compare the threshold signal to the output of the detector and deliver a signal to change the state of the indicator if the output of the detector exceeds the threshold signal.