Patent ID: 8310604
Filing Date: 2012-11-13
Classification: G01N,G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A visual inspection apparatus for use in inspecting an industrial equipment article defining a target substrate, said visual inspection apparatus comprising: a two dimensional image sensor and imaging optics for focusing images of said target substrate onto said two dimensional image sensor; image processing circuitry for processing image signals representative of light incident on said two dimensional image sensor; at least one processing circuit board carrying at least one component of said image processing circuitry; a light source bank for illuminating a target substrate; at least one temperature sensor; a display for displaying image representations corresponding to light incident on said two dimensional image sensor; a hand held housing encapsulating said at least one processing circuit board and said light source bank and said at least one temperature sensor, said hand held housing having disposed thereon said display; and an elongated inspection tube adapted to transmit light generated by said light source bank so that said light generated by said light source bank can be directed to said target substrate, said elongated inspection tube extending front said hand held housing, wherein said visual inspection apparatus is adapted so that said visual inspection apparatus can initiate a first cooling procedure and a second cooling procedure for cooling an interior of said hand held housing responsively to a temperature sensed by said at least one temperature sensor, wherein the first cooling procedure and the second cooling procedure modify operation of different components on said visual inspection apparatus, and wherein said visual inspection apparatus initiates said first cooling procedure and said second cooling procedure in accordance with a timed sequence comprising one or more time periods that define a time the sensed temperature exceeds a threshold value, the time periods comprising a first time period during which said first cooling procedure is active and a second time period during which said second cooling procedure is active.