Patent ID: 6205240
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
An apparatus for evaluating a profile of a blade edge in a system having a processor for such evaluation, the edge comprising an edge tip and two edge sides, the apparatus comprising:means for illuminating the blade edge, at a location along the blade, with a light stripe;means for capturing an image of each illuminated edge side;means for combining the image data, using calibration parameters, to represent the profile of the entire edge, including the tip, said profile being represented by a plurality of data points in a coordinate system,means for providing a profile tolerance band, said profile tolerance band including data points corresponding to the edge tip and two sides;means for aligning the profile and said profile tolerance band, said profile including data points from edge sides and an outermost portion of said blade;means for providing a plurality of memory locations for storing values, each of said memory locations being associated with a point in the coordinate system;means for setting said value stored in each of said memory locations, where those not associated with points of said tolerance band are set to a first value, and those associated with points of said tolerance band are set to a second value; andmeans for determining whether the points of the profile are within said tolerance band by evaluating said value of said memory locations which are associated with points of the profile.