Method and equipment for testing the colour and reflectivity of high-visibility garments

Abstract: Method of testing the colour and reflectivity of high-visibility garments, comprising the following steps: simultaneous acquisition by the same test unit of a digitalised image of the garment (3) and of a set of reference samples (7, 8), illuminated by the same light source (11, 12); breakdown of the image of the garment into a number of zones of limited size; reading of the colour and reflectivity values of each of the said zones; comparison of the said samples (7, 8), read simultaneously with the garment (3), and determination of the extent to which the values of each of the said zones differ from the samples; display of an image of the garment showing the zones whose values fall within the normal range in one colour, and the zones whose values fall outside that range in a different colour. Preferably the reading is performed simultaneously from the front and back of the garment by means of two separate test units and the two separate readings are taken with the garment illuminated by lights originating from different angles to test its colour and reflectivity.

Description: This invention relates to a method and the corresponding equipment for testing the colour and reflectivity characteristics of high-visibility garments, in order to establish whether they confirm to industry standards. The method in accordance with the invention involves the simultaneous acquisition of a digitalised image of the garment to be analysed and a reference sample by the same equipment, breakdown of the surface of the garment into a number of zones and measurement of the colour and reflectivity characteristics of each zone; comparison of each measurement thus taken with the same measurement relating to the reference sample; display of an image of the garment in which the zones presenting colour and/or reflectivity characteristics that fail to comply with the required limits are displayed in a different colour. The patent also relates to the equipment designed to implement the said method. The method in accordance with the invention enables garments to be tested quickly and precisely by a fully automatic process which offers the advantages of a considerable saving of time and precise, immediately displayed results. The method and equipment in accordance with the invention are particularly suitable for use in the field of manufacture and treatment (washing, etc.) of high-visibility garments, such as working clothes of the type used at roadworks, where the workers need to be visible from a distance even in poor lighting conditions. For this purpose, garments of a colour easily visible from a distance (generally orange or similar) are used, and a number of bands covered with a material that reflects nearly all the light received are applied to them. As already mentioned, these garments are particularly useful in all cases in which workers have to operate in difficult and/or dangerous situations; they are used, for example, by rescue teams, personnel who work at night or in conditions of poor visibility on sites where moving vehicles are present, etc.. To meet the current regulations, these garments must present precise characteristics relating to the shade of colour and degree of reflectivity of the materials used; these characteristics must be checked periodically, in particular after washing operations and the like. Until a few years ago, this type of check was performed empirically by placing the garment next to a set of colour samples, one of which, corresponding to the standard, was taken as the main reference, while the others departed from the optimum value to a greater or lesser extent. The evaluation consists of a visual inspection designed to establish which of these samples is most similar to the colour of the garment; however, this method involves a degree of uncertainty and the risk of error, caused for example, by different lighting conditions, operator evaluation errors, etc. Instrumental reading methods were recently introduced which involve the use of an instrument able to read the colour, reflectivity and brightness values of a small area of fabric and compare them with a table of preset values. For example, a unit for testing the colour and reflectivity of high-visibility garments and the method thereof according to the preamble of claims 1 and 4 are known from US 4,744,035. However, this is a merely a spot reading, ie. it relates only to one spot or a very small area of the garment, with the result that numerous readings are required; calculation and interpolation techniques are then used to obtain information about the whole surface, but the method does not guarantee that the results in each of these areas comply with the standard. The present invention falls into this sector; its purpose is to provide a rapid, simple instrumental method of checking the whole surface of a garment which produces precise, reliable results that are easily and immediately interpreted. This purpose is achieved with the method and equipment in accordance with the characterising part of the claims 1 and 4, respectively, annexed hereto. This invention will now be described in detail, by way of example but not of limitation, by reference to the annexed figures in which: figure 1 schematically illustrates a unit in accordance with the invention, designed to test the colour and reflectivity of high-visibility garments figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the test unit shown in figure 1 figure 3 illustrates the image that appears on the screen which displays the readings taken. With reference to figures 1 and 2, the unit designed to implement the method in accordance with the invention comprises a track or guide 1 along which set of carriages 2 run; a garment to be tested, indicated as 3, hangs from each carriage. Along the route followed by the carriage, the garments pass through a test zone in which the carriage stops for the garment to be tested. Correct positioning of the carriage, and therefore the garment, can be detected, for example, by microswitches 4 or the like installed along the route; when the said microswitches are activated by the passing of the carriage, they stop the devices that drive the carriages containing the garments forward, and activate the reading and testing devices. The test area is fitted with a pair of supports 5 and 6 constituted by boards or the like to which a set of colour reference samples 7 and a set of reflectivity measurement samples 8 are applied. This area also contains two television cameras or similar image digitalisation systems, shown as 9 and 10 in figure 2, which film the garment and the two boards 5 and 6 bearing the reference samples from the front and back. The television cameras are preferably the type with solid-state sensors, in particular CCD sensors. Television cameras 9 and 10 serve to test the colour and reflecting capacity of the bands applied to the garment. The test area also contains two pairs of lamps 11 and 12, positioned on opposite sides of the garment; one lamp in each pair illuminates the garment and the boards bearing the samples from an angle of approx. 45° (to measure the colour), and the other illuminates them from an angle of approx. 4° (to measure the characteristics of the reflecting bands). The angles indicated could be different, where required by the standards in force. The television cameras are connected to a computer which captures the images supplied, processes them and compares the colour and brightness values read for each zone of the garment with the corresponding values of the reference samples illuminated by the same light. The computer then displays the results on a screen on which the outline of the garment appears, with the parts of the surface found to conform to the standard shown in one colour and the parts of the surface considered non-conforming shown in a different colour. The program could obviously be written in such a way as to supply an image printed on paper with details of the results, process those results to produce statistics, etc.

Claims: Method of testing the colour and reflectivity of high-visibility garments (3) comprising the following steps: acquisitions of a digitalised image of the garment (3) and of a set of reference samples (7, 8); breakdown of said image of the garment (3) into a number of zones of limited size, characterised in that said testing method includes the following further phases: reading of the colour and reflectivity values of each of said zones by means of at least one test unit (9, 10) ; comparison of said reference samples (7, 8) with the image of the garment (3) and determination of the extent to which said colour and reflectivity values of each of said zones differ from the colour and reflectivity values of said reference samples (7, 8); displaying of an image of the garment (3) showing first zones, whose colour and reflectivity values fall within a prefixed range in one colour, and second zones, whose values fall outside said prefixed range in a different colour, said acquisitions of a digitalised image of the garment (3) and of a set of reference samples (7, 8) being provided simultaneously by the same test unit (9, 10), said garment (3) and said reference samples (7, 8) being illuminated by the same light source (11, 12). Method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said phase of reading is performed simultaneously from the front and back of the garment (3) by means of two separate test units (9, 10). Method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that two separate phases of reading are taken with the garment (3) illuminated by said light sources (11, 12) originating from different angles to test its colour and reflectivity. Unit for testing the colour and reflectivity of high-visibility garments (3) of the type comprising: means (9, 10) for acquiring a digitalised image of the garment (3) and of a set of reference samples (7, 8), which are placed close to said garment (3); means for breaking down said image into a number of zones of limited size; characterised in that said unit also includes means for reading the brightness and colour of each of said zones of limited size; means for comparing the values of brightness and colour read in correspondence with each of said zones with the values of brightness and colour read by filming said reference samples (7, 8), and means for displaying a colour image of said garment (3), in which first parts that fail to conform to said reference samples (7, 8) are displayed in a different colour from second parts conforming to said reference samples (7, 8), said reference samples (7, 8) being illuminated by light sources (11, 12), which simultaneously also illuminate said garment (3). Unit as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that it comprises a plurality of carriages, which move along a track, said carriages, with garments (3) hanging from them, passing alongside television cameras (9, 10), designed to acquire a digitalised image of the garments (3), and lighting devices (11, 12) able to illuminate the garments (3) and said reference samples (7, 8) simultaneously.

Inventors: BOLOGNINI RICCARDO, MUMELTER HEINRICH, BOLOGNINI, RICCARDO, MUMELTER, HEINRICH
Applicants: LAVANDERIE DELL ALTO ADIGE S P, LAVANDERIE DELL'ALTO ADIGE S.P.A.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G01N33
IPC codes: G01N33