An aim is to reduce the size of an optical sensor which detects radiated light such as phosphorescence radiated from a detection target excited by exciting light, and to increase a radiated light receiving surface of the optical sensor. An optical sensor is configured to be provided with: a light source which irradiates excitation light; a light detector which detects radiation light emitted from a detection target excited by the excitation light; and a single light guide unit which guides the excitation light to the detection target and guides the radiation light to the light detector.

Disclosed herein are compact, on line, real-time, non-contact optical property measurement systems and methods thereof capable of measuring optical quality such as haze, clarity, luminance of a film during the film manufacturing process. More specifically, the optical property measurement system can move in the transverse direction along the film while the film is on the line, thereby measuring the optical property of the film in real time at various locations on the film in both the transverse and machine direction.

An aim is to reduce the size of an optical sensor which detects radiated light such as phosphorescence radiated from a detection target excited by exciting light, and to increase a radiated light receiving surface of the optical sensor. An optical sensor is configured to be provided with: a light source which irradiates excitation light; a light detector which detects radiation light emitted from a detection target excited by the excitation light; and a single light guide unit which guides the excitation light to the detection target and guides the radiation light to the light detector.

A measurement apparatus of a moving paper web, includes an optical radiation source that outputs optical radiation toward a scattering element of the measurement apparatus. The scattering element scatters the optical radiation, and a transmitting surface of the scattering element directs the optical radiation in a scattered manner toward the moving paper web. A distance between said transmitting surface of the scattering element and a surface of the paper web is known, and the transmitting surface and a detector of the apparatus are on opposite sides of the paper web. The detector receives at least a part of the optical radiation, which is side-scattered from the moving paper web. The detector determines a moisture value and a dry weight of the paper web on the basis of spectral information on the received optical radiation and the known distance.

A method for detecting a deflection between a source module and a detection module in a scanning apparatus and configured as a sensor pair for scanning transmission measurement of sheet material being transported in a machine direction through a sensing gap formed between the source module and the detection module. The source module is arranged on a first side of the sensing gap and emits a sensing radiation or sensing energy radiation towards the sensing gap, and the detection module is arranged on a second side of the sensing gap opposite to the first side and detects the radiation from the source module and transmitted through the sensing gap. The method includes: attaching a removable blocking device to the detection module; and performing a partially-blocked scanning process during which the source module and the detection module are jointly moved in a cross direction of the scanning apparatus.

A method for detecting a deflection or relative deflection between a source module and a detection module in a scanning apparatus and configured as a sensor pair for scanning transmission measurement of sheet material being transported in a machine direction through a sensing gap formed between the source module and the detection module is provided. The source module is arranged on a first side of the sensing gap and emits a sensing radiation or sensing energy radiation towards the sensing gap, and the detection module is arranged on a second side of the sensing gap opposite to the first side and detects the radiation from the source module and transmitted through the sensing gap. The method includes: attaching a removable blocking device to the detection module, so that a radiation-blocking area of the blocking device partially blocks, in an asymmetrical manner, a sub-area of the cross-sectional area of the radiation impinging onto a detection module aperture of the detection module; and performing a partially-blocked scanning process during which the source module and the detection module are jointly moved in a cross direction of the scanning apparatus, the source module emits the radiation and the detection module detects the radiation from the source module having transmitted through the sensing gap, whereby a selected portion of the radiation corresponding to the sub-area covered by the radiation-blocking area is blocked from being detected by the detection module aperture, whereby a partially-blocked sensor signal is obtained from the radiation detected by the detection module.

A sheet discriminator, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus and an image forming system, includes a sheet loader on which a recording medium is loaded, an information detector including a light emitter to emit light to a surface of the recording medium loaded on the sheet loader and a light receiver to receive the light emitted by the light emitter and detecting information of the recording medium, a sheet distinguisher to distinguish a type of the recording medium based on the information detected by the information detector, and a light emission controller to control activation and stop of the light emitter and activate the light emitter before the information detector starts detection of the information of the recording medium.

A steel sheet inspection device includes: a magnetooptic element that is able to detect, as an optical property, a magnetic domain structure of a steel sheet to be inspected; a light source that irradiates the magnetooptic element with linearly polarized light; a detector that detects the linearly polarized light with a polarization plane rotated according to the magnetic domain structure of the steel sheet transferred to the magnetooptic element; and a drive mechanism that drives at least the magnetooptic element so as to contact and separate the steel sheet and the magnetooptic element with and from each other.

Continuous on-line thin film measurements employ a sensor having a spectrometer for interferometric measurements and a stack of single channel detectors for adsorption measurements. The stack is separated from the spectrometer, which analyzes radiation that emerges (transmitted pass or reflected from) the film, whereas the stack analyzes radiation that has passed through the film multiple times. The spectrometer is (i) positioned directly opposite the source of radiation so that it detects transmitted radiation or (ii) disposed on the same side of the film as is the source of radiation so that the spectrometer detects radiation that is specularly reflected from the film. The sensor includes a broadband radiation source emitting visible to far infrared light which propagates through a measurement cell defined by reflective surfaces exhibiting Lambertian-type scattering. The sensor is capable of measuring thin plastic films with thicknesses down to 1 micron or less.

A system and method that automatically determine a type of material at a machine input to prevent damage to the machine. A user interface receives a selection of a material type to be loaded into the machine. A controller performs a safety check before starting a process using the machine by matching the selected material type to a material type at the machine input determined based on signals received from a plurality of sensors. The plurality of sensors comprise a material present sensor, a material type sensor opposed by a different material having a inductive sensor correction factor of 0.5 or less, and a material color sensor.