US 11,731,171 B2
Systems and methods for spectral identification and optical sorting of materials
Julien Neige, Sherbrooke (CA); Nathanaël Lortie, Sherbrooke (CA); and Alain Brasseur, Sherbrooke (CA)
Assigned to 6511660 CANADA INC., Sherbrooke (CA)
Appl. No. 16/611,992
Filed by 6511660 CANADA INC., Sherbrooke (CA)
PCT Filed May 9, 2018, PCT No. PCT/CA2018/050552
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 8, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/205026, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 15, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/504,899, filed on May 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0197981 A1, Jun. 25, 2020
Int. Cl. B07C 5/342 (2006.01); G01J 3/02 (2006.01); G01J 3/10 (2006.01); G01J 3/42 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 5/342 (2013.01) [G01J 3/0208 (2013.01); G01J 3/108 (2013.01); G01J 3/42 (2013.01)] 97 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A spectral identification system for spectrally analyzing a flow of objects, the spectral identification system comprising:
a conveying roller having a longitudinal rotation axis and an outer lateral periphery, the outer lateral periphery defining a conveying surface to support and transport the objects along a conveying path extending from a feed end to a discharge end thereof;
an illumination unit configured to project illumination light toward an illumination zone intersecting at least part of the conveying path to illuminate the flow of objects on the conveying surface;
a spectral detection unit configured to detect object light emanating from the flow of objects in the illumination zone upon illumination by the illumination light and output spectral data representative of the detected object light; and
a processing unit configured to receive the spectral data output by the spectral detection unit and perform material identification in the flow of objects based on the spectral data,
wherein the illumination unit is configured to emit the illumination light in an illumination waveband and the spectral detection unit comprises a detector configured to detect the object light in a detection waveband, the illumination waveband and the detection waveband both comprising wavelengths ranging from about 0.2 micrometer to about 15 micrometers.