US 12,480,871 B2
Apparatus for detecting matter
Dirk Balthasar, Boppard (DE); Michael Mayer, Neuwied-Oberbieber (DE); Patrick Sturm, Koblenz (DE); and Tobias Tückmantel, Wuppertal (DE)
Assigned to Tomra Sorting GmbH, Mülheim-Kärlich (DE)
Appl. No. 18/000,549
Filed by Tomra Sorting GmbH, Mülheim-Kärlich (DE)
PCT Filed May 4, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/061647
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 2, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/249698, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20178662 (EP), filed on Jun. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0213443 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 21/39 (2006.01); G01J 3/28 (2006.01); G01N 21/84 (2006.01); G01N 21/85 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/39 (2013.01) [G01J 3/2823 (2013.01); G01J 2003/2826 (2013.01); G01N 2021/845 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8592 (2013.01); G01N 2201/06113 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for detecting matter, the apparatus comprising:
a light source arrangement adapted to emit a first set of light beams and a second set of light beams towards a first detection zone through which the matter is provided,
a spectroscopy system including a spectrometer having a first field of view and a first viewing angle related thereto, wherein the spectroscopy system is adapted to receive and analyse light which is reflected and/or scattered by matter in the first detection zone within said first field of view, wherein the received light of the spectroscopy system originates from the first and second sets of light beams, and
a laser triangulation system including,
a laser arrangement adapted to emit a line of laser light towards a second detection zone through which the matter is provided, and
a camera-based sensor arrangement having a second field of view and a second viewing angle related thereto configured to receive and analyse light which is reflected and/or scattered by matter in the second detection zone within said second field of view, wherein the received light of the camera-based sensor arrangement originates from the line of laser light,
wherein the first field of view and the first viewing angle related thereto as well as the second field of view and the second viewing angle related thereto are selected such that the first detection zone is spatially separated from the second detection zone and arranged upstream thereof so that the matter is provided through the first detection zone and the first field of view first and only subsequently through the second detection zone and the second field of view,
at least one of a conveyor belt, a chute, and a free fall path configured to cause the matter to move along a flow direction from the first detection zone to the second detection zone,
wherein at least one of the second viewing angle of the camera-based system and the first viewing angle of the spectroscopy system is non-normal and inclined relative to the flow direction so that
the received light of the spectroscopy system completely intersects the received light of the camera-based sensor arrangement and/or the line of laser light.