Steven Delos Walker

US Patent:

20140078213, Mar 20, 2014

Filed:

May 27, 2011

Appl. No.:

14/119026

Inventors:

Brett E. Dahlgren - Albany OR, US
Anton Nicholas Clarkson - Corvallis OR, US
Steven H. Walker - Camas WA, US
Daniel Burger - Leingarten, DE
Trudy Benjamin - Portland OR, US

International Classification:

B41J 2/07
G01N 21/84

US Classification:

347 19

Abstract:

In one example, a drop detector includes a light source for illuminating drops passing through a drop zone, multiple light detectors near the light source for detecting light scattered off drops passing through the drop zone, and multiple lenses each configured to focus light from the drop zone on one of the light detectors. In one example, each light detector is arranged in the same plane with all of the other light detectors. In one example, the lenses are configured to focus light from two different spaces in the drop zone on different detectors or groups of detectors. In one example, the lenses are configured to focus light from a single space in the drop zone on multiple detectors.