Improved Illumination Device for Inspecting Window Surfaces

A fiber-optic illumination device that aids the inspection of window surfaces has been improved to make it suitable for automated detection of pits, scratches, and subsurface damage by use of a machine-vision and image-analysis system. The improvements, which include modifications in both the optical and mechanical aspects of its design, significantly reduce the brightness of stray light that, previously, was bright enough to interfere with automated detection of defects.