20100005911 | Weathering Test Apparatus With Real-Time Color Measurement - What is disclosed is a weathering test apparatus with an In situ, Real-time Color Measurement System (IRCMS) with an input optic connected to a light pipe placed in the chamber between a light source and a test specimen in turn connected to a color measuring sensor and the associated processing and storage system to determine the color of a specimen in a continuous fashion within the enclosure of the weathering device. The color obtained is then compared a stored value or reference to determine the color evolution over time and can also be compared with the Standard Reference Materials (SRM) to determine when standardized testing has achieved acceptable color change values. In another embodiment, the input optic is offset from a line between the specimen and the light source to limit interference of shading created by the optic, and in another embodiment, several input optics are used in tandem to measure the color of different specimens located at different angular orientations on the rotating rack in the chamber. In yet another embodiment, a second optic is used to take a full-spectrum measurement of the irradiant light source used in the color calculation under the CIE standard. | 01-14-2010 |