Heat treatment monitoring system

Abstract

A heat treatment monitoring system comprises a heat treatment machine comprising a heat treatment chamber, a double glass window comprising an inside window and an outside window, and an illumination apparatus for illuminating the inside of the heat treatment chamber, and a monitoring apparatus mounted to the heat treatment machine and comprising a camera to observe the inside of the heat treatment chamber through the inside window, wherein the visible transmittance of the outside window is lower than the visible transmittance of the inside window to reduce reflections within the double glass window structure and outside illumination effects on image processing of images recorded by the camera.

1 . A heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ), comprising:
 a heat treatment machine ( 110 ) comprising a heat treatment chamber ( 120 ), a double glass window ( 130 ) comprising an inside window ( 136 ) and an outside window ( 135 ), and an illumination apparatus ( 140 ) for illuminating the inside of the heat treatment chamber ( 120 ), and   a monitoring apparatus ( 150 ) mounted to the heat treatment machine ( 110 ) and comprising a camera ( 160 ) to observe the inside of the heat treatment chamber ( 120 ) through the inside window ( 136 ), wherein   the visible transmittance of the outside window ( 135 ) is lower than the visible transmittance of the inside window ( 136 ) to reduce reflections within the double glass window structure and outside illumination effects on image processing of images recorded by the camera ( 160 ).   
     
     
         2 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the outside window ( 135 ) is darkened by a coating. 
     
     
         3 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein a metal foil or a tinting foil is applied at the outside window ( 135 ). 
     
     
         4 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outside window ( 135 ) comprises a tinted glass. 
     
     
         5 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outside window ( 135 ) has a maximum visible transmittance of 60% 
     
     
         6 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the double glass window ( 130 ) is a heat treatment machine door window ( 330 ) of a heat treatment machine door of the heat treatment machine ( 110 ). 
     
     
         7 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the monitoring apparatus ( 150 ) is adapted to generate high dynamic range (HDR) processed images of the food to be heated within the heat treatment chamber ( 120 ). 
     
     
         8 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the monitoring apparatus ( 150 ) further comprises a casing and a camera sensor mount, to which the camera ( 160 ) is mounted. 
     
     
         9 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of  claim 8 , wherein the casing is equipped with heat sinks and fans to provide cooling of the camera ( 160 ). 
     
     
         10 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heat treatment machine is a convection or a deck oven ( 310 ) having at least two trays arranged in a stacked manner. 
     
     
         11 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of  claim 10 , wherein the camera is tilted in such a way in a horizontal and/or a vertical direction with regard to the double glass window ( 130 ) to be adapted to observe at least two trays at once in the convection or deck oven ( 310 ). 
     
     
         12 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of  claim 10 , comprising at least two cameras to observe each tray separately. 
     
     
         13 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a control unit ( 1860 ) being adapted to process and classify the images of food observed by the camera based on training data for determining an end time of a heating process for the food. 
     
     
         14 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of  claim 13 , wherein the control unit ( 1860 ) is adapted to stop the heating of the heat treatment machine when the heating process has to be ended. 
     
     
         15 . The heat treatment monitoring system ( 100 ) of  claim 13 , wherein the control unit ( 1860 ) is adapted to open automatically the heat treatment machine door when the baking process has to be ended, or wherein the control unit is adapted to ventilate the heat treatment chamber with cool air or air when the heating process has to be ended.