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Abstract

An apparatus (100) and a method for measuring the thickness (s) for a wall (35) of a transparent object (30); the wall (35) comprises a transparent material (35a) arranged between a proximal interface (31), set between an environment (33) and the transparent material (35a), and a distal interface (32), set between said transparent material (35a) and the environment (33). The apparatus (100) comprises a source (1) of a starting light radiation (2) and a means for focusing it (10), in order to obtain an entering light radiation (5) directed towards the wall (35) that hits the proximal interface (31) of the wall (35) of the object and is in part reflected, in order to generate a first reflected radiation (6). A part of the entering light radiation (5) that is transmitted (7), through the transparent material (35a), hitting upon the distal interface (32), is in turn reflected (8) and crosses in an opposite direction the transparent material (35a) through the proximal interface (31), in order to generate a second reflected radiation (9). A collected radiation (15) given by overlapping the first (6) and second (9) reflected radiations have a difference of intensity that is configured to obtain an interference, which allows determining the thickness (s) of the wall (35). In particular, the means for focusing comprises a lens means (10) that have two main meridians (10a, 10b) orthogonal to each other, such that the entering light radiation (5) is focused on a first virtual focus (F₁) in the first meridian plane (10a), and on a second virtual focus (F₂) in the second meridian plane (10b). This way, it is obtained that the collected radiation (15) is substantially independent from possible movements of the transparent object (30), and this allows a remarkable reliability and robustness of the measurement with respect to fluctuations and vibrations of the object (30).

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First Claim