Systems for blade sharpening and contactless blade sharpness detection

1. A blade sharpening and blade sharpness detection system for permitting sharpening of a blade and a determination of a sharpness of a blade in a single system, the system comprising:

a housing;

a blade sharpening mechanism retained by the housing;

an optical inspection unit retained by the housing wherein the optical inspection unit is operative to inspect blade sharpness optically and wherein the optical inspection unit comprises a light source and an optical sharpness sensor operative to acquire light reflected from the blade whereby reflected light intensity can be converted to a measurement of blade sharpness; and

a blade positioning and guidance mechanism retained by the housing wherein the blade positioning and guidance mechanism is disposed to position and guide the blade in relation to the optical inspection unit;

wherein the optical inspection unit and the blade positioning and guidance mechanism are retained by a pivotable support structure within the housing;

wherein the positioning and guidance mechanism comprises first and second rotatable spheres disposed in a pair with the first rotatable sphere disposed in immediate juxtaposition to the second rotatable sphere and with the first and second rotatable spheres spaced from the optical inspection unit.

2. The blade sharpening and blade sharpness detection system of claim 1 further comprising an output display operative to provide a visual output of the sharpness of the blade in a localized position.

3. The blade sharpening and blade sharpness detection system of claim 1 wherein the pivotable support structure is pivotable about a pivot axis in relation to a pivot support cradle.

4. The blade sharpening and blade sharpness detection system of claim 1 wherein the support structure has first and second opposed walls separated by a guidance and sensing channel, wherein the optical inspection unit is in optical communication with the guidance and sensing channel, and wherein the blade positioning and guidance mechanism is disposed within the guidance and sensing channel spaced from the optical inspection unit.

5. The blade sharpening and blade sharpness detection system of claim 1 wherein the optical inspection unit comprises a reflective optical sensor.

6. The blade sharpness detections system of claim 5 wherein the reflective optical sensor has an optical pair comprising an emitter and a photodetector.

7. The blade sharpening and blade sharpness detection system of claim 1 wherein the blade positioning and guidance mechanism further comprises first and second pairs of rotatable spheres, wherein the spheres of each pair of rotatable spheres are in immediate juxtaposition, and wherein the pairs of rotatable spheres are retained in spaced relation to one another and in relation to the optical inspection unit.

8. The blade sharpening and blade sharpness detection system of claim 7 wherein the pairs of spheres are disposed in corresponding positions distally and laterally spaced from the optical inspection unit whereby the optical inspection unit is centered between and proximal to the pairs of spheres.

9. The blade sharpening and blade sharpness detection system of claim 8 wherein the support structure has first and second opposed walls separated by a guidance and sensing channel, wherein the optical inspection unit is in optical communication with the guidance and sensing channel, and wherein the pairs of spheres of the blade positioning and guidance mechanism are disposed within the guidance and sensing channel spaced from the optical inspection unit.

10. The blade sharpening and sharpness detection system of claim 1 further comprising a user input to permit a user to input a selected sharpening characteristic wherein the optical inspection unit is operative to detect whether the blade meets the selected sharpening characteristic when inspected by the optical inspection unit.

11. A blade sharpness detection system for permitting a determination of a sharpness of a blade, the system comprising:

a housing;

an optical inspection unit retained by the housing wherein the optical inspection unit is operative to inspect blade sharpness optically and wherein the optical inspection unit comprises a light source and an optical sharpness sensor operative to acquire light reflected from the blade whereby reflected light intensity can be converted to a measurement of blade sharpness; and

a blade positioning and guidance mechanism retained by the housing wherein the blade positioning and guidance mechanism is disposed to position and guide the blade in relation to the optical inspection unit;

wherein the optical inspection unit and the blade positioning and guidance mechanism are retained by a pivotable support structure within the housing;

wherein the positioning and guidance mechanism comprises first and second rotatable spheres disposed in a pair with the first rotatable sphere disposed in immediate juxtaposition to the second rotatable sphere and with the first and second rotatable spheres spaced from the optical inspection unit.

12. The blade sharpness detection system of claim 11 further comprising an output display operative to provide a visual output of the sharpness of the blade in a localized position.

13. The blade sharpness detection system of claim 11 wherein the pivotable support structure is pivotable about a pivot axis in relation to a pivot support cradle.

14. The blade sharpness detection system of claim 11 wherein the support structure has first and second opposed walls separated by a guidance and sensing channel, wherein the optical inspection unit is in optical communication with the guidance and sensing channel, and wherein the blade positioning and guidance mechanism is disposed within the guidance and sensing channel spaced from the optical inspection unit.

15. The blade sharpness detection system of claim 11 wherein the optical inspection unit comprises a reflective optical sensor.

16. The blade sharpness detection system of claim 11 wherein the blade positioning and guidance mechanism further comprises first and second pairs of rotatable spheres, wherein the spheres of each pair of rotatable spheres are in immediate juxtaposition, and wherein the pairs of rotatable spheres are retained in spaced relation to one another and in relation to the optical inspection unit.

17. The blade sharpness detection system of claim 16 wherein the pairs of spheres are disposed in corresponding positions distally and laterally spaced from the optical inspection unit whereby the optical inspection unit is centered between and proximal to the pairs of spheres.

18. The blade sharpness detection system of claim 17 wherein the support structure has first and second opposed walls separated by a guidance and sensing channel, wherein the optical inspection unit is in optical communication with the guidance and sensing channel, and wherein the pairs of spheres of the blade positioning and guidance mechanism are disposed within the guidance and sensing channel spaced from the optical inspection unit.

19. The blade sharpness detection system of claim 11 further comprising a user input to permit a user to input a selected sharpening characteristic wherein the optical inspection unit is operative to detect whether the blade meets the selected sharpening characteristic when inspected by the optical inspection unit.