Gas detecting device and gas detecting method using the same

• US 10,520,490 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Fan, Fu-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Kolb, Nathaniel J
• Application Number:
  US14/820,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0073 Control unit therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06

Abstract

A gas detecting device and a gas detecting method using the same are provided. The gas detecting device includes a casing, a gas detecting element, a first valve, a second valve and a forced exhausting element. The casing has a cavity, an inlet and an outlet. The gas detector is disposed within the cavity. The first valve is for selectively opening or closing the inlet. The second valve is for selectively opening or closing the outlet. The forced exhausting element is disposed within the outlet.

Claims

1. A gas detecting device, comprising:

a casing having a cavity, an inlet and an outlet;

a gas detector disposed within the cavity;

a first valve for selectively opening or closing the inlet;

a second valve for selectively opening or closing the outlet;

a forced exhausting element disposed within the outlet; and

a heater disposed within the cavity, wherein the heater faces and is separated from the gas detector,

wherein the inlet, the outlet and the cavity are disposed within the casing, the first valve is disposed within the inlet, the second valve is disposed within the outlet, the casing has an upper surface, a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, a first outer lateral surface and a second outer lateral surface opposite to the first outer lateral surface, the first outer lateral surface and the second outer lateral surface extend between the upper surface the lower surface, and the entire inlet inwardly extends from the lateral surface to the cavity,

wherein the inlet is connected with an upper portion of a lateral side of the cavity, the outlet is connected with a lower portion of an opposite lateral side of the cavity, the outlet and the inlet are staggered with each other up and down, and the gas detector is disposed adjacent to the lower portion, and

wherein the inlet extends straightly to the upper portion of the lateral side of the cavity from the first outer lateral surface, and the outlet extends straightly to the lower portion of the lateral side of the cavity from the second outer lateral surface.

2. The gas detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the filtering element is a biological filtration membrane.

3. The gas detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gas collecting element for collecting a to-be-tested gas.

4. The gas detecting device according to claim 3, wherein the gas pipe is connected to an opening of the gas collecting element and

the fixing element is for fixing the gas pipe and the gas collecting element.

5. The gas detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to;

control at least one of the heater and the forced exhausting element to operate according to a signal from the gas detector.

6. The gas detecting device according to claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the signal from the gas detector is higher than an upper limit;

control the forced exhausting element to operate to reduce a temperature of the cavity if the signal from the gas detector is higher than the upper limit;

determine whether the signal from the gas detector is lower than a lower limit; and

control the heater to increase a temperature of the cavity if the signal from the gas detector is lower than the lower limit.

7. The gas detecting device according to claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the time for which the signal from the gas detector falls between the upper limit and the lower limit is over a pre-determined time interval; and

send an indicating signal if the time for which the signal of the gas detector falls between the upper limit and the lower limit is over the pre-deteiinined time interval.

8. The gas detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to;

control the forced exhausting element to inhale a to-be-tested gas into the cavity.

9. The gas detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a filtering element disposed within the inlet.

10. A gas detecting method, comprising:

providing a gas detecting device, wherein the gas detecting device comprises a casing, a gas detector, a first valve, a second valve, a forced exhausting element and a heater, the casing has a cavity, an inlet and an outlet, the gas detector is disposed within the cavity, the first valve is for selectively opening or closing the inlet, the second valve is for selectively opening or closing the outlet, the forced exhausting element is disposed within the outlet, a heater is disposed within the cavity, and faces and is separated from the gas detector, the inlet, the outlet and the cavity are disposed within the casing, the first valve is disposed within the inlet, the second valve is disposed within the outlet, the casing has an upper surface, a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, a first outer lateral surface and a second outer lateral surface opposite to the first outer lateral surface, the first outer lateral surface and the second outer lateral surface extend between the upper surface the lower surface, the entire inlet inwardly extends from the lateral surface to the cavity, wherein the inlet is connected with an upper portion of a lateral side of the cavity, the outlet is connected with a lower portion of an opposite lateral side of the cavity, the outlet and the inlet are staggered with each other up and down, and the gas detector is disposed adjacent to the lower portion, wherein the inlet extends straightly to the upper portion of the lateral side of the cavity from the first outer lateral surface, and the outlet extends straightly to the lower portion of the lateral side of the cavity from the second outer lateral surface;

inhaling a to-be-tested gas, through the gas pipe, into the cavity of the gas detecting device by the forced exhausting element;

controlling the first valve to close the inlet;

controlling the second valve to close the outlet; and

detecting the to-be-tested gas by the gas detector.

11. The gas detecting method according to claim 10, further comprising:

heating the cavity.

12. The gas detecting method according to claim 10, wherein the gas detecting method further comprises:

controlling the heater and the forced exhausting element to operate according to a signal from the gas detector.

13. The gas detecting method according to claim 12, wherein the step of controlling the heater and the forced exhausting element to operate according to the signal of the gas detector comprises:

determining whether a signal from the gas detector is higher than an upper limit;

controlling the forced exhausting element to reduce a temperature of the cavity if the signal from the gas detector is higher than the upper limit;

determining whether the signal from the gas detector is lower than a lower limit; and

controlling the heater to increase a temperature of the cavity if the signal from the gas detector is lower than the lower limit.

14. The gas detecting method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the time for which the signal from the gas detector falls between the upper limit and the lower limit is over a pre-determined time interval; and

sending an indicating signal if the time for which the signal from the gas detector falls between the upper limit and the lower limit is over the pre-determined time interval.

15. The gas detecting method according to claim 10, further comprising:

controlling the forced exhausting element to inhale a to-be-tested gas into the cavity.