Environmental chamber for electronic systems testing & methods of use

• US 20070131039A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panoptik Compliance Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Professional Testing Emi, Inc.
• Inventors: Willemin, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/865.600
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 17/00 Investigating resistance of materials to the weather, to corrosion, or to light

Abstract

An environmental chamber for use with an environmental contamination testing system provides airborne contaminants effects for electronic systems. The environmental chamber includes a platform for supporting the plurality of electronic systems and receiving the settled amounts of the airborne contaminants. An airborne contaminants contaminant delivery system delivers airborne contaminants within the environmental chamber for directing the airborne contaminants in the direction of the platform and the plurality of electronic systems. A controller cabinet monitors and controls the environment of the environmental chamber.

Claims

1. An airborne contaminants testing system for testing the operation of electronic systems in response to an accumulation of airborne contaminants within the electronic systems, comprising:

an environmental chamber for containing a plurality of electronic systems, the electronic systems comprising air intake mechanisms, the air intake mechanisms susceptible to receiving the airborne contaminants and excessively heat in response to accumulated settled amounts of the airborne contaminants within the air intake mechanisms;

a platform for supporting the plurality of electronic systems and receiving the settled amounts of the airborne contaminants;

an airborne contaminants delivery system for delivering airborne contaminants within said environmental chamber for directing the airborne contaminants in the direction of the platform and the plurality of electronic systems;

means for controlling the uniformity of the airborne contaminants delivered to the electronic systems; and

a chamber environment monitoring and control mechanism for monitoring and controlling the environment of said environmental chamber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said airborne contaminants delivery system further comprises an air pressure and flow delivery system for agitating a predetermined type of contaminants to become airborne and creating a flow of airborne contaminants.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said airborne contaminants delivery system further comprises a air pressure and flow delivery system for agitating a predetermined type of contaminants to become airborne and creating a flow of airborne contaminants, said agitating arising from the operation of an air hose moving in a whipping motion.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heating system associated with said environmental chamber for controllably heating the environment of said environmental chamber.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cooling system associated with said environmental chamber for controllably cooling the environment of said environmental chamber.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air-tight chamber door for establishing said environmental chamber environment as an air-tight environment.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air drying system for controlling the humidity of air within said environmental chamber.

8. A method for testing the operation of electronic systems in response to an accumulation of airborne contaminants within the electronic systems, comprising the steps of:

containing a plurality of electronic systems in an environmental chamber, the electronic systems comprising air intake mechanisms, the air intake mechanisms susceptible to receiving the airborne contaminants and excessively heat in response to accumulated settled amounts of the airborne contaminants within the air intake mechanisms;

supporting the plurality of electronic systems on a platform and receiving the settled amounts of the airborne contaminants;

delivering airborne contaminants within said environmental chamber for directing the airborne contaminants in the direction of the platform and the plurality of electronic systems;

controlling the uniformity of the airborne contaminants delivered to the electronic systems; and

monitoring and controlling the environment of said environmental chamber.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of agitating a predetermined type of contaminants to become airborne and creating a flow of airborne contaminants using an air pressure and flow delivery system associated with said airborne contaminants delivery system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of agitating a predetermined type of contaminants to become airborne and creating a flow of airborne contaminants using an air pressure and flow delivery system associated with said airborne contaminants delivery system, said agitating occurring with an air hose moving in a whipping motion.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of controllably heating the environment of said environmental chamber using a heating system associated with said environmental chamber.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of controllably cooling the environment of said environmental chamber using a cooling system associated with said environmental chamber.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of establishing said environmental chamber environment as an air-tight environment using an air-tight chamber door.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of controlling the humidity of air within said environmental chamber using an air drying system.

15. An environmental chamber for containing a plurality of electronic systems, the electronic systems comprising air intake mechanisms, the air intake mechanisms susceptible to receiving the airborne contaminants and excessively heat in response to accumulated settled amounts of the airborne contaminants within the air intake mechanisms, comprising:

an airborne contaminants delivery system for delivering airborne contaminants within said environmental chamber for directing the airborne contaminants in the direction of a platform and the plurality of electronic systems;

means for controlling the uniformity of the airborne contaminants delivered to the electronic systems; and

a chamber environment monitoring and control mechanism for monitoring and controlling the environment of said environmental chamber.

16. The environmental chamber of claim 15, wherein said airborne contaminants delivery system further comprises an air pressure and flow delivery system for agitating a predetermined type of contaminants to become airborne and creating a flow of airborne contaminants.

17. The environmental chamber of claim 15, wherein said airborne contaminants delivery system further comprises a air pressure and flow delivery system for agitating a predetermined type of contaminants to become airborne and creating a flow of airborne contaminants, said agitating arising from the operation of an air hose moving in a whipping motion.

18. The environmental chamber of claim 15, further comprising a heating system-associated with said environmental chamber for controllably heating the environment of said environmental chamber.

19. The environmental chamber of claim 15, further comprising a cooling system associated with said environmental chamber for controllably cooling the environment of said environmental chamber.

20. The environmental chamber of claim 15, further comprising an air-tight chamber door for establishing said environmental chamber environment as an air-tight environment.